THE HISTORY OF DISTRICT 3650, Korea

A part of Our History of Rotary in Asia

As of June 30, 1994, District 3650 boasted 86 clubs and 3,827 membership. However, on July 1st, 1994, the district was divided and it retained 43 clubs and 2,014 members having Seoul North of Han-river as its jurisdiction.

45 new clubs were sponsored during the past years and 1996-97 year begin for the district with 88 clubs and 3,696 members. The year 1996-97 has begun with a special emphasis on membership expansion as the main agenda.

Our district has donated to the Rotary Foundation a large sum of money via P.H.F’s and Benefactors. The Rotary Korea Scholarship and Cultural Foundation has also received increasing contributions toward its scholarship funds.

Our district has been Exchanging Youth with district 2750 in Tokyo for the 3rd year to promote better understanding of each other. And through District Rotaract Conference, Interact Conference and Exchanges of the Interact clubs, we are sustaining our effort to serve our youths. In the Community Service front, we are continuing with Free Operations for the Blind People who otherwise can not afford the operation and with various support programs for the handicapped. And Youth Drug Abuse Prevention Counseling Program is another example of our concern for the community.

Our district has hosted a G.S.E. team from District 6270 of Wisconsin, U.S.A.. There were 10 clubs hosting them showing our history, cultural heritage, way of life and meeting corresponding professionals and seeing their work places in Korea. And our district G.S.E. team is visiting District 6270.

It also is a great honor to have a director-elect(1997-99) of Rotary International, Hee Byung Chae from our district and we are very proud to have three Past R.I. directors Young Hui Kim, Chae Kyung Oh, In Sang Song from the district.

And there are fourteen Past District Governors who are always willing to lend their advise and participate in every program that our District is sponsoring.

R.I. District 3650 has been running free eyesight recovery operations project in cooperation with eight major hospitals in Seoul. To mark the 600 years of founding of Seoul as the national capital, it has been operating on 600 eyes of low-income blind citizens of Seoul. As of April 30, 1997, District 3650 has provided 150 Million won (about US$169,500) in eye operation costs and already 500 people have benefited from this effort. The project is expected to be completed in May-June 1997.

R.I. District 3650 has excercised a constant effort to build a society where the disabled can live comfortably. In the autumn of 1993 and 1995, District 3650 hosted ‘WALK-A-THON WITH THE HANDICAPPED’ in an effort to communicate the belief that the physically disabled are neighbors too.

Every year, as well, District 3650 raises money to give financial support to disabled individuals or groups that advocate them. As part of its assistance for the disabled for 1996-97, District 3650 sent 12 Million won (about US$ 14,560) worth of medical equipment in November to Kyonam House of Hope, an institution for the mentally disabled. In February 1997, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Paul Harris, the founder of Rotary, District 3650 offered three automated wheelchairs (worth 9.3 Million won) to Eun Kwang won, a social welfare institution. R.I. district 3650 will continue to give a lot of interest and support to assist the disabled.

R.I. district 3650 established a committee on teenage substance abuse prevention since 1994-95 and have run telephone consulting services headed by Dr. Jin Kyung Jang for teenagers concerned with substance abuse.

The service answers telephone calls 24 hours a day from teenagers suffering from addiction and their concerned family members. The service provides professional advice and refers callers to clinics that offer the treatment required and finally provides education on the damages of substance abuse and ways to deal with it.
Regularly, the service holds seminars to publish cases and seek better ways to tackle the problem.

Grateful acknowledgements to the District 3650 Board, Clubs, Members, Webmaster

posted by RGHF Webmaster, Greg Barlow. January 2009