We are delighted to invite you and your spouse to the upcoming Installation of the 89th President and Board of Directors of the Rotary Club of Singapore, our Club's most significant event of the year.
The Installation dinner will be held on Saturday 24 June 2023, at the Ritz-Carlton Hotel (7 Raffles Avenue, Singapore 039799). We are honored to have Mr. Desmond Lee, Minister for National Development & Minister-in-charge of Social Services Integration, as our Guest of Honour.
To enjoy the early bird discount, please register before 22 April 2023 using the following link: https://tinyurl.com/Y77PHPKP . Please note that only one person (spouse included) is required to register.
Thank you for your continuous support to the Rotary Club of Singapore, and we look forward to celebrating this exciting event with you and your spouse.
Yours in Rotary,
Dr. Chan Siew Luen President-Elect, RY2022/23 Rotary Club of Singapore
On 19 March 2023, the Rotary Club of Singapore (RCS), in partnership with the Alliance of Guest Workers Outreach (AGWO), launched a 6-month cricket programme for migrant workers at Tuas South Recreation Centre.
Members from several Rotary clubs in Singapore including RC Singapore and visiting Rotarians from RC Colombo East joined the World Polio Day 2022 walk in Bay East Gardens Singapore in the morning of 24 October, 2022.
About 50 Rotarians, friends and family members gathered mostly wearing the EndPolioNow Red T-Shirts previously circulated by the Rotary District 3310 (D3310) organisers and fully equipped with Banners, Flags and Festoons with End Polio Now (EPN) slogans.
FootballPlus Singapore was officially initiated in Oct 2013, after almost two years of planning and pilot running of various school and community programmes
FootballPlus received its Singapore charity status in June 2014 and attained IPC status in August 2016
Since its inception, FootballPlus has grown steadily in its outreach to young people in the community and schools to 200 players every week throughout the year
Former Dortmund legends and football 2014 world champions visited the FootballPlus kids organised by Rotary Club of Singapore. Great experience for our young champions.
Rotary Club of Singapore Fellowship and Fundraising day on 9 September 2022 at Sands Theatre.
A night of fellowship anchored on the opening of The LKY Musical: this is an inspiring tale of overcoming hardship, challenging insurmountable obstacles and rising from ashes to celebrate Singapore’s independence.
Rotarian TK Chew donated 2000 uniforms which were sent to RC Makati, RC Manila & RC Rizal west in the Philippines. PP Perlita coordinated the entire operation from packing to tracking the delivery with the help of Rtn TK Chew and Rotarians on the ground.
VP Tom Wolf shared with us on how the Four-Way Test was relevant to how he became a successful entrepreneur and why as a Rotarian he can even achieve higher goals.
September 17 Sep - FFTH Distribution. We now have 98 beneficiaries!
October 15 Oct - FFTH Distribution
22 Oct - Eye Camp @ Society for the Aged Sick led by Dr. Rupesh
29 Oct - Workshop for Single Parents @ HCSA SPIN on better communication for parents by psychologist Reena Goenka
November
6 Nov - Jolly Journey @ EQUAL Stables – an experiential morning where RCS members can learn how equine-assisted learning supports communities and beneficiaries, followed by brunch
The eradication of polio is one of the longest standing and most significant efforts by the Rotary International. Along with our partners, we Rotarians have helped immunize more than 2.5 billion children against polio in 122 countries. We have reduced polio cases by 99.9 percent worldwide and we won't stop until we end the disease for good from last two remaining countries. We are 🤏🏼 this close!
The Annual Edition of Interact Leadership Training Camp 2022 by Rotary Club of Singapore in conjunction with Youth Corps Singapore, supported by Rotary Cotton on Youth Fund and Foundation of Rotary Clubs Singapore and had over 110 Registrations with (71% Girls & 29% Boys) from 17 Interact Clubs sponsored by 8 Rotary Clubs from across Singapore. This camp was hosted physically at Global Indian International School - Smart Campus on 23rd July and 24th July. The Activities included intercultural dialogue and volunteerism for social inclusion, which was done by grouping students with similar profiles, learning contents were more tailored, and leadership development skills were enhanced, which increased ties between Rotarians, Rotaractors, Interactors, and Teacher Advisors. This year we had around our Rotarians educating and motivating our Interactors with their presentations and more than 17 Rotarians identified ways they could advocate for young leaders in schools and communites and 9 teachers explored Interact Club activities and how they could help bridge the gap between Rotary clubs and school administration.
A heartwarming and impassioned speech by our Guest of Honour, Ms Low Yen Ling, Minister of State, Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth & Ministry of Trade and Industry, at the installation of the 88th President James Lee & Board Members of the Rotary Club of Singapore on 25th June 2022, was a fitting close to the successful fund-raising dinner event for our Major Project for the year.
Earlier in the evening, RCS incoming President James Lee called on the collective effort of every individual in the club to use their resources and expertise to do good locally and overseas to make the club impactful to the communities it serves.
SINGAPORE - The Rotary Club of Singapore has set up its first interact club focused on public health in Sembawang.
The Interact Club of Sembawang (ICS), which was launched on Wednesday (June 15), will see its 49 members, aged 15 to 19 years old, organising health-related programmes in the area.
Some programmes include inculcating healthy eating and exercise habits in young children, providing mental health support for youth, and organising social activities for the elderly.
President Halimah Yacob interacting with Rotary International president Shekhar Mehta during the Rotary Intercountry Committee Asean's inaugural assembly. PHOTO: ROTARY INTERCOUNTRY COMMITTEE ASEAN
SINGAPORE - Rotary clubs from 10 Asean countries were united under a single committee on Saturday (May 14) in a signing that will help to strengthen member efforts in supporting social and environmental issues in their communities.
The new Rotary Intercountry Committee Asean brought together more than 42,000 members from 1,600 Rotary Clubs across the region. It held its first assembly at the Suntec Singapore Convention and Exhibition Centre on Saturday.
Be part of the historic birth of Rotary Intercountry Committee ASEAN and connect with rotary leaders representing 10 ASEAN countries, 18 RI Districts and more than 1600 clubs. More info
A Pilot Project by Rotary Club of Singapore Designed together with Edible Garden City and SDI Academy.Project Phase 1 ( Edible Garden City : Date 16th Jan 2022 ) The Project Phase 1 was held on the 16th Jan 2022 from 0930hrs to 1200hrs at “ Edible Garden City “ . Hosted and conducted by Mr. Bjorn Low ( Executive Director & Co-Founder of Edible Garden City ). Activities in Phase 1 includes :
Tour of “ Edible Garden City “
Workshop ( Hands-on by Participants: Rotarians from Rotary Club of Singapore ) on planting the Moringa Tree )
Participants will bring home to continue to nurture into a Moringa Sapling and get ready for Phase 2 which was held on the 20th March 2022 at “ Terusan Recreation Centre “ .
The Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) breakdown of the statistics provided by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority showed that in 2020, the number of people aged 60 and older who committed suicide reached a 30 year high despite a 15% reduction in the total number of suicides. Experts point to social isolation as a major contributing factor.
Share-a-Pot brings the isolated and frail seniors out of their homes into the community to share a pot of nutritious high protein soul and to engage in physical exercises together as a group, breaking social isolation, building community bond, strengthening physical conditioning and optimal nutrition.
March 2 - Rotarian Manish Tibrewal, CEO of Maitri Asset Management to speak on 'Setting Up a Family Office & Shared Philanthropy' 9 - Donald Chan, Managing Director (Asia Pacific) of CDP 16 - Third Club Assembly 23 - Dr Vincent Chong, Senior Consultant, Dept of Diagnostic Imaging of National University Hospital 30 - Hans Graf, Chief Conductor of Singapore Symphony Orchestra
April 6 - Rtn Benjamin Wong, Co-Founder and CEO of Transwap 13 - Ms Ranganayaki Thangavelu, Deputy Director of Beyond Social Service 27 - Rtn Suhaimi Zainul-Abidin, Quantedge Capital
May Peace and Conflict Prevention/Resolution Month 4 – Sazzad Hossain, DoorMart 18 – Alan Seng, Dark Metaverse 25 – 2nd Debate
June 1 – Fourth Club Assembly 8 – Prof Patrick Loh, Plant Scientist
The Samaritans of Singapore (SOS) breakdown of the statistics provided by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority showed that in 2020, the number of people aged 60 and older who committed suicide reached a 30 year high despite a 15% reduction in the total number of suicides. Experts point to social isolation as a major contributing factor. While there are many organizations that provide counselling and mental health support, such programs are positioned very far downstream where the problems have already reached a dire state. Programs positioned more upstream may be better at preventing the vulnerable elders from reaching that state of desperation.
Share-a-Pot is one such upstream program. It brings the isolated and frail seniors out of their homes into the community to share a pot of nutritious high protein soul and to engage in physical exercises together as a group. This simple act achieves the effect of breaking social isolation, building community bond, strengthening physical conditioning and optimal nutrition.
This fundraising is to expand the coverage of this program as well as to incorporate a mobile component so that even with COVID restrictions, volunteers and still reach out to those in need.
On 23rd October 2021, the Vocational Service Committee (VSC) kicked off their Hawker Centre Adoption project to support Alexandra Village Food Centre (AVFC).
This was a Group Buy wherein we bought 125 meals from AVFC hawkers and distributed them to senior citizens living alone in nearby blocks- all under strict SMM guidelines, making Essential House Visits for good delivery.
14 Rotarians/ family members from RCS supported by students representing the Rotaract Club of Singapore operated in pairs, bought food from 6 hawker stalls in AVFC, drove down to pre-identified HDBs in Queenstown and gave the gift of a hot meal to senior citizens living alone there.
Grassroots Advisor Eric Chua graced the occasion, and met the hawkers as well as beneficiaries while extending his support and gratefulness to the teams.
The reaction from the hawkers was heartwarming to say the least. One stall owner said business had dropped more than 40% with recent dining restrictions, but she was very happy that the community had taken note and was trying to help them.
Some of the beneficiaries also conveyed their appreciation to the sponsors, organisers and volunteers for their concern and love.
Many thanks to the various people that made this possible, including People’s Association & Lions Befrienders for helping identify the beneficiaries, Paul Liew from AVFC for hawker coordination and SG Digital Office for bringing the various teams together.
A big thank you to all the donors who contributed towards the meals and the volunteers who came forward to make this group buy and food distribution effort a big success!
Together with the Centre for Domestic Employees, Singapore Dental Health Foundation, and NTUC Health Denticare, we supported Indonesian domestic worker Khanifah, who was severely physically abused by her employers in 2012. The physical abuse left Khanifah with permanent disfigurements – one of which is the loss of two incisors in her lower jaw and two chipped incisors in her upper jaw.
We extended assistance to Ms Khanifah after learning of her plight. With the consent of her current employer, CDE staff brought Khanifah to consult Rtn Dr Chan Siew Luen, an oral & maxillofacial surgeon in private practice, and Dr Goh Siew Hor, Head of Clinical Services at NTUC Health and President of Singapore Dental Health Foundation.
With the support of Dr Chan, Dr Goh, Rotary Club of Singapore, Singapore Dental Health Foundation, and NTUC Heath Denticare, Khanifah was able to receive dental treatments and dental implants to replace her lost teeth. Now, Khanifah can smile confidently again.
“Terima kasih, CDE, terima kasih, doktor!” said a teary-eyed Khanifah in her native language once she saw her new teeth in the mirror. A simple “Thank You” that came from her heart and touched ours.
The NUS Saw Swee Hock School of Public Health (SSHSPH) is organising a virtual public forum on 5 June 2021 to address COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy with the support of the Rotary Club of Singapore (RCS). The virtual public forum, “Why Hesitate? All You Want to Know about the COVID-19 Vaccination” will officially launch the RCS Public Health Ambassador Programme to promote vaccination among the wider community in Singapore.
Why Hesitate? All You Want to Know about the COVID-19 Vaccination
The Distinguished Service Award is the Rotary Foundation’s (TRF) highest Award for a Rotarian. Past President Dr Shahul Hameed is one of the chosen few, becoming the first Rotarian from RC Singapore to receive this Award.
Dr Shahul Hameed joined Rotary 26 years ago and served as President of the Rotary Club of Singapore in 2013/2014. He has served the District as Scholarship Chair, Grants Chair, Stewardship Chair as well as District International Service Chair. He is currently the District Rotary Foundation Chair for D3310 until June 2023. In 2017, he became the first Rotarian from D3310 to be appointed a Cadre Member of TRF and will continue to serve as Cadre Member until 2023.
Multiple COVID-19 vaccines have been approved for use by WHO and Singapore within just over a year from the start of the pandemic. Vaccination rollout in Singapore has been swift, with the majority of frontline workers and at-risk individuals vaccinated by May 2021. However, vaccine hesitancy is a real problem globally and in Singapore. There has been considerable misinformation shared about the COVID-19 vaccines since the end of last year. Many people continue to have questions and doubts about the safety and efficacy of the vaccines, particularly with the outbreak in one of Singapore's largest hospitals where several vaccinated staff were nonetheless diagnosed with COVID-19.
