SPCA Charity Dinner

Reported by PE Sujendran

The Rotaract Club of Kota Melaka was invited by our sponsoring club, the Rotary Club of Kota Melaka to attend the SPCA (Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Charity Dinner as volunteers to assist in the event. President Gregory, P.E. Sujendran, Rtr Ling Soon, together with guests Shan Shan and Sujitra attended the dinner which was organised by the Melaka SPCA and Malacca Kerala Samajam at Sek. Keb. Pay Fong, Melaka.

The dinner was to raise fun for a new shelter for the Melaka SPCA where homeless animals will have a place come rain or shine.

The Rotaract Club of Kota Melaka assisted in the opening ceremony and the sales of the raffles draw. We were pleasantly suprised that we managed to sell a total of RM 2080 worth of tickets. This is solely due to the large crowd of generous and well-to-do people.

President Gregory won one of the raffles draw. However, he did not get the prize that he badly wanted which was a bicycle. Instead he won a shaver – as if he is gonna get a beard (like he needs it!)!

the next RACKM top model

PE Sujen's goatee - a close encounter with the shaver

Annual General Meeting

We have finally voted for our new leaders, and they are...

President Elect: Sujendran Suppiah

Vice President Elect: Eugene Tan

Secretary Elect: Susan Henry

Treasurer Elect: Pearly Poh

Congratulations to all!!!!

Our interesting-looking voting paper, all thanks to the creativity of Pres Greg

We will work together hand-in-hand... err.. literally

Announcement: 17th GM - AGM

DATE:
29th March 2007, Thursday

TIME:
8.30pm

VENUE:
The Malacca Club @ Taman Melaka Raya

Attendance is compulsory as we would be casting our votes for the new leaders of RACKM. A reminder also to those that have yet to send in their nominations. Your nomination counts! So nominate wisely and be there this Thursday to vote for our future!

One donour can save three lives!

Reported by IPP Wee Yik Chuang / Rtr Eugene Tan

Every year, many people get into accidents, many people got sick and the blood kept in the blood bank never seemed to be sufficient. So every year, the Rotaract Club of Kota Melaka organises a blood donation drive to help our blood bank replenish their collection. Similar to last year, the blood donation drive is held in conjunction with World Rotaract Week.

On 17th March 2007, headed by our organising chairperson Rotaractor Susan, we gathered at the top floor of Mahkota Parade at about 10am. Our blood donation campaign was conducted at a vacant space next to the cinema. The management of Mahkota Parade was kind enough to let us use the place free of charge. The blood bank personnel from the Melaka General Hospital, headed by Madam Annie, arrived soon after and we helped her and her staff to set up the chairs and tables. We started registering donours at 11am. Our duty wais to convince potential donours and register them. After that, the rest will be taken care of by the hospital staff.

Registration was handled by two members of our club, while the rest of us armed with flyers went around trying to convince the public to donate. It started out slow as there were not many people around in the morning. But the pace picked up come afternoon as more people patron the shopping complex. There were many donours who frequently donate blood and these people needed no convincing. They carry their blood donation book wherever they go. Persuading new donours to donate proved to be quite a task because many people are actually afraid of the big needle poking into them and draining their blood. There were also concerns that they might get some diseases from the needle. So we had to explain that all needles used are new and sterile and the old ones are thrown away and that there is no pain but it felt like a mosquito bite to new donours. All this proved to be quite a lot of work as many people are ignorant about all this.

We set out to get 35 bags of blood. At the end of the day, at 3pm, we managed to collect 47 bags of blood. It was a successful project as we collected more than we targeted. And of course, it is always rewarding to be able to help serve the community. After all the talking and everyone feeling more thirsty than tired, our fellow Rotaractor Lenny Chee had kindly donated two boxes of mineral water to quench our thirsts. We also like to acknowledge President Kua Chong Beng for contributing towards our lunch. After helping the hospital staff packed up, we all dismissed and headed back home.

the registration counter looking busy

our kind donours

RACKM posing with donour number forty-seven, together with the staff of the Melaka Blood Bank

16th GM: World Rotaract Week

Reported by Rtr Pearly

As a part of the worldwide World Rotaract Week celebration, we invited the president of our sponsoring club - the Rotary Club of Kota Melaka, President Kua Chong Beng to speak to us in our 16th general meeting.

After congratulating us on our achievements and wishing us well in our future projects, he started on his topic for the evening. He spoke at length on his various passions and hobbies. President Kua loves collecting antique cars. A 1936 Austin 7 and a 1964 Datsun Fairlady are among his prized possessions. He also has an extensive collection of stamps and currency. We were all awed by his vast collection and now have a different view on currency. We will especially pay closer attention to our notes for those 'special edition' ones!

