Why I am a Rotaractor-turned-Rotarian? Which version do you prefer?

Florence Hui 

Have you ever read my version of Why I Am a Rotarian?

http://www.rotaryfirst100.org/why/2006/0620hui.htm 

In addition to the reasons stated there. There were other reasons: naïve, personal and true. 

Before The Calling

I knew nothing about Rotary when I joined Rotaract Club of Macau in 1991 as a charter member. It was just because my classmates were joining. 

My mother club, Rotary Club of Macau was the eldest in Macau and 2^nd eldest in RI District 3450 (Hong Kong, Macao & Mongolia). Charted in 1947, members came from 13 different countries.  

I got myself involved, becoming a board member, a Rotaract president in 1994. Time flied so it didn’t take long for me to become a “Senior Rotaractor” – a Rotaractor who is over 30. “Why are you still a senior Rotaractor?” asked a PDG when he met me at the Joint Installation of my club family in 2003 (Rotary Club and Rotaract Club of Macau have been doing joint installation together since 1997).  The question of “TO BE OR NOT TO BE” began to rack my mind.  

The Calling

Being the eldest in my family, I’ve got all traits of the eldest. As the first female President in Rotaract Club of Macau, I feel that I’m the eldest daughter, too in my club family. All younger Rotaractors are always my brothers and sisters. 

Eventually we grew up. However, the number of Rotaractors joining our mother club was less than the number joining other Rotary Clubs. There is always a myth: “Mother club’s Rotarians will only treat their Rotaractors as servants and kids even if they become Rotarians and join the same club!” Fine with me if some senior Rotaractors believed that. However, it wasn’t that fine if those who have left, kept coming back and preaching the said myth just because they wanted to recruit senior Rotaractors to join their clubs! My younger brothers and sisters began to lose track of WHICH was their mother club. They began to look up to senior Rotaractors.  

It was amazing to see so many Rotarians/Rotaractors at the Centennial Convention in Chicago in 2005. We shared the same mission and vision: to make a difference through Rotary. When I returned, I discussed the idea of joining mother club with another four charter members. We all knew the “myth” but WHY NOT? I wanted to safeguard my club family and I wanted to serve further. I initiated to ask our Rotaract Advisor if we could join our mother club.  

We were inducted at the joint installation of our club family on 2 July 2005.  

After The Calling

“It’s a double honour to serve both the daughter and mother club.” said another Rotaractor-turned-Rotarian. He was my District Rotaract Representative when I was a Rotaract President. He has been Presidents in both Rotaract Club and the mother club. This idea “clicked” and I began to wonder when I would be able to do so.  

Having been a  “happy” member in the second half of 2005, I was asked to support the President as Honorary Secretary because the original has moved to another country for career advancement. Then I became the Honorary Secretary in the next year. President Elect and Annual Charity Ball Chair in 2007/2008, the first Rotaract President-turned-Rotary President in one’s mother club in Macau and 4^th female President of Rotary Club of Macau in 2008/2009 (What was better than seeing my dream come true when  Make Dreams Real Year was the RI Theme, 14 years of my last presidency!), Area Secretary in 2009, Deputy District Secretary in 2010 and currently District Secretary (District Committees). 

If You Ask Me: Was it a smooth path?

The answer: it depends on how far and where I want to go and how much I want to go there.  

When I was being proposed to be the President 2008/2009, one Past President pointed out that there was a tradition that the board should check with the most senior members who haven’t been Club President yet. I could only be considered when all of them had declined.  However, why nobody mentioned that same tradition when he was proposed to be the President Elect? He was only inducted to the club a year earlier than myself. Well, he’s senior in terms of age.

My points are

·         As long as you are human beings, you’ll face different challenges, in and out of Rotary.

·         There will always be people you like and people you don’t like, in and out of Rotary.

·         If you are a Rotaractor and you believe Rotarians shall serve bigger, better and bolder, BECOME A ROTARIAN.

·         If you are a Rotarian and you believe Rotaractors shall turn into Rotarians when they turn 30, don’t just ACT like a Rotarian. Please BEHAVE as one. Join IN instead of just joining Rotary.

I’m not just a Rotarian. I’m a Rotaractor-turned-Rotarian and I’m proud to be one.

Florence Hui, has served two tours of duty on our RGHF board. www.historyboard.org

Posted 9 September 2011 by Jack Selway

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