Lunch, Firlands Fete, Jazz, Afrika Tikkun, an Invitation & BEER!

Last Week











It was a social meeting where we get to talk to each other and anything that may be necessary to discuss.  The discussion on the Elephant in the Room, otherwise known as LUNCH, was very fruitful.  As you see there is more choice and a range of prices.

The Elephant in the Room is something that is awkward but never discussed.  I am not sure that lunch fits into that category.

Anyway, here's a possibility, though I'm not sure that Rotary refers to Rotary but that the Sushi bar is a rotary one.

Firlands Fete





































Hi  El Presidente Peter,

Just got the figures through – Books banked after float R59 598.90 compared with 53562.00 last year so that’s brilliant! Nearly R7000 up on last year.

Total banked so far for the day R775 000.



Once again Hazel and I can’t thank all the Rotarians and Anns for their tremendous support of Firlands both throughout the year with various donations of books and goods as well as all their hard work on at the Book Stall on Fete Day. We feel privileged and honoured to be a part of such a great Club as The Rotary Club of Rosebank.

Thanks to Dave Bradshaw for rallying the troops and organizing the duty roster before disappearing on holiday. That’s what you call “delegation” – a key management tool to escape hard work. WE’RE very grateful to Dave as it takes a major strain off us having to plan the logistics.

Thanks again Peter to you and the Club for all the support.

Regards

Eddie & Hazel

TSA Firlands CH





This Week

Jazz & Blues Evening on Thursday.  I have sent everyone an email about this rather last minute invitation.

As you may know we are looking into the possibility of supplying Martin, the blind jazz guitarist, with a guitar to replace the one that was stolen.  The guitar was his sole means of financial support.

The ‘TJ’s  …I have no idea what that stands for…..have invited us to attend a jazz and blues evening at Marks Park on Thursday 1^st September at 19,30.

Martin will  be one of the musicians so it will give us the opportunity to meet him and the ‘TJ’s

The evening will include dinner and Richard Tonkin says it’s about R80 per head.

It sounds like an entertaining evening out.

I know it’s short notice but if you are able to come….and partners, guests etc…. just confirm with Richard Tonkin richard@richton-ebc.com

As you can see,you don't have to eat, just pay R25 to get in and have a drink if you want one.

Your host Graham Tonkin presents an evening of live acoustic performances, featuring:

·       Graham and Martin the Busker

·       Josh and the Band

·       Ernesto Starkus Maximus

·       Kathmandu with Brendan Peacock

·       Jonathan Taylor Ensemble

@ Marks Park Sports Club, Judith Road, Emmarentia
Doors open 19:30, music starts at 20:00
Admission: R25 at the door.

Plenty of off-street parking. Light meals and bar service.

James & Charlotte Croswell in the Wilds of Malaysia

James has sent 'Make up Pictures'  Many thanks James, we're looking forward to hearing about the Clubs when you are back.....and this is business not pleasure!

Guest Speaker

Our speaker this week is Onyi Nwaneri, Head Development, Marketing & Communications of Afrika Tikkun.  She was previously with the United Nations Development Programme, Regency International and the Nigerian Templars Barristers & Solicitors.  

Afrika Tikkun is dedicated to investing in education, health and social services for children, youth and their families through its Community Centres of Excellence and strategic partnerships. Here's their website http://www.afrikatikkun.org/

They seem to have loads of local and overseas sponsors.  It also struck me that with all of these initiatives going on in education and training for youth why does nothing much seem to happen?

An Invitation from Kyalami

Dear Pres. Peter,

RESERVE THE DATE !

Our Club would like to invite you to join us for an evening of relaxed fellowship and an extraordinary guest speaker at our club venue, the Kyalami Country Club, on Thursday, 6 October.

We have been able to secure well-known theatre personality Richard Loring to give a talk on “A Technicolor Career”.

Guernsey’s famous son Richard arrived in South Africa in 1970, making his mark as the Narrator in the production of “Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat”. He has not looked back since and as a singer, performer, producer and theatre owner has been a lasting influence in South Africa’s performing arts.

Cost of the dinner will be R150 p/person.

We will be ready to welcome your club members including partners and guests for this special occasion and look forward to receive your indication of interest to join us.

Peter Kastner

Rotary Club of Kyalami

Club Service & Administration Director

Cell      082 776 5033

Email  kastner@icon.co.za

Now here's a Rotary Fellowship that would appeal to quite a few of us!

ROTARY MEMBERS LINK LOVE OF BEER, CLEAN WATER CRISIS

Beer festivals have a strong fellowship component. When people are sampling beers, they are socializing and having a good time. Founders of the Beers Rotarians Enjoy Worldwide maintains a list of Rotary-sponsored beer festivals and encourages clubs to hold them.

Photo Credit: Libby March

When you sit down to enjoy a beer, you probably don't spend a lot of time thinking about one of its main ingredients – water. Or the fact that 3,000 children die each day from diseases caused by unsafe water.

A group of innovative Rotarians aren't just thinking; they're doing something about it.

Their group, Beers Rotarians Enjoy Worldwide (BREW), has organized events around the world and is working to raise hundreds of thousands of dollars for Rotary's global water, sanitation, and hygiene efforts.

