First, I want to extend a massive thank you to the one-third of our members who attended last weekend’s Club Leaders Learning Seminar (District Assembly). Our excellent attendance record is something to be proud of. I know we all learned something new, and I certainly came away inspired by the collective energy and positive attitude in the room.
Speaking of positivity, I have been reflecting a lot lately on the Rotary Four-Way Test, particularly around how we interact with one another. Lately, there has been a growing undercurrent of negativity regarding the timeline of our international container project to the Philippines. Let me be perfectly clear: nobody sets out to fail, and nobody actively tries to do a poor job. The project management team has gone above and beyond to navigate incredibly complex hurdles, including notoriously slow communication channels and astronomical Manila customs demurrage charges.
The practical solution to "abandon" the delivery (based upon very good advice) so that the local Philippine club can bid for it at auction was a strategic pivot, not a failure.
The project is around six months behind schedule, but it is not dead. If anyone were to suggest it wasn't fully thought through is simply erroneous and deeply unfair to the members who have poured their time into it.
Delays are a reality of ambitious service work, both abroad and at home. In fact, as we approach our 50th Changeover, we have three major initiatives taking longer than expected—the international container and two of our specific local anniversary projects that we had all hoped would be finalised by June 30th. It is counterproductive to disparage future opportunities simply based on perceived delays of current ones.
To that end, we should be proud that our club's reputation extends far beyond our borders. I recently received a wonderful invitation from Incoming President TJ Meneses of the Rotary Club of Makati Northin the Philippines, inviting us to consider a service partnership for the upcoming 2026-2027 Rotary Year. They are an award-winning, 54-year-old club offering us "partnership-ready" joint ventures in health and education. They have even invited any of our members attending the upcoming Rotary International Convention in Taipei this June 13–17 to visit them at Booth #206 in the House of Friendship.
Opportunities like this prove that our international avenue of service is vibrant and highly regarded. We must do the best we can with available resources, support our fellow members, and remain constructive.
As the old saying goes: Everything will be all right in the end... if it's not all right, then it's not yet the end. Let’s keep our positivity high as we celebrate our 50th year.