RI President Shekhar Mehta Visits Rotary In Ho Chi Minh City
Only a few countries in the world don’t permit Rotary Clubs and one of them was, until last year, Vietnam when two clubs in Ho Chi Minh City, the erstwhile Saigon, were founded. On the occasion of the recent visit of RI President Shekhar Mehta to Ho Chi Minh City, Rtn. Peter Born, who lived nearly six years in Ho Chi Minh City before moving to Mumbai and who was actively involved in promoting the Rotary idea in Vietnam sent the following message on behalf of our club:
Address of Rtn. Peter Born on behalf of the RC Bombay on the occasion of the visit of RI President Shekhar
Mehta to the Rotary Clubs of Saigon, Saigon-International and Danang
Dear Rotarians of the Rotary Clubs of Saigon, Saigon International and Danang, my dear friends President Anh Vu and Secretary Christian Brendel!
On the occasion of the visit of RI President Shekhar Mehta to Ho Chi Minh City I’m privileged to send greetings and the best wishes of the Rotary Club of Bombay in India. My name is Peter Born, Co-Chair of our International
Committee and before I moved to India, I lived 6 wonderful years in Ho Chi Minh City. During this time, I was part
of several Rotary projects organized by PDG Danny Low to promote goodwill in Vietnam for the Rotary Idea, for
example by distributing wheel chairs in HCMC and the Mekong Delta.
During this time, I met several RI Presidents who visited leaders in Hanoi to discuss the establishment of Rotary Clubs in Vietnam and I’m very happy that Shekar Mehta is now the first RI President meeting the newly established first clubs in the country.
This is eventually closing an important gap in the Rotary network in Asia complementing what started nearly 100 years ago with the epic journey of James Wheeler Davidson, the Marco Polo of Rotary, who founded on his way from the Mediterranean Sea to the Pacific 21 Asian clubs among them prestigious clubs like Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Hong Kong.
The Rotary Club of Bombay is proud to be also one of the James Wheeler Davidson Clubs founded by him in 1929.
Coming back the young and dynamic clubs in Saigon. I must compliment you; you had a remarkable start with wonderful projects and a very active fellowship since you received your charter not even a year ago on the 18th of June 2021.
Once again wishing you on behalf of the Rotary Club of Bombay a great and wonderful event and I’m sure that with
this dynamic start and the support of Rotary International, the Rotary Movement will have a great future ahead in Vietnam. Cảm ơn and thank you very much!