A well attended social meeting, Rosebank Rotary receives a Citation, Winners of this month's Club 100, Environmental Training and a site visit to the Durban Deep vegetable garden...

 From the Pen of the President....

Tomorrow marks the end of women’s month. However, the reports of women being murdered, attacked and sexually abused continue at an alarming and unacceptable level. It makes me and many other men ashamed of how many of the male species act and how they regard women as objects to be exploited and controlled. We all need to speak out against this appalling situation and the all too often inadequate response of the police and others within the justice system. Saying we oppose gender-based violence but doing nothing about it is not sufficient. Laughing at and forwarding jokes that demean women and their dignity helps to perpetuate an environment of patriarchy and oppressive behaviour. I believe we can all play a positive part in remedying the situation - this may have limited impact to start but, with enough people doing so, will snowball and begin to change the attitude and perception of those who need to behave in an acceptable manner.

Costa Qually

President

Tailpiece

I was always taught to respect my elders, but it keeps getting harder to find one.

Last Friday....

...we met for our monthly social meeting and it is heartwarming that even though we are still unable to meet in person attendance remains high; 21 attendees plus a guest is pretty good going.

Well, there were 5 of us that did gather at PP Ann's to have tea and cake in honour of Lenore's birthday and shoot the breeze with our fellow members on Ann's TV screen.

Social meetings give us an opportunity to tell some funny stories and Melodene had a hysterical joke up her sleeve which is worth sharing in the Ramble:

A fleeing Taliban, desperate for water, was plodding through the Afghan desert when he saw something far off in the distance. Hoping to find water, he hurried toward the oasis only to find a British soldier selling regimental ties.

The Taliban asked, "Do you have water?"

The soldier replied, "There is no water, the well is dry. Would you like to buy a tie instead? They are only £5."

 The Taliban shouted, "You idiot infidel! I do not need an over-priced tie. I need water! I should kill you, but I must find water first!"

 "OK," said the soldier, "It does not matter that you do not want to buy a tie and that you hate me. I will show you that I am bigger than that, and that I am a much better human being than you. If you continue over that hill to the east for about two miles, you will find our Sergeant's Mess. It has all the ice cold water you need. Inshallah."

 Cursing him, the Taliban staggered away over the hill.

 Several hours later he staggered back, collapsed with dehydration & rasped:

 "They won't let me in without a  #^@* tie!”

President Costa has made enquiries at Wanderers and they would be happy to welcome us back for meetings and pizza, but in the meantime, if you are in need for fellowship Ann is inviting anyone to join the Friday meetings at her home.

The Rotary Club of Rosebank is awarded a Citation....

Despite all the challenges thrown at PP Ann Hope-Bailie during her tenure, she steered a steady ship and hats off to her and a committed club for achieving this prestigious recognition.

Dear President Costa

Congratulations!  Your club has earned the Rotary Citation, the most significant award a Rotary club can achieve, for 2020-21. During a year that was challenging for many Rotarians around the world, your club demonstrated a commitment to achieve your goals, which ultimately helps strengthen Rotary and shape our future.

Sincerely,

 

Annemarie Mostert

Immediate Past District Governor

Rotary International District 9400

Rotary E Club of Southern Africa 9400

Building 1, The House, Constantia Office Park,

Cnr 14th  Avenue & Hendrik Potgieter Street,

Weltevreden Park, 1709.

P O Box 6782, Cresta, 2118.

Tel: +27 11 475 3372 Fax: 086 623 2515

Cell: +27 82 457 4558

E Mail:  annemarie@rotary9400.org.za

 

Foundation Training Morning...

Lyn Collocott, our Environment Chair shares her notes and thoughts:

A number of us attended the recent Foundation Training Session on Environment.

 

It was an hour well spent with many ideas coming out of it.

 

Please all put on your thinking caps and try to come up with ideas of projects we may be able to get involved with.

 

If we were to consider  applying for a Global Grant, any of the following may qualify:

 

REFORESTATION

*Protecting and restoring land.

*Remove invasive plants

*Coastal or freshwater resources

*Protecting and planting  indigenous  species.

  

PEACEBUILDING

*Human-Animal Conflict  An example is People versus the Cape Town baboons in the nature reserves.

*Training communities in conservation.

  

SUSTAINABLE AGROECOLOGY

*Sustainable aquaculture and regenerative Agriculture.

*Community Development

*Improving Food Security

 

ADDRESSING CLIMATE CHANGE

Examples

*Renewable energy  Solar or Windpower

*Eliminating fuels like coal

* Electric vehicles.