In this webinar, Dr Hsu and Dr Clapham will explain how the different COVID-19 vaccines work, what are the adverse effects, what is meant by vaccine efficacy, herd immunity, and why it is necessary that we should all get vaccinated if possible
Rotary Club of Singapore collaborated with ‘Rise Against Hunger’ to distribute rice and dal to workers in the dormitories. As the rice was Ponni rice it is more suitable for South Asian cooking. The distribution of the rice was coordinated with a dormitory volunteer group ‘Its Raining and Raincoats (IRR)’ by Rtn. Mukundan and Rtn. Srihari. The distribution was done through IRR volunteers as they had the entry permit to South Asian Workers dormitory due to covid restrictions. The project comes under the aegis of the Community Service Committee CSC, Rotary Club of Singapore and a big thank you to PP Lip Kee for making this happen.
Many ex-offenders do not have much education. Coupled with a prison record, job opportunities are hard to come by. This creates a vicious cycle. Without a job, they become stressed. When stressed, they resort to drugs to relieve themselves of the stress. When they run out of money to buy drugs, they resort to crime. Providing ex-offenders with skills that enable them to secure a stable income helps to break this vicious cycle.
ISCOS has identified vocational driving as a skill attainable by most ex-offenders except for the relative high cost of attaining a driver’s licence in Singapore. Research has showed that Class 3 driving licence can bring about a 50% increase in salary compared with jobs such as a cleaner (one of the few jobs that are open to ex-offenders with limited education).
As such, the Rotary Club of Singapore is supporting ISCOS in their Skills Assistance Subsidy Scheme, to subsidise the cost of attaining a driving licence for ex-offenders.
ISCOS 2.4 - Bruce Mathieu - Acquiring Skills and Don’t be discouraged
“During an offender’s jail term, the punitive element of imprisonment should not overshadow its reformative aspect.” – Chief Justice Chan Sek Keong, 2006
Singapore has a zero tolerance towards drugs. Drug trafficking carries a mandatory death sentence and drug abuse is a criminal offence that carries a jail sentence. Repeat drug offenders are subject to long prison sentences. In Singapore’s low crime environment, drug related offences account for 4646 out of a total of 6934 inmate population (2020 Singapore Prison Service Report).
Researchers Justin Lee and Fern Yu in a commentary published on Channel New Asia succinctly highlighted the issues with reintegration. They noted that the Singapore criminal justice system has taken the lead in showing willingness to ”forgive and forget”. There is a provision in place for those who were convicted of less serious crimes to have their criminal record spent if they stayed crime free for five years. Organisations like Community Action for the Rehabilitation of Ex-offenders (CARE) Network, and the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises (SCORE) are set up to coordinate efforts of various organisations and to oversee employment and skills training respectively.
Research showed that predictors of reintegration includes the ex-offender making a personal choice to reintegrate, his age, having a vision and purpose in life, staying committed to change, having spirituality, having basic needs met, family support, access to employment, etc. While some of these factors are personal decisions that the individual has to make, some are structural factors that institutions and voluntary welfare organisations can contribute towards.
ISCOS 2.3 - Bruce Mathieu - Difficulties in Reintegration
There are many theories on why people abuse drugs. Most centred around emotional stress, coupled with the lack of alternative solutions and access to drugs. In Bruce’s case, a troubled childhood lacking in guidance and supervision led him into a gang which introduced him to drug abuse. The sensation given by illicit drugs such as marijuana provided an escape from the negative emotions that has built up over the years.
Bruce is fortunate to have a daughter whom he loves dearly and that gave him to strength to turn over a new leaf. He also found endurance through religion. Believing in a higher being provides a sense of hope for the future and the sustenance to stay on the right path.
Leaving the gang is the first step towards recovery. A public renunciation of gang membership severs or reduces the access to drugs. It is a signal both to the gang member/drug abuser as well as to the gang that the relationship is over.
Beyond spiritual and moral support, a means of making a living is crucial. Being able to support oneself and one’s family financially provides a sense of self worth and responsibility. Like many ex-offenders, Bruce did not have a lot of formal education. Developing vocational skills that can make a decent livelihood goes a long way towards keep recidivism low.
Again, Bruce was fortunate to encounter a social enterprise that not only provided him with training to become a barista but also provided him with a job. The Living Well Café is located in Tan Tock Seng Hospital and seeks to help disadvantaged and marginalized people to sustain themselves.
ISCOS 2.2 - Bruce Mathieu - Finding God & Public Renunciation
Bruce Mathieu, 51 years old, sentenced to 20+ years in prison on multiple occasions, received 21 strokes of the cane. Bruce speaks about how he ended up the way he did and how he turned himself around
The Singapore Prison Service reported 2539 drug-related admissions in 2019, a steady increase over the 2018 (2248 cases) and 2017 (1962 cases). Out of the 2,539 cases, 2080 were placed in Drug Rehabilitation Centre while 991 were in long-term imprisonment.
According to an SPS report in 2020: The DRC regime consists of the In-care Phase and the Community-Based Programme (CBP) Phase. During the In-care Phase, abusers go through psychology-based correctional programmes, skills training, as well as family support and religious services, in order to prepare them for reintegration into society after their release. These help abusers deal with the psychological and emotional aspects of their drug abuse, as well as equip them with the knowledge and skills to prevent relapse. Aftercare supervision during the CBP Phase provides abusers with supportive measures that facilitate their reintegration into society.
Superintendent of Prisons (SUPT 1A) Loh Hong Wai, Superintendent of the DRC in Institution B5, said, “At the DRC, by understanding the factors that led abusers to use drugs, we are able to tailor our rehabilitation regime accordingly. This helps us to provide structured and evidence-based interventions that are more effective in preventing further drug abuse. Even after their release, we continue to provide support to ease their transition back into the community, giving them a better chance of staying drug-free in the long run.”
ISCOS 2.1 - Bruce Mathieu - Begining to Turn over a New Leaf
Every reformed ex-offender wishes to put the past behind them. However, the reality is that the world outside the prison after incarceration is a metaphorical second prison, restricting their options severely. The difficulties faced by someone with a criminal record may serve as a deterrent for would-be offenders, but is also a burden on reformed ex-offenders. Whye Kee shares his desire to be seen not as an ex-offender, albeit a successfully reformed one, but as any normal Singaporean.
Successful re-integration is not only beneficial to the ex-offender but to society at large. One ex-offender that successfully re-integrates is one less re-offender and one less victim. More than that, it is one more contributing member of society.
ISCOS - Part 11 - Not an Ex-offender but a Singaporean
How does ISCOS help? While support and encouragement from loved ones have the highest efficacy in helping an ex-offender reintegrate into society, not every ex-offender has the privilege of a supportive family. Many may not have a family or may be estranged from one.
