Helping people in need

Gary C.K. Huang is the first Chinese president of Rotary International that has more than 1.2 million members worldwide. [Photo by Kuang Linhua/China Daily]

President of Rotary International says giving back makes you 'a better and happier person'.

When Gary C.K. Huang joined the Rotary Club 32 years ago, he never imagined that he would become the president of this international organization. Nor did he think much about the charitable services to which it's committed.

"I thought this club has important and successful people. I wanted to be part of it because it would be good for my business," says Huang, 69, current president of Rotary International and a member of the Rotary Club in Taipei.

He was right about that. But it was committing himself to the charitable endeavors later that has given him the greatest sense of achievement and satisfaction, says Huang, the first Chinese to be elected as the head of this century-old organization, which was founded in Chicago in 1905. On a recent visit to the mainland, he shared his stories and visions for the club at a Beijing Rotary Club event.

Rotary International is a service organization that brings together business and professional leaders in order to provide humanitarian services, encourage high ethical standards in all vocations, and help build goodwill and peace in the world.

There are more than 30,000 clubs and over 1.2 million members worldwide. Club members, known as Rotarians, usually meet weekly for breakfast, lunch or dinner. These are social events as well as opportunities to organize work on service goals.

Huang still vividly recalls how he started thinking about Rotary service in the wake of a terrible typhoon.

When one of his fellow Rotarians told him about an orphanage building outside of Taipei that was devastated by the storm, Huang drove with another Rotarian there to give aid.

He was shocked by the poor conditions of the buildings, home to about 60 kids. The orphanage didn't even have enough money to buy diapers for babies, he says.

"I tried for a few minutes to imagine my children living in this place. But I didn't imagine it for too long. I didn't want to even think about it. Instead, I said, "OK, we have to do something here."

The Rotarians not only fixed everything damaged by the typhoon, including the roof, the kitchen and the walls, but also bought a refrigerator and an air conditioner. They also created a fund to buy diapers for the babies, Huang recalls.

"This was more than 30 years ago. But for me, it was the beginning of Rotary," he says.

"I learned what Confucius was trying to teach me. Helping others is also helping yourself. It changes who you are. One thing you learn in Rotary is that if you find you have a little extra - more than you need for yourself - you enjoy it more when you share it. It makes you a better and happier person."