Contributions to the Yoneyama Scholarship Foundation reached an annual sum of 10 million yen for the first time in 2008-2009
2008-2009
The Rotary Club of Tokyo has been actively engaged this year in the Yoneyama program focusing on Yoneyama Month, under the policy of President Mr. Kurokawa to “get committed to the Yoneyama Scholarship program,” since our Club is the founder of the Yoneyama Scholarship Fund, which is the predecessor of the Rotary Yoneyama Memorial Foundation, Inc.
During the Yoneyama Month in October, we invited Mr. Jun Ji, the former Yoneyama scholar, who is an up-and-coming lawyer in China, to our regular meeting as a guest speaker. Following the regular meeting, other three Yoneyama scholars joined him in the Club Forum and discussed on the theme of “what scholars have gained and how they have put it to good use.”
From their discussions, we recognized anew the importance of the role of “Host Club (Sewa Club) and Counselor System,” which is the distinctive feature of the Yoneyama Scholarship program.
Rotarians who become counselors for the first time worry about “what and how they should do.” In course of time, however, counselors come to build and grow sincere relationships with scholars. Heart-to-heart ties encourage scholars, who make their dreams real, and as a result foster the spirit of paying back the favor they have received.
Emotional connections between scholars and counselors grow into ties with the host club, ties among scholars, and expand further beyond the club.
Impressed by the talks given by these scholars, contributions to the Yoneyama Scholarship program showed a favorable growth this year and reached 10 million yen.
Quite a number of scholars still need scholarship. We intend to make continuous efforts to support as many oversea scholars as possible.
* The table speech made by Mr. Jun Ji on 1st October, 2008 is posted on our Web site.
* Thanks to the effort by Mr. Jun Ji, the “Alumni Association of Yoneyama Scholarship Foundation in China” was established on 28th March 2009. (The article printed in the ROTARY-NO-TOMO June 2009 issue)