President’s Address
July 3, 2019
Mr. Koichi Takenaka
President, Rotary Club of Tokyo
I am both humbled and honored to become the 100th President of Tokyo RC which will commemorate its Centennial Anniversary in 2020. I became a Rotarian in January 2000 and undertook different duties including Secretary with Mr. Kurokawa as President, Chairman of 3 Committees (Fellowship, Challenge 100 and Centennial) and Director of Centennial. Having worked extensively towards our milestone anniversary, let me ask your continuous support for next year.
RI President Mr. Mark Daniel Maloney, a member of Decatur RC in Alabama, U.S.A., has set the theme for RY 2019-2020 to be “Rotary Connects the World”. Our Vision reads “Together, we see a world where people are united and take action to create lasting change – across the globe, in our communities, and in ourselves.” Although there are numerous ways to develop friendship and networks today, we should always go back to basics and learn from our founding father Mr. Paul Harris who came to the unfamiliar city of Chicago as a young lawyer and sought to build a long-lasting “connection”.
In the same vein, our slogan for the Centennial Anniversary calls upon each member to “By Recalling Our Past, We Can See the Future. PARTICIPATE”. I have also set our Club theme for this RY to be “The Chance to Meet & Connect”. To build connections that facilitate active and beneficial relationships, we will work on membership development and improve the attendance rate of our regular meetings.
Let me highlight preparations made to date by our Club for our Centennial Anniversary. Since RY 2014, the Centennial Preparatory Committee has discussed extensively on “setting the Centennial slogan,” “compiling a book of 100-year history” and “organizing commemorative events”. We already selected the new Rotary Song together with the Commemorative Song. The Centennial Committee is currently making strenuous efforts to welcome around 800 Rotarians, guests and visitors to the Commemorative Regular Meeting and Celebratory Party scheduled on 21 October, 2020.
I should also call your special attention to the Umekichi Yoneyama Memorial Hall that will celebrate its semi-centennial anniversary on 14 September. In remembrance of the founder of the Japanese Rotary movement, the Hall was established in 1969 to advocate and disseminate the Rotary spirit.
Tokyo RC has been implementing its signature “Tohoku Sukusuku Project” to be completed in 2020. We have been providing assistance to mothers and children in areas devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011 through our ten-year project utilizing the Global Grant. As we approach its completion, we successfully merged the Kesennuma Sukusuku House with the new childcare facility opened in the area to hand over the operations to the local municipality. Extensive discussions are underway, including 2 Club Forums during the last RY, to identify the next project to which all of us can commit ourselves over the coming 10 years. Please share your ideas and suggestions with us.
As I close my speech, let me ask for your continuous support and cooperation for this RY when we must join our forces to prepare for our Centennial Anniversary. Thank you.
Secretary’s Address
July 3, 2019
Mr. Katsumasa Hayashi
Secretary, Rotary Club of Tokyo
I am honored to serve as Secretary for RY 2019-2020 under the presidency of Mr. Koichi Takenaka. Thanks to Mr. Noboru Matsuoka, Secretary of last RY, I could learn many lessons on how to support our President and to run the club operations effectively. I joined Tokyo RC in February 2007 and undertook duties of Chairman for the Committees of Rotaract, IT•HP and Yoneyama as well as served as District Committee member during my 12 years of service. I must admit I am a relatively young member of this Club, but I will exert all efforts in my capacity as Secretary, together with Assistant Secretaries Mr. Asakawa and Mr. Shiroyama, and seek your continuous support and understanding.
As we know, President Takenaka set our Club theme to be “The Chance to Meet & Connect” together with six areas of focus. Firstly, we will aim for membership development with the target of net increase of 2 members as well as raising the attendance rate by organizing interesting and informative regular meetings and family gathering events including Commemorative Family Parties and Christmas Party. Our second focus will be inviting insightful speakers from different fields and backgrounds to make a table speech. As for our third focus, we will ensure our commitment to service activities by highlighting the five Avenues of Service (club service, vocational service, international service, social service and youth service) and will work in close collaboration with each Committee Chairman and members to further develop fruitful and impactful activities both at home and abroad. Our next two focuses are related to the upcoming Centennial Anniversary, first to organize an attractive and enjoyable Commemorative Regular Meeting on 21 October, 2020 to attract many Rotarians and family members as well as visitors and guests, and also to enhance preparations for a number of anniversary events. Our sixth focus will be identifying our next 10-year project through extensive discussions.
As we know, we have a full agenda and important work ahead of us. The 2020 Rotary International Convention will take place in Honolulu, Hawaii and our RI District 2580 Conference will be in Okinawa next February. The Chuo Sub-District Intercity Meeting is scheduled on November 25th, and we will have Rotary Friendship Meetings with South Korea on September 28th as well as with Taiwan on March 6th next year. Your attendance means a lot for these important events and we hope you will enjoy the “Chance to Meet & Connect” and deepen friendship. As I conclude my speech, let me once again ask for your generous support and guidance throughout this RY. Thank you.