"By drinking a beer, I can help bring fresh water to a village in Africa," says Steven Lack, a member of the Rotary Club of Pleasant Hill, California, USA. "If you can drink beer and some of the money goes to doing good in the world, that is something you can feel good about."

Fellowships like BREW are Rotary's way of bringing together members who share a particular passion. Rotarian Action Groups unite members who have expertise in a specific service area. The beer fellowship's leaders realized that joining forces with an action group dedicated to providing access to clean water would create a sum larger than the two parts.

"Beer and water have a natural affinity; you need water to brew beer" says Moses Aryee, past president of the Rotary Club of Accra-West, Ghana, and co-chair of the beer fellowship. "Our vision is a global approach to fresh water around the world, because beer is around the world."

The fellowship members are working with the Water and Sanitation Rotarian Action Group to identify specific water projects to support by funneling 25 percent of the fellowship's dues to those projects, says Lack, the fellowship's vice chair.

The members also plan to approach major brewers on each continent to seek financial support for water projects, much as the nonprofit Water.org is receiving $1.2 million from Stella Artois.

These projects have the potential to improve people's quality of life in several ways. Every day, 8,000 people die of waterborne disease. In addition, women in many parts of the world spend hours a day fetching water, time they could spend caring for their families, generating income, or making other contributions to society.

"We are very enthusiastic about the opportunities to work together," says F. Ronald Denham, a past chair of the Water and Sanitation Action Group and a member of the Rotary Club of Toronto Eglinton, in Ontario, Canada. "On our side, we can present and describe the projects. BREW will establish relationships with the breweries. And some of the members are senior executives in breweries. It's a wonderful synergy."

A BLUEPRINT FOR FUNDRAISING

Lack and Aryee founded the beer fellowship in 2014 after reaching the same conclusion at roughly the same time: Beer is fun and promotes fellowship, both of which make Rotary more appealing. And by bringing together people who share an interest in beer, you can unite them for the purpose of doing good.

"We're always talking about making Rotary fun," says Lack. "When people drink beer, they are socializing. It's one of those things that brings us together, that makes us equal."

In addition to working with the action group, the fellowship promotes the idea of good times and service by helping clubs organize beer festivals. These events appeal to younger people, raise money for club projects, and are easy to plan. According to Lack, all you need is to:

• Approach a microbrewery or two to donate beer
• Bring food or secure a food truck
• Line up a band
• Pitch a tent

"Microbrewing has become a huge industry, and this is definitely a way to capitalize on the popularity of that," notes Lack, who emphasizes that these fests aren't about getting drunk. The events typically last only a few hours and distribute small sampling cups that hold only four to six ounces. And standing in line limits the amount of time that people have to drink.

The State of Jefferson Brew Fest in Dunsmuir, California, attracts 1,500 people every August and last year netted $15,000 for club projects, says John Poston, a member of the Dunsmuir Rotary Club. It's been so successful, the club added a home-brew competition and cornhole tournament this year, and plans to expand the event to two days next year. Other growing festivals include the Weed Brew Fest in California and Brew on the Bay in Key Largo, Florida. The beer fellowship promotes a list of brew fests sponsored by Rotary clubs.

GOOD FOR CLUB MORALE

When Lenie Jordan, president of the Rotary Club of Franklin, North Carolina, and part owner of his town's microbrewery, heard about the fellowship, he got 20 members of the club to sign up.

"It has been a point of interest for many of our members, and an opportunity to come together in a more casual environment," says Jordan. "I would attribute at least one new member to the fellowship. She attended one of our field trips and said she wanted to join. It's had a positive effect both on membership, and on general morale."

The fellowship's interest in beer gives members an opportunity to share insights and to learn on an international scale. For instance, members recently heard how the composition of water can determine the type of beer an area is famous for. According to All About Beer magazine, Dublin became known for its darker beers because of its water's high alkaline content. Since yeast doesn't perform as well with high alkalinity, brewers gradually discovered they got better results by roasting the barley, which both lowers the alkaline level and makes a darker beer. Similarly, the soft water in the Czech town of Pilsen made it ideal for the world's first pilsners.

Another useful fact: Beer has historically provided a safe drinking alternative when clean water is in short supply, because of the boiling step in the brewing process.

"We've all been to places where we wouldn't drink the water," says Lack, but where "they make a heck of a beer."

In May, more than 60 members of the fellowship, including beer lovers from Russia, South America, Australia, Japan, India, Europe, Africa, and North America, gathered at the Devil's Door Brew Pub in Seoul during Rotary's annual convention, to sample what was on tap and to socialize. Lack says plans are in the works for a brewery tour every night in Atlanta, Georgia, during Rotary's 2017 convention.

"There are all kinds of microbreweries around the city, some owned by Rotary members," he says. "We're also looking to be able to pour beer in our booth (in the House of Friendship). You lose some credibility as a beer fellowship if you aren't pouring beer."

Committees, Social, LUNCH! Donovan, Buffy Sainte-Marie and More.

