|
PRESIDENT'S MESSAGE
Welcome to a new SIROM Biennium 20011-2013!
I am pleased to say that the 9th Biennial Conference which
saw the exciting start of the Biennium, was held from 18th - 20th
March, 2009 at the Impiana Hotel in Ipoh.
This year’s conference saw the networking and fostering of good
ties among our Malaysian Soroptimists, giving all of us the wonderful and
heartfelt opportunity to renew old acquaintances and promote new ones.
In the light of the Strategic Plan of the Soroptimist
International of the South West Pacific (SWP) and the Soroptimist International
(SI) Long Term Plan, the conference gave us the invaluable platform to discuss
and plan our future directions and strategies for the Region of Malaysia
(SIROM).
The biennium objectives will
focus on two important areas, namely Extension and Awareness.
In the area of extension, I strongly
believe that the strength of an organisation is undoubtedly its members. My
focus therefore during this biennium is to strengthen clubs and further develop
strategic programmes for recruitment, retention and club orientation.
We shall give ourselves a KPI of
achieving >300 members by the end of the biennium. How do we intend to
achieve this KPI? Firstly, at the club level, there will be a much-needed focus
in driving a much-needed increase in membership and putting more pressure on
those clubs with less than 15 members. Secondly, we will be looking into chartering
new clubs, one in Kuching, Sarawak, one in Sabah
and one more in Klang Valley/Peninsular Malaysia.
I would like to encourage Club
presidents to look after their “flock” (members) while simultaneously ensuring
sound governance and legal compliance with the Registrar of Societies (ROS). It does not hold that we are successful in
membership but end up closing the club due to the failure to file the needful
at the ROS.
Where awareness is concerned, SIROM
intends to intensify activities that will raise the international profile and
visibility of Soroptimist International in Malaysia. This will not preclude social media –
facebook, twitter and even setting up skype arrangements for more effective
communication with clubs outside of the Klang Valley.
During the biennium, I am delighted to
say that we will be celebrating our 20 years of Soroptimism in Malaysia which
will give us an amazing opportunity to showcase our role in making a difference
to our community and to improving the status of women and girls.
I encourage clubs to highlight their
service projects through frequent program focus reports and best practice
awards. In line with the SI Long Term Plan on Education, clubs are asked to
place good emphasis on education as the goal in their service projects.
Someone said, “You make a
living by what you get, but you make a life by what you give. We belong to a community, we
share a country, we are children of God… playing our part in building a hopeful
tomorrow.”
Joanne Yeoh
|
