1. 11th June 2012
CROSSROADS
Rotary Club of Singapore Vol. 48 / 45
“Good Samaritan Award” to Chew Chia Shao Wei
Lunch meeting of the 6th June 2012
- 2nd winner essay for NGS
Find your bulletin on the Facebook page of “Rotary Club of Singapore” 1

2. Introductory remarks Toast
President Tapan welcomed members to the 45th Toastmaster, Rtn. Jeremy Han invited visiting
meeting of the Rotary year and the first meeting Rotarian Graham Wilcox, who is a priest, to
of Rotary Fellowship Month celebrated by address the Club. Rtn. Graham advised that
Rotarians in the month of June. Stratford Upon Avon was the home town of the
President Tapan extended a warm welcome to famous playwright, William Shakespeare. He
our Guests for the Good Samaritan Award 2012, advised that there were about 4 million visitors to
Miss Chew Chia Shao Wei, who was accompanied Stratford Upon Avon each year, visiting the famous
by her mother, Mrs. Chia Kwok Ying. sites and enjoying the theatre. Rtn. Graham added
that there were many visitors to his club as well
and he was pleased to bring his club’s greetings.
Installation dinner
Happy birthday
PE Jimmy Ooi reminded members not to miss the President Tapan sent best wishes to all birthday
Installation Dinner on Saturday, 30th June to be celebrants for the week including PP Stan Low who
held at: Joyden Hall 7th floor would celebrate his birthday on 8th June. He
BUGIS+ (formerly known as Iluma) invited PP Stan to come forward to cut the
PE Jimmy added that the Organizing Committee birthday cake. Sergeant-at-Arms, Rtn. Gerald
has put in a great deal of effort towards the Abeyawardena called on members to join him in
Installation Dinner to ensure a good start to the wishing President Tapan a “Happy Anniversary” for
new Rotary year. Do get your tickets! 10th June. 2

3. Welcome of visiting Following is an extract from the Assists at Meet People Sessions
Good Samaritan Award 2012 every Monday from 7.15-9.30pm
Rotarians and guests Citation: and related programmes (i.e.
Winner: Chew Chia Shao Wei Paya Lebar Community Support
Rtn. Robert Craiu welcomed our Why is this person deserving of home visits for needs
guests and visiting Rotarians the award ? assessments).
Shao Wei is 16 years old and may Youths for a Future of Social
- Guests : not have money to give at such a Entrepreneurship, of which she is
Mrs. Jyoti Dilip Vora young age, but she gives what on the Executive Committee.
Mr. Ziad Jabri she has and what is even more Rtn. Bock Seng called upon
Mr. Nick Teo precious- her time. An amazing President Tapan to present to the
Mr. Janus Yeo role model for other teens! Plus Good Samaritan winner, Miss
she does amazing in school. She's Chew Chia Shao Wei the Award’s
Visiting Rotarians : in the gifted program at Raffles Certificate, pewter plaque, Rotary
PDG Kenneth Chew – Pandan and won global literary awards! paraphernalia and cheque, which
Valley She is most deserving of this was for the use of Shao Wei’s
PP & District Officer, Dilip Vora – award at such a young age community work.
Bombay Hills South, India juggling so many activities and
Bown Heiko – Munchen 100, exceling in them all!
Germany Community service
Graham Wilcox – Stratford Upon Rtn. Bock Seng invited Miss Chew
Avon, England Chia Shao Wei to address the project
Club. Shao Wei gave a brief
Good samaritan award summary of her schedule of President Tapan called upon Rtn.
activities as follows: Noshir Mistri who called on all
members to participate in the
President Tapan invited Lions Befrienders - home visits to visit to the Singapore Garden
Honorary Secretary, Rtn. Goh isolated elderly in Chinatown Festival with the residents of the
Bock Seng to conduct the Award every Saturday Sree Narayana Home for the
Presentation on behalf of Heartware Network Tuition Aged. He advised that this was
Community Service Committee Programme - student leader the third such visit to the Festival
Director, Xavier Sanjiman. Rtn. (coordinator) and volunteer for
organized by the Club for the
Bock Seng advised that this year, programme to tutor primary elderly and wheel-chair bound.
the committee received school kids 2 hours every week Details of the visit are as follows:
numerous nominations, and the whose parent(s) are incarcerated; Date & Time: Thursday, July 12,
selection committee had the particular school she tutors at 2012 at 2.30pm
difficulty in deciding the winner. is Chua Chu Kang Primary School. Meeting Place: Main entrance of
However, Rtn. Bock Seng added Glory Centre - before-and-after- Suntec to escort and assist the
that the committee were school childcare in Hougang for elderly and wheelchair bound. If
touched by this year’s winner – underprivileged primary school you are able to participate and
a straight ‘A’s student, who plays children, which she visits once a
assist, please contact Rtn. Noshir
football at the national school week. Mistri at email
level and contributes so much of nmistri71@gmail.com
her precious time to community
work.
