Ask Terence... (Part 1)
Contributed by PDRR Terence Lee (Alumni of RAC Pudu)
(Published with permission)
(Published with permission)
Q1) How did you end up being a Rotaract?
It was both by coincident and choice. I migrated to KL in early 1994, and got in touch with a friend who was an Interactor. She was the VP in her club and when she completed Form 5, a Rotaractor of Gombak contacted and invited her to club meetings. I still remember the telephone conversation. She mentioned something about a Rotaractor who has been bugging her to attend their club meeting for the past few weeks. I laughed and thought that was funny ?perhaps the Rotaractor wanted to date her. So, as to end the constant calling to attend meetings, she summoned up 6 friends majority ex-Interactors (including me) both from her Interact club and college to join her in attending this meeting. In return, we were promised the opportunity to meet new friends of the opposite gender. (p.s. The six of us do not really know each other, you see). At that time, how could a single and lonely guy who just settled in the big city like me refused?
It was a Saturday afternoon; we took the bus and congregated at Lebuh Ampang before proceeding to Jalan Medan Pasar (the venue of the club meeting) by foot. We were supposed to locate a college named Bedford Girls College somewhere behind the Central Market. We found the college, but no Rotaractors. We wait for about 15 minutes before being informed that the club meeting was postponed, by a Gombak Rotaractor who was there because he thought that Saturday was a meeting day and also got to know the postponement after calling the President. As we were about to leave the 2nd floor of the otherwise closed college, we heard a kind of laughter, noise and commotion coming from the 4th floor. Being a young curious lad at that time, I climbed 2 floors up and investigate. What did we know? Another Rotaract club was about to begin their meeting as well. It was the Pudu Rotaract Club instead. Instead of leaving without achieving our main intention set earlier, I convinced the others to spend the hour at the club meeting. Since then, I fell in love with Rotaract; or to be more precise, the Rotaract Club of Pudu.
Q2) Why did you decide to become a Rotaractor?
This may sound like nonsense to majority of youth today. I wanted to do something more meaningful during my weekends compared to shopping (or window shopping most of the time), watching TV or sleeping at home. I had a hobby then ?photography. It was quite a costly past time then. A portion of my salary went to films, processing them, and transportation cost. Digital cameras weren’t introduced yet back then. I also realized I lack many other skills, being fresh out of school. To many people’s surprise, I was really a shy boy back then, without much socializing or inter-personal skills. I wanted to develop this and other related leadership skills, and I knew Rotaract can offer me these opportunities. The other reasons I joined Rotaract were also to meet new friends and perhaps do a bit of charity or service. All in all, it was for rather selfish reasons, so to speak.
Q3) People say they do not have much time nowadays. It was noted that you were having a day time job and night classes during your earlier years in Rotaract. Where did you find the time and how did you pulled through?
It’s simple math, really. I worked from 9am to 5pm, Mondays to Fridays; and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays. Classes were from 6pm to 9pm, 3 out of 5 weekdays. This left me with 2 evenings in weekdays, 1?days in the weekends. People say Rotaract or any volunteer work is time consuming. Yes, it is. But it is we who decides how much time is given. We can spend half a day in a week for Rotaract activities and meetings, and we can also spend half of our weeks on Rotaract stuff. It’s voluntary, remember.
How did I pull through? Well, we got to like what we are doing in Rotaract. I’m glad I didn’t need to do anything I don’t like in Rotaract. Better yet, we need to be passionate. You’ll be surprised what passion can do to anyone. That’s how I pulled through ?Prioritized my time and did what I was passionate about. To top that, I was actually dating my current wife then. She lamented that I'm more passionate in Rotaract than in our relationship...hahaha...
It was both by coincident and choice. I migrated to KL in early 1994, and got in touch with a friend who was an Interactor. She was the VP in her club and when she completed Form 5, a Rotaractor of Gombak contacted and invited her to club meetings. I still remember the telephone conversation. She mentioned something about a Rotaractor who has been bugging her to attend their club meeting for the past few weeks. I laughed and thought that was funny ?perhaps the Rotaractor wanted to date her. So, as to end the constant calling to attend meetings, she summoned up 6 friends majority ex-Interactors (including me) both from her Interact club and college to join her in attending this meeting. In return, we were promised the opportunity to meet new friends of the opposite gender. (p.s. The six of us do not really know each other, you see). At that time, how could a single and lonely guy who just settled in the big city like me refused?
It was a Saturday afternoon; we took the bus and congregated at Lebuh Ampang before proceeding to Jalan Medan Pasar (the venue of the club meeting) by foot. We were supposed to locate a college named Bedford Girls College somewhere behind the Central Market. We found the college, but no Rotaractors. We wait for about 15 minutes before being informed that the club meeting was postponed, by a Gombak Rotaractor who was there because he thought that Saturday was a meeting day and also got to know the postponement after calling the President. As we were about to leave the 2nd floor of the otherwise closed college, we heard a kind of laughter, noise and commotion coming from the 4th floor. Being a young curious lad at that time, I climbed 2 floors up and investigate. What did we know? Another Rotaract club was about to begin their meeting as well. It was the Pudu Rotaract Club instead. Instead of leaving without achieving our main intention set earlier, I convinced the others to spend the hour at the club meeting. Since then, I fell in love with Rotaract; or to be more precise, the Rotaract Club of Pudu.
Q2) Why did you decide to become a Rotaractor?
This may sound like nonsense to majority of youth today. I wanted to do something more meaningful during my weekends compared to shopping (or window shopping most of the time), watching TV or sleeping at home. I had a hobby then ?photography. It was quite a costly past time then. A portion of my salary went to films, processing them, and transportation cost. Digital cameras weren’t introduced yet back then. I also realized I lack many other skills, being fresh out of school. To many people’s surprise, I was really a shy boy back then, without much socializing or inter-personal skills. I wanted to develop this and other related leadership skills, and I knew Rotaract can offer me these opportunities. The other reasons I joined Rotaract were also to meet new friends and perhaps do a bit of charity or service. All in all, it was for rather selfish reasons, so to speak.
Q3) People say they do not have much time nowadays. It was noted that you were having a day time job and night classes during your earlier years in Rotaract. Where did you find the time and how did you pulled through?
It’s simple math, really. I worked from 9am to 5pm, Mondays to Fridays; and 9am to 1pm on Saturdays. Classes were from 6pm to 9pm, 3 out of 5 weekdays. This left me with 2 evenings in weekdays, 1?days in the weekends. People say Rotaract or any volunteer work is time consuming. Yes, it is. But it is we who decides how much time is given. We can spend half a day in a week for Rotaract activities and meetings, and we can also spend half of our weeks on Rotaract stuff. It’s voluntary, remember.
How did I pull through? Well, we got to like what we are doing in Rotaract. I’m glad I didn’t need to do anything I don’t like in Rotaract. Better yet, we need to be passionate. You’ll be surprised what passion can do to anyone. That’s how I pulled through ?Prioritized my time and did what I was passionate about. To top that, I was actually dating my current wife then. She lamented that I'm more passionate in Rotaract than in our relationship...hahaha...
(to be continued)
posted by harnniann at 11:48 am
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