Marianne shares her story, Quiz night fever and Nigel Bellamy ensures that 100 people stay warm this winter....

Last Week

I was so humbled and grateful for the many kind words of encouragement I received for my first Ramble from our members, the Ann's President and even from our DG Annemarie Mostert. Thanks guys, it means a lot to me. It was a collaborative effort, and I would not have been able to hit the "publish" button without the patient input from Patrick Hope-Bailie, who put the final techno-touches to my content.

And speaking about content: The Ramble is our Ramble, and it is a platform to share our collective stories, so should you come across anything that would be of interest to your Rotary family, please send it my way. 

We are now becoming old hands at attending our virtual meetings and Pam must be thrilled that she can put ticks to most names on her attendance sheet, and it's wonderful to greet Juanette in Hamburg, Lorenzo in Italy, Nigel in Botswana often makes an appearance and Momo, our intrepid and cheerful exchange student, who has to contend with the time difference in Thailand.

The only thing that might put a spanner in the works in the next few weeks/months is that the dreaded load shedding is rearing its ugly head again. My work week normally ends in time for me to make it home for our weekly meeting, but last Friday, in anticipation of a power cut at home I decided to not chance it and rather take advantage of guaranteed electricity at my office. 

Marianne's story

Our Marianne had the stage this week and she used the apt analogy of a glass of water on a saucer to illustrate her abundant life. She is the youngest of 6 siblings of Dutch parentage, the laat-lammetjie that was born in South Africa, when the family eventually settled here, after a stint in Zambia and Rhodesia. She does not deny that there were instances in her life that the glass wobbled terribly and was even knocked over and spilt that precious water, like when she was still at primary school and her beloved father died of a massive heart attack.

Her glass overflowed when she got the opportunity to become a Rotary Exchange Student, which allowed her to spend a year in the United States in her final year of school.

She studied to become a teacher and met and married Daryl, who was a theology student, when she started her first post at Risidale Primary school. As a pastor’s wife with four young children they were posted to various parts of the country, and Marianne used her teaching skills to build up Faith communities. They are now based at Rosettenville with a very cosmopolitan flock from many different parts of the world and demographics. And Marianne shared the wonderful news with us that Daryl only last week heard that he had graduated with his PhD from the University of the North West.

Thank you for sharing your story with us, your unfailing faith and inimitable spirit truly is an inspiration.

Lets Quiz....

What started off as a once off quiz challenge with Kyalami has now become a regular Wednesday evening fixture in our lock-down calendar, and the Rosebank team is now taking on challenges not only from local Rotary Clubs, but we have ventured as far as Gaborone and are warming up to take on the mountain goats of the Newlands Club in the Cape next week. Sonja Hood’s son Garreth is proving to be a worthy quiz master who certainly gets our grey matter going. We are now even looking at international fixtures from Kenya to Sweden, and our team members will attest to how much fun we are having. Please join us. Just let David Bradshaw know.

Wednesday 8th challenge against Fourways

Rosebank Rotary's Blanket Drive

Nigel Bellamy has always been a staunch Rosebank Rotary supporter and this year he very generously purchased a 100 blankets during our annual blanket drive and he sent us some lovely pictures of very grateful blanket recipients.

Mandela Day Rosebank Rotary Initiative

Following on to last week's appeal to support  our designated Charity begins with Me Mandela Day (in our case month) initiative:

     

Monetary donations may be deposited into:

Rotary Club of Rosebank Project Account

Nedbank

Sandton City

Account    1145999336

Branch      197005 

New year, and a new editor... Last week's news, Eddie from the Salvation Army and Mandela Day Rosebank Rotary Initiative

Last Week

Well folks, I cannot tell a lie, the new Ramble editor is a tad nervous of taking over from a pro like Peter James-Smith, and it will more than likely take me a few weeks to get into the swing of things, but there is nothing like a new challenge in life, so I will certainly do my best. And thank you Peter for your patience in showing me the ropes. Please bear with me for a week or two while I iron out the teething problems.

