Our members are the lifeblood of the club: their energy, dedication, and camaraderie make RCQ a vibrant, engaging, and welcoming community. They are the cornerstone of our club’s culture, the driving force behind our projects, and the inspiration that attracts new members. RCQ’s five decades of success reflect not only the steadfast commitment of our long-standing members but also the fresh ideas and perspectives brought by those who have joined us over the years. This seamless blend of tradition and innovation has shaped RCQ into the dynamic and diverse club we are proud of today.
What inspired you to join the Rotary Club of Queenstown?
I was setting out on a new career path as the company with which I had been working for 13 years was being closed down. With a little more time available, I was looking to develop a more local network. Having been living in Singapore for nearly ten years, I also wanted to give something back to a society that had welcomed and supported me and my family. RCQ more than fulfilled these aims.
How has your personal journey with the club shaped your life over the years?
The club's commitment to philanthropy and its well-balanced programme in Singapore and the region, all carried out in a friendly and enjoyable manner, has helped keep us grounded. Something valuable in this day and age.
Can you share one of your most cherished memories from the early days of the club?
Almost marooning President-elect Linda Gouw on the uninhabited Kusu Island!
Towards the end of an exhausting and exhaustive special project on the island entertaining children and families from Beyond Social Services and RCQ families, Linda had quietly slipped off for a "rest" and, unbeknown to us all, had dozed off under a palm tree.
Late that afternoon, the boat returned at the appointed hour for the final evacuation, and the assembled company dutifully boarded. The engines fired up and the ropes were being cast off as the boat slipped its mooring. Two blasts from the ship's horn... only for a frantic vision of waving arms, roused from a Cinderella slumber, desperately running towards the jetty.
Thus was PE Linda "Wilson Crusoe" rescued... and the RCQ Board was saved from a premature year of the most remote working!
How did your family react when you first joined the Rotary Club? Have they supported your involvement over the years?
Initially with some suspicion, but they soon played their part, helping with fundraising events, distributions and social gatherings.
Did your family ever participate in any Rotary events or projects? How did that experience shape their view of the club?
Yes.
What lessons from your Rotary experience have you shared with your children or grandchildren?
To always have an eye to helping those less fortunate than oneself.
How did your professional life influence your work within the Rotary Club, and vice versa?
Despite working for 25 years in financial services, I was spared serving as RCQ Treasurer. Counter intuitively, I was immediately co-opted as PR/Newsletter Editor for four years. I was then shuffled across to serve as Sergeant-at-Arms for an even longer stint until we left Singapore four years ago.
Me and the Sunshine Box—inseparable (perhaps that was what a career in finance had prepared me for?).
I apologise now to those who may have felt victimised. It was all in a good cause!
What personal passions or hobbies have you pursued outside of Rotary?
Playing hockey and squash, mountain biking, enjoying the food in Singapore, and getting to know the local wildlife (one of the very few benefits of the Covid lockdown—watching a pair of cobras start a family, observing a nest of White-bellied Sea Eagles as they raised their young, the photogenic White-throated Kingfisher that put on a show every morning, and the courtship and home-building of our neighbours, a pair of Asian Pied Hornbills, as the male first coaxed Mrs Hornbill into the tree with some nuts and then fed her through the "hatch")!
What do you think sets the Rotary Club of Queenstown apart from other service organizations?
A relaxed atmosphere and a diverse, balanced membership.
What values of Rotary do you think have stood the test of time?
Service Above Self, and engagement at the local level.
Looking back at your journey with RCQ, what advice would you give to your younger self to enhance that experience?
Don't be shy; don't be intimidated.
What advice would you give to new members looking to make a lasting impact in the Rotary Club?
Be prepared to commit. The more you commit, the more you will get out of the experience.
If you could give one piece of advice to someone considering joining the Rotary movement, what would it be?
Take the plunge and join.■