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4. Essay : from Eugene Lim, Koh Liang Ping, Amanda Choo, 2nd winner of
the NGS 5th Essay competition
Interaction between the elderly and the youth in modern Singapore : The challenges and solutions.
A seventeen-year-old student saunters into the MRT, enclosed by his soundscape of the latest Top-40s
lasting through tiny silver earphones. Like a well-instilled drill, he wordlessly gestures towards a seat as an
old man hobbles in. The old guy must be arranging another gambling session, the teenager thinks, unable to
hear much besides his iPod, for the elderly passenger hurriedly picks up his bulky mobile phone and begins
speaking in a loud, exaggerated manner.
A seventy-six-year-old retiree enters the MRT, and is shocked to see a fresh-faced youth almost like his
grandson. But the boy remains plugged into his device, noiseless and expressionless – a countenance no
different from his own grandson’s. His favourite Cantonese ballad begins to play – it is his daughter-in-law.
Hard of hearing, he struggles to hear precious scraps of dialect on the other line, and tries his best to
answer. Silently he wishes his adolescent descendants could speak his language.
Two generations, two worlds, deaf and mute to each other. This is the state of interaction between the
elderly and youth today. With proportion of those 65 years and above expected to increase to a record 19
percent by 2030, a “silver tsunami” looms over Singapore. Yet, the two generations are largely
disconnected, separated by a “generation gap” brought about by differences in language, use of technology
and lack of face-to-face interaction.
Despite a focus on filial piety and respect for the elderly via an “Asian values” drive in the 1990s, as well as
the creation of a task force aimed specifically at intergenerational bonding by the Ministry of Community
Development, Youth and Sports in 2002, the fact is that Singaporean youths and elderly lack regular and
quality interaction.
One reason is changing household and social patterns that physically separate the elderly and youth.
Nuclear households have become the norm in modern Singapore, and the percentage of households with
only elderly residents has jumped by 70 percent. This means lesser youths are living with their
grandparents, leaving fewer opportunities for interaction. The hectic lifestyles of today mean that
grandchildren may be unable or unwilling to leave the confines of their nuclear home to pay their
grandparents a visit.
Physical barriers inevitably lead to another kind of separation—a language barrier. With only 3.3 percent of
secondary school students speaking dialects in 2005, it is no wonder that many youths struggle to
communicate with the dialect-speaking elderly. The inability to speak a common language makes for an
uncomfortable (or even non-existent) dialogue, and reduces a family reunion to an exchange of not words
but red packets.
Even when both generations are living under the same roof, a sense of disconnect is still possible. With the
influx of technology and the media, the youth’s lifestyle is unfathomable to the elderly. Grandparents see
their grandchildren constantly glued to their computer screens; grandchildren assume their grandparents’
only preoccupation is the Japanese Occupation. Hence, the possibility of regular and quality interaction
remains distant in their view.
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5. It is clear that the expanding generation gap stems fundamentally from increasing segregation between the two
generations and a lack of meaningful opportunities for them to interact. Thus, the most important solutions would
focus on creating opportunities for sustained communication and bonding between the generations.
Towards this end, social projects initiated by both generations with the purpose of promoting better understanding
and sharing of experience among the two is crucial. These activities help create cross-generational friendship and
deconstruct stereotypes that both generations have of each other by creating an opportunity for them to connect
and also to comprehend each other. A success story was the SPHERE project; short for “Students, Singapore Pools
and HDB Enriching and Reaching out to the Elderly”, an ongoing community project since 2002. Students were sent in
groups to organize community activities for older residents residing in selected HDB rental apartments and studio
apartment blocks. Dr Leng Leng Thang from the National University of Singapore observed a group of 14 – 15 year
olds. She described the initial meeting between the elderly and the youth as awkward, with attempts at
communication stymied by a language and cultural barrier. However, over subsequent sessions, as students planned
recreational activities for the elderly and kept in frequent contact with them, friendship developed even though
communication was still difficult. This amply demonstrates the effectiveness of service projects spanning the two
generations in promoting cross-generational companionship, even in the face of daunting cultural and language
barriers.
But beyond activities specifically geared towards providing opportunities for intergenerational interaction, the
concept of creating “intergenerational interactive spaces” in the public domain is also worth exploring. By consciously
creating public spaces where the two generations are placed in close proximity, intergenerational interaction can be
integrated into everyday community life, bringing the two parallel worlds of the two generations together. For
example, children’s playgrounds could be constructed right next to exercising grounds for elderly, and this offers
chances for the two generations to communicate as they each engage in their daily routines.
