Good evening to all my fellow jaycees, family and friends. We thank you all for being here tonight as we take this important step in our personal, social and business lives.
Your presence here tonight is an affirmation of not just our collective ideals & visions as members of Junior Chamber International, but more importantly it is a sign of our enduring friendships and relationships in this great organization.
Today is a NEW BEGINNING. As we celebrate our 61st year as a chapter and as an Organization; it is likewise a celebration and a culmination of the 1st 60 years of outstanding leadership development here in the Philippines, which began that fateful day in December 20, 1947 at the Champagne Room of the Manila Hotel.
I believe that everything in life has a beginning and an end… this is something I learned from my dad, Architect Robert Carag Ong, my greatest critic and cheerleader, who is here today with my mom, Joan Ong and the rest of my family. Thank you Mom and Dad for giving me all the Love, the guidance and the opportunities to be the Man I am today.
To the Outgoing Board of Directors, thank you very much for a truly wonderful year, the memories, the insights and the skills I have gained with all of you during this past year I now bring with me in the year ahead.
I would like to thank most especially outgoing President JCI Sen. Ping Kamantigue for his inspiring leadership, for his invaluable advice, and his ever willingness to serve and be of service.
There are many phases in Life, and as some of you may already know… I for one believe that my life thus far can be grouped simply into 3 distinct phases.
The first phase in my life was during my growing up years, my foundations if you will. Its was during those early years from kindergarden… all the way to college that my core beliefs, my morals, my most basic human characteristics and personality was first established, like a newborn baby bird being cared for in a nest, its was during those years where the true person you see here standing now before you was molded and formed.
The next phase in my life was when I went to New York for my Post Graduate Studies in Architecture. It was during this time, when I was allowed to leave the safety and security of my family’s nest that I really learned about the world outside. It was during this time that I learned to think outside of the box that I’ve grown accustomed to, to see the world in a different light as they say.
Which brings us here today in the present, this phase in my life… and I’m sure many of you will probably echo the same sentiments… this is my Jaycee phase. It all started that one Tuesday night almost 6 years ago, when I decided to take the chance and see what the Manila Jaycees was all about. I will be forever grateful for that opportunity.
It is in the Jaycees that I learned even more about myself, the weaknesses that can be transformed into strength, the leadership skills, trainings and the opportunities that are out there waiting to be explored. It is here where I now happily spend most of my time, where I’ve made many of my friends, where I continue to learn from countless mentors. It is the Jaycees that will continue to influence the rest of my life from this point forward.
US President Barack Obama in one of his many speeches, once proclaimed that the United States… and I quote, Should show not the Example of its Power… but the Power of its Example.
Significantly, Our LOM Theme is anchored on our singular belief that the most basic and yet most important form of leadership is Leadership by EXAMPLE, the acronym for EXAMPLE being, EXCELLENCE in ACTION, MEMBERSHIP PARTICPATION, LEARNING AND EMPOWERMENT.
We believe that before we could influence and encourage others to do something, we must be willing and able to do it ourselves first.
We will take that first step.
We will raise our swords and flag as we lead the charge in battle.
We believe in Leaders and Leadership that take action, not through words, but by deeds. Not by passive membership but by Active Membership Participation. We believe that the future of our LOM, and the greater cause of Jayceeism worldwide rests not on hordes of mindless followers, but in the training and cultivation of enlightened, inspired and most importantly empowered leaders amongst leaders.
This year, we will be bidding for the Honor of hosting the Asia Pacific Convention here in Manila on 2011. This makes the task of strengthening our chapter even greater, we must be ready to take on the challenge of preparing and executing an event that would bring more than 4 to 5 thousand delegates all over Asia to the Philippines. This will not be easy. An undertaking of such magnitude will take years of preparation, hours upon hours of hard work and effort, and an army of committed and disciplined individuals, not to mention the logistical and financial nightmare that needs to be addressed.
This will not be easy.
But guess what… We did it before… and WE WILL DO IT AGAIN.
As we look outward, towards the horizons beyond our borders… we must not forget those who are dear to us, those whom are most important to our existence, the core, the life of any organization… We will not forget our MEMBERS. In the coming months ahead we are committed to enhancing the total membership experience and opportunities. We will reach out to those members who stand by the wayside, as we continue to strengthen the relationships of others. At the center of our efforts is a belief, informed by past presidents and past leaderships, that no member should feel like an orphan.
Our Dear Members, YOU are our No. 1 priority.
We are the future. We must take the reigns of leadership with a sense of urgency. Stand up and be counted… Join us as we mark the beginning of our next 60 years.
Maraming Salamat and God Bless.
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