From X's to Y's

I recently took the time and effort to reconnect officially with Rotaract once again, after some years of pretending to be a interested by-stander. You see, when one has served for 12 years in an organisation, and took the courageous step to be elected into the highest office; draining the 'R' blood from one's body is not a oh-so-easy thing one may think. Yes, one can claim to be out of sight thus out of mind - but don't we all have that feeling of reminiscent. After all we are creatures of emotions.

Pretty much like this blog here as an example. There were many times, I would like to shut off this blog for I have got not much of Rotaract current experiences to share - and knowing that this blog does not received as much attention or followers as I would like it to be. But then again, the emotional side of me whispered, "Terence, you have poured some great stuffs here and there is practically no cost required to keep this blog as-is. Why don't you just leave it there, and knows, there will come a time again people or Rotaractors will find your stuff here informative once again?"... There you have it, "Fellowship Through Service" is revived.

Yours truly was invited to the District Rotaract Assembly (DRA) 2010/11 as a Group Discussion Leader (GDL) for the Professional Development workshop. This could be a chance of a non-Rotaract lifetime, if one should put it. The reason being, for decades, GDLs in DRAs were either current Rotarians or Rotaractors. And yours truly, if you're still unaware, is neither both. I have to thank DRR Sanjeev Kumar for this opportunity, privilege, and honour.

For the first time, I re-experienced Rotaract since my official retirement, and pun intended, like I've never experienced before.

To give you some context, when I was a participant of DRA and conferences during my Rotaract years, I was amongst the youngest or in kinder words - the most junior. During those years, Rotaractor's consisted mainly of those born in the 60's and 70's... I hope now you get the drift.

DRA 2010/11 was an assembly of the Generation Y's.

In true Rotaract fashion, the roll-call of clubs was announced during the opening session. And I am sure, as the clubs present were called upon one-by-one, none of the participants would have known, there used to be clubs like Alor Setar, Georgetown Penang, Tanjung Bungah, Taiping, Ipoh, Ampang, Metro Kuala Lumpur, Kuala Lumpur West, Kuala Terengganu, Kota Bharu, Kuantan, Kajang, Bandar Sunway, Politeknik Port Dickson, and Seremban. These were the X Generation clubs, that unfortunately, did not survived in this Y Generation. In consolation, there were clubs being revived such as Help (University) College, and Kelana Jaya.

In this Y Generation, it seems to me, institutional-based clubs are garnering interest from both young adults and Rotary Clubs alike. I can't help but to sense the beginning of a revolution - for if history is to be revisited, Rotaract originated with the chartering of the first club in University of North Carolina. I'm personally intrigue if this humble discovery of mine (e.g. revolution) is in deed true come 2012.

However, the most startling discovery I made is not about Rotaract is going through a revolution by means of more and more institutional-based clubs are being chartered; in fact, my discovery has let me to the Rotaract Constitution.

During X Generation, Rotaractors are informed that the Goals of Rotaract are as follows:

• To develop professional and leadership skills;
• To emphasize respect for the rights of others, based on recognition of the worth of each individual;
• To recognize the dignity and value of all useful occupations as opportunities to serve;
• To recognize, practice, and promote ethical standards as leadership qualities and vocational responsibilities;
• To develop knowledge and understanding of the needs, problems, and opportunities in the community and worldwide;
• To provide opportunities for personal and group activities to serve the community and promote international understanding and goodwill toward all people.

And in the latest Rotaract Constitution that was distributed to Rotaractors of Y Generation (and as published in Rotary International website here, the Goals of Rotaract read as follows:

• To develop professional and leadership skills;
• To emphasize respect for the rights of others, and to promote ethical standards and the dignity of all useful occupations;
• To provide opportunities for young people to address the needs and concerns of the community and our world;
• To provide opportunity for working in cooperation with sponsoring Rotary clubs;
• To motivate young people for eventual membership in Rotary.

I don't know about you, but I can clearly distinguish the prominence of Rotary and Rotary clubs in the revised Goals of Rotaract.

What does this mean to Rotaractors in Y Generation? What is it like being a Rotaractor in Y Generation? I would love to hear your opinion, drop me a comment or email.

The Newbies, The Oldies, and The Lost Souls

I gave a talk recently to members of my beloved Rotaract club of Pudu on 1 September. Held at a fine dining restaurant within KL called Carmen's, the ambiance was rather informal though. So I decided to do an off-the-cuff presentation with minimum presentation gadgets - in fact none to be precise. After being in Rotaract for more than a decade, we realize we're able to speak from the heart rather than the mind.

(The ambiance before the club meeting and my talk)

Here's a brief of the content I thought would be useful to those who were unable to be present that day.

Throughout my entire Rotaract life (pun intended), I've came across such term as 'new member', 'senior member', 'old member', 'not-so-old member', and even 'not-so-new member'. These were informal membership classification Rotaractors gave to one another, from time to time. To me however, one's Rotatact life should consist of 2 ends - 1 in the beginning and the other at the end, and a middle part which I'd call it the 'in-between'.

A Rotaractor who's just about to begin his/her Rotaract journey shall aptly be classified as a 'Newbie'. But, then we will have the question of when do we stop calling this member a Newbie? For the illustration and clarification of my presentation we shall clearly draw the line as follows, shall we?

Newbies : Rotaractors having no more than 2 years of Rotaract experience.

Oldies : Rotaractors having more than 5 years of Rotaract experience.
And those who doesn't fit both the above equation shall be the In-Betweeners.

Every club has their fair share of newbies, oldies and in-betweeners during a certain part of their club's existence. The challenge need not necessary mean finding the proper balance or formula, but are rather more pertinent question would be, "Is everyone playing their role effectively?"