Last Week
It was the first of our Committee Meetings within a meeting.  I've had almost no feedback.  The major problem was that so many Rotarians weren't there but as that also happens for any committee meeting I suppose that's to be expected.
One major difference is  that we have had practically no Committee Reports. Possibly that is because we are topsy-turvy with the Board Meeting but that'll be rectified next month.  The important thing is that every member of the Club becomes involved in some way or another.

This Week
It's a social meeting. Last year David Bradshaw was asked to stop having a speaker on the last Friday of the month so that we could be sociable and talk to each other.....and tell jokes.....and generally misbehave.

Lunch
I had a meeting with Wanderers after lunch last week to ask why we were being charged more than the bar price for our Chicken Cheese Burger and was told that it was to equalise the more expensive meals we had such as fish.  I pointed out that we have never had fish.  I also commented on the Vegetarian Pasta.  I immediately assumed it would be pasta with a Neapolitana sauce...not pasta with big carrots and vegetables on top!  Quite disgusting!
I have said that we should scrap the vegetarian option as we can order a pizza if necessary and should rather have a choice of ordinary dishes.  We will select two items from the menu each week for the following week.  I have done so arbitrarily this week.

Jean Bernardo's Bottle Top Collection
Jean's home has practically vanished under plastic bottle tops.  She dug herself out last week to say that the collection was coming to an end at the end of the month.  If you haven't gien her the bottle tops and tags by then you will have to start your own private collection. Maybe your great grandchildren will be able to sell it at great price.

Vegetable Growing



Everyone wanted Geoff Green to come back and chat about growing vegetables at home....he's coming on the 7th October.





District PR Seminar
Hugh Rix attended and this is what he had to say about it:

1 The Seminar was attended by thirty clubs and there will be a follow up in October. 

   District is planning a Black Tie Dinner, a Radio Telethon where listeners can pledge donations to the Rotary Foundation and other functions to raise money to celebrate the Foundation's centenary.

    

   Donovan  

  An interesting article about him below.  Buffy Sainte Marie wrote this song in the basement of The Purple Onion coffee house in Toronto in 1963 after witnessing wounded soldiers returning from Vietnam. She has described the song as being "About individual responsibility for war and how the old feudal thinking kills us all." Though not a hit for her it was covered by British folk singer Donovan in 1965 on an EP titled The Universal Soldier, which was a success and bought attention to the song. In the US it was released as a single peaking at #53. The song became an anthem of the Vietnam Peace movement.

Sainte-Marie naively sold the publishing rights to this song for a dollar to a man she met one night at the Gaslight Cafe in Greenwich Village who wrote a contract on a napkin. She recalled to The Guardian July 31, 2009: "Ten years later I bought it back for 25,000 bucks – the good news is that I had 25,000 bucks."

Here's Buffy Sainte-Marie with the original version....for those of you who like this sort of thing

      HALL OF FAME SINGER DONOVAN BECOMES A ROTARY POLIO AMBASSADOR

Hall of Fame folk singer and polio survivor Donovan recently became a Rotary polio ambassador.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Planet Earth Publicity

Legendary singer and polio survivor Donovan Leitch, better known simply as Donovan, has joined Rotary in its fight to eradicate the paralyzing disease that afflicted him during much of his childhood.

Donovan contracted polio at age three in Glasgow, Scotland. The disease weakened his right leg and left it thinner and shorter than the other. Confined to his bed for much of his childhood, the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame singer said his father would read him poetry.

In a recent interview with the Daily Express, Donovan said that listening to poetry piqued his interest in creative writing. “If I hadn’t had that experience maybe I wouldn’t have gone on to write and sing my own songs for the past half a century.

“I feel strongly that having a disability in one area makes you explore others instead. That was the case for me after having polio,” says Donovan, who recently became a Rotary polio ambassador.

Donovan went on to record several hit albums and singles in the UK, United States, and other countries. His top singles include “Mellow Yellow” and “Hurdy Gurdy Man.” Donovan collaborated with The Beatles on songs including “Yellow Submarine” and has shared the stage with musical icons Bob Dylan and Joan Baez.

“Having had polio never held me back as I got older. Although having one leg smaller than the other isn’t much fun I could always get about without any trouble,” Donovan says. “Luckily in the music industry everyone was only interested in my singing and playing and not the size of my legs.”

As a Rotary polio ambassador, Donovan will support the Purple4Polio campaign, a collaboration between Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland and the Royal Horticultural Society. The purple represents the colored dye that health workers use during immunization campaigns to mark the fingers of children who have received the polio vaccine.

“It was very easy to join this campaign because I had polio, and I wanted to tell everybody that it’s almost eradicated around the world,” Donovan says. “This is very important. I want to help with that last push, which is always the hardest. ”

Philippa Robinson, A New Style Business Meeting, Blanket Drive & RI President for 2018/19

Last Week

Philippa Robinson gave us a most entertaining talk about what it was like to be on SA Masterchef.  How it was a bit like being a soldier in war.....hours and hours of waiting and then an adrenalin rush as you go over the top, metaphorically, of course.  Having a 'minder' all the time, or was it a prison warder?


It was a fun talk and I don't have a picture because now it is even easier for me to forget to take one but this one certainly captures the flavour of the moment.


