A New Sister Club for the Rotary Club of Royal Hua Hin.

Posted by Martin Harrison
In Late 2020 Rotarian Patrick Franssen proposed that the Rotary Club of Royal Hua Hin adopt a new Sister Club; the Rotary Club of Hat Yai Nakarin (RCHYN) in Southern Thailand to which he and his wife were former members. 
 
In February 2021 the memorandum of understanding was signed between the two clubs making the RCHYN our sixth Sister club in four Countries, Thailand, Malaysia, Australia and USA.
The Rotary Club of Hat Yai Nakarin was Chartered on the 8th July 1990 under the Presidency of Mr. Opas Kanwinai in Rotary District 3330 area 3. This year the club is 31 years old.
 
The Club has three Sister clubs in Malaysia and regularly undertakes projects on the Thai/ Malaysia border in the Police Schools, also other projects in local communities such as clean water, Book learning project to promote youth language skills, Donation of wheelchairs for people with disabilities in conjunction with International friendship.  Currently the RCHYN has 19 members.
 
On Monday the 22nd March 9 members of the club drove from Hat Yai to Hua Hin to visit the new Sister Club. A meet and greet function was held at the Greenway Hua Hin Resort owned by Patrick and his wife, where the guest stayed for two nights.
Before dinner was served President Weesuda sangkhakul and PAG PP Penny Ritthikan presented P Brian Anderson with some wine and homemade balm. PP Penny informed the attendees more about their club, their Sister clubs and projects they have been involved with.
 
On Tuesday 23rd March the day started early with a visit to one of RCRHH flagship projects the “Thai Voices” project at the Phetchaburi Panyanukul School in Cha-Am. During the morning the group had a full briefing of the project and observed some of the classes. They were also informed that the schools’ teachers have written the first National assessment document for children with learning difficulties which has been accepted by the Thai Ministry of Education and forms the basis of the “Thai Voices’ National Curriculum. Further reading on this can be found in the club stories “Thai Voices” being heard, ‘Thai Voices” getting louder.
 
The group then left the School to attend the RCRHH 3rd Club Assembly lunch time meeting at the Amari Resort and Spa. 37 Members and guests attended the lunch.
 
During the lunch President Weesuda sangkhakul stated she and her club looked forward to working together and thanked P Brian for the warm welcome their members had received. PAG PP Penny Ritthikan went onto talk about the 3 Sister clubs the RCHYN has in Malaysia and talked about the projects they have been involved in and looked forward to working with the RCRHH on joint projects in the future.
P Brian then asked P Weesuda and PAG PP Penny to join Immediate Past President Napa, President Elect Phil to exchange club banners and the memorandum of understanding between the two clubs. Following this exchange gifts were presented to all the club members of RCHYN by P Brian.
 
Following lunch, the busy day continued for RCHYN where they were then whisked of to the Anuban Hua Hin Nongkhon School the home of the Rotary Education Center Technology Enhanced Learning for Knowledge (TELK) classroom which was formally opened on the 24th November 2020.
 
PE Phil Lawrence informed the group of the history of the Rotary Education Center and TELK and described the four phases of the project with pictures, It must be noted PE Phil was not being aggressive to one of the members during his talk as the picture may suggest.
 
Following this Dr Keith gave a talk on the principals of Technology Enhanced learning. After numerous question and photographs the members of Rotary Club of Hat Yai Nakarin set off on their final leg of their visit sightseeing and it is suspected, some shopping.
 
Overall, this was a very promising start to a new relationship with our Sister club with a return visit planned in the future.
 
Another Story by Scoop Lawrence.
 
More pictures below and CLICK HERE for more.