A Social Meeting with unexpected Visitors, A Skittles Fellowship Fundraiser, Sew-a-Thon Part 2, and Where in the World is David?...

From the Pen of the President...

Good evening fellow Rotarians and friends,

 

Another lovely day spent fulfilling our aim to clothe children for winter – we have a whopping 500 items. It is proving difficult to get the finishing done to a number of the sweatshirts – a shortage of the correct colour rib-trim and people with over-lockers!!

 

I have seen snippets of the goings on in Melbourne at the Rotary Convention – looks amazing. Looking forward to hearing all about it.

 

We have an inbound student coming to our club – a lovely young Norwegian lady – looking forward to it. It has been a while.

Please support Careers Day this coming Saturday – stop by and chat to a few young people, they are hungry for knowledge, that is if you are not manning a table – thank you to all participants.

 

Keep warm and see you on Friday ( or not…. I may have gone fishing!!)

 

Ann

 

Last Week...

...being the last Friday of the month was a social meeting which generally has no fixed agenda and is the only meeting of the month which is not offered as a hybrid Zoom meeting.

Visitors are always welcome and we were delighted that Lyn Collocott invited Linsey Stephan as a guest. She is no stranger to Rotary as she assisted with a Group Study Exchange that Mike Lamb attended and she was awarded a Paul Harris Fellowship by the Rotary Club of Sandton for groundbreaking educational work she undertook. 

Linsey is also mother to Stephen and Ryan Cook, who are well-known cricketers.

Editor-in-Chief  Sybille timed her whistle-stop visit to Johannesburg well, because not only could she attend the Friday meeting, but she could also partake in the skittles fundraiser that evening and help at the Saturday Sew-A-Thon.

Sybille was given the opportunity to share what she has been getting up to since she relocated to Stanford in the Cape and tell the club a little bit more about the Rotary Club of Stanford, which she will be joining in the new Rotary year. It may be a small club, but it is very active and well-respected for the good work that it does in the community.

Sybille is very excited about their upcoming fundraising event, the annual Penguin Plunge taking place on the 23rd of June where everyone is encouraged to pay a donation to jump into the icy Klein River and receive a beaded penguin fridge magnet and a hot beverage in return. It is a highlight of the Stanford calendar.

Skittles Evening combines Fellowship and Fundraising...

...Fellowship is one of the cornerstones of Rotary and last Friday evening this was combined with another very successful Skittles fundraiser once again made possible by Fundraiser par excellence Sonja Hood. 

32 people took part in the event and as everyone wanted to win one of the wonderful Raffle prizes, ticket sales were brisk and because of their generosity a handsome R9300 was raised which will go far to support all our various projects.

Sew-a- Thon Part 2...

When club members last met in April to sew and knit garments for Stephan Ferreira, from Charity Begins With Me towards his ambitious goal to give 1500 children in need a warm garment for winter, nobody realized what a Herculean task this will be.

Last Saturday Jean Bernardo's driveway was once again a hive of activity as we sewed and knitted up a storm to try and meet this target. A big thank you to the Anns who are always willing to help where they can.

David's Travels continue...

...In the past week David has been visiting various Balkan countries along the Adriatic coastline - Croatia, Montenegro, Macedonia and Albania.

He has shared some of his favourite photos with us, so that we may travel with him from the comfort of our armchairs.

This Friday...

....We will have the pleasure of welcoming guest speaker Lorna Wridgway who will be telling us about the U-Turn Homeless Ministries which she is very involved with.

It will no doubt be a interesting and eye-opening topic.

P.S. We have not forgotten Rotary Exchange Student Emma, who sent us a presentation that she gave in German at her school in Weißwasser last week.

Unfortunately due to technical difficulties it has not been possible to download it on this blog site.

Watch this space next week.

A Business Meeting, Emma's life returns to "normal" and David Bradshaw shares his travel photos....

 From the Pen of the President....

Dear fellow Rotarians,

 

I attended the District Assembly on Saturday morning and I must say, every time I hear the enthusiasm and the amazing projects being done in the District and hear the plans and the commitment, it energizes me and makes me feel so proud – worth an hour or so on a Saturday morning – join a call or do some training.

On Saturday we will tally up all our handiwork and finish off the winter things and make a plan to hand them over – well done to everyone. Every little bit helps and if you have not done anything, it is not too late – make a donation, buy some children winter woollies or come along on Saturday.