Support can come different sources. Organizations, both governmental and non-governmental, can ease the re-integration process. Such efforts start while the person is still serving his sentence as part of the prison rehabilitation program. The Industrial and Services Co-operative Society (ISCOS) provide programs that are geared towards enhancing the skill levels of their beneficiaries, connecting them with supportive employers, providing social support through positive peer groups and mentors, building stronger family units and extending academic assistance to their children.
Successful ex-offenders like Whye Kee join ISCOS as a “Titan”, to mentor others from the perspective of someone who has successfully transitioned back to society.
Yellow Ribbon Singapore, a statutory board under the Ministry of Home Affairs, “helps inmates and ex-offenders rebuild their lives and lower the recidivism rate through skills and long term career development, with an effective aftercare support network.” It was in one of the Yellow Ribbon events that Whye Kee was demonstrating his pottery skills that he met Mrs Tharman, wife of Senior Minister Tharman, who invited him to join the grassroot organizations to serve the community.
For the first time in his life, he felt the joy of being in a position to help others. He was treated as a normal citizen and not as an ex-offender. This further consolidated his position as a contributing member of society, leaving his criminal past behind for good.
While his father’s death sparked his decision to leave his criminal past behind, Whye Kee was able to sustained his path of redemption through discovery of the art of pottery while in prison. He joined the pottery club while still serving his time and devoted all his energy to developing the craft. Pottery turned out to be a major pull factor for him to stay on the straight and narrow. It gave him something to focus on and to be good at. That in turn served as a potential career path for him upon release.
This is an example of the success of the prison reform program. In empowering inmates with a tangible skill that they can make a living with upon release, ex-offenders need not resort to criminal activities again to make a living. Perhaps beyond just making a living, usefull skills such as pottery gives a person a sense of self worth, the lack of which in the past was a push factor towards criminal activities.
ISCOS - Part 8 - Whye Kee joining the pottery club
Desistence, or leaving the gang, requires steadfastness of purpose. To understand why a person chooses to leave a gang, we need to look at why that person joined a gang in the first place. Some are “pushed” by external factors such as poverty, family problems, failure in school, etc. Others may be “pulled” by the lure of “protection” by the gang, comradeship, financial support etc. Many studies report a high turnover of gang membership and that most of them stay in a gang for one year or less. However, the longer one stays, the more difficult it becomes to leave. Desistence studies also noted pull and push factors. As the gang member matures and takes on familial responsibilities, he may see the folly of his ways. Coupled with push factors such as police intervention and internal strife within the gang, a gang member may eventually leave to live a normal life.
In Whye Kee’s case, the death of his father served as the turning point. His experience is leaving the gang was relatively atraumatic and he was able to just stay away from the gang. However, for the desistance to be sustained, other factors must also come into play. For Whye Kee, he found his passion while still serving his sentence and was able to direct all his energy into something constructive.
Regardless of whether the penal system subscribes to a punitive or rehabilitative philosophy, the turning point for Whye Kee was the death of his father. The sense of permanent loss of a loved one and not wanting to bring further shame to his family proved to be the driving force for turning over a new leaf.
For inmates with families, this may indeed be the key towards reintegration into society. By helping to build and strengthen family bonds, an ex-offender gets emotional support and inspiration from loved ones which goes a long way towards reducing recidivism. Coupled with new vocational skills acquired through rehabilitation programs both during incarceration as well as post-release, an ex-offender has a higher chance of sticking within the straight and narrow path.
Whye Kee’s description of his attendance of his father’s funeral in prison uniform and chained like a mass murderer, in front of all his relatives, showed the regret that he felt. The impact of such an experience on his determination to reform probably exceeded that of incarceration and caning. While this may not be the case for someone who does not have a supportive family, it behooves the system to recognize that understanding what makes an particular offender ticks will make a difference to the outcome of any rehabilitation program.
While the public face of a penal system serves to protect the public and to deter would-be offenders, its implementation needs to go beyond the punitive elements and extend to personalizing the reform programs that will be most effective in helping an inmate be internally motivated to stay away from crime. Every ex-offender that stays clean means one less crime and one less victim. It is in the public interest to ensure the after having paid penance for their crimes, ex-offenders can lead a normal life
Judicial corporal punishment is a controversial issue in many countries. In Singapore, it has been in practice since colonial days and is still being carried out today. Judicial caning in Singapore is only for men between 18 and 50 years of age with no medical contraindication. Unofficial sources on the internet puts the number of offenders being caned at slightly above 1000 a year, down from a high of over 6000 in 2007. The merits or otherwise, of caning is a complex subject. However, nobody can deny the gruesomeness of such a punishment. Such gruesomeness is perhaps intended so as to act as a deterrent for would-be offenders.
The most famous case of judicial caning in Singapore is arguably that of American Michael Fay, who was sentenced to 6 strokes of the cane, four months jail and a fine of $2200. for vandalism in 1994. A diplomatic row ensued as then American President Bill Clinton appealed for clemency and the sentence was eventually reduced to four strokes. Unofficial sources on the internet showed him committing more offences in the next few years in America but eventually became a good contributing member of society as he matured. Did caning influenced the way he live his life? There is probably no answer to that question.
In his third incarceration, Whye Kee was sentenced to 9 strokes of the cane. He described the caning as “every stroke is like kena bang by one lorry”. However, he also shed light on the existence of gang culture within the prison that caused him to put up a brave front. While scholars, lawyers and politicians can continue to debate the efficacy of judicial caning, that was the last time Whye Kee was imprisoned.
The inability to reintegrate into society leads to the hardening of criminal mindset. Whye Kee did everything right during his first incarceration. He was determined to turn over a new leaf while in prison, enrolled in prison school, studied hard and obtain good results. However, reintegration into the community was difficult and that led him to develop a animosity towards society. Faced with rejection, he soon succumbed to his old ways and was arrested and sent back to prison repeatedly.
There are several schools of thought on criminal justice systems. The retributivist school advocates the philosophy of “an eye for an eye” whereby the punishment of the offender is meted out according the harm that was done. The consequentialist school on the other hand, sets up punishment as a deterrent to anyone contemplating criminal acts. A third school of thought involves incapacitation, which involves removing the offender from the community so as to prevent him from committing further crimes. Finally, the rehabilitative school believes that criminal acts were carried out due to certain circumstances and that improvement of those circumstances will lead to a reformed person that can return as a contributing member of society.
Whye Kee’s experience in prison was likely a combination of all four schools of thought. The challenge, however, lay in the reintegration into society, of lack thereof.