This Week
It is our experimental style business meeting where we will effectively have Rotarians sitting in committees so that they will be able to have a committee meeting and also give feed back to the Club.
It will probably take a bit of getting used to but many other Rotary Clubs function this way and if we can cut out the need for yet another meeting, so much the better.


Blanket Drive

We have received photos of some of the 100 blankets purchased by Power Construction through us.  These are being handed out at Diepsloot Old Age Home and this is one of the few pictures that doesn't make it look as if the ANC are supplying the blankets.   ANC T-shirts are being worn by the people distributing them....just by chance, of course.

Here are the final figures for the Blanket Drive....congratulations to David Bradshaw who put it all together.

Thanks to all those who helped, with special thanks to Jane Lagaay (S.G. Mobility) who bought 900, James Croswell (Power Construction) 100 and to the efforts of Cesare Lidovich and Tutty Faberwith the separate weekends at Norwood Mall.


Charities Supported

Paltive Care (Bara) 100
Phutaditjhba (Alex) 100
Gracepoint Methodist (various) 100
Lesedi Community (Lanseria)    80
St. Vincent de Paul Society       65
SAPS Trauma (Anns)                40
Thandanani (Zandspruit)          30
Assemblies of God (Alex)          20
St. Francis, Alex                       20
Super Group (SG Mobility)       900
Power Construction 100
Rivonia Catholic Church 252
Highlands North Boys Interact   30
Leventon Bonner                    41
King Edwards School               80
Rainbow Creche                      30
Boikanyo (Protea South)          106
Gracepoint                              11

Total:                                2105

SAM OWORI IS SELECTED TO BE 2018-19 ROTARY PRESIDENT

Samuel Frobisher Owori, a Ugandan businessman and a member of the Rotary Club of Kampala, will become president-nominee on 1 October.

The 2016-17 Nominating Committee for President of Rotary International has unanimously nominated Samuel Frobisher Owori, of the Rotary Club of Kampala, Uganda, to be the president of Rotary International in 2018-19. He will be declared the president-nominee on 1 October if no challenging candidates have been suggested.

Owori says he sees in Rotary "an incredible passion to make a difference." As president, he plans to "harness that enthusiasm and pride so that every project becomes the engine of peace and prosperity."

Owori's chief concerns as a Rotary leader are membership and extension. Since he served as district governor, the number of clubs in Uganda has swelled from nine to 89. He urges past, present, and future leaders to work together to engage more women, youth program participants, alumni, and community members to increase Rotary's membership in the coming years.

"There are many places which need Rotary and numerous potential members who have never been invited," he says. "The problem is Rotarians who got in and closed the doors."

Owori is chief executive officer of the Institute of Corporate Governance of Uganda. Before that, he was executive director of the African Development Bank, managing director of Uganda Commercial Bank Ltd., and director of Uganda Development Bank. He has studied law, employment relations, business management, corporate resources management, microfinance, and marketing at institutions in England, Japan, Switzerland, Tanzania, and the United States, including Harvard Business School.

Since becoming a member in 1978, Owori has served Rotary as regional Rotary Foundation coordinator, regional RI membership coordinator, RI Representative to the United Nations Environment Program and UN-Habitat, and RI director. He has been a member or chair of several committees, including the International PolioPlus Committee, the Drug Abuse Prevention Task Force, and the Audit Committee. Most recently, Owori served as trustee of The Rotary Foundation, chair of The Rotary Foundation's Finance Committee, and a member of the Investment Committee. Owori is a Benefactor of The Rotary Foundation, and he and his wife, Norah, are Major Donors and Paul Harris Fellows.

The Nominating Committee members are Sudarshan Agarwal, Rotary Club of Delhi, Delhi, India; Şafak Alpay, Rotary Club of Istanbul-Sisli, Turkey; Ronald L. Beaubien, Rotary Club of Coronado, California, USA; John B. Boag, Rotary E-Club of District 9650, New South Wales, Australia; Elio Cerini, Rotary Club of Milano Duomo, Italy; Luiz Coelho de Oliveira, Rotary Club of Limeira-Leste, São Paulo, Brazil; Frank N. Goldberg, Rotary Club of Omaha-Suburban, Nebraska, USA; Kenneth W. Grabeau, Rotary Club of Nashua West, New Hampshire, USA; Jackson S.L. Hsieh, Rotary Club of Taipei Sunrise, Taiwan; Mark Daniel Maloney (chair), Rotary Club of Decatur, Alabama, USA; Barry Matheson, Rotary Club of Jessheim, Norway; Kazuhiko Ozawa, Rotary Club of Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan; Ekkehart Pandel, Rotary Club of Bückeburg, Germany; Noraseth Pathmanand, Rotary Club of Bang Rak, Thailand; Robert S. Scott, Rotary Club of Cobourg, Ontario, Canada; John C. Smarge, Rotary Club of Naples, Florida, USA; Michael F. Webb, Rotary Club of Mendip, Somerset, England.

Welcome to the District Governor, Phillipa Robinson and Next Year's RI Convention in Atlanta

The DG's Visit

DG Grant Daly has come and gone and his visit was a pleasure,  Rather than show him invisible projects or even take him to Soweto to show him our palliative care project thanks to a Rotary Foundation Global Grant and our partnership with Rotary Clubs in Hertfordshire, England we decided to do something different.
He was the guest on my radio programme on Radio Veritas which turned out to be fun and he did answer questions about whether Rotary was a dying, aging organisation without a future extremely well.
 In this photo it looks as if he's listening to the music.

Grant then met with myself, Treasurer Kevin Wolhuter and Secretary Lyn Collocott.  We were outnumbered by the entourage of DGR Chris Thompson, AG David Bradshaw and DG in Waiting, Jankees Sligcher.  We had everything ready and in place, thanks to the Club Assembly, so there were no problems and any questions were easily answered.

Next our ordinary lunch meeting.  For me it was important that our meeting was the sort of meeting that we have every week from the lunch to the guest speaker...who happened to be the DG.  We polished our marbles a bit as Mark Franklin was able to give the final report on the Arts Festival where the financial success visibly startled Grant Daly.  He spoke well on the centenary of the Rotary Foundation, the need for us to achieve a Presidential Citation...the sorts of things that District Governors tend to talk about.

From our point of view it was a pleasure to have him, his entourage, our Rotary Anns and guests.  We are lucky to belong to a Club with a history of excellence and expertise that is manifested in our present status and provides a solid basis for the future growth of the Club.

I usually take the photos for The Ramble but with everything going on it was impossible so, this week, you have the rare and possibly only experience of seeing a photograph of me...and with the District Governor, nogal!..thanks to Jean Bernardo.  The District people, as you can see, wore their usual jackets and ties...we have just written off our Rosebank ties as nobody wears ties anymore...suitably sprinkled with an assortment of 'pins'.  We wore our normal meeting gear.

This Week
Our guest speaker is Phillipa Robinson who came third in MasterChef SA series 3.
She now has a catering business called Love and Lemons based in Parkhurst where she live and she is a 'Life Skills Lecturer'.  I'm not quite sure what that is.  Something to do with surviving when lost in the jungle, perhaps?
Our Parkhurst sleuth, Lyn Collocott sniffed her out and invited her to talk to us.  I wonder what it will be about?


RI Convention 2017
David Bradshaw has been asked by District to publicise and co-ordinate the District 9400 Convention Contingent.  Here is something to whet your appetite:

CONVENTION: SOUTHERN FARE

Photo Credit: Frank Ishman

Often called a city of transplants, Atlanta has a food scene that's suitably eclectic. Sure, you can find your share of traditional Southern fare. But the eateries that locals flock to put creative twists on the classics. For example, if you're looking for straight-up barbecue when you're in town for the 2017 Rotary International Convention, 10-14 June, local standbys D.B.A. and Fox Bros. Bar-B-Q – each just a short car ride away – have got you covered. Heirloom Market BBQ offers a marriage of Southern and Korean flavors like a spicy Korean pork sandwich and ribs marinated in hot and sweet chili paste (closed Sundays and Mondays). Just east of downtown, celebrity chef Kevin Gillespie – of Top Chef fame – has borrowed from Asian culture as well. Inspired by Chinese dim sum-style dining, Gunshow allows diners to choose dishes as they're passed around on carts and trays. West Midtown's Miller Union and Decatur's Cakes and Ale use sustainable, Georgia-born ingredients as a foundation. At Miller Union, these building blocks transform into updated Southern staples, such as sorghum glazed quail with sunchoke, smoked beets, and grilled vidalias. At Cakes and Ale, the Southern influence may not be as heavy, but the farm-fresh food is fashioned so simply, it keeps Atlantans coming back for more. Register for the 2017 Rotary Convention in Atlanta.

Dave Bradshaw in Nigeria, the Club Assembly & the DG's Visit

Last Week
David Bradshaw told us about his very interesting Rotary Friendship Exchange visit to Nigeria....the visas were more than the air fare!
It sounded quite grueling, a bit like keeping up with a GSE team and hot and humid but very hospitable people which really made it worthwhile.
Rotary in Nigeria is obviously more for the very rich compared to here and it's also very active.  At the Club Assembly we agreed to support the dictionary project that Nigeria had approached us to contribute $500 towards a Global Grant.
David obviously had a good time though we teased him a bit about his photos as we were sure he had only been to Limpopo.


Club Assembly

Jean Bernardo concentrates on the Youth presentation

Lyn Collocott, seriously inscribing the minutes

Many thanks for your support for the Board and also the projects  that were suggested in addition to the ones that are ongoing.  I have circulated the minutes and the presentations, where appropriate, to everyone.  The drop in value of the Rand has meant that we have had to put subs up but by a minimal amount as other items of club expenditure will effectively subsidise them as we have , hopefully, over budgeted on some club expenditure.  As you know we are not allowed to fund club expenses out of money raised which is why we have a separate projects account.

Following the Club Assembly we will circulate a breakdown of committees, their chairmen and the projects etc that they will be involved with.  You must chose a committee where you would like to be involved, especially if there is a specific project which appeals to you and you can drive it.  As you know everyone has to be on a committee which is a requirement of membership.  We are making this easier by making the Business Meeting a meeting where you sit in committees and effectively have a committee meeting and a report back.

Rotary Arts Festival
Mark Franklin has sent out the final report on the Rotary Arts Festival to his committee.  I have already congratulated him and the committee, on behalf of the club, on their success.  I will ask him to give a brief report back this week at Rotary.  A big thank you to everyone who helped, some of you giving up a huge amount of time.  Without Rotarians and Anns, often stepping into the breech where necessary, the Art Festival wouldn't be possible.  The Club can't thank you enough.

Firlands Fete
Congratulations everyone on filling up the roster.

The Visit by District Governor Grant Daly
There will be quite a turn out for this as DGE Jankees Sligcher will be joining us in order to pick up tips for next year as well as DGR Christopher Thompson and many of our Anns and possibly PDGA Janet Callard.

Welcome to you all.

You can now have a bit of fun working out what the acronyms are or maybe what they should be!

Here's Nadine and Grant Daly without the bling and looking better for it.

A member of Rotaract, and Rotary too

Alexandria Ritchie (seated under banner), with the Rotaract Club of John Tyler Community College.

By Alexandria Ritchie, a member of the Rotaract Club of Virginia Commonwealth University and the Rotary Club of James River, Richmond, Virginia, USA

Recently, two Rotary friends shared with me the decision taken by the Council on Legislation to allow Rotaractors to also join Rotary. (The Council is where Rotary members gather every three years to discuss changes to the policies governing our organization.)

So I thought I’d give it a try. I am 21, and now also a member of the Rotary Club of James River. Let me tell you a little bit about my experience in Rotary and its young leaders programs from the perspective of a brand new young Rotarian.

My path to Rotary
I joined Rotaract after being a member of my high school’s Interact club. I founded a Rotaract chapter on my campus at John Tyler Community College and have been a loyal member of Rotaract ever since. It’s changed my life. I now represent my entire district as a district Rotaract representative.

How did I make the decision to join a Rotary club? The answer is simple. My sponsor clubs are amazing. We are a family and my Rotary journey wouldn’t be as fulfilling without them.

When I attended the Rotaract Preconvention in Seoul, Korea, this past May, I realized that we needed a Rotaract representative on the RI Board. Rotaract needs a voice — a direct connection to the Rotarians that do so much good for the organization and for the world. This idea might be a lot to ask. [Currently, the RI Bylaws provide for a standing committee, the Rotaract and Interact Committee, which includes at least three Rotaractors.] However, I would encourage clubs to give Rotaract a voice, at the club level, in your districts. This can set the ball in motion to greater representation in the organization overall.

Beyond sponsorship
If your club has a Rotaract club, do more than just sponsor them. Invite them to meetings and projects. Really get to know them. Attend their meetings. Allow the president of the Rotaract Club to serve as a non-voting member on your club’s board. I have encouraged Rotary members to try this in my district and it has worked well.

More importantly, invite them to things at the district level. Let them know they have a part to play in Rotary. Let them feel the power of our organization. Introduce them to the district governor, encourage them to attend conferences, seminars, and events with you.

If we do this together, Rotaract will grow. More Rotaractors will join Rotary which is truly the most important goal a sponsor club could have.

Geoff Green, Club Assembly, Nigeria and Entrepreneurship

Last Week
Geoff Green gave us a very interesting talk about food and the small urban vegetable gardens with which he is involved.  Outside his small urban farm he mentors potential growers and has a network of over 400 vegetable gardens primarily in the townships and informal settlements.
He has a flock of Rhode Island Reds for egg production that was funded by the Rotary Club of Oslo and possible cooperation with them will be discussed at the Club Assembly on Saturday.
There was much interest in his talk and there was a general request that he come back and chat to us about establishing establishing similar bio-dynamic vegetable gardens at our own homes.  We are looking at a date.




Club Assembly Captain Room @ Wanderers, 9,30 Saturday 30th July
The agenda has been drawn up and I am just waiting for confirmation from Lyn Collocott that I haven't missed anything out!
This assembly will set the club's direction for at least the next six months so it is very important that you do your best to attend and provide input.
I have added a number of items to the agenda that have been requested by members.  If you have anything specific that you wish to discuss please let me know.
Something that will come up is the issue of Job Creation.  It's one thing that has been raised by Vocational Service and is something we must seriously look at.
After the assembly we will know what we are going to do this year and you will receive a form asking which committee you wish to be on.  As you know, everyone in the club has to be on a committee but the assembly will enable you to choose your committee so that you are involved with a particular project that appeals to you personally.

This Week
David Bradshaw is going to chat about his Rotary Friendship Exchange to Nigeria.  This should be very interesting as he has put a Nigerian suggestion on the agenda for the club assembly.

MEMBER INTERVIEW: SUSAN DAVIS USES SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO FIGHT POVERTY

Illustration by Monica Garwood

Susan Davis has devoted the past three decades to using social entrepreneurship and microfinance to address extreme poverty, particularly in Bangladesh. A Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship in the early 1980s allowed her to study international relations at the University of Oxford. A decade ago, she co-founded BRAC USA (previously the Bangladesh Rehabilitation Assistance Committee) to help the world’s poor through self-empowerment. She is co-author, with journalist David Bornstein, of the book Social Entrepreneurship: What Everyone Needs to Know, and has served on numerous boards, including the United Nations Fund for International Partnerships and the Grameen Foundation. At the Rotary International Convention in May, Davis, who is a member of the Rotary E-Club of District 7210, received the 2015-16 Rotary Global Alumni Service to Humanity Award.

THE ROTARIAN: How did your Rotary Foundation Ambassadorial Scholarship influence your career?

DAVIS: Getting a chance to study at Oxford through the great gift of the Rotary scholarship was eye-opening. It’s one of the oldest universities in the world and a tremendous place to get perspective on international relations and politics. Without that scholarship, who knows what I would have done. It was the first time I had lived outside the country, and it helped to shape my deep sense of commitment to being a good global citizen and being of service. And I’m so touched to be honored by Rotary when I feel that it has already given me so much through the scholarship.

TR: Your time in Bangladesh, specifically when you first went in the mid-1980s for the Ford Foundation, was also life-changing. What did you see there and how did it affect your approach to addressing poverty?

DAVIS: Microfinance and social entrepreneurship were the best strategies I saw to respond to the daily question from women of, “How do I feed my family today?” I had never met people who hadn’t eaten something for days, so when I was confronted with extreme poverty – women who would feed their family grass or make mud cakes to fill their bellies – it’s extremely urgent. Microfinance as a solution, because it’s potentially sustainable, became a passion of mine. It empowers people to change their lives and their communities.

TR: Last year you left your post as president and chief executive officer at BRAC USA, and previously you served on the Grameen board, where you were chair when Muhammad Yunus and Grameen Bank won the 2006 Nobel Peace Prize. What are you focusing your attention on now?

DAVIS: I will turn 60 in November, so I decided it was important to see what it feels like to pull back and reflect. I’ll continue to try to be of service, and support young people especially, through my work with New York University and Columbia coaching and teaching social entrepreneurship. I’m also studying racism, looking into other social justice movements, and thinking about gender liberation. I still serve on several boards, including a start-up board called Learn With All, which is a technology company focused on the joy of learning. I’m still working to end extreme poverty and am involved in the Rotarian Action Group for Microfinance and Community Development. If I hadn’t had these experiences of seeing women slowly starving perhaps I wouldn’t feel as strongly, but I know we are rich enough and smart enough to end extreme poverty and hunger. It’s just a matter of political will. 

MSF, Geoff Green & John Germ

Last Week
We were invaded by Medecin sans Frontieres led by Kwanele Ndlovu, their Donor Coordinator.

Kwanele Ndlovu & Sharon Ekambaram

First Sharon Ekambaram (Head of the DNA unit, told us about their activities in KZN and Rustenburg primarily dealing with HIV-AIDS patients.



This naturally led on to  Claire Waterhouse chatting about her experiences in the Central African Republic working with refugees and Ebola victims.
She has the rather grandiose title of Access Campaign Advocacy Coordinator (Southern Africa) which means that she spends much of her time lobbying governments and pharmaceutical companies to make drugs affordable for the poorest of the poor.

Claire Waterhouse

It was a great pleasure having them as we here the name Medecin sans Frontieres quite frequently but I was certainly not aware of their involvement in this country.

Club Assembly  Saturday 30th July
Apart from the Projects that we will discuss there are also other issues that have to be approved.  One of the most important is setting the Club Subscriptions for the year with the decline of the Rand against the US$ as well as the Board's suggestion for Business Meetings in the future.  You can raise any issue at the Assembly but it would help if you sent anything through to Lyn Collocott well in advance so that it can appear on the agenda.

This Week

Our speaker is Geoff Green...and this is what the Farmers Weekly has to say about him.

Organic farmer Geoffrey Green of Sparrow Village Farm has created a farming operation on just 0,4ha of land in Maraisburg, Gauteng. 

Geoffrey Green is a geographer-turned-farmer with a passion for organic farming, an enterprise he runs from Sparrow Village Farm, in Maraisburg, west of Johannesburg. Although he has a mere 0,4ha at his disposal, he has utilised the space optimally and today grows up to 36 different crops, including sweetcorn, butternut, horned cucumber, cabbage, and cauliflower.

While still a geographer, Geoffrey worked on a project that examined the food supply chain. This stirred in him an interest for farming, which later found expression in a new career as an organic urban farmer. This venture was also inspired in part by concern over the distance that food must be transported from the rural farm to the urban fork.

As a geographer, he was well aware of the impact of climate change on farming conditions, and says that transporting food over long distances produces a large carbon footprint. His solution? Farm closer to the city.

“I did some research and found that on a 5m x 5m piece of ground, you can grow enough food to feed a family,” Geoffrey recalls. “I found this farm and my agreement with the landowner was that my first point of supply was to the orphanage next door– and I’ve proven that farming on a small scale can feed 150 people a day.”

Organic farming
Composting is one of the primary activities on Sparrow Village Farm. Geoffrey ensures that not a single scrap of plant material goes to waste – everything gets composted.