As Newbies, I shared that the following 3 areas of interest useful to one as a guide towards one's role in a Rotaract club.

1) Know the Game
If we treat Rotaract as a game, and we are players participating in a timed activity, we should understand first the rules of this game in order to enjoy it. The rules that governs Rotaract is only 3 - Standard Rotaract Club Constitution, Standard Rotaract Club By-laws, and Rotaract Statement of Policy.

2) Cultivate Proper Rotaract Habits
There's no better time to cultivate habits than at the early stage of one's life (in Rotaract). Habits on being punctual, saying what's truthful, and attending meetings are a few to mention. Setting appropriate habits will help one in fulfilling a beneficial Rotaract journey - That's for sure.

3) Saying "I can, if you help me to."
This phrase I learned during my early years in Rotaract have proved to be useful yet handful. Many a times, I find new members unwilling to commit to the ideals of service for having too many uncertainties, and to an extend fear in accepting challenges. This respond of "I can, if you help me to" will certainly bring new found perspective and answers in an otherwise predictable circumstances. Try it!

As for the Oldies, there's no better means than being..... An example of an effective Rotaractor. (A role model, in other words). An oldie's words would not bring significant meaning to newbies if not complemented by actions, wouldn't it? And the famous saying of "action speaks louder than words" may well be a new practice for senior members of a club.

And lastly, the In-Betweeners. These are the most concerning group of members as they tend to be 'lost souls' if not shown adequate care and given appropriate responsibilities. Members at this stage of their Rotaract journey may be 'lost' due to the diminishing passion and interest, or the lost of direction and purpose in this organization. The In-Betweeners should themselves assess their circumstances and come to a firm decision as to their contribution and needs to the club. 'Lost souls' can turn an otherwise healthy club into an unhealthy club - like fats to our body. Too much of it gives an incorrect impression of the state of the club (like looking good in numbers of membership standing, but actual active members are much less than what it seems). Throughout my experience, 'lost souls' do come in handy when the 'muscles' of the club require a rest, or when assistance is required without having the need for the 'lost soul' to be present in person - like doing back-end support functions.

Whether you're a newbie, oldie or a lost soul; there's an old saying "The world's like a stage, everyone has a role to play". No one is neither too young nor too old to forget that.

Rotaract Intelligence - Chapter 1

To Know Rotaract, Is To Love Rotaract

Do the above title sound familiar? I borrowed it from a rather memorable Tourism Malaysia catch phrase or slogan from the 80's, and perhaps some of you (old enough) may have remembered ;-)

Rotaract should not be just a youth organization established for the purpose of fellowship, membership and international recognition. Rotaract has to be more than that to you should you really wish to benefit from its true purpose. Rotaract should be your way of life! Yes, as hype or religious as it may sound, I'm speaking from the bottom of my heart.

I'm bringing the context of love into Rotaract here. Nothing superficial.



As I've mentioned in my previous writings, we took the pledge of Rotaract membership on various reasons and intentions. But did we do it out of a sincere desire or merely an infatuation? To love is an unconditioned feeling we have that transcend all creed or code. For love, we will prioritize and sacrifice.

When I hear of Rotaractors leaving (i.e. resigning) from the club, it gives me much impression that such individuals has never been in love with Rotaract or has giving up hope in loving this organization. "How could this be?", I often asked myself in dismay. Are Rotaractors not loving people, or have they been too pre-occupied with other things that they forgot to love their fellow members? Is Rotaract too difficult to be loved, or it should not be loved at all?

What I'm about to share here are tried and tested 'Lovable Actions' for each Rotaractor to consider. And if you still haven't noticed, I've always champion that we (the members) make Rotaract. Otherwise the name and round symbol with a distinctive 'R' will be meaningless.

1. Find at least one characteristic of Rotaract that you truly like.
It may be the people, its organizational purpose or objective, the projects and activities organized. Reaffirm yourself constantly that this (or these) are the things I love about Rotaract. Remember, love is ignited from a spark of likeness.

2. Make someone's day!
Find someone who needs a helping hand in anything, a word of support, a good ear, or even a lift - and make their day. But first, you need to keep in touch and be in touch. Oh remember - what goes around, comes around.

3. Just be there
Become engaged with all your heart in whatever you do or say - and be a friend! We give our 100% in every situation. Better yet, go the extra mile for that someone.

4. Be a friend
Don't just consider a Rotaractor as a member of a club. Let this individual be a part of your social and even personal circle. Share knowledge, experiences, and even responsibilities in Rotaract. Have I not mentioned before about service through fellowship?

5. Giving in, Getting out
There are times we may need to give in to others - just to ensure relationships stays intact. And there are times we have to put real effort in getting out of misunderstanding - so that the bonding is not stressed too much.

6. Forgive and forget
We are all human. Mistakes, although not encouraged are bound to happen. It usually takes a sincere apology, or an act of rectification to mend straining relationship. In more severe circumstances, a neutral peace-maker.

To conclude this chapter of Rotaract Intelligence, I shall borrow (and modified) yet another popular catch phrase.

Breath Rotaract. Think Rotaract. Speak Rotaract!

Why I Am A Rotaractor?

This blog entry was inspired by a forum I came across at the Rotary Global History Fellowship website here and here.

I believe there is a need to start a similar initiative here at District 3300. Clubs can ask this question to each of its members during Club Assemblies, or this can be a regular feature after club meetings whereby a member is being requested to present a short talk.

Otherwise, every Rotaractor can take turns to post their answers on d3300@yahoogroups.com and someone can compile them to make them into a memoir of sort perhaps.

This is the prelude to Rotaract Intelligence.