The first imprisonment is often a wake up call. Despite being a Headman of a gang, being incarcerated for the first time is a frightening experience. Stripped off the the bravado of the street gangs, the throngs of underlings, the Headman is just another inmate. Hence, the opportunity for reform is greatest at this point. Whye Kee was no exception. He decided to make use of his time in prison to upgrade himself. He enrolled in prison school and studied hard for his N levels and achieve fairly good results. Armed with an N-level qualification, he was full of hope for his new life when he was release.
However, he soon found that his prison record proved to be a great obstacle in his way. This is a plight face by many ex-offenders upon release from prison. Yellow Ribbon Singapore reported that about 9000 ex-offenders are released from Singapore’s Prison and Drug Rehabilitation Centre every year and a considerable number face uphill challenges as they try to turn over a new leaf.
Many ex-offenders liken that process as being release from a physical prison into a metaphorical prison where they are physically taken away from society but are still kept apart in a separate world. Failure at reintegration into society often lead to re-offending. Yellow Ribbon Singapore recognizes this problem and there has been campaigns to educate the public on acceptance, calling on the public to “help unlock the second prison”.
Organizations like The Industrial and Services Co-operative Society Ltd (ISCOS) serve to help unlock this prison through caring not just for ex-offenders but their families as well.
Whye Kee turned out to be a very effective gangster, literally fighting his way to the top of his gang to become the Headman within a short period of time.
Years, later, this gangster would become a scholar, writing a thesis on the Chinese secret society, tracing its roots back to the Qing Dynasty. In his thesis, Whye Kee attributed the genesis of the Chinese secret society to the burning of the Shaolin Temple and massacre of the monks. “From the ashes of Shao Lin martyrs, the Chinese Secret Society was created to serve a righteous and noble cause – to avenge the monks and to serve a greater good by restoring the Ming Dynasty.”
However, Whye Kee also noted that “.. modern Chinese secret societies do not serve righteous ideals. There is no political agenda to their activities. They do not work to achieve social justice or to balance the distribution of political power or economic wealth to the greater benefit of all in society. What is acknowledged as a Chinese Secret Society today may practice the old rituals, but the original purity of purpose is not embedded into its operations. Using threats, vandalism and physical abuse, they exploit the people in society that they once pledged to help and protect. The Chinese Secret Society of today is little more than a street gang. However the gang fills a critical role for the vulnerable and disenfranchised segments of our population. It creates a sense of community among teenagers and young men who feel isolated from mainstream society.”
Hence in modern Singapore, the Law quickly caught up with him and he was detained without trial and then sent to prison.
Low crime doesn’t mean no crime. This is a common refrain from the Singapore Police Force. Implicit in the statement is the low crime rate in Singapore. The Annual Crime Brief 2019 published by the Singapore Police Force showed 35115 cases, out of which 153 were “violent crimes” and 4349 were “crimes against person”. This low crime rate has resulted in 94% of Singapore residents reporting that they feel safe walking home alone in their neighbourhood at night. However, there is always an underbelly in any society and Singapore is not exception. Gangs and secret societies do exist and they do get violent at times. To get an insider perspective to the underworld in Singapore, we speak with Kim Whye Kee, the winner of the Rotary Club of Singapore Artisan of the Year Award 2019 Winner and former Headman of a gang in Singapore.
Like any other kid, Whye Kee had dreams of becoming a teacher, fireman, policeman or other professions that young boys aspire to. However, such dreams ended after primary school. When he started secondary school, he got beaten up by the school bullies very often and that eventually led him to join a gang to take revenge on those bullies.
The Rotary Club of Singapore Vocational Service Committee seeks to serve the community through the vocational skills of its Rotarians as well as to provide vocational skills to disadvantaged segments of society i.e. the proverbial “teach a man to fish” instead of just “giving him a fish”.
For the Rotary Year 2020/21, we have chosen the Industrial and Services Co-operative Limited (ISCOS) as a partner in our outreach to ex-offenders in Singapore. ISCOS has identified vocational driving as an accessible skillset that can uplift the living standards of ex-offenders and their families. Having a stable income reduces the recidivism rates and by extension, makes the community safer for everyone.
Watch this space as we speak with two ex-offenders to learn what drove them to crime and subsequently, their road to redemption:
Conversations 1: From Gansgter to Artisan
Conversations 2: From Heroin to Caffeine
In the meantime, we appeal for your generous donations to support our fundraising efforts to subsidise the vocational driving training costs for suitable ex-offenders through our giving.sg campaign here.
Happy to share that the distribution of items for Rotary GG 2012660 COVID-19 items for #Singapore is now underway. We would like to thank all our Singapore and overseas Rotary Clubs and Districts for their kind assistance and support. All Clubs and Districts are kindly acknowledged in the Official Banner for the Project.
On the 15th of August, President Dinesh presented to this organization 220 masks which will be distributed to the staff working at the APSN and to the beneficiaries who lost their jobs due to COVID-19.
To play our part in fighting the economic impact of COVID-19 in Singapore, the Rotary Club of Singapore has put aside $10,000 in the form of one hundred $100 vouchers for individuals who have lost their jobs because of the pandemic.
Members of the public who have employment termination letters dated after 6 April 2020 may apply to the Rotary Club of Singapore at https://bit.ly/rcsc19uf for the vouchers.
Rotary Club of Singapore is happy to share this wonderful project led by the Youth Service Committee and the Youth Corp of Singapore. The focus was on friendship and leadership between the various interact clubs and the spirit of volunteerism. The next generation of the ICC (Interact coordinating committee) was elected in an exciting finale. The main combined project is Accendo which is a mental health awareness campaign that intends to illuminate our understanding of issues related to mental health. As part of the campaign, there will be weekly posts on different themes, and there will also be #instachallenges with attractive prizes to be won. Please click the link and follow it on Instagram.
Accendo: Month-long Mental Health Awareness Campaign
Rotary Club of Singapore is proud to have been able to support RI District 3040 in a COVID-19 Relief project. As COVID cases were on the rise in nearby Indore and Bhopal, the Rotary Club of Sonkatch got into action. Within 40 days this project was designed, submitted, approved and the funds were received as a Global Grant project of the Rotary Club of Singapore.
PPE kits, medical equipment, essential supplies, and masks were provided to hospitals in Sonkatch and Dewas towns of Madhya Pradesh, India. Masks and sanitizers were also made available to the public besides a public awareness campaign on safety norms.
The Rotary Club of Singapore (RCS) is blessed to have got the opportunity to support 500 Sri Lankan students over a period of 2 months during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Sri Lankan students in Singapore were in urgent need of daily essentials during the circuit breaker period and the Rotary Club supplied dry rations, vegetable parcels, and other essentials such as face masks, hand sanitizers to them through a club-wide fundraiser in April 2020.
