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Welcome to the official blog site of the Interact Club of SMK Damansara Jaya, District 3300, Malaysia!

Dec 24, 2008

Line Up for 2009

The following is an email from Club President, Thasban, giving us an overall list of a possible line up of events of next year. As for the rest of the Interactors (excluding those whose names are stated in the last few posts), there hasn't been much response from you guys.

Hello everybody. It has been a long time since our last meeting.

Its Thasban here and I am writing to you regarding next year's plans for our Interact Club activities and agendas. In this e-mail, I will be writing about suggestions of activities, for example Community Projects, Funding Projects, the much anticipated International Understanding Day( I.U. Day) etc.

Firstly, I would like to enlighten you guys on an event which will be jointly organized by 4 schools in our Interact district. The event being organized is the charity dinner. The purpose of having this dinner is to generate funds for two orphanages (refer to SMKDJ Interact blog). Although I understand that our school was given the least responsibility, but it would be appreciated that everybody, including you could lend a helping hand into making this event an fruitful and successful one.

Now, lets start off with the I.U. Day. En Lerk has suggested “War” as next year's I.U. theme. The theme will be all about the devastating aftermath of a war and to send the message that having a war is not an ordinary win-lose situation. There were also suggestions of having an I.U. Week, where the event will compromise of exhibitions, performances etc. along a whole week. A suitable theme has not been chosen to suit the suggested I.U. Week. Especially in this area, I need feedback on suggestions, ideas, criticism on the suggested themes so that a better I.U. Day/Week could be planned out.

Next, here comes the Community Project. Automatically, I have a very good one in mind. We could paint a wall (Basketball court wall) as the wall is “owned” by our Interact Club and all we have to do is to paint the wall, simply with any design agreed. Also, we can do Odd Jobs as the project, or even do chores around school, like cleaning the school hall etc.

Furthermore, the Funding projects. From my part, I have suggestions like Valentine's Day sales, Chinese New Year Sales etc. There's nothing I could expand on here because I don't really have swell ideas. Again, we need ideas from all parties possible.

That's about all for my little announcement and kick-start plans. If you have any suggestions and ideas, please list them down with the suggested date, time etc. and e-mail it to me (thasban@hotmail.com) and if you have any comments as well, feel free to e-mail me too.

I hope i'm not too late, but Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.


Yours Truly,
Thasban

Now i suggest maybe all the BODs have a meeting before the start of 2009? Or at least before the co-curricular activities start next year, so that we can have everything already well planned out, and when the time comes, all we need to do is execute.

Also i suggest all Interactors subscribe to the blog's RSS feed here - http://interactsmkdj.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default so that you can be automatically updated with what's happening lately and we don't have to email you to come and check the blog.

Dec 13, 2008

Update on ICC

Here's a very encouraging email response by Yung Tyng. As for the rest of you, I've yet to hear from you. Yet. It doesn't have to be purely giving suggestions only, just showing your support for this event is encouraging enough. But I digress...

From: lee.yt@live.com
To: calvintanhanjin@hotmail.com
Subject: RE: UPDATE ON ICC MEETING (10/12/08)
Date: Fri, 12 Dec 2008 21:21:06 +1200

Sorry for not having replied to your mails, but i was attending a church camp, 6-10 dec, which was during the days where you sent the notice, and when the meeting was also held.

I've read the latest update on the ICC meeting, and i'd like to contribute to the charity event too. Maybe i could contribute in the publicity area, which mainly includes advertising the event, posters, tickets, flyers, backdrops etc. you know, things that mostly involve visuals, and i know where to print cheap. But most importantly i'll have to come up with some fundraising ideas first, being a funding director... lol

Now i've got some ideas for cutting down on the expenses. My church is having a christmas dinner event, and it's held at the Damansara Palace Restaurant at Kota Damansara, where the price can be as low as RM35 per person (price already includes seat and food). The hall can have around 30 tables, each enough to seat 10 people. I'll get additional information regarding the menu (halal or not i really have no idea). Well this is definitely not the only alternative, but conclusion is, it's cheaper to have the event at restaurants, instead of booking function rooms. We'll just have to source for more of these venues which meet the requirements.

Fundraising... sponsors are quite difficult, but i'll try list some possible ones. About the money we're raising for the beneficiaries, i'd like to know whether the money is already included in the ticket, or do the people donate seperately during the event?

As for the next meeting, i am really unsure about the days when i'm free, i have events to attend to all during the next 2 weeks. Hope you can update about the date and time then i'll see to it.

Regards,
yt.

Dec 11, 2008

Update on ICC Meeting (10/12/08)

INTERACT COORDINATING COUNCIL (ICC) COMMITTEE

President : Suren (Sri Permata)
Veep : Calvin (Damansara Jaya)
Secretary : Taran (SP)
Assistant Secretary : Abby (Taman SEA)
Treasurer : Kuhan (SP)
Assistant Treasurer : Nesha (Subang Jaya)

*note: this committe is purely for formalities. We are all the same, contributing equally. So don't be disheartened.