If you do not “skittle”, or sew or “quiz”, make sure you bring a friend on 9^th June and/or attend the induction dinner. You will not regret it!!

Keep warm,

Ann

 

 

Last Friday....

The monthly business meeting is an important component of the Club calendar, as it gives the various committee chairs the opportunity to share behind-the-scenes activities with all the members.

A few days ago President Ann shared a link to a Daily Maverick article which highlighted the plight of disabled persons in the Eastern Cape.

Please click into the following link to access the article.

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2023-05-17-heart-wrenching-article-inspires-daily-maverick-readers-to-pledge-wheelchairs-in-eastern-cape/

The feature galvanized Gift of the Givers, Marilyn Bassin and the Boikanyo Foundation and Rotary into action and it is testament that even in these trying times there are good stories out there that need to be told.

Our treasurer John Symons was happy to report that all club membership subs have been paid. 

Whereas remittances to Rotary International have become a more costly expense, our investments have benefitted from the plummeting Rand/Dollar exchange rate.

By John's calculations donations at last weekend's Blanket Drive at the Pick 'n Pay Centre on William Nicol Drive amounted to a staggering  R24 202 via the Yoco point-of-sale machine and in cash and furthermore we also received approximately R15 000 in corporate pledges. These funds will enable us to keep over 440 needy persons warm this winter.

It seems that the Wanderers Club has now allocated the Cigar Lounge to us as our meeting venue and once this has been officially confirmed President Ann asked by show of hands whether the members would approve the repair of the television, which would improve the connectivity concerns for the members that attend meetings via Zoom, and to simplify the tech process.

Sonja Hood and her fund raising committee have been hard at work and the ever popular skittles evening taking place this Friday the 26th of May at the Kyalami Country Club is now officially oversubscribed with 32 people attending the event. There are always wonderful Raffle prizes to be won and Sonja has managed to secure some exciting items to go into the hampers.

A Spring Day lunch concert is being planned for the 2nd of September and the October quiz evening date and venue will be confirmed in due course.

 Jean Bernardo's Youth committee is finalizing the logistics of this year's Careers Day taking place at the Holy Family College in Parktown on Saturday the 3rd of June. 

We have the commitment of various presenters that are willing to showcase their professions but we are still looking for willing volunteers for the following professions and trades:

- Electrician and plumber

- Computers/IT

- Entrepreneurship

- Marketing

- Hospitality

- Speech Therapy

- Financial Advice

- Education

- Human Resources

- Travel/Tourism

- Gaming

- Psychology

- Fashion and Jewellery Design

The Highlands North Boys High School Interact Club held a blood drive last Thursday and President Ann willingly donated a valuable pint of blood.

Emma's life returns back to "normal"....

 Emma is settling into ‘normal’ German life in Weißwasser again. 

She had the opportunity this week to visit the famous Rakotz Brücke, also known as a “devil's bridge",  due to the colloquialism that such bridges were so dangerous or miraculous that they must have been built by Satan. The bridge is located in the Kromlau Azalea and Rhododendron Park, an 80-hectare (200-acre) landscaped park in Gablenz, Germany, built during the nineteenth century, reportedly on the grounds of a former feudal estate by Friedrich Hermann Rötschke. Following World War II, the park was nationalized by the government, and has no admission fee (although there is a nominal parking fee). The park is an example of an English landscape garden, and it contains many small ponds and lakes. It is known for the Rakotz Brücke, a bridge especially built to create a circle when it is reflected in the water beneath it.

Food brings people together, and sushi is a firm favourite, so when Emma visited with her new exchange student friends in Dresden they prepared a few elaborate platters to enjoy together.

At home she prepared one of her preferred meals for her family - a tuna salad a la Emma.

David Bradshaw allows us to travel with him vicariously....

Finally David'd long awaited overseas trip has arrived. He and his four grown offspring are touring through Serbia, Bosnia/Herzogovina, Croatia, Montenegro, Albania, Macedonia and last but not least Romania.

Not that David wants to make us feel green with envy in any way but armchair travel is a wonderful way to enjoy his journey with him.

One of their first stopovers was the capital city of Serbia, Belgrade. A river trip on the Danube, sightseeing to one of the largest orthodox cathedrals, the St Sava Temple and a visit to the Belgrade National Theatre to enjoy the ballet, Le Corsaire were some of the memorable highlights.