High Commissioner Sashikala Premawardhane thanked the Rotary Club of Singapore for the support extended to the High Commission during this challenging period and said that their support came at a critically important time and has been of tremendous value.
COVID-19 Project for Sri Lankan Students in Singapore
Congratulations to these 8 trainees who will be graduating from HCSA Academy's culinary training course 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬
This batch has shown great determination and adaptability especially amid unforeseen changes caused by COVID-19 - one of which being the new approach to 𝗢𝗻-𝘁𝗵𝗲-𝗝𝗼𝗯 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 (OJT).
On 25th June and 2nd July respectively, all hands were on deck as the trainees prepared, packed, and delivered freshly-cooked meals for the residents of Jamiyah Children's Home - Darul Ma'wa and Ashram Halfway House - Hindu Endowments Board. With the help of technology, the trainees also presented the menu and virtually shared about their experience to the residents - just like how they would for a typical OJT.
We are proud of our trainees for pioneering this new OJT experience and glad that we could use this opportunity to support other vulnerable groups through culinary arts. A big thank you to
Bfooding.Bio for making this new OJT arrangement possible by sponsoring the Academy with compostable foodservice packaging.
Our Club sponsored the course fees and allowance for these trainees.
From feeling like a burden on their own families and being lonely to earning their own livelihood and contributing to their community, they have come a long way.
Rotary’s project to provide economic independence to 150 poor and/or disabled individuals and 450 of their family members in Vin Thai Commune living near Hue, Vietnam has changed lives forever!
The income-generating activities are well managed by the beneficiaries themselves through a self-help group - making it a sustainable community economic development project.
On Sunday 19th December, 75 Rotarians (including RC Bugis Junction and London), Rotaractors, family and friends made 25 residents from Society of the Aged Sick smile with a heartwarming lunch and a nostalgic tour of Chinatown. What a fun and fulfilling day for all! #RotaryClubofSingapore #CommunityService #RotaractClubofSingapore #Fellowship #RotaryConnectstheWorld
Youth Service launched their joint major project in collaboration with Interact Coordinating Committee (ICC) - Project Accendo. Accendo is a latin word for to illuminate, and the project hopes to illuminate and elevate the awareness of youth surrounding mental health, including understanding early detection and intervention.
According to the Singapore Mental Health Study 2016, one in seven adults have experienced a mental health condition in their lifetime. More than three-quarters of people with a mental health condition in their lifetime did not seek any professional help.
This major project will be held on 21 March 2020, carnival style, with booths, talks and interactive fringe activities, run in partnership with numerous organizations including SOS, IMH, Clarity, Resilience Collective, Brahm Centre, NCSS, Club HEAL etc.
Watch out for more details of the event and join us!
On Saturday 18th January 2020, Rotarians, family and friends baked 3,888 cookies and tarts for the Association of Persons with Special Needs to help with their fundraising efforts. What a fun and fulfilling day!
The Vocational Service Committee of the Rotary Club of Singapore, chaired by Director Stuart Pearce, organized a vocational visit to the Patek Philippe Exhibition at MBS Singapore yesterday. More than 35 Rotarians, spouses and family members had the rare opportunity to get a backstage view of the art of watchmaking, meet the Artisans of handcrafted watchmaking and learn about this rare and valuable vocation. The afternoon ended, as usual, with effervescent fellowship. #RotaryClubofSingapore #RotaryConnectstheWorld #VocationalServiceCommittee #RotaryFellowship #FamilyofRotary
The 85th Board of the Rotary Club of Singapore reflected on its first 💯 days at its weekly Wednesday Club meeting. Exactly 💯 members and spouses, visiting Rotarians (from 9 Rotary Clubs worldwide) and special guests graced the unprecedented event. The evening ended with a celebration of heartwarming songs, music and dance. #RotaryClubofSingapore #RotaryConnectstheWorld #Happy100days
The Rotary Club Community Service Committee, helmed by Director Dr Chan Siew Luen Chan, hosted 15 residents from the Society of the Aged Sick at the River Safari this morning. More than 25 Rotarians, Rotaractors, spouses and family made the outing so memorable for them.
The Rotary Club of Singapore had a meaningful and emotional weekend in Malang and Batu Indonesia.
Rotarians from 7 Rotary clubs and their family and guests visited schools and orphanage and enjoyed great fellowship with each other over the last two days.
Big thanks to HM Mohan Vaswani for hosting and PP Shahul Hameed for leading the mission.
Our Vocational Service Committee, partnering with Glyph a social enterprise working with youths from disadvantaged backgrounds, held its first of four Junior Engineers event. Organiser Rotarian Claus, VSC Director Stuart Pearce, and many of our Rotarians and family spent a productive Saturday afternoon learning about renewable energy in a fun way (through science kits).
The Community Service Committee, under the stewardship of Siew Luen Chan, organized a Dine in the Dark evening @ the Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped tonite with almost 20 Rotarians, family and friends. A meaningful and very illuminating experience for all.
The Interact Coordinating Committee’s “GREY CAN STILL PLAY”
16 March 2019
Reported by: Rtn Dr Hoh Sek Tien, Youth Service Director, Rotary Club of Singapore
“Grey Can Still Play 2019”, organised by the Interact Coordinating Committee (ICC) was a one-day community service project which brought together seniors and Interactors for a day of fun and meaningful interaction.
The event which comprised a lunch and carnival for the seniors, was supported by the Rotary Club of Singapore, Youth Corps Singapore and MacPherson CC, with funding support from the Foundation of Rotary Clubs of Singapore's Rotary Happiness Fund.
The Interact Coordinating Committee’s “CONVERSATIONS”
23 February 2019
Reported by: Dr Hoh Sek Tien, Youth Service Director
Our Interactors conceptualised an event that they believed would be a step towards creating a greater level of understanding in today’s society. Their combined efforts resulted in the creation of “Conversations”, a dialogue-based conference for Interactors which was organised in conjunction with District 3310‘s commemoration of Rotary International’s World Understanding and Peace Day.
“Football Plus - building leadership skills, through football, in underprivileged children, for a better future them and for the the whole of Singapore.
Project title: Charity auction (Dutch charity auction) of ‘Red Roses by Sarina’ achieved SG$20,000!
Time & Date: 7pm to 9.30pm, 5th September 2018
Type of meeting: 2nd evening meeting, instead of lunch meeting, of the Rotary Year 2018-19
On the 5th September 2018, at our 2nd evening meeting of this Rotary year, we conducted a Dutch auction of a painting called ‘Red Roses’. After more than 50 bids from 20 bidders (Rotarians and guests), we raised an encouraging amount of $18,000. PP Mansoor Hassanbhai emerged to be the final bidder and winner of the beautiful ‘Red Roses’.