We've now selected a committee to spearhead the charity dinner organization.
  • CHARITY DINNER ORGANIZING COMMITTEE (proposed to be on March 21st)
Chairman : Ser Ying (Sri Permata)
Vice Chairman : Sharma (Taman SEA)
Secretary : Xin Hui (TS)
Assistant Secretary : Janice (Subang Jaya)
Treasurer : Kuhan (SP)
Assistant Treasurer : Calvin (Damansara Jaya)
Hotel & Decorations : Nesha (SJ)
Sponsors : Alysha (SJ)
Security & Ushers : Sasi (SJ)
Entertainment & Performances : Suren (SP)
Invitations & Agenda : Abby (TS)
Booklet : Jayanti (TS)

*note: Thasban could not attend the meeting due to a migrain. Again this committee is for fomalities and task delegation and distribution.

  • BENEFICIARIES
  1. Precious Home
  2. A centre for Down Syndrome children

*note: more information to be uploaded soon on beneficiaries. The list is still unconfirmed though.

  • AUDITIONS
10th January - Akarkarya Studio, DU
17th January - Around Subang area for the convenience of people living in Subang

Entry fees will be as such:

RM5 - solo or duet
RM8 - dance troupe
RM10 - full band

Persons-in-Charge:

PJ area : Calvin, Sharma
SJ area : Nesha, Sasi

*note: still unconfirmed but roughly more or less.

  • HOTEL DEPOSIT
Nesha from Subang Jaya has a contact in Sunway and the pricing for a function room inclusive of dinner is around RM90 per person (already ++ed). Price after mark-up is RM100. Considered quite cheap considering the other hotels around Subang and also of its high-end quality.

In order to book the hotel for reservations, we have to come up with a 30% deposit. Our target is about 200 people, so multiply that by RM100 and 30% will be around RM6000. 30% from Sunway is considered quite good compared to other hotels such as Summit which you have to pay45-50% deposit.

HOWEVER, we are STILL finding for other alternative venues to hold the dinner. It does not necessarily have to be a hotel. We just need a hall with the following requirements:
  1. Big hall enough for 200 people, more or less.
  2. Air-conditioned with good lighting and ventilation.
  3. A big stage, big enough for bands to perform (around the size of our school's).
  4. A good P.A. system.
  5. Food can be taken care quite easily as it'll have to be catered food.
*note: the reason for the requirement for a big stage is because we have contacts to local artistes, such as One Buck Short, K-Town Clan, Estraged (I think), Pop Shuvit and so on. But don't take my words ENTIRELY, yeah? All I know is that we have contacts with local artistes. Abby from Taman SEA knows Ean and Adam C from Hitz.fm personally so we have just a degree or two of separation. Expect Ean or Adam C to be emceeing too.

SO! If any of you know ANYWHERE that fulfills the above requirements, email me or just leave a message in the tagboard so that I'll be notified!

BUT, if all is in vain, if we have to go on with a high-end venue such as Sunway, we need to raise funds SERIOUSLY. If you have any ideas on raising funds, hard or easy, email me too or drop a message in the tagboard. Even a small fundraiser is able to help; a little goes a long way.

  • NEXT MEETING
Will be on the 18th of December in Taj Curry House in Subang Jaya. We might go to a place nearby but we'll just meet up at Taj Curry House.

*NOTE FOR DAMANSARA JAYA INTERACTORS


Please don't think that you have nothing to contribute even though you are not in the committee directly. I welcome any suggestion and comments to improve our conditions, LYK SRSLY. I will look into your suggestion and bring it up to the committe for consideration. Or if you like to attend our meeting to present the idea yourself, you are most welcomed to. You can come for our meeting to gain experience and get the rough idea of our planning and execution. There's no harm in doing that.

I may be the only one in both committees but that doesn't mean the Damansara Jaya is insignificant. We could've pulled out of the council due to low response from our school, but if we did that we'll soon be a very inactive club, slowly being pulled to the gutter. I stayed on because I believe that DJ Interact Club can be more proactive and involved in activities and that we can have a direct medium to contribute to the community we serve. So just to let you know, that the club is not sleeping; it's gearing up to run.

And above all, SERVICE ABOVE SELF.

Calvin Tan
Vice President
Interact Club SMK Damansara Jaya

Dec 9, 2008

Interact Coordinating Council (ICC) Meeting

To Interactors,

The Interact Coordinating Council will be having a meeting tomorrow at Syed Bistro in SS3 at 2.00 p.m. The purpose of this meeting is to select the organizing comittee for our joint projects. I will just need about 3-4 more people to attend besides myself. Please notify me by email ASAP so I can take note of your attendance. Your cooperation is duly noted.

SERVICE ABOVE SELF

Calvin Tan
Vice-President
Interact Club SMK Damansara Jaya

EDIT: Attending - Thasban

Dec 3, 2008

Back From Hiatus

It's been about 2 months+ or so since our last meeting. Let me just clarify here that the Interact Club of SMK Damansara Jaya is not inactive, rather we are on hiatus and planning for next year's agenda. Recently, the 4 Interact Clubs under the Rotary Club of Subang, namely Damansara Jaya, Taman SEA, Sri Permata and Subang Jaya, have been meeting up to set up an Interact Coordinating Council (ICC). We mooted the idea in mid-2008 and we are executing the necessary procedures for the formation of the council.