From Serbia they journeyed on to Bosnia/Herzogovina and its capital Sarajevo.

By now they should have arrived in Croatia, and we look forward to the  next episode of your adventure, David.

Next Friday...

....is the last meeting of the month and therefore a social meeting, which  allows the members to enjoy some welcome fellowship.

Costa's DISCON impressions, this year's Blanket Drive is a wrap, and enjoy Emma's European tour video....

From the Pen of the President....

Dear fellow Rotarians and friends,

 

Seasons come and seasons go – winter has come!! You have some time to get those knitting needles clicking and finish off the sewing – our final work day is 27^th May and then we must hand over our wares to the children who will benefit from our efforts!!

We had a successful Blanket Drive and many more people will benefit during the cold months from the blankets that our willing and generous community have sponsored. Thank you to those who went the extra mile over the past weekend.

We have still to confirm our venue but make no error – there will be an induction dinner!!

I have heard of a few members bringing a friend on 9^th June – the more the merrier – we can sow what a good bunch we are!!

Anyone wishing to attend the induction and 50 year celebration of the Northcliff Club, please let me know.

Wishing David a happy and well deserved holiday. Welcome back to Margaret. Thinking of Hugh and wishing him a good conclusion to future plans.

 

To you all – wrap up warmly, keep well and see you soon.

Ann

 

Last Friday.....

....We were very pleased to welcome Margaret Dale back after her health has thankfully been restored.

She expressed her gratitude and attributes her recovery to the love an support she received from her Rotary Family during her convalescence.

Costa was then given the opportunity to report back on his experiences at this years District conference.

PE Costa Qually and Kevin Wolhuter and his wife Liz ably represented our Club at DISCON which took place from the 28th to the 30th of April at the Esibayeni Lodge, which lies halfway between Manzini and Mbabane in Eswatini.

The trip there was exhausting and took over 7 hours because of countless roadworks and getting lost en route, and seeing the entrance to the lodge must have been a welcome sight.

A Korean Choir was part of the opening ceremony and Joe Otin from Kenya was the Rotary International Representative (RIPRR). Joe was delighted to report that the Rotary membership in his  home country is growing by leaps and bounds.

Costa was able to chat with him and apparently Joe has visited our Club on one of his sojourns to South Africa.

A large variety of topics were covered in the course of the conference.

Service projects touched on the work Rotary did during the Cyclone in Mozambique.

In the Empowering Girls segment the manufacture of reusable sanitary pads was discussed.

The Anns may only have 200 members but they are nonetheless very active.

Membership Growth remains a challenge, and it was emphasized that one needs to consider different types of clubs, and the importance of growing RotorAct Clubs.

A sobering discussion point was that only 44% of clubs donate to Rotary International.

Mental Health was put on the agenda, as there has been a marked increase in mental health issues since Covid.

During the Environment segment the River Clean Up Day was highlighted and that on one day a staggering 9 tons of plastic waste was collected.

But it was not all work, there was also time to visit the Canaan farming project, which was spearheaded by Ian and Janine Maxwell and is being supported by Rotary. Amongst other activities they have hot houses in which they grow vegetables and orchids that produce the highly sought after vanilla pod. They keep battery chickens that yield sufficient eggs to feed 4500 people a month. They have a carpentry and bead-making workshop that offers employment to nearly 260 people.  They also look after 360 orphans.

A truly impressive endevour.

A visit to a Swazi cultural village was also very entertaining.

Of course the three evenings were filled with colourful activities; a meet-and-greet on the first evening where the delegates were given the opportunity to rekindle Rotary connections, the second evening had an African theme and the Gala dinner had its usual award ceremony and inductions of the incoming District Governor Riana Pretorius.

The venue for DISCON 2024 was announced. It is to held in Sabie; details to follow

 Another very successful Blanket Drive proves that we are People of Action....

Every year the Pick 'n Pay supermarket on William Nicol Drive gives us the opportunity to display our Blanket Drive posters at their two main entrances and to approach their patrons for donations towards a blanket or two.  This took place last Friday, Saturday and Sunday and the response the volunteers received was overwhelmingly positive. 

Friday and Sunday we only had a two hour shift, and on Saturday we had three shifts, and in total we managed to raise R13 500 on our two Yoco point of sales machines and a further R7 000 in cash. Sonja Hood's company has pledged R10 000 towards this worthy cause and Pick 'n Pay Corporate have indicated that they will donate 100 blankets which we will be able to allocate to various charities.

