Pictures from Rotaract Handover Ceremony - 6 July 2007

Rotary President, Dr. Iopu Tanielu was there to encourage Rotaractors to continue the works of Rotary in the future

Outgoing Secretary, Richard Neemia with Incoming and first male President, Taufasia John Tagiilima

Dr. Tanielu presents Rotaractor of the Year award to Outgoing President, Ofeira Faasau's mother in her absence

Outgoing Treasurer/Incoming International Director, Litia Brighouse with Incoming Community Services Director, Richard Neemia, and new Rotaract member Jean Viliamu

Past Rotary President, Rosita Brighouse-Slaven with new Rotaract member, Leanne Brighouse

Incoming Treasurer, Ramona Tugaga & new Rotaractor, Zhenna Chan Mow

Guests of Rotaract

Incoming Vice President, Tuitoga Hicks (right) with guests Tara Apa and Pepe Christian Fruean

Outgoing Club Services Director/Incoming Secretary, Maxine Sausi-Mailo, John Tagiilima and his wife, Simone, and Rotaractor, Mac Mailo

Mr. & Mrs. Faasau - parents of Past President, Ofeira Faasau who were there in her stead as guests of Rotaract

Rotaract Handover Dinner!

Where – Apaula Heights
When – Friday 6th July 2007
Time – 6.30pm

$45.00 per person
(3-course dinner)

Come out for a night of fun!

Have an input and get updated on our “Battle of the Minds” preparations this year!

Then kick back, relax and enjoy a night of dancing and singing and heaps of surprises!

Ladies - Dress to impress! We have some prizes to be won!!

Farewell our outgoing board and Welcome our new one!

Battle of the Minds-Licensed for 2007 Action

28 June 2007—Apia, Samoa. Planning for the hugely popular ‘Battle of the Minds’ TV Quiz show for Year 12 college students has started in earnest.

A combined project by the Rotaract Club of Apia and SBC-TV One, Samoa College will be preparing to defend the title it narrowly won over Faatuatua Christian Secondary School last year.

President-Elect for Rotaract, Mr Taufasia John Tagiilima says, “We’ve already started the framework and planning as this year is a very busy one with SPG, Teuila and the Rugby World Cup crowded into August and September. But we’re very confident that Battle of Minds, kicking off on 15 September will add to the excitement of that period. More importantly, to help our Year 12 students prepare for their final exams.”

According to Tagiilima, the top six schools from the inaugural 2006 competition will have automatic entry to this year’s competition. Entry forms and registrations are being mailed out to many schools in Upolu.

Another exciting aspect is that for 2007, Battle of the Minds will be extended to include colleges from the big island of Savaii.

“We are also very happy to announce that our Naming Rights sponsor, Digicel Samoa, has confirmed its commitment to Battle of the Minds. For Rotaract and SBC, we take this as a mark of confidence in the community and sponsors that the Quiz did well last year. More good signs are that even though we haven’t yet sourced further sponsorships, we have already received interest from prominent companies and corporations looking to be involved. So we’re very confident that there will be an excellent line-up of prizes and benefits to participating schools; separate to the academic part that Battle of the Minds brings to our Year 12 students nationally.”

Marketing Manager for Digicel, Mr Henry Tunupopo says, “Digicel is very proud to be Naming Rights sponsor for Battle of the Minds. Last year we saw the immense potential of the program and the hard and committed work put in by Rotaract and SBC complemented by the family of sponsors produced a very popular show that achieved its potential.

“Digicel is committed to growing with its communities. And education is at the forefront of its priorities; as it is for any nation’s future health and wealth. Our involvement is not only to provide and acknowledge that reality; but to also actively participate in what is a fun and competitive environment that ‘Battle of the Minds’ aims to again generate this year.”

Rotaract has over the past 5-weeks convened weekly meetings to action and monitor activities to a tight schedule. At the same time the club is organizing its annual ‘change-over’ ceremony for early July where the President and his executive officially take up their positions.

Battle of the Minds is limited to 16 colleges taking part. It will start on 15 September and will run for 6 weeks. The semi-finals and finals will be held on 13 October and 20 October respectively. The program will be televised live on SBC-TV one and will be repeated mid-week by SBC and pending confirmation, will be repeated on the Lady Samoa II and Lady Naomi ferries. The Ministry of Education is centrally involved to ensure adherence and relevance of content to Year 12 curricula.

Schools with automatic entry to Battle of the Minds 2007 are: Samoa College, Fa’atuatua Christian Secondary School, Robert Louis Stevenson, St Mary’s College, Avele College and CCWS (Pesega).

Rotaract is a network of motivated young professionals united by a passion to make a difference through community service and fostering strong cultural and humanitarian bonds with each other and our sister clubs throughout the world. Rotaract is registered as a club under the global umbrella of Rotary International.

For further information contact: Taufasia John Tagiilima on 777-1430.

Rotaract spreading spirit of Christmas

Words: Jasmine Netzler
Source: Samoa Observer, Thursday 21 December 2006
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The Rotaract Club of Apia helped spread Christmas cheer to many sick children at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital, yesterday.

