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 9th 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.
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.
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.
No comments:
Post a Comment