Thank you to Rotary Ann Penny Robinson and Friend of Rotary Liz Purvis for pitching in and look at John Symons doing his part, even though he recently underwent triple-bypass surgery; a true warrior.

Emma shares her European Tour video with us....

Emma is finally back with her host family, and while the memories are still fresh in her mind she has made a short video of all the remarkable highlights of her once-in-a-lifetime experiences.

Emma is also very proud of the impressive collection of badges she managed to collect for her Rotary blazer.

This Friday....

...is the third Friday of the month, which means it will be our regular Business Meeting.

Please join us if you can.

Club Assembly, exciting international ties and Emma's European Tour continues....

From the Pen of the President... 

Dear fellow Rotarian and friends,

 

Thank you to those who were able to join our Club Assembly on Friday – as we have regular business meetings, the assembly is a mere formality and a box to tick. I would like to believe that any member who has something on their chest or close to their heart, or an itch to scratch, can share it at any time!! We did make one decision that I think is good – the draw for wine at each meeting is only for those at the meeting who have paid their R50 – names in a hat and very quick!!

It is a busy time of the year and a time when members need to step up and volunteer and take part!! We have the sewing project, on the go and due to finish on the 27^th May – still happy to take donations of time and money. We have the Blanket Drive – we should not struggle to get volunteers, but we do!! And we have the Careers Day coming up – a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate/display the important aspects of a career or job which you have been in, and gained experience and knowledge in, which can be shared.

 

The weather is cooler and these should be the last rains. Take care and keep warm.

Yours,

 

   Ann Hope-Bailie

Last Friday....

... was Club Assembly. 

At Club Assembly members are given the opportunity to make suggestions of improvements of the running of the Club and/or presenting their ideas and visions of potential projects and activities the club and its committees could engage in.

Treasurer John Symons gave us some food for thought regarding the club budget for the upcoming Rotary Year. Everyone is aware of the ever-declining value of the ZAR versus the $, and as dues to Rotary International are remitted in that currency, this is becoming more and more costly.

A few of the club members still receive the Rotary Africa magazine as a hard copy, and a suggestion was made that to save money it only be offered in digital form. With the shocking postal delivery service one is also never sure if and when you would receive your copy.

A couple of exciting potential community services projects that we could undertake in collaboration with other entities were presented and it is now up to us to flesh these out.

Many years ago the Rotary Club of Kendal South Westmorland in the UK visited South Africa on a GSE (Global Service Exchange) trip and identified our club as a partner club for a potential Global Grant.

Herewith an exert from an email sent to President Ann by Richard Bird who had been part of the GSE to our country:

Our Charter dinner was last week, and three of the guests were members of the GSE team who went with me to South Africa in 2007. Rosebank hosted us at one stage. The photo shows Ben Norman ( hosted by Kevin and Liz Wolhuter), me (hosted by Michael and Carol Lawrence), Lorraine Moffat (hosted by Jean and Jerry Bernardo), and Stephen Keogh (hosted by Mark and Yvonne Franklin). The fourth team member, also hosted by Mark and Yvonne, was Neil Walker, who has now moved to Australia.

They are keen to get involved and support us in our projects. 

This is there monthly newsletter in which the Rotary Club of Rosebank receives a mention.

The new Rotary year which starts at the beginning of July will certainly once again prove that we are indeed People of Action.

Rotary Exchange Student Emma's European Adventure continues...

...Last week we left off with Emma visiting Pula in Croatia on her whistle stop European Rotary Exchange tour. The weather was mellow enough for them to be able to kayak and frolic in the Adriatic Sea.

Back on the bus and across into Italy and Venice, which was another one of Emma's highlights. Instead of going to a restaurant on their first night the students decided to cook for each other. They carried the tables and chairs from their living quarters outside and had a lovely "family" meal.

Italy is synonymous with pasta and pizza and on a student budget it was consumed as street food. Venetian masks of all sizes and shapes can be purchased in every souvenir shop, so Emma could not resist purchasing one for her mom Michelle.

From Venice the tour took them to Florence, which is only a three hour drive southwards. The weather turned and they had to don their rain gear for their sightseeing. At least they could take shelter when they visited the Leonardo Da Vinci Museum.