Friday the 3rd of July was President Ann's first official meeting, and is it not Murphy's Law that the techno-gremlins decided to strike that day. But our President took it in her stride, and long before short we were up and running.

Before our speaker Eddie de Vos from the Salvation Army took the stage, Jeannette (via Costa Qually), who liaises with the Angel Network, sent out the following plea for assistance.

They were notified of a devastating fire in Alex which destroyed over 200 shacks and left more than 1000 souls without a roof over their heads. They are desperate to get them fed, clothed and re-established ASAP. They are in need of blankets, bedding, pots and pans, clothing and non-perishable food.

I have been in touch with Glynn, one of the Angels, and will be delivering items already collected to her on Tuesday morning. Please contact myself or Ann should you wish to assist in any way.

Talk by past member Eddie de Vos of the Salvation Army

Eddie de Vos gave us a very sobering and thought-provoking account of the daily challenges he and his wife Hazel are faced with in their capacity as the administrators of the Beth Rogelim Men's Home in the very heart of the Cape Town City Bowl. The perfect setting belies the squalor they encountered when they took over this mammoth task two years ago.

Beth Rogelim Men's Home

The home had become a drop-off place and night shelter for the destitute of society. There was a general feeling of apathy, negativity and low self-esteem, which was reflected in lacking personal hygiene and unkempt surroundings.

Their first task was to give the 7 story building a face-lift to the tune of R500 000, then bring the run-away expenses under control and institute some strict rules that the men had to adhere to, such as daily showers and fresh clothes, weekly change of bedding, smoking ban in the bedrooms and instant expulsion for drug use.

They also had to get the Department of Health to rehouse nearly 30 mental health patients.

The 3 programs that they offer are:

1) Assisted living for older men, where said men receive a small grant
2) Low income earners, and
3) Victims of human trafficking. Eddie tells of 10 men that they took on that had been forced to work on a Korean boat under the most appalling conditions.

The cost of a room, ablutions and three meals a day (which are thanks to daily food donations from Woollies) and DSTV will cost the men between R2 500 and R4 000 a month. 

It goes without saying that a huge part of Eddie and Hazel's purpose is the spiritual upliftment of these men, and as Eddie so humbly put it, he feels that they were placed there to make a difference.

Mandela Day Rosebank Rotary Initiative

In  President Ann's letter she highlights Mandela Day, but the consensus is that we are going to declare this Mandela Month.

And in tribute to our Paul Harris recipient please let us all support his very worthy cause.

No doubt you have all clicked into the page we specifically created for him and are well aware of his feeding program. We get so many questions: "What do you need?" So  Please see below an idea of what the food parcels contain, and any of these items would be greatly appreciated.

Let either Ann (cell phone number 082 570 6627) or Sybille (082 601 0180) know, and we will happily collect or drop off with them.

 

     

Monetary donations may be deposited into:

Rotary Club of Rosebank Project Account

Nedbank

Sandton City

Account    1145999336

Branch      197005 

Rotary International 2020 Convention

For most people it would have been an unattainable dream to attend this year's convention in Honolulu, and although Covid 19 has dashed many travel dreams, every Rotary member in the World had the opportunity through the power of technology to attend this year's event.

Rotary's first virtual convention

Welcome President Ann Hope-Baillie, Former Member Eddie de Vos has been in Cape Town for nearly 3 years..what is he up to? Rotary & the Environment.

Last Week
A Friday Evening Induction with Ann Hope -Baillie following Jean Bernardo as our new President for 2020/21.  Congratulations Ann we are sure you are going to do a great job.

It was a motley crowd of Rotarians, potential Rotarians, partners, Rotary Anns and visitors from all over South Africa and overseas so we couldn't fit everyone on one screen.

The instruction from Ann Hope-Baillie was that we all had to wear a hat and there would be noncollectable prizes for those with the most fetching hats.

Jean Bernardo made a number of presentations as is the wont of the outgoing President.  Two Paul Harris Fellowships:

Rtn Jeannette Horner for the magnificent work she has done during the pandemic making thousands of masks for the people of Alexandra Township and setting up a small home industry with a donated sewing machine in the township that can continue with other projects when the need for masks is over.  She has also made lots of rusks.

