The DG's Visit, Dr Hugo Tempelman and the Rotary Theme for 2020 - 21

Last Week
District Governor Maurice Stander made his official annual visit to the club.  These visits have become less and less complicated over the years thanks to information being available on the internet and this really does save a lot of time.

He concentrated on the issue of membership and pointed out that members bringing friends to a meeting who may have an interest in Rotary is very limited and generally hasn't worked.  As we are a relatively big club he suggested that we seriously consider starting a satellite club as we had enough members to provide support.

We were delighted to have our honorary member, Past District Governor  Peter Margolius join us for lunch.  Rotarian James Croswell also sneaked into the picture.


The Anns previously had a meeting with DGAnn Chrisna and some of them also joined us for lunch. 





This Week
Dr Hugo Tempelman will be telling us how  a Mobile Unit can bring Services to a Community.  This is  the most important aspect of our proposed Cervical Cancer Project, something that Dr Tempelman is particularly interested in.

Ndlovu Medical Trust was founded in 1994 by Dr. Hugo Tempelman and his wife Liesje. What started as a private primary health clinic, Ndlovu Medical Centre, has since expanded to a Non-Profit-Organisation employing more than 320 people and operating in two locations.

Ndlovu Care Group of South Africa provides innovative integrated Community Health- & Community Care services to the communities of Elandsdoorn & Bushbuckridge and its surrounding townships.

The Ndlovu Care Group developed an applicable and replicable Care Model for scaling up services in communities through:
- Local capacity building for sustained community development and improved standard of living in rural areas
- Information, awareness, and education on health related issues to promote behaviour change, early care seeking behaviour and prevent more HIV infections
- Affordable and integrated Primary Health Care (PHC), Malaria, TB and HIV/AIDS Care to promote personal wellbeing and community health in general
- Childcare Programs to address the needs and life skills of Orphans and other Vulnerable Children (OVC)
- Research, Monitoring & Evaluation to ensure evidence based interventions and improved outcomes
- Replicating the NCG Model within the public sector and other NGO’s to assist in the upliftment of health and community systems across Southern Africa.




Rotary International President-elect Holger Knaack is encouraging Rotarians to seize the many opportunities Rotary offers to enrich their lives and the communities they serve.

Knaack, a member of the Rotary Club of Herzogtum Lauenburg-Mölln, Germany, revealed the 2020-21 presidential theme, Rotary Opens Opportunities, to incoming district governors at the Rotary International Assembly in San Diego, California, USA, on 20 January.

Rotary isn’t just a club for people to join, but rather “an invitation to endless opportunities,” said Knaack, who becomes president on 1 July. He emphasized that Rotary creates pathways for members to improve their lives and the lives of those they help through service projects.

“We believe that our acts of service, big and small, create opportunities for people who need our help,” Knaack said. He added that Rotary creates leadership opportunities and gives members the chance to travel the world to put their service ideas into action and make lifelong connections. “Everything we do opens another opportunity for someone, somewhere,” said Knaack.

Changing for the future

Knaack also urged members to embrace change so Rotary can expand and thrive. Rather than setting a specific target for increasing the number of members, Knaack said he’s asking clubs and districts to think about how to grow in a sustainable and organic way. He wants clubs to focus on keeping current members engaged and adding new members who are the right fit for their club.

“We need to stop thinking of new members as people we can mark down as statistics and then forget about,” Knaack said. “Every new member changes us a little bit. That person brings a new perspective, new experiences. We need to embrace this constant renewal. We will grow stronger as we learn from new members.”

Knaack pointed to Rotary’s Action Plan as a compass that can guide clubs as they evolve. He recommended that every club have a strategic plan meeting at least once a year. At that meeting, clubs should ask where they want to be in five years and how they can bring more value to their members.

Knaack also wants to see more women in leadership roles and see Rotaractors play an integral role in how new clubs are formed and run. He encouraged district leaders to create new club models and rethink what it means to be in Rotary, and allow young people to be the architects of these new clubs.

“We have to be open to new approaches, and creating unique clubs for younger people is just part of the solution,” said Knaack. “Let Rotaractors decide what kind of Rotary experience works best for them. These young people are bright, energetic, and they get things done.”

In stressing the need for Rotary members to embrace change, Knaack noted that time won’t slow down for Rotary: “We will not let rapid change defeat us. We will capture this moment to grow Rotary, making it stronger, more adaptable, and even more aligned with our core values.”