On June 26th, the Silicon Valley Chinese Rotary Club held its annual meeting and president handover ceremony in Fremont. The event also included the first Youth Environmental Art Competition awards ceremony, recognizing young creative talents and reviewing the year’s community service efforts.
Leading figures such as Fremont Mayor Raj Salwan, council members Yang Shao and Kathy Kimberly, Rotary District 5170 Subdivision 3 Director Bob Shaver (who will soon assume the role of Vice Director on July 1), incoming Subdivision 3 Director Jingmin Yang, planning committee member Charles Liu, past presidents Peter Kuo, Annie He, Chunchi Ma, and Citizens for Better Community (CBC) founder Herbert Chiu attended the event.
Before the banquet began, Yang Shao led the attendees in a prayer. The formal activities started with the first-term president Peter Kuo leading the participants in reciting the pledge of allegiance and playing the national anthem on the violin. The evening featured youth dance performances interspersed with the president handover and the Youth Environmental Art Competition awards ceremony.
Outgoing president Tong Yin highlighted the club’s efforts over the past year to increase member engagement, nurture youth, and deepen community partnerships. Initiatives included ongoing support for a summer camp for children with type 1 diabetes, Thanksgiving dinner service for the homeless, community clean-up projects, youth speeches, and the inaugural Environmental Art Competition, expanding the scope of service activities.
Yin emphasized the club’s collaboration with non-profit organizations, encouraging member involvement in local events. This year, the club received recognition as one of 14 award-winning Rotary clubs in District 5170, as well as the Donald Allen Award for its efforts in promoting diversity and inclusivity.
During the event, several long-time members and youth volunteers dedicated to community service were commended. William Xie, soon to attend UT Austin, received the Youth Volunteer Award for his community service and mentoring of low-income students in CAD design. Jeffrey Li, bound for MIT, was honored with the Youth Service Award for repairing computers and donating them to students in Nepal. Furthermore, Jingmin Yang, who has long been involved in club service and fundraising, was awarded the Annual Member Award.
The president handover ceremony followed, with guests overseeing the symbolic passing of responsibilities. The past presidents formed a half-circle with the incoming president Alice Ren seated in the center. Mayor Raj Salwan presented a knight’s sword to each past and incoming president in succession, while other guests passed items like a jade cabbage, a globe, and a gold chain, symbolizing the continuity of Rotary’s spirit and service mission until Ren received the items, signifying the tradition of service being passed down.
Ren expressed the club’s transition from its early founding stages to stable development, pledging to continue promoting environmental protection, youth and community service. Future plans include organizing seminars on tax, retirement planning, and financial management in collaboration with financial professionals to provide valuable information to the community.
Founding member Albert Wong shared insights from attending the International Rotary Convention in Taipei. District 5170 representatives praised the Silicon Valley Chinese Rotary Club as one of the vibrant clubs in the region, hoping the new leadership team will continue to unite members and expand the club’s community service impact.
The inaugural Youth Environmental Art Competition attracted students of various ages, focusing on themes of environmental conservation and sustainability. Awards were presented to participants in elementary, middle, and high school categories, with overall achievements and special jury awards and certificates given to all participants.
Art teacher Christine Kita, who served as a judge, expressed hope that through art, students can develop observation skills, critical thinking, and express their ideas through creativity and imagination rather than solely relying on computers. This year, many artworks focused on topics such as environmental cleanliness and water resource protection, demonstrating children’s concern for environmental protection. The competition aims to encourage more young people to care for nature and protect the environment through art.
Organizers announced plans to continue hosting the Youth Environmental Art Competition and to recommend outstanding works for participation in the Japan International Art Exhibition in September, fostering youth participation in international exchanges to further youth development, environmental protection, and community service.
Established in 2014, the Silicon Valley Chinese Rotary Club is the first Rotary club in North America to primarily use Mandarin as its language. The club has long been committed to community service, youth development, environmental protection, and international charity, embodying the Rotary spirit of “Service Above Self” through various volunteer and charitable activities.