Stephan Ferreira was the recipient of the other Paul Harris Fellowship....the smiling face beneath him is the incoming secretary, Costa Qually.  I have created a page above to give the reasons that this award has been made.

And then, most important of all, the Induction itself...and Ann Hope-Baillie is already wearing the Rotary Jewel.  In fact she is wearing two because the original one is full and we started a second one.

Here are those who achieved 100% 

attendance this year and one person was inadvertently left off the list, Sybille Essmann.

Farewell
This is the end of my time as Editor of The Ramble and from now on Sybille Essmann will be taking it over.  It's more than 10 years that I have been writing a blog for Rotary, initially for New Dawn and then Rosebank.  It's important that somebody else takes over with new ideas to move The Ramble forward.  I must thank my club for allowing me to impose this upon them every week.  I have enjoyed it and the club has been recognised by District for what it does within social media.  I wish Sybille all of the best for her future with The Ramble.  I am sure it will go from strength to strength.

This Week

It's back to the new normal when our former member, Eddie de Vos of the Salvation Army, will be talking to us.  It will be catch-up time and interesting to hear what he has got up to since his transfer to Cape Town.

Major Eddie and Major Hazel de Vos

Two years ago Hazel and Eddie took over the dilapidated Men's Home in Alfred St near the Cape Town Docks...or maybe I should say Waterfront.  Everything was in need of a revamp but it costs money.

“All Salvation Army branches are required to be self sustainable. We rely on donations from the public and the low rentals the men who live in the home, pay,” said Hazel.

“And our charity shop, which is also in desperate need of a revamp.”

Hazel, who is originally from Port Elizabeth, has been part of the Salvation Army all her life. “I grew up in the Salvation Army church and moved through the ranks.

“I was ordained in 1971 – I’ve been in ministry for 47 years.” Eddie’s parents were ministers at the Salvation Army church, so they moved a lot. Eventually settling in the UK, he did most of his learning there and returned to Cape Town in 1989.

“I’ve been in ministry for 25 years,” he said.

And although Hazel is retired, she is still active in ministry and helping around the home, until Eddie is due for retirement 5 years from now.

Over the years, Hazel and Eddie have taken on many ventures through the Salvation Army, including managing and ministering at children’s homes, old-aged homes, men’s homes and goodwill centres, among others. Now, the men’s home in the Waterfront has become home for Hazel and Eddie since they moved from Johannesburg.

“We managed a children’s home and then it closed down. We were then called to manage the men’s home, and we also provide spiritual guidance,” said Hazel.

The seven-storey building is home to 110 men who, in Eddie’s words, “have fallen through the cracks”.

“The home is aimed at lower income gentlemen who struggle to find accommodation. We are trying to reach out to the destitute, but it’s not a free facility. We rely heavily on the low rentals – but it’s not enough to keep the doors open.”

Hazel said some of the men had been at the home for 40 years – as long as the building has been there.

“This is home to them.

“We want to be able to lift the residents’ social and spiritual standards, and improve their living conditions.”

Anyone is welcome to live at the home, but a screening test is required, and the men must be able to pay the minimum rental.

The building also has a small laundry and has two cleaners.

Eddie said the building is old and “looks tired”, with the living spaces needing an upgrade.

“We battle with funding.

“There are some structural repairs happening outside which will cost us about R500 000. We need to revamp the rooms as well – but all of this costs money that we don’t have.

“The kitchen really needs an upgrade too. We feed the men here three meals a day. It’s functional, but needs a revamp.”

“We struggle because there is no passing trade. The road is quiet and we don’t have proper signage. We used to have a shop in Woodstock but it closed down because the rent was expensive.

“We still have bulk buyers in Woodstock who get things from us when donations come in. If it wasn’t for them, we won’t survive.”

Eddie and Hazel said while they are happy to be appointed at the Waterfront branch of the Salvation Army, there are many things demanding their time. “The best part is that we get to minister to 110 more people.”

They appealed to the community to assist them with the revamp of the building. Some of the items they require are:

Hairdresser or barber willing to donate time and resources

Cleaning materials

New linen and curtaining for the rooms

Office, dining room and reception furniture

Toiletries (soap, toothpaste, face cloths, shaving blades and shaving foam

Sponsorship for men with disabilities

Food (all types perishable and non-perishable)

Gifts for birthdays and special days

Upgrading of bathrooms

Upgrading of the kitchen

Upgrading of residents’ rooms

The Rotary Foundation Trustees and Rotary International Board of Directors have both unanimously approved adding a new area of focus: supporting the environment.

More than $18 million in Foundation global grant funding has been allocated to environment-related projects over the past five years. Creating a distinct area of focus to support the environment will give Rotary members even more ways to bring about positive change in the world and increase our impact.

Supporting the environment becomes Rotary's seventh area of focus, which are categories of service activities supported by global grants. It joins peacebuilding and conflict prevention; disease prevention and treatment; water, sanitation, and hygiene; maternal and child health; basic education and literacy; and community economic development.

Grant applications for projects will be accepted beginning on 1 July 2021. Gifts and commitments from Rotarians and others will be sought to provide global grant support for the new area of focus.

More information about this new cause will be announced soon.

Last Week
It was a Business Meeting and here you can see John Symons, in the middle, giving a financial breakdown for the end of the Rotary Year.  Each member of the board gave a brief résumée of the year but we will have to wait for the Induction this week to hear who is on the new board and what their responsibilities are.

Despite Covid-19 a lot has been achieved by the club and by individual members and though we have lost members at the end of the Rotary year it's not catastrophic and we are gaining some virtual members which will practically close the gap.

This Week

It's the Virtual Induction of Ann Hope-Bailie as our President on Friday evening...6:00pm.
Invitations have been sent out.
Who the President Elect will be to follow her?  We will only find out on the night. This will mean a straight run of 4 years for woman Presidents. Is it going to be 5?



Both Jean Bernardo and Ann Hope-Bailie will be members of the District Youth Committee from 1st July.

Quite a number of us, Jean and myself as AG's and others will be attending a number of on-line Inductions over the next few weeks. I am starting off with Germiston on Thursday.  It will be interesting to make comparisons as any dress code will only be from the waist up!  Whatever you do don't stand up...just sneak out sideways!

Next week's Ramble will be my last one but it will mean that the everything for July will be up to date before I fade into the sunset.

Rotary Great Britain & Ireland are pleased to announce a 12-month partnership with Carers UK. Launching in time for Carers Week the partnership will help make caring visible across the country; working with Rotary members and volunteers to raise awareness of caring and Carers UK.

There are an estimated 6.5 million carers in the UK, supporting a loved one who is older, disabled or seriously ill. With 65% of people likely to care in their lifetime, this is something that will affect almost all of us, often more than once.

Caring is such an important part of life. It’s simply part of being human. Carers are holding families together, enabling loved ones to get the most out of life, making an enormous contribution to society and saving the economy billions of pounds.

Now more than ever it is vital to raise awareness of caring and the work of Carers UK. At Carers UK, we support carers across the UK:

• Providing expert advice, information and support through our website, helpline, and publications
• Connecting people through our online forum and community volunteers, making sure no-one has to care alone
• Supporting employers to make sure carers are able to balance work and caring
• Campaigning for lasting societal change in areas that make a difference for carers

Our partnership will enable us to reach many more carers though Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland’s active membership and networks, increasing individuals understanding of what support is available to them and connecting carers across the UK, and to raise awareness of caring and Carers UK.

Rotary Carers UK Ambassadors will help spread the word at a time when many carers are providing more care than ever due to the current crisis. Connecting with carers and supporting them is key to our partnership.

We want to ensure that this relationship is reciprocal and raises awareness of the support Carers UK offer unpaid carers nationwide, as well as promoting the community-driven, volunteer-led impact Rotary delivers.

Our partnership will enable us to reach many more carers though Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland’s active membership and networks

Amanda Watkin, General Secretary of Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland:

“Rotary in Great Britain & Ireland is extremely excited to be embarking on a 12-month partnership with Carers UK. At Rotary we are focused on two principles: making a difference and making connections.