 Florence is only a hop. skip and a jump from Pisa, and what would a trip to Italy be without seeing the Leaning Tower of Pisa and eating tiramisu.

And as they say in the Classics.... Every road leads to Rome. 

Rome is awash with sightseeing highlights like the Parthenon, the Colosseum, the Trevi fountains and they even got a glimpse of the Pope at St. Peter's Cathedral in the Vatican.  

Sadly every journey has to come to and end, but the long trip home took them through the beautiful Tyrolian Alps in Austria, on to Dresden and back to her host family in Weißwasser,

In mom Michelle's words:

"Emma is a bundle of excitement. She continuously WhatsApp'ed me to tell me how happy she is, how she is freaking out to see the architecture and art, how glad she is to eat non-German food, how expensive food is, how safe it is to go walking and exploring with her friends, how little she has slept, how neat and perfect everything is and that her favourites so far have been Rome, Zagreb, Prague and Venice. She is learning independence and getting an incredible perspective of the World, its people and its heritage. Life lessons indeed...."

This Friday...

.... President Elect (PE) Costa Qually, who represented the club at this year's District Conference (DISCON), will give us detailed feedback of the topics discussed and other activities of what looked to have been an action-packed weekend.

A Social meeting, PE Costa attends DISCON in Eswatini, Emma's European tour continues, and an Appeal from the Anns to support the Club 100 draw...

 

From the Pen of the President...

Dear fellow Rotarians and friends,

 

Hope you have enjoyed a restful long weekend – some beautifully warm autumn days we have had.

 

This coming Friday we have a Club Assembly – please send me your topics for discussion via email to add to the agenda.

It is an important meeting in the Rotary annual cycle and gives an opportunity to all members to participate in discussion and decisions – the Club is dynamic and we do need to evolve and make changes. Be part of positive change and make the club better. We are lucky to be the size we are and have the expertise and history that we have.

 

See you on Friday!!

Ann

 

 

 

Last Friday....

...was a social meeting, and as we had celebrated Freedom Day on Thursday the 27th April President Ann felt it was fitting that we learn more about the origins of our country's national anthem.

It was an illuminating 25 minute YouTube clip, and for those who missed the meeting you might want to click into the link below.

https://www.inheritsouthafrica.com/nkosi-sikelel-iafrika

 

The annual Blanket Drive will be taking place in two weeks time and as we will be giving people wanting to support this worthy cause the opportunity to pay towards a blanket by credit card, Jean gave a Yoco demonstration to those members who will be manning the Pick 'n Pay entrances.

PE Costa and Kevin represent the Club at this year's Discon in Eswatini...

Costa reports back...

Discon 2023 was held at the Esibayeni Lodge in Masapha, Eswatini and attended by just on 200 Rotarians from Eswatini, Mozambique, Botswana and South Africa. Presentations covered a wide range of topics and elements of interest to Rotarians. 

Entertainment included a Meet & Greet session, an African Theme night and the Gala dinner. Music was loud, plenty of food and a fair amount to drink. 

Saturday saw us visiting the Caanen project (an orphanage, food supplier and skills training centre partially funded by Rotary) and a most interesting visit to a Mswati traditional kraal and home complex.

Exchange Student Emma's European Tour continues...

The last time Emma checked in she was in Prague. From there they crossed into Austria and on to Vienna. In her humble opinion Vienna is even more beautiful than Prague.

Then across another border into Slovenia and its capital Bratislava.

.... followed by another border into Hungary and its capital Budapest, which also lies on the river Danube.

Emma was intrigued that Hungary is well known for its dried  chillies. She bumped into some fellow South Africans in Budapest who approached her when they overheard her trying to teach some of the Brazilian exchange students to speak Afrikaans. She also got very excited when she spotted a South African bubbly on the menu.

On to Croatia and the town of Pula. Emma loved Croatia because it is not as "perfect" as other European cities she has visited.

Appeal from the Anns...

The Anns are once again running the 100 Club for the next year and would greatly appreciate the support  of the Rotarians and Friends of Rotary.  The cost is R200 per ticket (you may take as many as you like!) 

Your ticket will go into a monthly draw and you could stand to win the first prize of R300 or second prize worth R150 with the final draw having prize money of R1200 and R2000.

It is the Anns most important fundraiser, the proceeds of which go towards funding various projects they undertake.

This Friday...

...please make every effort to attend Club Assembly. It is one of the most important meetings of the year.