D3810 October “Area Meeting” and “How Clubs Serve” Training

Every month, the current year’s club presidents from throughout the district meet with the Assistant Governors assigned to them and key members of the district leadership team. Called “Area Meetings,” they actually include the entire district. The presidents and district team come together to discuss district events, the Rotary Calendar theme for the current and coming month, district and club projects, club-sponsored events of all kinds, and problems and ideas. They usually have a training on a Rotary topic or have small group discussions to collaborate on real issues confronting clubs. There is always a dinner and sometimes a fellowship with singing and dancing.

Our district is divided into four areas: Manila, Pasay, Cavite and Mindoro. Usually the meetings are held in Manila or Pasay, since that is where most of the clubs are. Last Monday night, the meeting was at Island Cove in Cavite. Perceived to be far away, it was only a forty-five minute drive from Makati down Cavitex. We were supposed to register and start at five, but of course no one except the trainers was on time, so we penalized the prompt to reward the tardy and started instead at six.

Club presidents were asked to bring their club Director for Service and Vocational for the monthly meeting because an important training was scheduled on “How Clubs Serve.” Most of us know PDG Karen Tamayo, but not everyone knows that she is a physician, an occupational therapist, and an educator, having taught or been an administrator at New York University, as well as many other programs in different parts of the world. PDG Karen is our District Trainer, responsible to assure that clubs and district leaders are offered opportunities to learn and grow in Rotary so that we all might serve better.

Both SDG/Assistant COS Albert Alday and I are members of the District training team. We either present parts of training programs or facilitate group discussions. Our topic on “How Clubs Serve” was designed to help Presidents and Directors responsible for club and vocational service have a better grasp of their roles and how they can conceptualize, develop and implement programs to serve more effectively.

Announcements: Upcoming District Trainings

Rotary Leadership Institute. Open to all Rotarians. All day October 29 at Heritage Hotel. Take or complete RLI to learn the most possible about Rotary. Is three parts; if you finished 1 you take part 2; if you finished 2 you take part three. Our club has thre valedictorians already. Can you be the fourth? Is P2,000. See secretariat to register.

District Rotary Foundation Seminar. All day November 5 at Heritage Hotel. Required of club presidents and foundation directors/chairs, Open to all Rotarians who are interested. Inquire/reserve through club secretariat.