District Award Night 2006

Contributed by Rtr Zeekin

(from left: Zeekin, Feldman, Toh, Diana, Lloyd, Tim, Vivien, Shunglee & Engtee)

When President Toh (as he then was) mentioned about the district award night in the email, I pictured something sophisticated. A big chandelier in the middle part of the extravagant looked ceiling, with a kawai grand piano on an elegantly decorated stage, big banquet hall with many handsome lasses waitress, and of course, attendants with their smart attires. I had never been to a rotaract district award night before; therefore it is not out of the ordinary for me to allow myself for such imagination.

The digital watch of mine shows 6.30 precisely. Apparently, the earlier worries of getting late had disappeared. To re-confirm that I was in the right place, I glanced all over the hotel, until I spotted the banner of Rotaract. Without wasting any precious minutes, I proceeded to the hotel with a gentle pace. Here, inside the lobby, was where I realize that the reality was going to be a little bit distinguished from my imagination. Man, the lobby was so cramped that it could hardly fit a band of tourist! Well, that’s not the point. You can’t judge a book by its cover isn’t it? The Ball room might be different right?

Well, later, I followed two rotaractors to the venue. Walking through the is-not-going-to-be-elegant corridor was more than enough to convince me to give up my hope of attending a grand award. Ok. It took us just a few second to get to the venue. The adrenalin within my body surged down at the moment where I make a surreptitious glance throughout the venue. No chandelier, no red carpet, no big stage with a grand piano, nothing that could bear the least resemblance that we are at a grand award night, and I was coming down from Penang in the noon, just for that.

Ok, great thing was I got a chance to meet with my fellow rotaractor brothers and sisters there. That was the only joy that I could possibly remember. Of course, I was glad to see my god sister Rtr Tracy there also. We sat down, and waited patiently for the event to start.

The award night started late. Ok. I do not adore the way the MC conduct the ceremony. If you are not able to be humorous, then try to be formal or serious. Lame jokes don’t entertain anyone! The event started with the ordinary PROTOCOLs. It started with speeches. Then was our district very own “Royal Salute” to the Crown and also to Rotary International. The peculiar idea of substituting the ordinary toast with the salute emerged when the organizing person realized that “drinks” was not served at the time.

As the ceremony progress, I grabbed the event paper and gave it a glance. One award, then one entertainment. OK. Let me recall what entertainment they have there.

1.) Dancing – By A rotaractor. The dance was normal.
2.) Jokes – By A rotaractor who is a lawyer – Very interesting, this guy really made good jokes!
3.) Power points – some story about some rotaractors


(to be continued)