Charter President, Michael W. Haines and 26 other gentlemen, formed the Rotary Club of Pandan Valley (Rotary district 330) thirty one years ago under the sponsorship of The Rotary Club of Jurong Town. The club was incubated under District Governor Dr. Philbert S.S.Chin and was admitted into Rotary International on 23rd August 1983 by then R.I. President, William L Skelton.  Dr. Philbert S.S.Chin became the first Honorary Member and two Charter members are still members of the Club. They are PP Dr Tony Tng and PP Lim Soon Hock.

 

 

To cement relationships with the other Rotary clubs in Singapore during the early formative years and to provide opportunities for wider service and involvement, Pandan Valley took part in joint-projects.

 

 

A Congratulation Dinner was initiated for Senior Minister Goh Chok Tong in 1991 when he succeeded Mr Lee Kuan Yew as Prime Minister. The dinner was well supported by all the clubs in Singapore. A Paul Harris Fellow recognition was conferred on Mr Goh Chok Tong at this Dinner. A rapport was established between Rotary and the Singapore Government and since then, Rotary clubs in Singapore have been more actively involved with the Government on local community based activities and projects.

Pandan Valley also initiated a tree planting campaign (with participation from other Singapore clubs) to observe Earth Day in 1991. This has since been replicated by other clubs as part of the Environmental Awareness Campaign over the years.

The first few presidents did a lot to establish the reputation of Pandan Valley. Mike Haines and Bek Kheng Huat (dec.) deserved special mention in this respect.  Kenneth Chew went on to become District Governor (Rotary District 3310) in RY 2000-2001!

Expatriates made up about 45% of members in Pandan Valley during this time. There was a rich and stimulating variety of social, cultural, welfare & recreational projects. Membership numbers ranged from 27 to 37, with a mean of 33 members. Various Rotary stalwarts  added life & colour to the club’s meetings and social gatherings. Zee Yao Foo (Treasurer par excellence); Gary Ong (Wine and Spirits supplier); Michael Flannagan (Mr. Heads and Tails); Geoffrey V. Busby (Suave M.C.) and Robert D. Lilley (Club Comedian). In the early 1990's, with changing business patterns, the expatriate component of our membership declined to about 20%.

 

 

 

The management style during this period is one of quiet consolidation.

 

 

The club continued to have able leaders, some truly outstanding. Deserving of special mention was the inspirational leadership of Tony Tng, Peter Yap and Eric Lee.  Membership numbers during the period ranged from  32 to  40, with a mean of 35 members. The admission of female members into the Club during this period  contributed much to the vitality & imaginative aspects of Pandan Valley’s projects & programs.

 

During the period the Club was instrumental in the formation of a Rotaract Club (Rotaract Club of Pandan Valley), an Interact Club {Tanglin Secondary School) and matched club agreements with The Rotary Club of Hsin -Tien Green Lake in Taiwan & The Rotary Club of Bangkok Port of Thailand.

The main thrust of the Club's activities has been Community Service and it continues to serve out its aim to help the less privileged in the society. Throughout the twenty years of existence, the Club has raised funds through various activities to benefit more than forty deserving charitable organizations both in Singapore and abroad.

 

 

 

 

This period is marked by gracious growth and maturity of the club.  Service remains the hallmark in most activities, whether to the local communities, the Interactors and Rotaractors, or overseas in its international projects.  A culture of goodwill, good fellowship and a sense to warm friendship is probably a good description of the club’s nature and character.

 

 

Able leaders showed the way of the club, and throughout the decade amassed numerous district accolades. 

 

In 2009, the club was Host Club and Organising Club for RI District 3310 Inter-City Meeting where RI conferred the Rotary International Award of Hope on Singapore’s Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew.  The function saw more than 600 Rotarians led by RI President at the Grand Hyatt to celebrate Rotary.

 

Community service was core, and through many activities, members reached within and found the deep desire to continue to make a difference in the life of others, particularly the disadvantaged, young and vulnerable, poor, elderly and the sick.  With service above self, there was the capacity to love our fellow human beings.  And where there was avenue for participation, the Interactors and Rotaractors joined in to lend a hand.