The Interact Coordinating Committee’s GREY CAN STILL PLAY project
Project Date: Saturday 17 March 2018
This was a one-day community service event which brought together 100 needy seniors from the Eunos/MacPherson neighbourhoods and 227 Interactors from 14 different Interact Clubs in Singapore for a day of fun and meaningful interaction.
The project included a “mass house cleaning activity” of homes of the needy seniors in the Eunos-Macpherson area in the morning, followed by engagement activities with the seniors by the youths through a “Carnival” which included activities such as games, handicraft making, singing and a lunch party.
8th YSC Meeting cum Meet our Interactors and Teachers Advisors held on 22 February 2018 at the Metropolitan YMCA.
The meeting was hosted by PP Mohan, PAG Philip Leong, Rotarians Paul and Jessica, and chaired by Rotarian Dr Hoh Sek Tien. Besides Rotarians, attendees included 5 Teacher Advisors and 16 Interactors from Anglo-Chinese School (Independent), Anderson Junior College, Catholic Junior College, Bukit Gombak Eagles, Global Indian East Coast and Raffles Junior College.
This meeting is part of YSC’s efforts to engage Interactors and their Teacher Advisors and to strengthen communication between them and the Rotarians. It was a great evening of engagement and fellowship, with Rotarian James sharing on the application processes for Rotary Citation for Interact Clubs and PDG Dr Philbert sharing on the competitions on D3310’s Guide to Daily Living.
The Presidential Citation Awards were also presented to the Interact Clubs by President Keith.
President Keith Harrison led a delegation of Rotarians and Family members from RC Singapore from 16-23 Feb 2018 to the states of West Bengal and Odisha in India. This Rotary Community Visit include visits to our Global Grant Projects to 5 Rotary Eye Hospitals, Water and Sanitation Hygiene in Schools (WinS) Project, Rotary School for Special Children as well as a large institute for indigenous children with 27,000 residents.
The delegation also attended the weekly meetings of Sister Club, RC Belur, RC Bhubaneswar Royal as well as Project Partner Club RC Calcutta Mahanagar, represented by Past Rotary International Director Shekhar Mehta.
RC Singapore Members also met with members from RC Calcutta Metro South to finalise a mega project in collaboration with RI D3490 Taiwan in the presence of District Officials including DRFC, DGE and DGN of District 3291
Rotary Singapore Community Visit to India Feb 2018
RC Singapore plays a Regional Role in Service to Mankind
On 24th February 2018, PP Dr. Shahul Hameed represented RC Singapore and RI District 3310, as he delivered the keynote lecture at Rotary International District 3490 Taiwan, Taipei, at their annual Rotary Grants Seminar for incoming Rotary Club Presidents for Rotary Year 2018/2019.
Please click on following link/photo to view the full summary.
Members of the Rotary Club of Cirebon proudly organised a ceremony to handover one set of toilets built in 36 schools throughout Cirebon. Present and witnessing at the ceremony was the city's mayor Nasrudin Azis, Head and Deputy Head of the Regional People's Representative Assembly Edi Suripno and Eti Herawati respectively . Rotary dignitaries in attendance were District Governor Sumantoro, Past Governors Eva Kurniati and Mustain Sjadzali.
The project (valued at over USD 50,000) was made possible through the collaboration with RC Singapore District 3310, Rotary District 3620 of Korea, and The Rotary Foundation.
All of us at Rotary Club of Singapore wish to congratulate and thank PP Dr Shahul Hameed for all his hard work in reaching the 40th Global Grant. Happy Ruby Anniversary!
Rotary Club of Singapore, led by President Keith Harrison, was in A Luoi District in Hue, Vietnam to witness the Global Grant project to provide safe water, latrines and water and sanitation hygiene (WASH) training.
Together with partners RI District 6600 in Toledo, Ohio and RC Carlsblad Hi-Noon in RI District 5340 in Carlsblad, Southern California, the team visited some of the Schools and Homes in this mountain side commune of ethnic minority people of Central Vietnam.
Altogether 50 latrines in 50 homes and safe water supply to 316 Families in the area were constructed to benefit 2,000 people in the area. Villagers and school children also received WASH training as part of the project.The total project cost for this Global Grant is USD $71,272
The following article was published in the Guardian Nigeria on 25th December
Amputees in Nigeria will have reasons to walk again as Rotary club of Lagos Island in partnership with Rotary club of Singapore and the Ishk Limb Center an initiative of Tolaram foundation is distributing 2500 free artificial limbs and arms to restore mobility.
On Friday 22nd Dec, The Rotary Club of Singapore enjoyed their annual Christmas Party at the kind invitation of HM Mohan & Kawita Vaswani at their residence.
We had two back to back events over the weekend. It started with the packing of gift bags for the “Goodie, Goodie, Goodie for Christmas” Project on Saturday where 20 interactors from Hwa Chong and Yishuan JC joined our Rotary volunteers for the packing. A total of 240 bags were packed and ready for distribution to the Gift of Home and Bukit Gombak Eagles Interact Christmas Party on the 23rd December.
On our annual visit to the Gift of Home on Sunday 10th December, we see our Interactors-in-action from serving lunch, distributing goodie bags to singing and finally forming a human chain to move the heavier stuff – all in a day’s work.
Thank you for your commitment – this is the true spirit of giving and service above self!!
A shout out to our Rotary Football Plus Team U12s for winning the 3rd place at the ESPZEN Junior League. This is a great team work and well done!!
We were joined by 12 Rotaractors of the Rotaract Club of Singapore at this week lunch meeting, who brought so much buzz and fun to our meeting. The team was on the ground early and conducted a pre-lunch health screening for fellow Rotarians and followed by a First Aid Demonstration by Rotaractor Isaac. Another highlight is the ‘real-time’ Christmas Cookies Sales organized by the Rotaractors to raise fund for the Sapulot Project. It is a lively and heart-warming gathering with Rotarians and Rotaractors under one roof for a good cause. A big thumb up and thank you to our Partner In Healthcare – our Rotaractors from RACSG!
At the Entrepreneur of the Year Award ceremony on Thursday were (from left) Rotary Club of Singapore president Keith Harrison, Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, Ademco Security Group managing director Toby Koh, the overall winner in the Established Entrepreneur category, and ASME president Kurt Wee.
On 14th October 2017, Membership Director Rtn Rajkumar Perumal Suppiah organized a fitness walk from Garden by the Bay East to Marina Barrage, to promote an active and healthy lifestyle.
The face of 1025 elementary school students is so sunny, Friday (6/10) afternoon yesterday.