Club members visited the Paediatric Ward to give out food, drinks and toys to the children who will be spending Christmas there.

They also donated material for curtains which they said would brighten up the ward.

President of Rotaract, Ofeira Fa'asau, said yesterday's visit was made possible by the assistance from Rotaract Redcliffe Club, Brisbane, Australia.

"We have just finished "Battle of the Minds" for the school kids and now we want to help the sick kids," said Ms Fa'asau.

Rotaract made a similar donation last year.

"We want this to be an annual event," she said.

There are 28 members of the Rotaract Club of Apia.
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N.B.
Rotaract also donated linen (sheets and pillow cases) for the 32-bed ward in addition to the curtain materials, toys, and books from various organizations including the Rotaract Club of Redcliffe, UNDP, MNREM, and the Samoan public who showed up at their Toy/Book drive earlier this month. The donations were received by Dr. Aiga Sesega and members of the medical staff at Tupua Tamamsese Meaole Hospital.
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Photos: John Tagiilima (Vice President 2006)

Rotaract member, Ramona Tugaga, presenting gifts to the children

President Ofeira (right) presenting donations to the doctors and nurses at the National Hospital

Hard-working members of the Club. L-R Maxine Sausi, Dr. Aiga Sesega, Ofeira Faasau, Litia Brighouse, & Leanne Brighouse

One of the kids who's Christmas came early this year:)

ROTARACT CLUB OF APIA
"Service above self"

The Rotaract Club of Apia would like to take this opportunity to thank each and every one of you, our staunch and loyal supporters for your patronage and your undying dedication to helping us with each and every one of our projects this past year and the years prior. We couldn’t have done any of the good works we have done so far without you. Fa’afetai, fa’afetai tele lava!

To our parent club, the Rotary Club of Apia, of which we owe our very existence. We cannot thank you enough for all you have done for us, as a Club and as members, individually. We look forward to working with you in the spirit of Rotary for many more years to come!

Our partner SBC TVOne and our principal sponsor Telecom Samoa for all your hard work and support in bringing about our first annual "Battle of the Minds" quiz competition! We hope to work more with you in the coming years as we develop and maintain this programme for the future leaders of Samoa! Thank you for seeing the importance and potential of such a program and for helping us realize our dream of a successful show!

A big fa’afetai tele lava also goes out to all our screening and prize sponsors:

King’s Neon Signs
McDonald’s Family Restaurant
Computer Services Limited
Pacific Link Technologies
Ink Patch Money Transfer
Electric Power Corporation (EPC)
Samoa Realty Limited
Ministry of Women & Community Development (Youth Division)
Westpac Bank (Samoa) Ltd
Ministry of Health
Mr. Ed Lai
Tuala & Tuala Lawyers
Coral Sands Management
Samoa Breweries Limited
Western Union Money Transfer
Rotary Club of Pago Pago
National Bank of Samoa
Business Systems Limited
Samoa Shipping Corporation
CCK
Le Tusi Faitau
Kofi Haus

No words can express how truly grateful we are to have had you on board with us! Looking forward to working with you again next year! To everyone else who contributed to the Club in one small way or another, your generosity has not gone unnoticed. From the bottom of our hearts, thank you!

Last but certainly not least, to all the generous souls who turned up at our Toy/Book Drive Siva to help fundraise for the pediatric ward at our National Hospital, and those who stopped by to donate toys/books and/or make financial donations to our cause. A big fa’afetai to the Rotaract Club of Redcliffe, UNDP, MNREM, Dean & Lupe Johnston of the Bora Bora Bar as well as B.A.T.S. for your kind assistance in this project. May God reward you in a million other ways for recognizing our call for help and for giving so generously from your hearts.

From all of us at Rotaract, may you have a very blessed
Christmas and a prosperous New Year Samoa!

In the spirit of the Holiday Season
we cordially invite you to the first ever

ROTARACT CLUB OF APIA

TOY/BOOK DRIVE SIVA!



FOR THE PAEDRIATIC WARD AT THE
TUPUA TAMASESE MEAOLE HOSPITAL

Date: Wednesday, 6th December 2006
Venue: Bora Bora Bar, Togafuafua
Doors Open: 6:00pm
Cover Charge: ONLY $4.00


“Donate a toy, create a smile!”
$1 discount on cover charge if you bring one or more toys/books per person!!

Donate a toy, create a smile!

The Rotaract Club of Apia is beseeching the help of the public again this Holiday Season in gifting the pediatrics ward at the Tupua Tamasese Meaole Hospital with books and toys for the children. This is part of the Club’s annual International Project where it usually pairs up with one or more of its international counterparts to provide aid and support to each other.

Last year, for their international project, RCOA helped the Rotaract Club of Rarotonga through extensive fundraising and sponsorship drives, to buy food supplies for the island of PukaPuka in the Cook Islands, which was devastated by the multiple cyclones in early 2005.