“All the fertilisers I use are natural composted materials supplemented with worm tea and compost from the vermiculture bins,” he explains. The worm tea, diluted to a ratio of 1:20 with water, is applied approximately once a fortnight. Any leftover tea is poured onto the compost heaps.

He also makes his own chemical-free pesticides using garlic, khakibos and cayenne pepper. The garlic and cayenne pepper solution involves crushing two heads of fresh garlic and putting this into a 20l barrel of water for two hours. Two tablespoons of cayenne pepper are added to the water and left to dissolve for four hours.

“If there are no visible signs of insects on the plants, I don’t always add cayenne pepper,” says Geoffrey. To make the khakibos solution, he fills a 210l drum with khakibos, covers this with water and lets it stand for 10 days or until the mixture has turned a dark colour. The khakibos is then removed and the infused liquid is applied to plants.

“Both treatments are put through a sieve before application and applied using a handheld sprayer,” he explains. “The garlic solution is made every Wednesday and applied on a Friday afternoon. I only use the khakibos solution about once a month. The thinking is that by switching between the two treatments, it’ll take longer before the insects become resistant to either one.”

According to Geoffrey, healthy produce relies on healthy soil, and he utilises various methods to keep his soil fertile. To check the quality of his soil he will, for example, insert a yardstick into the earth to check the compaction level. “It all comes down to soil quality, maintaining a healthy ecosystem and creating biodiversity in the soil and plants.”

No-till and crop rotation
All Geoffrey’s organic crops are grown under cover in five 6m x 12m and two 10m x 30m tunnels. “I practise intercropping with several different plants such as ginger, garlic and onions for pest control. We also intercrop basil with the tomatoes and peppers, because the insects that like them don’t like basil,” he says. “I estimate that if we could maximise our efforts, we could probably produce 20t per harvest cycle.”

Geoffrey practises no-till and follows a rotation cycle that starts with mustard to produce green mulch, which is worked back into the soil. This is followed by tomato, beans and carrots, and then, after a fallow period, vegetables such as beetroot and kale.

“We use drip irrigation from a borehole, but because the soil has so much organic matter in it, we irrigate for only 40 minutes a day.”

In addition to crops, Sparrow Village Farm also has free-range chickens, with a breeding flock of about 40 hens and eight roosters. Birds are sent for slaughter at about 1,8kg, which is at approximately 10 weeks.

Out of touch 
According to Geoffrey, there is a disconnect between people and their food. “Ask children living in cities today where milk or meat comes from and they’ll say it comes from the supermarket.”

He says that as a small-scale, organic farmer he has encountered reluctance from supermarkets to buy food with any imperfections, and consumers too expect produce to be perfect in shape, size and appearance. “To limit wastage, the imperfect produce get used in products such as sauces or frozen vegetables. But it still means consumers are unaware of the realities that farmers deal with – not every tomato is free of marks on its skin.”

He adds that today’s customers prefer convenience, and want vegetables that have already been washed, chopped and packaged. Although this may make life easier, it adds to the disconnect between people and food, according to Geoffrey. People don’t know where their food comes from; they don’t understand the food system and many do not think about the consequences their food choices have on farmers and the environment.

And now for a little about our new RI President,

JOHN GERM: CHAMPION OF CHATTANOOGA

Photo Credit: Rotary International / Alyce Henson

The son of a stonemason, who built the family home with his own hands, excavating its foundation with a shovel and a wheelbarrow, Germ developed his work ethic early in life. Nothing came easily. Other schoolboys made fun of his name – “they called me ‘Bacteria’ ” – and his parents couldn’t afford college tuition. After a stint in vocational school, he paid his way through the University of Tennessee at Knoxville by working in a machine shop and serving food in a dorm cafeteria. After graduating, he joined the U.S. Air Force. Soon promoted to captain, he was navigator on a 50-ton Douglas C-124, ferrying troops and tanks to Vietnam. “Unfortunately,” he says, “we flew home with soldiers’ bodies.” In 1965 Germ’s C-124 carried the Gemini IV space capsule to Cape Kennedy. On another mission, the giant plane lost two engines and skimmed the ocean, shaking like a bumper car all the way back to base. “When we landed, we found seaweed hanging off the fuselage,” he says. “That’s how close we came to a watery grave.”

When Germ’s military service ended, he joined engineering firm Campbell & Associates in his hometown. His boss, George Campbell, liked the young flier’s can-do attitude. “Within 10 years,” Germ told him, “I’ll either own some of this company or I’ll be your biggest competitor.” He wasn’t wrong. He eventually became chairman and CEO of the firm, which went on to serve Chattanooga’s airport, its most prominent hospital, several downtown high-rises, and the Convention Center. One of his challenges was a new cineplex, where the owner gave him a warning that puzzled him at first: “Don’t make the air conditioning too good.”

Germ asked, “Why not?”

“Because the customers need to smell the popcorn; we make most of our money at the concession stand.”

As president, Germ wants to “find the popcorn smell that’ll bring people to Rotary. And what is that? Service. We’ve got a service-minded generation coming up. We’ve got to get our message out to them, and we’d better do it fast.”