Thursday, November 29, 2007
Chiongbian: Don't mind the rain, play golf
By Edgar R. Chiongbian
Teetime
HEY guys, the weather might look good for now but don’t you believe it, brace yourself for another typhoon and be ready to play the once-postponed-due-to-rain golf tournament of the Tomodachi. But this time it will go on, rain and/or shine. You are so used to playing in the rain and muddy conditions anyway so there’s no need to panic.
Sorry that I have to skip our usual golf topics for this column because I have to talk about my other love, and that is Rotary. Yesterday was a very important date for the Rotary Club of Cebu (Mother club), which celebrated its 75th diamond anniversary. RC Cebu was chartered in 1932 and at that time was the only second Rotary Club in the Philippines, and sponsored by the Rotary Club of Manila, who owns the right as the first Rotary Club in Asia.
The 75th Diamond anniversary celebration of RC Cebu is a week-long series of activities that includes the ground breaking of a three -story building that will house the newly relocated Community Scouts, and a medical mission in Minglanilla.
We welcome the Sister Clubs of RC Cebu who are attending this special occasion. They are the RC Yotsukaido (Japan), RC Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia), RC Tawau (Malaysia), RC New Territories (Hongkong), RC Singapore East, RC Manila, RC Rizal West, RC Makati and RC Bagumbayan-Manila. Seventy-fifth RC Cebu president John Domingo officially welcomed them all last night.
This might come a surprise to you but the Rotary Club of Cebu played a very significant role in the history of Boys Scouts in Cebu. I am sure that everyone knows Hernan Streegan and his commitment to the Cebu Council of the Boys Scouts of the Philippines. Well, recently, they embarked on documenting their history and thus came up with a coffeetable book and Hernan is their number one salesman.
They printed 2,000 books and I bought the last piece last week. But don’t you worry, they will be making a second printing later on. There is so much history in this 210-page book and it makes for good reading, especially when you can read up on the history of people you know.
Although the Boys Scouts of the Philippines was already established in 1923, scouting pretty much stayed in the north. When the Rotary Club of Cebu was founded in 1932, one of its inaugural and primary projects was to promote scouting in Cebu, as a joint effort with YMCA, and to link Boy Scouts clubs with the large elementary schools and some high schools in the city and province of Cebu.
Instead of rambling on about who were/are in this club, let me give you the A-list of past presidents of RC Cebu, who I’m sure you will recognize: CJ Martin, HM Power, RR Landon, Henry Gasser, Buenaventura Veloso, Leo Schmitt, Isabelo Binamira, Jose Castillo, Fitz Reed, Alfred Deen, Dart Williams, Simeon Miranda, Vicente Faelnar, Jack Panis, Antonio Suaco, Salvador Sala, Jose Moran, Eugenio Alonso, Federico Reyes, James Jacobi, Vicente Lozada, Domingo Veloso, Ramon Duterte, Ben Alejandre, Oscar Jereza, Jose Rodriguez, Manuel De Veyra, Jose Escano, Nestor Canoy, Prisciliano Borromeo, Canuto Borromeo. Fernando Jakosalem, Antonio Qui, Mariano Padilla, Louie Batumalaque, Vicente Pelaez Jr., Ibarra Panopio, Francisco Benedicto, Catalino Chan Jr., Michel Lhuillier, Ramon Ceniza, Doming Antigua, Jose Ho, Tereso Balankig, Antonio Mira, Jose Sala, Renato Kintanar, Mario Ortiz, Orlando Israel, Glenn Loop, Shewak Mangharam, Jose Tan Yaotin, Jose Suaco, Gunther Haller, Jose Gapas, Manuel De Veyra Jr., Angel Ocubillo Jr., Ronald Duterte, Serge Romero, Antonio Lozada, Ricky Dakay, Edgar Chiongbian, Oscar Jereza Jr. and John Domingo.
GOLF TIP. There is a rule of thumb method of figuring how hard to swing your club on bunker shots. Since extra effort is needed to move the sand, swing your club twice as hard as you normally would with a pitch shot. For example for a five-yard distance, swing the club as you would a 10-yard pitch and so on.
If you think in terms of club head speed, swing your club faster on long shots and slower on short shots. But remember to always make a smooth even tempo with only a three-quarter backswing on greenside bunker shots.
(erc@skyinet.net)
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (November 29, 2007 issue)
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