Not only did they get stationery, uniforms and various learning needs, the houses were visited by Rotary Club (RC) officials from four countries, namely Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Taiwan.
"Thank you, Rotary," the students shouted shortly after receiving help at the East Sang SD Hall, Jalan Panglima Sudirman.
Reno Safaruddin, a grade 6 student of SDN Madiredo 3 Sub Pujon, one of them. With joy he received the gift. "Goods given, this I like," he said with a smile.
This assistance is one of the agenda of Global Grant 1746934, Help The Children 2017 conducted by six Rotary Club together. They come from RC Malang Central, RC Batu, RC Marina City, RC Singapore, RC Taipei and RC Kuching Central.
The event was joined by RC Singapore President, Keith Harrison, RC Marina City President, Jenni Lau, President of RC Kuching Central, Ben Lo, RC Taipei President Kish Chablani, President of RC Malang Central Yeni Prastiwi and President of RC Batu Tiwi Maulidiono.
Also attending the event were ISHK Tolaram Foundation Chairman Mohan Vasmani, Pastor of RC of Singapore Dr Shahul Hammed and Wibi Punjul Santoso, Vice Chairman of PKK Batu City.
"The purpose of this activity, the children can not afford to continue the school," said Yeni Prastiwi, President of RC Malang.
RC provided 1025 school support grants for 1025 students from Batu Town and Pujon Sub-district, Malang Regency. In addition, the RC also conducts 202 teacher training.
This teacher has taken a written test in Unair Surabaya and continued training. In addition, the 6 RCs provide assistance in the form of training for pupils in 16 schools in Kota Batu and Pujon Subdistrict.
Jenni Lau, President of RC Marina City expressed her happiness to meet with the students. He hopes, all the help given this can be useful to boost the spirit of learning. "Hopefully can be used to learn, diligently study yes," Jenni message.
ILTC 2017 Interact Leadership Training Camp organised by Rotary Club of Singapore
The Interact Leadership Training Camp (ILTC) organised annually by the Rotary Club of Singapore is a major event in the Interact calendar. The camp’s aims are to impart the skills and spirit of volunteerism and to introduce Interactors to the Interact, Rotaract and Rotary family at large.
Rotarian Dr Hoh Sek Tien, Youth Service Director says, “This year the camp was unique in many ways. For the first time, Rotary Club of Singapore partnered Youth Corps Singapore to launch a completely new programme which included new elements such as ageing simulation, social inclusion dialogue, cross cultural communication in addition to leadership training. The camp location was also a first, with Temasek Polytechnic’s Glocal Connect Village coming in as host of the 3-day 2-night stay-in camp.”
The camp was held from 28-30 July 2017 with additional funding provided by the Foundation of Rotary Clubs Singapore's Rotary Cotton On Fund.
Guizhou Ethnic Minority Vocation School Project. A great collaborative effort by Rotarians and ISC Chair Mark Yang!!
A joint ISC – VSC project
This minority races are left behind in the economic growth of China, especially in the Southwest of China, lagging behind the coastal provinces. Vocational education is key as it fills the gap between skilled and unskilled workers
Guizhou holds the remaining un-spoilt mountainous area endowed with unique culture and geography.
The key objective of the project is to help the school with a modern practical training laboratory, learn more about the Miao people unique culture and geography and also fellowship with Rotary China
A ‘Global Grant’ project jointly executed by RC Singapore and our partner club; RC Victoria Garden City, Lagos
Total Project Cost US$197K
The IshK Limb Centre (Tolaram Foundation subsidiary) provided more than 1,500 artificial limbs with all additional cost being funded by its parent body, Tolaram Corporation. Training was imparted to 3 limb prosthesis technicians
Initiated a livelihood program providing physiotherapy, job opportunities and a “mobile kitchen” start-up carts for selected beneficiaries
A BIG THANK YOU to our HM Rtn. Mohan Vaswani for his kindness and wonderful support!!
Members of the Rotary Club of Singapore have taken up this 8-week Challenge in earnest - working towards 250,000 steps or 500,000 steps in 8 weeks.
Happy to share that the distribution of items for Rotary GG 2012660 COVID-19 items for #Singapore is now underway. We would like to thank all our Singapore and overseas Rotary Clubs and Districts for their kind assistance and support. All Clubs and Districts are kindly acknowledged in the Official Banner for the Project.
Congratulations to these 8 trainees who will be graduating from HCSA Academy's culinary training course 𝗧𝗢𝗗𝗔𝗬 
Youth Service launched their joint major project in collaboration with Interact Coordinating Committee (ICC) - Project Accendo. Accendo is a latin word for to illuminate, and the project hopes to illuminate and elevate the awareness of youth surrounding mental health, including understanding early detection and intervention.
This meeting is part of YSC’s efforts to engage Interactors and their Teacher Advisors and to strengthen communication between them and the Rotarians. It was a great evening of engagement and fellowship, with Rotarian James sharing on the application processes for Rotary Citation for Interact Clubs and PDG Dr Philbert sharing on the competitions on D3310’s Guide to Daily Living. 
The following article was published in the 
We had two back to back events over the weekend. It started with the packing of gift bags for the “Goodie, Goodie, Goodie for Christmas” Project on Saturday where 20 interactors from Hwa Chong and Yishuan JC joined our Rotary volunteers for the packing. A total of 240 bags were packed and ready for distribution to the Gift of Home and Bukit Gombak Eagles Interact Christmas Party on the 23rd December. 
were joined by 12 Rotaractors of the Rotaract Club of Singapore at this week lunch meeting, who brought so much buzz and fun to our meeting. The team was on the ground early and conducted a pre-lunch health screening for fellow Rotarians and followed by a First Aid Demonstration by Rotaractor Isaac. Another highlight is the ‘real-time’ Christmas Cookies Sales organized by the Rotaractors to raise fund for the Sapulot Project. It is a lively and heart-warming gathering with Rotarians and Rotaractors under one roof for a good cause. A big thumb up and thank you to our Partner In Healthcare – our Rotaractors from RACSG! 
At the Entrepreneur of the Year Award ceremony on Thursday were (from left) Rotary Club of Singapore president Keith Harrison, Speaker of Parliament Tan Chuan-Jin, Ademco Security Group managing director Toby Koh, the overall winner in the Established Entrepreneur category, and ASME president Kurt Wee.
On 14th October 2017, Membership Director Rtn Rajkumar Perumal Suppiah organized a fitness walk from Garden by the Bay East to Marina Barrage, to promote an active and healthy lifestyle.
The key objective of the project is to help the school with a modern practical training laboratory, learn more about the Miao people unique culture and geography and also fellowship with Rotary China