The council need not be registered formally, rather it is a mutual agreement between the 4 participating schools. We are fully supportive over the idea of building a cohesive and more cooperating coalition of a wider spectrum, so to say, in order to strike more impact to the community we serve.

I hope the Interactors of Damansara Jaya give their utmost cooperation and sacrifice, in due time, in order to make the ICC a success.

Amongst ourselves, we have discussed a joint charity project to raise funds for two orphanages we are yet to confirm. What we've thought of is a massive project indeed, and requires a hectic amount of standard procedures before it comes to fruition. But I assure you, do not dismiss this as hot-air. We are weighing in the pros and cons before anything is decided. So keep this thought in your heads and I'll update you with details over time.

Two days ago, we had an informal meeting with the President of the Rotary Club of Subang, Dr. G. Satheesan and New Generations Director Mr. Tan Soo Keong. They also suggested the idea of an International Day, another joint project between the 4 schools. This is incorporated as an IU Day, although we can also have our own school's IU Day. It is under consideration and nothing is finalized yet until further meetings are held.

I shall now post the minutes of our informal meeting in an Indian Restaurant. Read it through and if there are any questions pertaining the matter, do not hesitate to email the club's email at the "contact us" page of the blog, or personally to me at calvintanhanjin@hotmail.com. Your comments are duly appreciated, good and bad, constructive and seditious, uplifting and critical. :)

And, above all else,

SERVICE ABOVE SELF

Calvin Tan Han Jin
Vice-President
Interact Club of SMK Damansara Jaya

--------------------------------------------------

Meeting Minutes 1
Date : 1st December 2008 (Monday)
Venue : Sri Devi Restaurant, Jalan SS14/1, Subang Jaya

Attendance :
Rotarians IC of SMK Subang Jaya
1) Mr. G. Satheesan 1) Neshaleny
2) Mr. Tan Soo Keong 2) Sasidaran

IC of SMK Sri Permata IC of SMK Taman SEA
1) Tan Ser Ying -

IC of SMK Damansara Jaya
1) Calvin Tan

1.0 Formation of Interact Coordinating Council (ICC)
1.1 Objectives
- Promote fellowship amongst Interactors from the four participating schools.
- Coordinate the activities of the four participating clubs.
- Share projects to create bigger impacts for the community.
- Improve communication between Interactors.
1.2 Ground Rules
- Meetings are to be held at least once a month.
- Minutes of each meeting must be prepared and circulated maximum 72 hours after meeting.
- Participation in the council should not hamper the activities of the respective clubs.
1.3 Suggestions
- Meetings should be held during the weekend.
- Start small and don’t be overambitious.

2.0 International Day
- To be held before the 12th of February 2009.
- Theme : Chinese Culture
- Incorporated as part of International Understanding Day. However, each club may still organise IU Day.
- Venue : School hall (Narrowed down to SMK Subang Jaya and SMK Damansara Jaya) *Subject to change due to difficulty in gaining permission
- Each club is to perform a 10-15 minute performance related to the theme.
- Prizes will be given out for :
i) Best performance
ii) Best participation

3.0 Charity Dinner
- A charity dinner was proposed to be held.
- Information regarding function (Unconfirmed) :
i) Date : Mid-February 2009
ii) Venue : Sunway Hotel
iii) Beneficiaries : 2 orphanages (Yet to be chosen)
iv) Ticket price : RM 100 nett
v) Attendance : Open to Interactors ONLY
3.1 Problems
- Ticket price is too expensive.
- The function will require approval from the Education Department as it will be associated with club and thus school.
- High possibility of concurring losses which may amount to thousands of ringgit.
- Organisers are still underaged students.
3.2 Suggestions
- Hold a meeting to contemplate solutions for the problems. The consequences of actions taken must be studied.
- Include the teacher advisors in the meeting.
- Create a project paper and obtain endorsement from the Board of Directors and teacher advisors of each club as well as the Education Department.
- Treat the project cautiously.
4.0 - The attending Interactors were told to propose the date, time and venue for the next meeting.
5.0 - Meeting was adjourned.



Prepared by :
Tan Ser Ying
IC of SMK Sri Permata

About Interact

Interact is a service club for youth ages 14-18. Clubs benefit from sponsorship by individual Rotary clubs, which provide support and guidance. Interact has a membership of over 250,000 youth in more than 11,000 clubs worldwide. It’s one of Rotary’s fastest growing programs. Interact clubs are self-governing and self- supporting and can be either school or community based. Interact’s name is a combination of the words international and action.With clubs in over 120 countries and geographical areas, Interact is truly an international phenomenon. Interact’s global youth network is dedicated to community and international service. Every Interact club project, great or small, has a lasting impact on society worldwide.

For more information, see the Interact Handbook.