By PDG Belinda Yeung, JP, Rotary Club of Hong Kong Harbour
January is Vocational Service Month
January is Vocational Service Month. Vocational Service Month is an opportunity to begin year-long vocational service activities, ranging from Rotary discussions to awards to community projects.
Vocational Service focuses on:
- Adherence to and promotion of the highest ethical standards in all occupations, including fair treatment of employers, employees, associates, competitors, and the public.
- The recognition of the worthiness of all useful occupations, not just those that are pursued by Rotarians.
- The contribution of your vocational talents to solving the problems of society and meeting the needs of the community.
Some suggested activities to undertake during the Month:
- Devote a meeting in January to examine the second Avenue of Service, including The Four-Way Test and The Declaration of Rotarians in Business and Professions.
- Introduce a “mini-classifications talk” series in which each member gives a five-minute talk on his or her vocation. Schedule one speaker for the beginning of each meeting until everyone has made a presentation. The purpose of these talks is to promote vocational awareness among Rotarians and help them recognize the worthiness of all useful occupations.
- Present a vocational award to someone in the community who has exemplified outstanding professional achievement while maintaining very high ethical standards.
- Invite experts to give a presentation on the vocational needs of the community and develop a project in response to those needs.
- Encourage club members to put their vocational skills to work as a Rotary Volunteer.
Rotary Showcase
What Rotarians done to the world?
Meet with Our Major Donor
DS Louis Ma – Rotary Club of Hong Kong Sunrise (MD level 1)
by PP Maki Wan – RC Kowloon Golden Mile
I was born in Hong Kong and grown up in Australia with my family since 90s. In my early life, I had studied, worked and married in Sydney before my relocation to Hong Kong in 2014. My first job after my graduation was a network engineer in an Australia national telecommunication company. After my continuous studies, I had changed my industry field to finance and investment. Currently, I am the Investment Director of a financial institution with over 14 years of experiences in investment fund management and asset management.
How do you become a Rotarian and what is the most rewarding aspect of being a Rotarian?
I was relocated to Hong Kong since 2014 and the 2015-2016 club president of Rotary Club of Hong Kong Sunrise had invited me to join the club meetings and services. After a number of attends, I felt the passion of the servings from the club members, which made my decision to join the Rotary.
The most rewarding aspect of being a Rotarian is I am making friends from different ages; classifications and nationalities. During the interactions with Rotarians, I had learnt and growth a lot from their personal experiences and professional sharing.
What impact do you hope your donation will have on society or future generations?
After I joined Rotary I had learnt the Rotary Foundation and its mission. I believe the giving can reintroduce friends and family to the importance of generosity. By giving to foundation, you may well be helping to remind friends and family of causes they themselves are passionate about and would like to support. Your charitable donations could even bring about a family-wide effort to back a charity or charities that have special significance to you as a group.
I also believe the giving to foundation builds and strengthens community. Giving to foundation can be a powerful way to invest in the people and places that make up our everyday lives. As a member of the various communities, you are likely to be well-placed to identify causes in your community that could benefit from charitable giving and support. You might also have insights into how to donate your money or time to magnify your positive impact and strengthen your community.
Tell us something about yourself
I joined the Rotary Club of Hong Kong Sunrise since 2015 and became president in 2017-2018 and 2020-2021. After my presidency, I am ongoing to support district and been appointed on number of district roles; such as Assistant Governor (Area 6) (2022-2023), District Secretary (DG Supports) (2023-2024; 2021-2022); District Secretary (Mongolia Affairs) (2020-2021); Deputy District Secretary (Mongolia Affairs) (2018-2019) and District Training Assembly Chair (2021-2022).
I met my late-wife Bonnie in Sydney and married in 2012. Because of works, we had relocated to Hong Kong in 2014. She was also a professional in finance industry. But at the end of my first presidency term in 2018, she had discovered a rare cancer which was a big blow to our lives. In the following four and half years, we had faced number of surgeries and treatments in Hong Kong and Sydney. After the long battle, her body condition was corrupted and we lost her on early of 2023. She is lovely and brave lady, and she will be always remembered.
Meet with Our Major Donor
PP Wilson Chan – Rotary Club of GD-HK-GBA(MD level 1)
“I was born in HK and immigrant to Toronto when I was 14. I came back to HK in 2006 and work in the Finance field for over 20 years.”
“ I am so glad to be the Chartered Member and Past President of Rotary Club of GD-HK-GBA and has demonstrated a good leading sample for my two sons. I need to say a million thanks to my wife who always support and care about my family, allow me to spend time with our Rotarian and join the charity events.”
How do you become a Rotarian? What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a Rotarian?
PP Joseph Yim introduced me to become the Chartered Member of Rotaty Club of GdHkMoGBA
The most rewarding aspect of being a Rotarian allow us to create Service Opportunities and provides numerous opportunities to engage in meaningful service projects that make a positive impact in GBA communities Participating in these projects allows Friends and Rotarians to contribute to causes they care about and make a difference in the lives of others.
Networking and Fellowship:
Rotary offers a diverse and dynamic network of professionals and community leaders. Being a Rotarian allows me to connect with like-minded individuals who share a passion for service and are committed to making a difference. Rotary meetings and events provide opportunities for networking, building relationships, and fostering lifelong friendships.
Personal and Professional Development:
Rotary encourages its members to develop leadership skills, public speaking abilities, and cultural understanding. Through participation in Rotary activities, can enhance personal and professional growth.
When you choose to become a major donor, what’s important to you?
Being a Major donors ,I often want to make a significant and lasting impact with the donations and seek opportunities to support causes and organizations that align with the values and have the potential to create meaningful change.
Trustee Chair Message
Barry Rassin
Foundation Trustee Chair 2023 – 24
What Rotary is all about
“So this is Christmas / And what have you done?”
The holidays are a time of warmth and togetherness but also of reflection. Above all, the season is a time of generosity, especially to those less fortunate.
During the holiday giving, remember that gifts to The Rotary Foundation may not fit nicely in a present box , yet they keep on giving throughout the year.
Incredible progress that achieved through the Rotary Foundation
- Fight to end polio — the countless lives that Rotary saved and the hope Rotary restored. All the clinics around the world Rotary has equipped and the medical professionals trained through Foundation grants, helping fight heart disease and Guinea worm disease.
- Make health care accessible to underserved communities in a big way through Programs of Scale. Right now, those grant recipients are working to end malaria in Zambia, reduce the mortality rate of mothers and their infants in Nigeria, and eliminate cervical cancer in Egypt.
- In response to the devastating earthquake in Morocco in September, The Rotary Foundation Trustees established the Morocco Earthquake Response Fund to support immediate relief efforts led by Rotary members on the ground. Rotarians can contribute directly, and districts can apply for grants from the fund until 21 September 2024 or until the funds are fully allocated. Anyone can initiate a fundraiser for the Morocco fund on Raise for Rotary, opening further avenues for the generosity.
Make Donation to the Rotary Foundation
Your generosity will have a profound impact on many — people who you may never meet, but whose lives you will change just the same.
The Rotary Foundation and to what Rotary is all about:
Helping Others
Upcoming Events
District Rotary Foundation Seminar & Grant Management Seminar (DRF &GMS) – 4th May 2024 (Saturday) **
** This is a combined version for this Rotary Year. Please note that GMS is a must to attend event for all clubs to fulfil qualifications for next year
Language learning corner: Let’s speak Mongolian!!!
