The View, Pieter-Dirk Uys, a Business Meeting and the RI President for 2021/22

Last Week


It was a Social Meeting but we had three visitors, our outgoing Long Term Exchange Student who is off to the wilds of Thailand, Masego Matiko and her father, Jabu.
They both chatted about themselves and thanked the club for its support.

Our third visitor was Dr Ronnie Klein, a former member of the Rotary Club of Killarney which closed down in 1995,

A couple of things got forgotten last week:

Outing to The View

The View in Parktown was built in 1896 for Sir Thomas Cullinan, famous for producing the world's largest diamond at his Premier Mine, in 1905.

Dominated by two A-shaped gables, red brick, and white carved wooden railings on its double-storey balconies, it's built in the Neo-Queen Anne style. The west wing - a copy of the original house - was added in response to the growth of the family. It retains its large garden, with its original circular driveway.

The house stands grandly on Ridge Road, but no longer has a view to Pretoria, like it originally had. It's still in good condition, with its large wooden-paneled study and beautiful fireplaces. It is now the headquarters of the Transvaal Scottish Regiment.

Lady Cullinan lived in the house until 1963 when she died at the age of 97. The View became a national monument in 1990.

Date 22nd September. 

Time 10. 30 -10.45

Lecture by Jim Findlay to start at 11 am He will give us the history of the Tvl Scottish and its association with The View.

Cost R 200 p.p. This includes the lecture  and tea ,coffee and snacks afterwards.

RSVP to Debby Steenhoff (peterdebby@sagolfing.com) before 19^th August.

That is today but I'm sure they will take late bookings.

A couple of weeks ago Pam Donaldson also organised a trip to Pieter-Dirk Uys in his new....and probably his last....show #HeTwo at the theatre in Monte Casino.  There were about a dozen of us there and we had a good time.

It was a retrospective show but I did wonder if anyone under 50 would understand any of it!

Our thanks to Pam for organising these things.

This Week

It's a Business Meeting....enough said!  Nobody hazarded a guess for the description in the Joke Column.  I will keep it there this week and will hopefully remember to enlighten you on Friday.....remind me if I forget.

Shekhar Mehta, of the Rotary Club of Calcutta-Mahanagar, West Bengal, India, is the selection of the Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International for 2021-22. 

He will be declared the president-nominee on 1 October if no challenging candidates have been suggested.

Mehta acknowledges that current membership trends are a challenge and says that membership development should be Rotary’s highest priority. He believes that focusing on regional plans, successfully transitioning Rotaractors into Rotary clubs, and increasing diversity and female members could yield a 5 percent net growth in membership each year.

“A major brainstorming is needed to find effective solutions suited to different areas of the world,” says Mehta. He adds that regional ethos and culture have to be taken into account to find localized solutions, as “one size does not fit all.” He believes Rotary can extend to new geographical areas and countries.

As a strong proponent of Rotary’s strategic plan, Mehta says he will encourage clubs to use action plans and reinforce the core values of Rotary.

Mehta says Rotary needs to become more contemporary and adaptable by focusing on partnerships with governments and corporations, expanding partnerships with organizations that specialize in Rotary’s areas of focus, and investing in technology.

Mehta, an accountant, is chair of the Skyline Group, a real estate development company he founded. He is also a director of Operation Eyesight Universal (India), a Canada-based organization.

Mehta has been actively involved in disaster response and is a trustee of ShelterBox, UK. After the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, he helped build nearly 500 homes for families affected by the disaster.

Mehta pioneered a program that has performed more than 1,500 life-changing heart surgeries in South Asia. He is also the architect of the TEACH Program, which promotes literacy throughout India and has reached thousands of schools.

A Rotary member since 1984, Mehta has served Rotary as director, member or chair of several committees, zone coordinator, training leader, member of The Rotary Foundation Cadre of Technical Advisers, and district governor. He is also the chair of Rotary Foundation (India).

Mehta has received Rotary’s Service Above Self Award and The Rotary Foundation’s Citation for Meritorious Service and Distinguished Service Awards.

He and his wife, Rashi, are Major Donors and members of the Bequest Society.