First and foremost, I expected to be treated well by fellow Rotarians, because that has always been my experience wherever I have travelled and met fellow Rotarians. However, the Rotarians in Taiwan treated every one of us in the most gracious and respectful manner, as well as in a lavish lifestyle. The food was outstanding and more than plentiful, and our host families provided us with wonderful accommodations as well as warm and lasting friendships. We found the Rotarians’ treatment a reflection of the warmth and welcoming nature of the Taiwanese people. I frequently said that we have been treated like royalty but, more importantly, welcomed like family.
As a Rotarian, I was impressed by so many examples of Rotarians going over and above any reasonable expectation. One such example was the Tzsheng Ren-Ai Center in Changhua, an orphanage that started in 1948 by a family who already had ten children of their own but who realized the need to help the children of families whose fathers had been “drafted” by the Japanese during their rule of Taiwan. One by one, these children were brought into their home until the family was able to obtain a separate home for these orphans. Ultimately, they expanded their services to include people with many different disabilities to provide a home as well as necessary services and rehabilitation therapy. The eldest son of this family, Martin Yen, a CPA, was one of our leaders for the day and a Rotarian who continues to support this home.
Another example was one of our hosts, Propeller, who owned a resort in the mountains where we stayed for two days. Propeller was born into a poor family but aspired to achieve a college education which was beyond the reach of his family’s finances. He was able to obtain both a Rotary scholarship as well as one from a university in Japan to study naval hull design. After working for others for several years, Propeller started an outboard motor propeller manufacturing business, now one of the premier manufacturers of propellers - worldwide. Propeller remembered his humble beginnings and those who helped him achieve his education and subsequent financial success. This year, he became an Arch Klumph Society member for donating $250,000 to the Rotary Foundation. He has also donated more than $2 million to his Japanese alma mater, which named one of their buildings in his honor.
D3640 GSE Team Leader Jim, Barry, and Propeller in front of the Happy Buddha in Puli
We also met a man named Chocolate, who owns Feeling 18, a chocolate manufacturer in Puli. After sampling some of his chocolates, we took a tour of the factory, which is kept at a constant 18 degrees Celsius - the ideal temperature for chocolate. I noticed a sign over an office which read, “Feeling 18 Foundation”. I asked what the nature of the Foundation was and learned that, historically, the children of Puli had a rather low ranking in their ability to read. Chocolate decided to provide some incentive for them by rewarding them with one of his outstanding chocolates for each book they read and turned in a book report resulting in Puli’s students now ranking #2 in all of Taiwan in their reading abilities. How fabulous!I expected to return and remember many of the beautiful museum and business tours and the gorgeous natural beauty of the island, all of which I will. However, my overriding memory will be the warmth and grace of the Taiwanese people and culture. In all my life, I’ve never been more honored to be a member of this international brotherhood of service we call Rotary.
With deep gratitude,
Barry Gainer
District 6980 GSE Team Leader
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