Also, spaces catered to either generation can be integrated and can provide incentives to attract each other into its
compound. Children’s libraries could be built inside retirement communities, and elderly could be encouraged to read
to children, thus facilitating the process of intergenerational sharing and bonding. All these work towards creating a
seamless environment where generations become increasingly integrated and not separated.
However, communication is not just about speaking and sharing, it is also about adopting and adapting.
Communication between the generations could be greatly enhanced if both generations were taught and equipped
with the skills to better communicate with each other. Teenagers could be provided with dialect courses, while
elderly could be taught on the use of social media. This way, instead of existing in two different spheres, the two
groups could communicate in a manner which they are comfortable with.
No doubt, the need to promote interaction between the youth and the elderly may well be a statistical one, with
those aged 65 and above expected to grow to 20 percent of the population by 2020. However, we should not only be
motivated by practical concerns, but also a genuine empathy for the elderly, who in their twilight years may require
even more support and companionship. Furthermore, such interaction is mutually beneficial for both the youth and
the elderly by allowing them to connect on an emotional level with others, regardless of age.
In conclusion, while the “generation gap” may appear insurmountable in the face of an increasingly fast-paced and
changing world, sometimes all it takes is for one side to talk – and the other to listen. Whether done online, in service
projects, or as part of a daily routine, genuine interaction between the youth and elderly is the best way to promote
cross-generational understanding and friendship. And as the proportion of the elderly grows in Singapore, the need
has become even greater than ever.
Eugene Lim, Koh Liang Ping, Amanda Choo (RIJC Interact Club– Years 5 to 6)
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6. CLUB HISTORY
President Tapan advised the significance of 6th June to the Club – he read the following excerpt from the “80
Years & Beyond…Service Above Self” book:
“The year 1930 saw the Rotary flame kindle in Singapore. On June 6, 75 leading members of the community
representing 20 different nationalities met at Raffles Hotel to inaugurate the first Rotary Club in Singapore.
The flame was fanned by the visions of men like James W. Davidson, Lim Bock Kee and the founding
President, Dato (Sir) Roland Braddell. The Board of Directors immediately set high standards for future
Boards by organizing the first Malayan Rotary Clubs Conference in December 1930. Six months after its
inauguration, the Club received its Charter under which it operates as Club No. 3360 on the roll of Rotary
International.”
President Tapan noted with interest that in 1930 there were 20 different nationalities in the Club and
currently there were 22 nationalities.
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7. The Guide to Daily Living
MARK YOUR DIARY Before doing the things we COMING ROTARY EVENTS
Birthday celebrants want to do, consider first, the
RC wishes Happy Birthday to precept of the guide. Ask
celebrants this week: ourselves these 4 questions June
June 15th – Sirish Kumar and act upon them: Rotary Fellowships Month
First: Have I spent some time
in self-examination? June 19th
Anniversary Celebrants Second: Have I spent quality Rewa Merpuri talk on “Humour”
RC sends best wishes to time with my family? RC of Jurong on Tuesday 19th June
Wedding Anniversary Third: Have I given my best to 12 at Tangling clunb
celebrants this week my work?
Fourth: Have I given some June 27th
June 13th – S Malaiappan & Meeting Cancelled in view of the
time to someone near and
Lakshimi Installation Dinner on June 30th
far?
June 14th – Rudi & Fides The Guide, in fact,
Ackermann encompasses the 4 parts of June 30th
June 15th – Jasbir & Koh Kok the Object of Rotary. Installation Dinner
Keong July
Next week July 4th
This week 1st Club Assembly for Rotary Year
June 20th 2012
June 13th 2012 2012/2013
Reception Desk duty: Atul July 12th
Reception Desk duty: Colin Visit to the Singapore
Merchant, Jim Pollock
Miles, Jamshid Medora Garden Festival with the residents
Sunshine Box duty: Kavita
Sunshine Box duty: Louis Lim, of the Sree Narayana Home for the
Singh, Garry Taylor Aged
Noshir Mistri, Michael Boegli
Last Weekly Meeting to be
Speaker: Mr. Girija Pande chaired by President Tapan The Four-Way Test
Of the Things we think, say
Chairman – Asia Pacific, who will give a brief message or do:
Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. to round off his year of * Is it the truth?
Singapore Presidency. * Is it fair to all concerned?
* Will it build goodwill and
Topic: “Leadership in an New Generations Service better friendship?
Interconnected World” Date: Friday, 15th June * Will it be beneficial to all
Time: 7.30pm concerned?
Vocational Service Venue: 34 Merryn Road, Queries, comments and
Date: Wednesday, 13th June S298483 articles request can be
Time: 7.30pm Host: PP Dr. Yap Lip Kee sent to
Venue: Tandoori Corner, 5 Jean-Philippe Lionnet
Boon Tat Street, S069613 bulletin@rotary.org.sg
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