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 27th 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...."
.... 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.
No comments:
Post a Comment