It is so important to recognise the contribution millions of unpaid carers make in society, and raise awareness of the sacrifices they make and challenges they face. Rotary is proud to be pledging our support so that carers have a voice, as well as access to the support and connections they need.”

We want to ensure that this relationship is reciprocal and raises awareness of the support Carers UK offer unpaid carers nationwide, as well as promoting the community-driven, volunteer-led impact Rotary delivers.

Helen Walker, Chief Executive of Carers UK:

“Rotary’s active membership  of 1 700 clubs across the country will enable us to reach many more carers at this crucial time, and beyond. We are really excited to be developing and delivering a year of activity with Rotary, an organisation dedicated to tackling some of society’s biggest issues at a local and national level.”

A Social Meeting last week, Discon, Business Meeting Rotary's On-line Learning Centre

Last Week

It was an entertaining social meeting with funny stories and a video of Momo, our long-term Rotary exchange student's experiences in Thailand under lockdown.  She was one of only three students who opted to stay and she said how pleased she is that she made that decision because it has been such a special time with her host family.  She is obviously really enjoying herself and learning so much...including Thai. 
Discon

DG Maurice Stander

Saturday saw the Zoom Discon and it went without a hitch which says a lot for the organisation.  It was a bit like the proverbial curate's egg where content was concerned but the highlights were definitely outgoing District Governor Maurice Stander's comments on his year and the awards he made as well as the induction of our new DG Annemarie Mostert and her response.
We were delighted that one of our members, District Treasurer, Kevin Wolhuter received two sapphire pins for his Paul Harris as it is richly deserved.
I was very pleased that Maurice recognised so generously the work done by Rotarians who have served on District for a longtime as their contribution is often invisible to club members and because the District Governor is only in that position for a year, often a long term contribution tends not to be recognised.

DG Annemarie Mostert..from the 1st July.

Maurice began the work of trying to turn District 9400 in a different direction only to find that many plans were delayed by Covid-19 though, on the other hand, the pandemic has also accelerated change .
Annemarie Mostert definitely intends building on that and moving the District forward even more but the problem any District Governor has is that implementing change is a bit like trying to turn the Titanic round and they are only there for a year.
We are fortunate that Annemarie's progressive approach will be followed up by Stella Anyangwe in 2021/22 so that the three year period, with foundations laid by past District Governors, will hopefully make a radical change to our membership in terms of growth and the way our District functions.  We must be open minded and give District our undivided support.

This Week
It's a Business Meeting just after the joint meeting of the old and new board so it will be interesting to see what change is afoot.  We should have the same approach as District has to people not being in the same position for more than three years.  The following Friday is the induction of Ann Hope-Bailie as our President for 2020/21.

Stay connected through Rotary’s online Learning Centre

Rotary Connects the World — that is Rotary President Mark Daniel Maloney’s theme, and despite the challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic, Rotarians are continuing to connect with one another and the world. Rotary’s new Action Plan calls on us to increase our ability to adapt — and members are coming up with innovative ways to serve their communities and create opportunities for fellowship. Many clubs are meeting online for the first time, reimagining fund-raisers and other events, and reinventing planned service projects.

Rotary’s online Learning Centre has resources that can help you stay connected to the organization and to one another. Instead of a meeting one week, for instance, everyone in your club might choose a topic to learn more about and then report back to the other members. You might even decide to develop a webinar using Rotary tips and resources. “The Learning Centre courses could be used for general knowledge and for brainstorming, action planning, and idea sharing,” says Kimberly Kouame, learning resources manager at Rotary International.

Often, the first time Rotarians use the Learning Centre is when they are elected to a club office. But with more than 600 courses in over a dozen languages (including more than 80 in English), the Learning Center has something to interest every Rotarian. Here are a few to pique your interest; find them all at rotary.org/learn.

COURSES

Is Your Club Healthy?

When your club isn’t able to meet in person, it can be a challenge to keep

members engaged. Now might be an ideal time to assess the state of your club and ask members what is working for them and what isn’t.

Your Membership Plan

Perhaps you’ve been thinking about creating a long-term membership plan. This course offers a helpful worksheet and step-by-step guidelines for crafting a strong future for your club.

Building a Diverse Club

In line with Rotary’s focus on diversity, equity, and inclusion, this course can help you expand your club’s membership to include people from different walks of life.

Committing to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion

This course offers a closer look at Rotary’s DEI statement and how you can put those values into action.

Practising Flexibility and Innovation

This course guides you through some of the ways your club can be innovative, with advice on subjects such as setting up satellite clubs.

Kick-Start Your New Member Orientation

If your club has had trouble retaining new members, with people joining only to leave a few years later, this course can help. Get tips on how to make sure your new members feel welcome and engaged.

All About Rotary Peace Fellowships

Perhaps you know someone who might be a good candidate for a Rotary Peace Fellowship and you want to be able to talk knowledgeably about the program. Or maybe you would like your club to be more involved. This course will give you information on Rotary’s Peace Centers and the requirements and deadlines for applicants.

Building Rotary’s Public Image

Rotarians are people of action, and we want the world to know what we are accomplishing. But how can you get the message out? This course will teach you how to build awareness of Rotary and its work.

Planning Your Projects: Service Projects Committee

This course is designed for people serving on a club service projects committee, but anyone can benefit from the ideas about how to carry out effective projects — with tips on doing a community needs assessment and executing the project.

Rotary Foundation Basics

The Rotary Foundation is central to Rotary’s work in the world. This course will walk you through the century-long history of the Foundation and its role in grant-making, supporting polio eradication efforts, and funding the Rotary Peace Centers.

Becoming an Effective Facilitator

Develop your leadership skills for Rotary and beyond through this course, which guides you on how to effectively work with a team to define and achieve objectives.

Mentoring Basics

Mentoring has always been one of the cornerstones of Rotary. This course identifies the traits of a good mentor and suggests some best practices to make sure your mentoring relationship is beneficial to all concerned.

Essentials of Understanding Conflict

We’ve all had to deal with interpersonal conflict, whether the issues are small (who sits at which table at the meeting?) or large (what are our club’s priorities?). This course gives you tools to understand different types of conflict and describes conflict management styles.

Leading Change

Change is hard, especially in a collaborative organization. This course offers ideas on how to lead a group of people through organizational change, how to assess people’s readiness for change, and how to deal with resistance to change.

• Illustrations by Anders Wenngren

Melanie Walker, a Social Meeting, Online Discon and Brian Leech RIP

Last Week

 I completely forgot Rotary last week and it was only after receiving a screenshot from President Jean and wondering what it was that I clicked.  One of our members also forgot a meeting and now sets the alarm every Friday for the meeting time!  Many days are much like the others and if you are particularly busy on that day, as I was last Friday, then it's easy to miss the meeting.  It was particularly heinous as I had been asked to introduce Melanie Walker.  My apologies to you all.

Thanks to our President here's what she talked about:

She gave us a run down on living in lockdown – how it has impacted her income, her work attempting to curb the incidence of shot-hole borer and put a halt to the recording of a new gardening program.

She strongly urges us to start growing our own vegetables to support us as life is so uncertain. Interestingly, she found a lot of bartering going on amongst neighbours and friends – she has a peppadew bush and her family are not fond of peppadews, and these have been a great bartering commodity.

A retired plastic surgeon has joined her in her fight against the shot-hole borer and come up with a concoction which seems to be keeping it at bay.

Melanie is a cheerful, interesting and entertaining speaker, and as you can see from the Zoom photo, she had us all smiling.

From Melanie:

Have attached short blurb and cover pic of my book. I’m happy to take orders and sign them individually and get them through to the Club for dispersement!

Usually R350 in store, am doing autographed copies at R300. Let me know if anyone is interested.

This Week
It's a social meeting and Saturday is the online Discon.  If you haven't registered it's at 12:00 and you still can.  Everyone will have received an email from District.

Brian Leech

Sadly, Brian Leech died on Sunday after 42 years as a Rotarian.  I have created a separate page for tributes on the main page so I will not need to edit them. Yours will be there. 

Latterly Brian's big interest has been the promotion of play pumps in rural areas which he and Roger Lloyd, as chairman of Community Service, have been adept at promoting within the club.  Thanks to them working togetherthe club has managed to install seven play pumps.  In March 2017 Brian visited the latest two sites in the Northern Cape to see how the pumps were functioning and the results.  He reported back to the board and here is an extract from one of his reports.  

2.    KEATLHOLELA PS

KEATLHOLELA IS A PRIMARY SCHOOL 45 KM EAST OF KURUMAN. THERE ARE 187 LEARNERS AND 7 EDUCATORS. WATER USED TO BE ACCESSED FROM A BOREHOLE AT THE SCHOOL BUT THE PUMP HASN’T WORKED FOR SEVERAL YEARS SO WATER WAS OBTAINED FROM THE COMMUNITY BOREHOLE ONE DAY A WEEK. THE SCHOOL HAD TO SEND A DONKEY CART TO FETCH THE WATER. 

BEYOND THE GREEN TANK A VEGETABLE GARDEN HAD BEEN STARTED AND AMONG OTHER THINGS GROWING WAS  A GRAPE VINE. IN THE FAR DISTANCE FRUIT TREES WERE ALSO BEING IRRIGATED.  TO THE LEFT OF THE PLAYPUMP AROUND THE BASE AND IN THE SHADE OF THE TREE THE SCHOOL HAD PLANTED ONIONS. ALL IN ALL THE PLAY PUMP IS BEING WELL USED AND THE SCHOOL IS VERY GRATEFUL TO HAVE IT. 

That Brian is your memorial.  Requiscat in Pace

Lorna Wridgeway and a Link with Toastmasters, Making Masks in Alexandra, Madiba Buggies, Melanie Walker & Rotaract into the Future

Last Week

As you can see, 26 participants last week which is the average for a normal meeting.

Our speaker was Lorna Wridgeway of The Sage Toastmasters Club.
She gave us an insight into the cooperation that was envisaged by the link between Toastmasters International and Rotary International about which we knew practically nothing.
Toastmasters is more than improving speaking skills it is also involved in Leadership Training and there we have some synergy as both organisations have training schemes in that regard but very different approaches.  She hoped that we would be able to support each other in the future and would find areas of cooperation socially as well.

Here's the embryo mask factory at work in Alexandra...an initiative of Jeannette Horner.  Hopefully it will develop into something sustainable after the need for masks evaporates.

Here's an example of the Madiba buggies that Community Service are busy with.  Jerry Bernardo and Costa Qually are the ones who have really worked hard on this project.  The buggies are designed for small children with disabilities.

This Week
Our speaker is Melanie Walker.  She last spoke to us just over a year ago when her subject was the infamous Polyphagous Shot Hole Borer Beetle that was a tremendous treat to our urban forest.
As you can see it's smaller than a sesame seed.  Fortunately South African scientists have found a way of treating the trees as you have probably noticed when driving around.

I don't know what she is going to talk about this time though if you are of a certain age you will remember that she became famous  on television for doing apparently dangerous things such as jumping out of aeroplanes.  Now she is more of a gardener and that includes writing  for SA Garden and Home,  scriptwriting and researching for a couple of shows on DSTV (including Studio 53 – lifestyle and entertainment show that goes out on M-Net Africa); scriptwriting and doing voice-overs for Bike SA TV; organising the Momentum 94.7 Cycle Challenge Experience; teaching on Show Garden Design at Lifestyle College.

I am not sure whether there will be a meeting next week because Saturday will be Discon On-line.  I imagine we will be having a Social Meeting.  The following week it's Virtual Induction Day.

The ongoing evolution of Rotaract is redefining its place within Rotary. “It’s a new era,” says one enthusiastic Rotaractor

At midnight on 30 June, hundreds of Rotaractors will ring in the new Rotary year together. They’ll also be celebrating Rotaract’s ongoing evolution, including the expansion of Rotary membership to include Rotaract clubs.

A countdown celebration is scheduled for the last night of Interota 2020, Rotaract’s triennial convention, which will be held in Hong Kong next month.

“It’s really exciting,” says Ignacio González, a member of the Rotaract Club of Oriente de Talca in Chile. Until recently, Rotaractors have been considered Rotary program participants. “Now,” says González, who serves on the Elevate Rotaract Task Force, “we are a part of Rotary. It’s a new era for Rotaract.”

Rotary President Mark Daniel Maloney and President-elect Holger Knaack, strong champions of Rotaract, will be at Interota this year. It may be the first time a presidential changeover ceremony has taken place at a Rotaract event.

Rotaract’s elevated status within the organization was approved by Rotary’s Council on Legislation in 2019 as part of an ongoing effort to make Rotary more appealing and welcoming to young professionals. “We keep telling Rotarians to find a way to bring in young people, when we have them already and we seem to forget them,” says 2018-19 Rotary President Barry Rassin. It was Rassin who formally proposed expanding the definition of Rotary membership to include both Rotary and Rotaract.

After the Council approved revising the RI Constitution and Bylaws to include Rotaract as a membership type, the Elevate Rotaract Task Force — made up of both Rotaractors and Rotarians — was formed and began surveying members to come up with policy recommendations for the transition. “We’re hearing from Rotaractors all over the world,” says David D. Stovall, RI treasurer and chair of the task force.

On the advice of the task force, the RI Board of Directors in October approved several changes to Rotaract — the most notable being the removal of Rotaract’s upper age limit. As of 1 July, members of Rotaract will no longer be required to leave their club when they turn 31. Clubs will still be able to set their own age limit, if they wish.  

Elyse Lin, a member of the Rotaract Club of Taipei Tin Harbour in Taiwan who is also on the task force, says the age limit was an obstacle for Rotaract members who wanted to stay involved with Rotary but either didn’t feel ready for a traditional Rotary club or found the expense of joining one out of reach. “Once those members leave, it’s very hard to get them back into the Rotary family,” Lin notes. Although some Rotaract alumni continue to participate in Rotaract events, she says, they often no longer feel like a true part of the organization. With the rules change, she predicts some recent alumni will rejoin Rotaract. 

Other changes: New Rotaract clubs won’t have to rely on a Rotary club to sponsor them; they can now sponsor themselves or choose another Rotaract club as their sponsor. And Rotaractors are now eligible — and encouraged — to serve alongside Rotarians on district and RI committees. “Elevate Rotaract is really a call for a closer partnership between Rotary and Rotaract,” explains Clement Chinaza Owuamalam, a member of the Rotaract Club of Apo, Nigeria, who serves on the task force. 

Rotaract clubs will also gain more support from Rotary International, including access to administrative tools on My Rotary and the option to subscribe to the digital edition of The Rotarian magazine. As the transition from Rotary program to membership type gets underway, the Trustees of The Rotary Foundation also plan to discuss whether Rotaract clubs should be eligible to apply for Foundation grants. 

One thing Rotaractors are looking for, says Ronald S. Kawaddwa, a member of the Rotary Club of Kasangati, Uganda, is more professional development opportunities. To meet this demand, a leadership training program Rotary is rolling out with Toastmasters will also be available to Rotaract members. “At age 30, you are launching your professional career,” says Kawaddwa, who is on the task force. “If Rotaract provides a better package in terms of professional development, that adds value.”

In 2022, annual dues of $5 per person for university-based Rotaract clubs and $8 for community-based clubs will be introduced to cover the cost of additional support for Rotaract clubs. RI will work to develop and promote alternative funding sources to help Rotaractors pay dues, including fundraising opportunities.

Kawaddwa says that shifting the public perception of Rotary is particularly important to attracting more young people in his region. “On the African continent, most of the population is below the age of 30,” he says. “If Rotary remained the way it was, it would soon become irrelevant.”

Letting Rotaract members stay in their clubs longer gives them more time to learn about Rotary, Kawaddwa adds. “We hope that these changes will produce stronger Rotarians, members who have served longer and gotten more experience and mentorship while in Rotaract.”