Another highlight is the induction of our 15th member, Rtr Ng Fue Yin. It is indeed an honour to be inducted on World Rotaract Week.

Some of President Kua's stamp collection

Thank you, President Kua for the wonderful presentation

Yay!! Our 15th member on the 15th March 2007!

Gong Xi Fa Chai!!!

Reported by Rtr Pearly

Mid Ocean Restaurant
8th March 2007

We welcomed the year of the boar four days after Chap Goh Mei. Although we were a tad late, it still did not dampen our festive mood. The dinner started off with the tossing of the 'yee sang' (thanks to Eugene), and ended about an hour plus later with the restaurant's signature coconut puding. Yummm!! And of course our Chinese New Year fellowship dinner will not be complete without a session on the karaoke!! Members and guests had the opportunity to show off their talent (or lack of it!), some were hesitant at first but later warmed up quickly. Karaoke can be addictive... and we left that night promising to have a karaoke fellowship very soon (as always after our CNY dinner!!!).

Say cheese!!!!!!!

The roses out-numbered the thorns.. finally!

Hidden talents were unearthed!

You alone can save 3 lives!

Announcement: 16th GM

DATE:

15th March 2007

TIME:

8.30pm

VENUE:

The Malacca Club, Taman Melaka Raya

In conjunction with the World Rotaract Week, we're inviting President Kua Chong Beng from our sponsoring club, the Rotary Club of Kota Melaka to speak to us this Thursday.

Another highlight is that we will be inducting our 15th member as well! Tune in to find out who the lucky person is...

14th GM: Mad About Diving

Reported by Rtr Susan
8th February 2007

Mad about diving; I could not put it any better. And I am certain that the madness not only got a hold on me but also on a number of us in RACKM. And if you too appreciate the beauty of the aquatic world or just love the thrill of a different adventure; scuba diving might hold the key.

On 8th February, we set off to B&J Diving Center, Melaka to meet a scuba diving instructor Mr. Daren Chua. He is a certified PADI scuba diving instructor and he is currently one of the prominent instructors at B&J Diving Center. He has been in the industry for almost 7 years and just right person to share with us an exhilarating world of scuba diving.

Members and guests listening attentively to Mr Daren

Basically, scuba diving can be divided into four groups; recreational, commercial, scientific, and military. Recreational is the largest group, people dive for the fun of it. Commercial divers usually work for diving contractor. They are trained carry out professional work underwater such as building underwater and coastal structures, salvaging ships and treasures and conducting engineering and scientific surveys and inspections. Scientific diving is exclusively for research activities that involve marine life, the ocean, underwater archeology etc. Military divers in the other hands perform underwater military related tasks.

And Mr. Daren shared with us the largest group that is the recreational diving. The first level in recreational diving is to be a certified Open Water Diver. After the certification, you can go further by specializing in a skill. Some specializations include altitude diving, night diving, fish identification, search and recovery, underwater photography, cavern diving, wreck diving, ice diving, and technical diving specialties. And if you are thinking of making recreational diving a career there a number of options such as dive master, instructor, instructor trainer and examiner, course director or even start your own dive center or resort.

The word SCUBA is an acronym for Self-Contained Underwater Breathing Apparatus and that pretty much explained that there are a number of equipment needed in scuba diving. In the talk, Mr. Daren Chua showed and explained to us some of the equipment such as mask, snorkels, fins, scuba tank, regulators, submersible pressure gauges and buoyancy control device or better known as BCD. Each of these equipments has its own purpose to adapt our human body to the underwater environment and all that allowing us to see, breathe and swim effortlessly underwater.

Hand signals are useful underwater

He also helped us to clear a few myths that people have about scuba diving. Aquatic world is a different environment than what we accustomed to and divers must observe and exercise certain standard safety rules and producers but that doesn’t make scuba diving a dangerous activity. And with today’s modern training standards and equipments scuba diving is safe and becoming safer.

Whatever Hollywood portrayed in Jaws and Open Water is definitely an exaggeration because sharks don’t have a habit of munching on divers. In actual fact, most divers have never laid their eyes on large sharks. When they do, the shark species which they often encounter are typically timid and unwilling to approach. Most sharks are not aggressive and not to be feared. The famous Great White is rare and normally found off the South coast of Australia or along a few areas in Northern California.

Another thing is that you don’t have to be an Olympic swimmer to scuba dive. It is true that scuba diving is an active sport, the better shape you are in the easier it will be. But generally if you know how to swim, in a good health and most importantly comfortable being in the water, you are only one step away. So what are you waiting for, leave that couch and sign up for a diving class today; don’t let a lifetime of adventure slip away!

Thank you for sharing with us your underwater experience