Give Peace a Chance, Keeping Someone warm this Winter, Madiba Buggies are rolled out and Highlands North Boys High School receive a new classroom....

 From The Pen of our President..... 

Dear fellow Rotarians and friends,

 

I missed the meeting on Friday – thank you Costa for filling in for me,

Yesterday was devoted to mothers everywhere – and here, thanks to Helen Steiner Rice is a tribute….

A Mother’s love is something

that no one can explain,

It is made of deep devotion

and of sacrifice and pain,

 

It is endless and unselfish

and enduring come what may

For nothing can destroy it

or take that love away . . .

 

It is patient and forgiving

when all others are forsaking,

And it never fails or falters

even though the heart is breaking . . .

 

It believes beyond believing

when the world around condemns,

And it glows with all the beauty

of the rarest, brightest gems . . .

 

It is far beyond defining,

it defies all explanation,

And it still remains a secret

like the mysteries of creation . . .

 

A many splendored miracle

man cannot understand

And another wondrous evidence

of God’s tender guiding hand.

 

Have a great week,

 

Ann

Last Friday......

Our meeting was "graced" by the presence of the very passionate Grace van Zyl, President of the Rotary Club of Johannesburg -  the Mother Club, and Rosebank being the Daughter Club, the second oldest club. 

The Rotary Club of JHB, being the 1st Rotary Club on the Continent of Africa (founded 25 April 1921, chartered 1 July 1921) is also the first Peace Builder Club in Southern Africa, inaugurated in November 2020. 

Going back in history, in 1931 the RCOJHB received a letter from the Rotary Club of Keokuk, Iowa with an invitation to symbolically smoke the Pipe of Peace – fast forward some 80 years the peace pipe letters were again brought to life  when contact was re-establish with over 100 Rotary Clubs still in existence. As a result District 9400  formed a Peace Builder Club Committee where the aim is to create more Peace Builder Clubs and promote an annual project that promotes peace.

 

 

 

Rotary has partnered with the Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) and offers an online curriculum for all Rotarians; this can be accessed on www.rotarypeaceacademy.org The IEP has 8 Pillars that promote positive Peace, which align to Rotary’s now 7 Areas of Focus.

As Rotarians we unconsciously promote positive peace in almost every project we take on and/or support.  The aim of becoming a Peace Builder Club is to consciously promote positive peace, create awareness and have an annual project or event specifically designed to promote peace and create awareness.  We all have a part to play in creating positive and sustainable peace.

 From a District perspective an International Human trafficking webinar is planned to create awareness on human trafficking and that this does not only relate to sex or drug trafficking.  Recent stats show that more than 40 Million people are human trafficked world-wide, South Africa stats show that 4 out of 100 people are human trafficked on a daily basis.  The webinar is in a planning phase and Grace would welcome more Rotarians to join their District committee.

If you should be interested to learn more about this initiative please contact Grace at grace@gracevanzyl.com.

We will be keeping 250 + souls  warm this Winter.....

As winter approaches the plight of so many needy people who will feel the chill becomes ever more evident and it was gratifying to see how many people opened their purses to support this year's annual blanket drive which we held this past weekend at the Pick 'n Pay on Nicol.

The final figures are not yet in, but we are confident that we will be able to supply about 250 blankets to various communities in the Gauteng area.

Thank you to the Rotarians, Anns and husbands and wives and children of Rotarians  who made this a truly successful project. We are most definitely People of Action!

Madiba Buggies roll out...

A while back Marilyn Bassin of the Boykanyo - Deon Herson Foundation - had received a consignment of 25 incomplete Madiba Buggies which needed trays and foot rests to make them functional. 

Could we help?

Jerry Bernardo, who is a whiz with his hands with the help of Costa Qually set to work and designed and built foot rests, struts and trays and delivered the completed items for assembly and ultimate distribution to well-deserving disabled children.

Another testament to People of Action!

Highlands North Boys High School receives a new classroom....

Last Friday Jean and Marianne from our youth committee were invited to attend the opening of "The Highlands North Class of '81  new classroom. They joined Vusi and Simpiwe, President and Vice President of the Highlands North Boys High School Interact Club and their liaison teacher Mimi van Deventer, who is a member of Rotary New Dawn.

President Vusi of the Highlands North Boys High School Interact Club poses in front of a plaque of all the '81 Old Boys who contributed to the building of the new class room. Can you see Cesare Vidulich's son Fabio's name on the list? (A bit small)  

PP Jean looks on and applauds as the ribbon gets cut.

A Special Invitation to join this Week's Quiz....

Those who attended last year's quiz challenge against the Ugandan Rotoract Club of Bokomo will remember what fun it was. And this Wednesday the 12th we are having a repeat.

Let us extend some South African Fellowship and come out in our numbers. The more the merrier!

If you would like to join please let David Bradshaw know by Wednesday morning so that we can send you the Zoom link. 

This Friday......

Momo's Thailand adventures Part 2.