Note: The Bulletin is a bit early this month. We have recovered enough from the Christmas Party to give subscribers some nice season of goodwill reading in the best Rotary tradition.
So What Happened in 2023?
P. Walter stepped in as president in June.
We ended the year with a record 43 members, Hurrah!
We welcomed BDO as a generous member and sponsor of some of our fundraising projects.
We sadly lost our wonderful PP Arnaud and elected our second woman president, President-Elect Cabbie Rein.
The scholarship, learn to swim, and reading projects brought education opportunities, opened young eyes to a new world and, yes, we are sure will help save lives.
We had many great dinners out arranged by Rtns Stewart and Alex.
We said goodbye to the weekly Bulletin PP Denis provided so admirably for more than two decades.
A succession plan is now in place for board positions for the next few years.
We welcomed back PP Hans.
President-Elect Cabbie and her board assume command of a surging club on 1 July 2024.
Elderly gentlemen dancing like 20-year-olds; the Banya kids carol singing and riffing; Rtn Jacky and Rtn Jp jazzing and cooling the blues; bucketfuls of booze in the raffle; Father Christmas (it's a secret!!) calling by; a buffet for the ages--and a little moment for our president.
Who said Rotary doesn't rock? Our Christmas Party was a blast.
Thank you PE Cabbie, P. Walter, and Rtns Alex, Shiho, Johan and OB for your hard work. The raffle raised a sizeable sum for charity, so thank you to those who contributed.
Rtns Jacky (rhythm guitar) and JP (a mean harmonica) jazzed, souled and rocked their socks off, backed by Rungrod Bouthong (drums), Kea on (bass) and Moody Daul (lead guitar) from the Moody Daul Band.
All the kids got presents from Father Christmas so their nights were done.
And a word about our President. With his gracious wife Jani by his side he paid tribute to her for twenty-six years of marriage on Saturday with a tear in his eye. A touching memorable moment amongst many on the night.
For a photo album of pictures from the party click here
A Word From Our President
It is said that the most precious gift you can give is time. When you give your time, you give a little of yourself and a part of your life to someone else. Time in the service of others is what defines all Rotarians.
For me, service can mean different things — some participate on committees identifying the philanthropic projects worthy of our support, while others come out to our events and parties to lend a helping hand or take part in projects. And there are dedicated members who just do the many activities that make things happen at our Club, whether that is finding great speakers for our meetings, organizing weekly meetings, evaluating and conducting projects, writing articles for the Bulletin, promoting our brand on social media, handling the finances, working on with prospective members, taking responsibility for the scholarship or organizing fun fellowship and fundraising events for all to enjoy. All manners of service are worthy and valuable.
World Needs Rotary
The world needs Rotary, now more than ever. Our singular mission is to improve people's lives and create hope in the world. In whatever way you choose to serve Rotary, I sincerely thank you for your ongoing commitment to our community, our Club, and our members.
As the year comes to the end of 2023, thank you to all who have supported me in my journey of another Rotary year.
And at this particular sacred season, I hope you take the time to reflect on the many blessings of your life and the privilege to serve others. I extend my very best wishes to you and your families for a great festive holiday season and a bright New Year.
Yours in Rotary
Walter Wyler, President
Manik Primary Health Centre
Manik Primary Health Centre in Thalang now has a baby scale and a fetal doppler courtesy of our club. (The fetal doppler gives parents and an opportunity to connect with their baby by listening to his or her heartbeat. It does not give a medical diagnosis. The monitor measures the baby's heartbeat and how it changes when the baby moves.)
Thank You
Thank you very much project manager IPP Best. His wife Able, SPC Chair Bill and his wife Nicha, Rtn Nadia, Secretary Anand, Rtn Pascal and P. Walter all attended a hand over ceremony at the centre on Thursday, 14 December 2023. Thalang Hospital supports the centre through its own staff.
The Chairs Speak
Our hard working committee chairs have some exciting things lined up for 2023-2024. Here's a rundown.
Organising Us
Rtn Joe plans to keep the administration role, as well as being secretary "unless someone wants to wrest it from me." We doubt anyone would because Joe would be such a hard act to follow. So good news all round but our popular secretary is going to be extra busy without growing numbers.
For 2024 Joe sees keeping interesting speakers as a priority. Bangkok Hospital will provide one health topic speaker every two months. The health guests seem very popular with our members, not looking at anyone in particular.
Update the Manual
An update and partial rewrite of the manual is needed. As Joe says: " Some of it is just wrong." He also wants to sign longer than one month contracts with the hotel because sometimes they inform us that one of the days is not available in the upcoming month.
Finally, Joe is writing a detailed frequently asked questions (FAQ) for interested potential members and linking it the home page of the Rotary Club of Patong Beach website.
As our admin committee chairman and secretary says with a trifle understatement: "Enough to keep me busy." Thank you for your tremendous work Joe.