 

In 2005, the Rotary Club of Shenton was chartered under the club’s sponsorship.  The decade also had the Interact Club of Northbrooks Secondary School chartered in 2009, the Interact Club of St Joseph’s Institution International chartered in 2011 and the Rotaract Club of Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) chartered in 2012.

 

Further afield, the club “adopted” the Children of the Golden Triangle (Akha hill tribe) in Thailand and for several years raised funds and made memorable visits.  The club also supported other projects in Thailand, Laos and Malaysia.

 

The album “Rotary Rocks” with original songs and music, produced by the club, raised funds for community project enabling academically weaker students to build self-esteem and another chance for an alternative vocational path towards success.  The signature song Spreading Love has made its way to district conference and beyond.

 

The closing of the decade for the club was truly peace through service, serving humanity.

 

 

Project beneficiaries involving committees of the various avenues of services included:

 

 

 

 

This decade has begun on a high, as IPP Rajamohan Munisamy took the club to a new level, as Assistant Governor District 3310 in RY2014-2015 who went on to be awarded as one of the Outstanding Assistant Governors during the District awards held during the 24^th Rotary International District Conference in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia. The club attained a total of 10 awards for RY2014-2015 which included a Gold award for Local Community Project, Silver Awards for International Project, Fellowship and Recreation, Public Relations Project, Interact Club Project, Bronze award for Rotaract Club Project, Honourable mention for Club Newsletter and individual awards for IPP Rajamohan Munisamy for Excellence in Vocational Service Leadership and PP Elsie Chua as the Best of Class President.

 

residents	Rotary Year	Rotary Themes
Rajamohan Munisamy	2013 / 2014	Engage Rotary Change Lives
Elsie Chua	2014 / 2015	Light Up Rotary
Judy Loh	2015 / 2016	Be a Gift to the World
Dave Wee	2016 / 2017	Rotary Serving Humanity
Tan Tock Chen	2017 / 2018	Making A Difference
Dennis Wee	2018 / 2019	Be The Inspiration
Jeanne Lim	2019 / 2020	Rotary Open opportunities

 

In RY2014-2014, RCPV achieved EREY club recognition and full PHF Club as all members are Paul Harris Fellows. In the same year, RCPV organized the District Vocational Service Seminar for Singapore clubs, SUTD Entrepreneurship Forum where our members participated as speakers and the charity movie for ITE East college meal voucher scheme. Myanmar became a new international location for the club’s humanitarian reach with donations to a village school in Hwambi, Yangon for school uniforms and stationeries. There were also joint water projects in Long Semadoh, Sarawak and Doi Lan School, Thailand.

 

In RY2014-2015, RCPV presented ‘A nation in Concert’ as a major local community project.  The musical performed by differently-abled beneficiaries (Association for Persons with Special Needs, Handicaps Welfare Association, The Singapore Association for the Deaf and Singapore Association of the Visually Handicapped) with volunteer professionals and students reached out to over 2300 at the Marina Bay Sands theatre. The $120k raised were matched one for one by the SG50 Care and Share program, translating to an impact of $240k for beneficiaries. A second Rotary Rocks album was also launched to promote Clean Drinking Water for the needy in Asia.  Funds raised through this CD went towards water filtration systems for 2 schools in Laos and one in Chiang Rai North.

 

RY2015-2016 was a very meaningful and exciting year.  The key accomplishments are really heart-warming.

 

1. Our Signature Community Project – Project Heart of Love where we raised $60,000 with help from District Grant.  This was in collaboration with The New Charis Mission.
2. Continued 100% EREY sustaining member Club.

1. District Gold Award for Best Vocational Service Project – Entrepreneurship Forum - “From Ideas to Success – Journey of the Young Turks”.
2. District Gold Award for Best Club Newsletter.
3. District Bronze Award for Best International Service Project – Clean Water Project for Suhasart Suksa School of 2600 students.- US$ 35,000 with help from RI Global Grant.
4. District Bronze Award for Best Rotaract Project – Project Radiate
5. District Award for a Polio-Free World.

 

Project beneficiaries involving committees of the various avenues of services included: