President's Message January 2022
January 2022
Dear fellow Rotarians,
Firstly, as President I hope that where ever you were in the world over the Christmas period you were able to spend time with your families and loved ones in some capacity or another.
I would like to pass on my New Years greetings to you as 2021 draws to a close on what has been a turbulent year once again, however it has not been without its rewards through the projects we have undertaken in 2021.
As we enter 2022 I feel it is a time to embrace new challenges, our flagship projects the Thai Voices and Rotary Education Center will continue to be supported by our our club and its members, however these projects have been the main focus for three Presidents now, and as I enter the last eighteen months of my Presidency I would like to start a new flagship project, that being water safety for children here in Hua Hin and hopefully throughout our province.
This project has been successfully rolled out in Chiang Mai, Patong Beach and Samui-Phangan to help address one of the highest causes of fatalities in children under 15 here in Thailand and other Asian and African countries, drowning.
A new sub committee is being established to undertake a feasibility study into the viability of starting this project in the first half of 2022. If you would like to be part of this committee please let me know.
Over the last few years we have achieved many great things through the work of the members of our club, however at this years District Awards Ceremony this month I was saddened that all the great things we have achieved has not been fully recognised by our Rotary District 3330, and therefore another aim for me is to improve the Public Image of our club and it is my intention to focus strongly on our public image in 2022 and beyond, again a new committee will be formed to support this as per Rotary International guidelines and anyone wishing to support this committee again contact me.
January is Rotary Vocational Service Month, and since August 2019 we have been supporting two students through the Lizzy Education fund to achieve a degree at Stamford International University. The two girls are now in their final year and will graduate next October, I have assured both Lizzy and the students when I met them earlier this month, that the RCRHH will continue to support them to enable their graduation. Reading their statements to the Royal Coast Review through David Watson, I personally found it quite heart warming in how this opportunity has changed the lives of not only themselves but their families, and what they want to do once they have graduated.
This is what Rotary is all about, changing peoples lives for the better.
As we finally reflect on 2021, I wish you all a very happy 2022.
Yours in Rotary
Phil Lawrence
President of the Rotary Club of Royal Hua Hin.