Scholarship
Rtn JP will present his plans for the next year 2024-2025 towards February. The new school years for school, or vocational and universities only start in May to July. Since the programme started after the Tsunami in 2005 many hundreds of Thai students have received financial assistance for school uniforms and other requirements. The programme extends to coastal areas of Phang Nga and Ranong. At the beginning of the school year in mid-May we check with the schools through an organized visit to them. We commit to supporting the students every year until they graduate from Secondary school. Some university scholarships have also been given. Thank you and Shiho for your selfless work JP.
Service Projects
Project Chair Rtn Bill reports his team are looking at ways to keep the Lenses for Learning project running by obtaining matching funds for B500,000 of club funds. The committee could possibly work with other Phuket clubs to cover the island.
The Save the Child Swim programme needs some modifications, so the committee is looking at the best course of action to improve it.
New Members
Bill says with Covid a “bad memory” and a raft of new members the club should look at adding more one-day projects to build fellowship. He asks members to consider organizing a project as a New Year’s resolution.
Suggestions For Projects
Here are some suggestions: cooking for scholars of sustenance (SOS), beach cleanups, school "fixup" projects, visits to special needs schools, visits to old folks’ homes, visits to local schools, vegetarian projects, a children’s day…and whatever anybody else can come up with. Thank you for your great dedication Bill and Nicha. Also a big thank you to Nicha for providing so many great pictures throughout the year.
Membership: Forty Three And Counting
Membership Chairperson PP David happily reported 43 members at the end of 2023-2024, a record for the club since its founding in 2001. With two new member applications pending, on acceptance, they will bring the number of members to 45. We're on a roll. The membership committee set an ambitious target of ten new members at the start of the year. They achieved that with eight new or returning members plus the two new members set to join in the New Year.
But the committee is not resting on its considerable laurels. In the New Year get out your pens and thoughts to write down your thoughts on how we can enhance the club experience for everyone. Such feedback is vital if we are to continue to grow by offering prospective new members an attractive package.
Walter and Sam Perform
In 2023-2024 P Walter and PP Sam did an impressive song and dance show to new and potential members at a seminar outlining Rotary's mission and the club's operations. David reports the sessions were engaging and informative. Well done Walter and Sam.
David also reminds us all that growing our membership is not only his committee's responsibility. We should all keep an our eyes and ears peeled for new prospective members. Just bring a prospective member along as a guest then let the membership committee take over. They are obviously very good at their jobs. Thank you David for your continued wise counsel and work on our behalf.
Dinner Out guru and co-mine host, Rtn Alex has some great ideas lined up for 2024. He will continue to mix dinners between north and south from beach clubs to in town venues. The bright colourful theme will continue. So find a friend and bring them along.
Here are a few suggestions for next year, quoting Alex: "Pestos an under the radar but top notch little restaurant hidden away in Cherng Talay; the famous Nikita’s in Rawai beach; DJs and great food at Carpe Diem and if there is time and place perhaps an end of year party dinner back at Noi’s where we started 2023."
The Last Suppers
Meanwhile it is always good to look back at where we had a good nosh in 2023 and to let the kind hosts that we appreciate their hospitality by publicizing their fine establishments to the wider Bulletin community (400+ people) not just club members. Thank you to well known gastronomic, Rtn Stewart for his work in finding restaurants during the first half of the year. Thank you Alex and Stewart for providing us with some memorable nosh ups!
Email Addresses
So, if you want to go back to one of the venues, here are their names and Facebook addresses of most of the dinners out during the year for your convenience.
Dr Johan plans to spend funds from private donators and himself next year on small medical cases such as respiratory problems, repairing harelips, rashes, stomach upsets and the like. Dr Johan already has a fund but he would like the club to match it baht for baht.
Let's Bowl Again.
And more great news, he intends organizing another Kamala Bowling Club afternoon for club members and their families. This year's event was a great event for young and old as these photographs testify to. Look at those kids ( and adults) having a good time. Thank you for your kind generousity Johan.
Rotary's Public Image
Getting the Rotary message out to a wide audience is an integral part of a club's responsibilities. President Walter shared this information posted by the One Rotary Centre in Illinois, USA, about the importance of storytelling about Rotary. The key points are:
Telling compelling stories about our club strengthens its public image on Phuket. It fulfills one of Rotary's strategic priorities: expanding our reach.
New audiences want to learn more about Rotary. A public image survey in 15 countries found that 73% of respondents were interested in learning more about Rotary.
Use promotional strategies to reach into non-traditional Rotary audiences.
Use videos to create tailored, easy to follow videos about the club.
Be consistent in follow the guidelines on how to correctly use the Rotary logo in presentations.
Promote mental health solutions wherever possible.
Promote Rotary's support for polio awareness, End Polio Now.
Form a promotional committee to share the workload, create a workplan and assign tasks.
