RCS Speaker Meeting February 18, 2025 with Curtis Baker

On February 18th, Rotary came together for our regular Tuesday meeting. We were delighted to welcome a visitor from the Rotary Club of Manchester in the UK. President Christian, being a keen football fan, couldn’t resist asking the Rotarian whether he was a red or a blue supporter! Additionally, we were thrilled to have our regular visitors, Ralf from RC Beijing and Harry from RC Shanghai Merilon.

The meeting continued with the induction of Daniela. Even before becoming a member, Daniela had already made a significant contribution to our club. She first joined us as a speaker, enlightening us on the topic of sustainability. Since then, she has led us on a guided walk in Shanghai and has played a substantial role in our Peacebuilding Committee. We are incredibly excited to officially welcome her as a member of the RCS family!

Next, we heard from Markus B. about the Ukraine campaign, which he is working on alongside his associate George. Sadly, George is feeling very overwhelmed and is even willing to fund the campaign from his own pocket. Markus’ heartfelt talk moved us deeply.

The highlight of the evening was our speaker, Curtis Baker, the DEI (Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion) Officer at Dow. Curtis delivered an insightful talk on the importance of DEI policies in the workplace. One of the first points he shared was why the terms are ordered as Diversity, Equity, Inclusion. The reason? Equity is the desired outcome, making it the central focus.

Curtis also conducted an intriguing exercise, asking us to choose from a selection of faces who we would trust to look after children. With no context provided, many of us chose a kind-looking, homely woman. To our surprise, Curtis revealed that the woman was a serial killer! This exercise drove home the point that we all have unconscious biases, which we must recognize and address—especially those of us involved in recruitment.

We learned many fascinating insights during Curtis’ presentation. For instance, he shared that Chinese companies are mandated to employ 1.5% of their workforce as individuals with disabilities or pay a fine. Unfortunately, most companies choose to pay the fine instead of hiring disabled people. Curtis concluded his talk with a powerful quote by Maya Angelou: “People will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” This underscored the importance of ensuring that everyone, regardless of their background, feels seen and heard in our workplaces.

The meeting moved on to Happy Money. Markus’ brief but moving talk about the situation in Ukraine inspired several members to ring the bell. The session ended with Rotarians feeling not only that they had learned something invaluable but also that they had contributed to a significant cause.

Written by Secretary Rohit Ballal