Navigating New Horizons ...
On my return from the LCI Convention in Philadelphia on July 7, my first task was to reciprocate the many, many calls that had flooded my mobile phone from the Lions and Lioness clubs throughout the country. As the newly minted District Governor, it was imperative that I connected with, and later, visited all the Lions clubs in District 308B.
First things first. I had to
disseminate new information to my cabinet officers that I had learned from the
LCI Headquarters. I met up with the officers who stayed close by and personally
communicated with those staying afar. We must all be on the same page when it
comes to the roadmap that I had set for 1997-98.
The lessons I learned from DG's school
were most valuable; not procrastinating and punctuality. And as Mark Twain once
said, "Never put off till tomorrow what may be done the day after tomorrow
just as well."
The important venues and meetings were
a couple of days away on July 19; namely, my cabinet meeting, presidents'
briefing, inauguration ceremony, and the installation of my cabinet
officers. I was fortunate to have my cabinet officers, namely Cabinet
Secretary Kenny Koay and Region 1 Chairman Ong Chin Seng, and their appointed
committees for organizing the important events.
At the end of the day, I was happy that
every event and meeting was successfully carried out; thus, reflecting on my
cabinet officers' capability for future programs. They have left no stones
unturned.
Before I departed for the 80th LCI
Convention, I had appointed Region 1 Chairman Ong Chin Seng to oversee the
planning of the inaugural dinner. I made the right choice as I could see he
demonstrated exceptional efficiency and assembled a committee, which he
presented to me for approval. I had complete confidence in his abilities.
Upon my return from Philadelphia, I was
greeted at the airport by the committee and numerous Lions, who warmly welcomed
both Lucy and me. The subsequent day, Lion Ong held a press conference at
Garden Inn, where he officially announced my return from the LCI Convention and
duly installed as the district governor to the press. He gave details of the
inauguration banquet and all clubs in the district, including Lions from
abroad, were extended invitations to attend.
(Photo: The Inauguration Committee held a Press Conference @ Garden Inn,
Anson Road, Penang.)
CABINET OFFICERS
I found it challenging for me to fulfill my responsibilities and duties as District Governor to the extent that I desired, without the assistance and backing of a cabinet team.
It is crucial to understand the significance of the district governor's role. The DG serves as the representative of LCI within the district, tasked with raising awareness about the goals and objectives of LCI and its Foundation. Additionally, the DG is responsible for overseeing the district and encouraging the establishment of new Lions clubs. In addition to chairing cabinet meetings, the DG must act by the directives provided by LCI.
PLANNING
During my term as vice district governor, I already formulated my plans ahead of time such as cabinet appointments, continuity of programmes, special projects, slogan and logos. I had to set achievable goals and the direction to realize them. As a chief administrative officer in the district and supervising the vice governors and cabinet officers, I took the challenge to succeed.
One of the goals to fulfill as a district governor was to attend individual club meetings. Such meetings were important to tell me how active the club was. This involved frequent travelling.
I was fortunate enough to have my region chair and zone chair to help me. My travel itineraries were planned every three months ahead. They gave me the dates and leeway to adjust the time of the visit. The dates of other official functions such as council meetings, district convention, OSEAL forum were all set in advance.
VISIT WEAKER CLUBS
I made it my priority to visit weaker clubs at least
twice or thrice. Obviously, the stronger clubs would not require much of my
attention but still it was necessary for me to carry out an official visit to
their club meeting. I was quite lucky in the sense that during my term as vice district governor, I had the opportunity to work closely with PDG
Leong A Sam. I had an advantage to know which were the active and weaker
clubs. I considered active clubs were
the ones, besides doing service projects, also carried out lots of activities
way ahead of the weaker clubs.
CABINET OFFICERS
Most of the cabinet officers would not be knowledgeable. They needed to be well-informed of their roles. Each of the officers was given a task to achieve and report back to me. Without which their appointment would not be meaningful. For this reason, I had three sub-meetings with them during the year. The first meeting would be done before the first cabinet meeting took place. I was fortunate that PCC Dr. Ong tat Lien had consented to brief the Region and Zone Chairmen on 19/7/1997 and I made it compulsory that DC to attend. There was a discussion between the District chairmen and the Regional Committee Chairmen.
The Council of Governors Meeting had agreed to meet on the same evening. Many past officers of the association (POA) attended.
1ST CABINET MEETING
The first cabinet meeting was held at Crystal Ballroom, Bayview Resort Hotel was held on 20/7/1997. There were two tea breaks and in between, a lunch. The workshops held the day a day earlier had paved a smooth meeting.
The machinery of the whole cabinet members
should worked together as an orchestral to run the district. Advises
derived from the POA at the CGM were brought up for their information.
INITIAL DAYS
My travel schedule had been very tight and hectic during the first two months of the fiscal year. This was because I was invited to more than 35 Lions clubs’ installations, both jointly and individually.
Installations were a grand affair for the incoming
presidents and board of directors. I would not have completed my task without giving
them my compliments for the continuation of another good year. I motivated them to participate in the
*‘5-Star Club’ program which was the basics that all Lions clubs to follow so
that they could build a stronger Lions Movement in the district.
MY HEALTH PROBLEM
After my DG campaign, I already experienced dizziness which I initially dismissed. One day, while Lion Robert was driving me to lunch, he noticed my shaky and sweaty condition. Concerned, he inquired about my symptoms. I mentioned feeling nauseous, having an irregular heartbeat, and struggling to breathe.
As we drove along Dato Keramat Road, we passed by a clinic, Ng Heart Specialist. The doctor examined me and diagnosed me with hypoglycemia. Reflecting on my past two years as a DG, I realized that irregular meals and occasional hunger had caused blurred vision, cognitive difficulties, and slurred speech.
During club visits, I requested simple vegetable dishes to avoid processed sugar and alcohol. Some clubs even labeled me as a vegetarian. Before meetings, I made sure to have a home-cooked meal.
After six months of dietary
adjustments, my health improved, and my heartbeat returned to normal. I was
relieved to be back in good health.
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