To find out more about implementing these tactics and strategies on the Rotay Webpage
Student Exchange watch
Our very own Phuket based Rotary exchange scholar, Leah Brown, has now moved to PP Best's household with Able and Lincoln for the next four months of her action packed, year-long stay. Colin Wanamakok has also been busy in Germany, with a trip to Strasbourg in France a highlight. Looks a bit froid (cold) for a Thai boy, but we are sure Colin enjoyed it. We hope Leah and Colin enjoy their very different Christmases, one from a very cold American state, Indiana; and the other from good old Phuket where Colin probably wished he was judging from his clothing on a boat in Strasbourg. Howdy Leah and Sawadee Krab Colin. We will welcome Colin home around July and Leah will return to the United States in time for their elections in November. Good luck with that one!!
Mark Saturday, 7 April 2024 in your calendar for PP and Fundraiser chair, OB's big bash, somewhere on the island but not yet decided. This fund raiser is going for broke, according to its ebullient organizer who always delivers the goods.
Reaching for a million baht? Planning is still early, but OB has contacted some pretty good entertainers and promises big time dudes from Singapore, Hong Kong and the US of A will be flying in.
There'll be tennis and golf and other things around the grand event on 7 April. Go for it OB and thank you for the entrepreneurial flair you bring to our club.
New Rotary International President
Stephanie A Urchick of the Rotary Club of McMurray in Pennsylvania, USA has been nominated for President of Rotary International for 2024-25--only the second woman to hold that position--much like our Rtn Cabbie, who will become our second woman president on 1 July 2024.
Ms Urchick is partner and chief operating office of Doctors at Work, a consulting and training company. She has been a Rotary member since 1991, travelling to Vietnam to build a primary school and to the Dominican Republic to install water filters. She has served Rotary in many roles and is currently serves on the election review and operations review committees. She is a Rotary Foundation major donor and a member of the Bequest Society.
Several members asked for copies of a book by Nina Ng, a guest speaker earlier this year, called "Deeds, Not Words: A Story About Iraq, Love, and Mania." PE Cabbie advises Nina is returning to Phuket from 3 January to 2 February 2024 and will have copies available to purchase for B500. The book is also available on Amazon
This non fiction/non-fiction book invites the reader into a glimpse of Nina's life through a protagonist called Lana. She sheds light on what it's like to be a humanitarian nurse working in a war zone in Iraq and the difficulties of returning home. Other themes include discovering her sexuality and dealing with childhood trauma as an Asian American adult. Nine falls in love amidst bombs going off in the distance.
Gordon R. McInally Chatchawai Telavanich Walter Wyler
RI President District Governor 3330 President
Scotland Samut Sakhon RC of Patong Beach
A big thanks to all who contributed content to this bulletin
For me, service can mean different things — some participate on committees identifying the philanthropic projects worthy of our support, while others come out to our events and parties to lend a helping hand or take part in projects. And there are dedicated members who just do the many activities that make things happen at our Club, whether that is finding great speakers for our meetings, organizing weekly meetings, evaluating and conducting projects, writing articles for the Bulletin, promoting our brand on social media, handling the finances, working on with prospective members, taking responsibility for the scholarship or organizing fun fellowship and fundraising events for all to enjoy. All manners of service are worthy and valuable.
Rtn Joe plans to keep the administration role, as well as being secretary "unless someone wants to wrest it from me." We doubt anyone would because Joe would be such a hard act to follow. So good news all round but our popular secretary is going to be extra busy without growing numbers.
potential members and linking it the home page of the Rotary Club of Patong Beach website. 
Project Chair Rtn Bill reports his team are looking at ways to keep the Lenses for Learning project running by obtaining matching funds for B500,000 of club funds. The committee could possibly work with other Phuket clubs to cover the island.
fellowship. He asks members to consider organizing a project as a New Year’s resolution.
member applications pending, on acceptance, they will bring the number of members to 45. We're on a roll. The membership committee set an ambitious target of ten new members at the start of the year. They achieved that with eight new or returning members plus the two new members set to join in the New Year. 
offering prospective new members an attractive package.
Dinner Out guru and co-mine host, Rtn Alex has some great ideas lined up for 2024. He will continue to mix dinners between north and south from beach clubs to in town venues. The bright colourful theme will continue. So find a friend and bring them along.
Email Addresses
priorities: expanding our reach.
found that 73% of respondents were interested in learning more about Rotary.
Promote mental health solutions wherever possible.
year-long stay. Colin Wanamakok has also been busy in Germany, with a trip to Strasbourg in France a highlight. Looks a bit froid (cold) for a Thai boy, but we are sure Colin enjoyed it. We hope Leah and Colin enjoy their 
very 
has been nominated for President of Rotary International for 2024-25--only the second woman to hold that position--much like our Rtn Cabbie, who will become our second woman president on 1 July 2024.
Nina Ng's Book