 

 WORKING WITH VULNERABLE COMMUNITIES

Examples

*Plastic Pollution

*Air pollution.... may  cause respiratory illnesses

*Water contamination from chemicals.

 

 COMMUNITY BASED EDUCATION

*Aligning the school curriculum  (Speak to Government)

Youth is our future.

* More Interact and Earlyact Clubs with emphasis on Environment.

Consider scholarship possibilities  and  helping  with career plans related to the environment.

 

 SUSTAINABLE CONSUMPTION

*Composting

*Recycling

*Solid Waste Management

*Recycling of Food Waste

* Glass , Paper, Cans, Plastic

How do we get these ideas through to the population?

 

SOME THINGS WE CAN DO>

*Education

*Outreach

*Advocacy

*Eliminating and reducing environmental toxins

* Equitable  access to organic healthy foods.

*Vegetable Gardens

 

 

WHAT WOULD NOT QUALIFY FOR A GLOBAL GRANT.

But, in my opinion, is still important.

 

*Single Event  Beautification

*Tree planting unless large scale

*Food Distribution

*Outdoor Rec activities

*Purchasing equipment for building infrastructure.

*Single event clean up.

 

Any bigger project we may get involved with in time , should consider the following:

*Sustainability

*Measureable

*Community Driven... What are their needs.

 

 

Lots to think about.

A Site Visit to the Durban Deep vegetable garden...

You will remember that at the end of summer our club donated a 4 700 liter JoJo tank to an informal settlement in the Durban Deep area to enable the women who had painstakingly planted a vegetable garden to water their fledglings during the winter months and then come the summer months to harness the rain water.

Every Saturday Stephan Ferreira of Charity begins with Me feeds between 400 and sometimes 1000 children with food items donated by generous sponsors.

It was bitter last Saturday, and thus the kids were encouraged to bring their backpacks and take their food parcels home.

Stephan makes use of an abandoned community hall, where he is able to store his provisions. 

It is behind this community hall that the vegetable garden has been established. Stephan has shown the women how to plant and nurture the seeds in egg containers and little yoghurt tubs.

Most of the women have decided to plant spinach, as it is fairly easy to rear, once harvested it re-grows and they are able to sell a bunch for R7.

The JoJo tank has been a godsend and it has made a huge difference to the sustainability of the vegetable garden, particularly during this long, cold and dry winter.

The children are being encouraged to deposit their food waste into old tyres which is being composted and then used in the garden.

During the cold winter months the women protected their fledgling plants by covering them with the plastic bottoms of cool drink bottles and old CDs have been tied on to sticks, and the reflections seems to keep the birds and rats at bay.

It is still early days but it was encouraging to see how proud the women are of their handiwork, and no doubt in a few months time they will reap the benefits.

They would be very grateful if we could supply them with egg containers and little yoghurt tubs and any discarded seedling trays you might have.

This Friday.....

Do not miss...

 

Dr. Joachim "Yogi" Reppmann was born in Flensburg, Schleswig-Holstein, in 1957.  He attended the Altes Gymnasium and matriculated at the University of Kiel, where he studied history, American literature, and philosophy.  In 1978 and fueled by his fascination with America from reading wild west fiction novels he traveled to the United States to learn everything he could about our country.  In 1984, he completed his masters thesis entitled Transplanted Ideas:  The Concept of Freedom and Democracy of the Schleswig-Holstein Forty-Eighters — Origins and Effects 1846-1856.  He has written several books on notable Schleswig-Holstein emigrants and the mass migration to the United States; served as a professor of German at St. Olaf and Carleton Colleges in Northfield, Minnesota; and chaired several conferences on topics ranging from the Low German language to Forty-Eighter Hans Reimer Claussen. The Steuben Society of America’s History Award, 2014, has been presented to him for his research on the 1848 movement’s democratic impact in Germany, and the USA.  

A brief outline of the Peace Pipe Proposal. The year is 1931. The results of the global economic crisis have an impact everywhere. Nationalism and ideologies that violate human dignity are on the rise. In the midst of this, the Rotary Club of Keokuk, Iowa sends out 496 letters in late December. On the model of the peace pipe ritual practiced by Indian tribes for dealing with conflict, the Rotarians of this small city on the Mississippi extend their hand to their Rotarian friends around the world.

The year is 2019. In view of its bonds across the Atlantic, this same Rotary Club repeats the gesture, sending out letters specifically to the German Rotarians who responded to its mailing of eighty-eight years before. The Iowa club feels that this is its duty. After all, the city of Keokuk is named after the Indian chief who chose not to take up the battle axe during times of conflict. The peace pipe letters of 1931-32 and 2019 symbolize international friendship and understanding.