This year, RCOA is cooperating with its sister Club in Redcliffe, Australia to provide new curtains, linens, books/magazines, toys, wall hangings and posters for our pediatrics clinic at Motootua. This was decided after much deliberation and liaison with Dr Aiga Sesega, a General Practitioner at the National Hospital. The Club is set to give the “dreary” place a minor “facelift” just in time for Christmas.

“Initially, it was decided that we would undertake to paint the walls bright colours, with pictorial settings, etc – to create a fun and happy atmosphere,” says RCOA President, Ofeira Faasau. “However, we have ruled out that option due to the fact that the hospital will undergo major renovation within the next few months, and any effort in facilitating this service would have only been a temporary one.”

The pediatrics ward has been a special concern for Rotaract since it’s reestablishment in the end of 2004, when they also fundraised and gave out Christmas presents for the hospital-bound children of Samoa who weren’t going home for the holidays. This year, with the help of the Rotaract Club of Redcliffe and the Samoan public, RCOA hopes to create more smiles and make the children’s ward at our National Hospital a brighter and more cheerful place!

“The children of Samoa have very special places in each of our hearts and whatever we can do to help those who need it, we are more than happy to do, in whatever insignificant way we can,” Faasau said.

In this quest, the Club will be holding a Toy/Book Drive Siva on Wednesday, 6th December, at the Bora Bora Bar, Togafuafua. Doors open at 6pm. You are cordially invited to join them for a fun-filled night to support their cause! Please feel free to bring along as many toys and/or books as you want, and help the Rotaract Club of Apia create smiles this Christmas!

The Club is planning to present the materials to the Children’s Ward on December 8th, 2006.

Telecom Samoa Presents In-Kind Prizes for Rotaract Quiz!

In addition to its monetary sponsorship of the Telecom Samoa College Quiz “Battle of the Minds”, currently rolling into its fifth week, Telecom Samoa presented to the members of the Rotaract Club of Apia their in-kind support in a variety of prizes for the students. The presentation took place at Telecom Samoa headquarters, on Friday, 1st September. Prizes awarded for the quiz include PreMo school bags, stationery vouchers, PreMo cards and "Battle of the Minds" polo-shirts for the officials.

“Battle of the Minds” is a fast-paced, exciting game that emphasizes knowledge, rapid thinking, and teamwork. It is designed to provide students with yet an alternative avenue in preparing for School Certificate exams. Telecom Samoa’s College Quiz “Battle of the Minds” is shown LIVE every Saturday at 10:30am on SBC One.

Rotaract members, Fiona Sapatu, Richard Neemia (Secretary), Sunny Seuseu, Litia Brighouse (Treasurer) and John Tagiilima (Vice President) represented the Rotaract Club and the Quiz Steering Committee at the presentation last week.

"We continue to be grateful to our naming rights and principal sponsor, Telecom Samoa," said Tagiilima, "for their endless support of this - our first major Community Service project, as well as putting the education of the future leaders of Samoa at the forefront of their campaigns, as is our (Rotaract) focus this year."

Other sponsors of the quiz include EPC, Computer Services Limited, Kings Neon Signs, Pacific Link Technologies, McDonald's Family Restaurant, Ink Patch Money Transfer, Samoa Realty Ltd, Samoa Breweries Limited, Coral Sands Management, Ministry of Women & Community Development, Tuala & Tuala Lawyers, Mr Ed Lai, Rotary Club of PagoPago, Western Union, National Bank of Samoa, CCK, Samoa Shipping Corporation, Business Systems, Le Tusi Faitau, and Kofi Haus. Rotaract Club Treasurer, Litia Brighouse expressed gratitude to these companies and individuals as well, "We could not have done any of this without them!"

Asked about the recent comments and letters to the editor in the Samoa Observer, Brighouse replied, "Although there has been a lot of helpful and encouraging feedback with regards to the show so far, there has also been constructive criticism that our Steering Committee has seriously taken into account. We regard our project with the highest of values and have been very grateful of the overall support. We are also excited that people are recognizing our effort in enhancing the value of education. This information helps us improve the quality of the competition for both participants and watching audience. We are grateful that parents and teachers have taken notice, and have provided helpful comments on where we can improve – after all, our project is still a ‘baby’ and we are taking ‘little steps’ in leaps and bounds. To reiterate the high regard we treat this project we have acquired the help of academic professionals qualified in their individual fields. All the questions and answers the Club has received for the running of the show have been prepared and reviewed by qualified teachers and lecturers who are familiar with the Year 12 curriculum."

With a very exciting four weeks of pool rounds over with, the public is reminded to tune in to SBC One for the knock-out rounds in the next three weeks before the finals on 30th September. For information on the Telecom Samoa College Quiz “Battle of the Minds” visit our special page on http://www.telecomsamoa.ws/.

Members of the Rotaract Club holding up their prizes – Fiona Sapatu, Sunny Seuseu, Litia Brighouse, and Richard Neemia at the Telecom Samoa office, 1 st September 2006.

Telecom Samoa College Quiz - Official Website!

For more information on the quiz, the players and updates so far click here.