My Dear Action Presidents
Message from DG John Wan at the last JPM held on 12 June 2001
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Chairman Alexander Lam, My Dear Action Presidents, District Officials, Past Governors, Governor-elect Johnson and Governor-nominee Gloria, and Presidents-elect,

First, I must thank Action President Ada, not only for reading this message on my behalf, but also for servicing the JPM so well over the past year. Able Ada has done well and deserves a big thank you from all of you. Give her a big hand.

I am sorry that I cannot be physically with you at this meeting, the last in the series of JPMs for the Action Presidents, but my spirit is with you, all of you. By this time, I should be waking up for the first time in New York, preparing for a hard day's work. I will try to finish all my business here so that I can be with you on Friday at the opening or re-opening of the refurbished RIC. I hope to see most if not all of you there. Then, I hope to see all of you again the following day, Saturday, 16 June at the Academy of Medicine, for the Opening Session of the District Leadership Academy. PDG Raymond Wong has been working hard to make this happen. I am sure you would hear from him later at the meeting, if not already.

So much for the introduction. It has been an eventful year. There was not one day in the past 18 months and probably longer, not one day on which Rotary in general and this District in particular was not on my mind. At first, I thought that Rotary had kept me awake or asleep, Rotary had kept me going, or that Rotary had fueled my imagination. Later I realized and now I am fully convinced that it is you, all of you, who had been responsible. Indeed, Rotary would be meaningless without the people in it. You are Rotary in District 3450. Collectively, you have made Rotary meaningful and I am happy to be part of you.

At the District Installation last June, I said, well I thought I said anyway, that I was accepting the office of District Governor with humility. As time goes by, the feeling becomes all the more intense, and a year later, I am thoroughly and completely humbled by the experience and the privileges of having had the experience. I have seen dedicated men and women at work. Most of them have worked quietly on projects that would benefit humanity in general and the underprivileged in particular. I have seen presidents standing staunchly by their principle and spending hours, days and months taking their clubs through thick and thin. Indeed, there are many unsung heroes among you and your members.

Some of you have achieved more than others, but that is not an issue. We are volunteers. We have volunteered to serve our fellow human beings, for better or for worse. As long as we have tried our best, that is genuinely, the results do not matter. Just as the race is not always to the fast and the battle to the strong, the arguments are not always to the right and the righteous. But don't lose heart. Don't ever lose heart. You are not here for the laurels and recognition. You are here for the extra opportunities to serve. Your mission surely must be to motivate more like minded individuals, service minded individuals who believe in what we believe, even in the face of temporary setbacks.

To my Action Presidents, don't ever even begin to think that your work has finished. No, I have made this point before. I hope Ada can make it more effectively than I. Rotarians never retire. You are now to assist your successors, the presidents-elect who are probably sitting side by side with you, to become even more effective presidents. Indeed, you would not be regarded as having done your full and complete duty if he or she fails to deliver a better year ahead. We need progress in the organization. Your role is to ensure that the Rotary wheel will continue to roll forward.

To Governor-elect Johnson, I pledge my full support under the leadership we can all expect from you. I expect you would build on the success of the past and take the District to greater heights, and I would help you do that if you permit me. I am convinced that we would have a better tomorrow for the District. I take the opportunity to thank you for the support you have given me during the year. No doubt, your successor Gloria will help you in the same way that you have helped me. This is what continuity is all about

To the Presidents-elect, I congratulate you for embarking on this next stage of your journey in Rotary. The prospects are good. Your leader Johnson is a good guy and deserves every bit of your support. Give him your best. More importantly, you should feel assured that support from your predecessors is considered given. All that is left is for you to ask.

Let me conclude by thanking all of you. This is something I am not particularly good at and I have been told. Once again, through Ada, I hope the message comes off better and clearer. I hope you have an excellent and productive meeting, and I would see you again soon. Thank you.