Poet Ellen Tsidi Lugube - Maponga introduces her books and an Outreach to KZN giving the gift of Mobility....

From the Pen of the President....

Dear fellow Rotarians and friends,

 

As RI President Jennifer Jones leads Rotary's official delegation to COP27 in Egypt, Rotarians are expanding their work and leading their communities in responsible stewardship of our planet, on which we all depend. There are so many resources available through Rotary, joining the ESRAG action group for example is a great start. I get the feeling that if we do nothing else, we should concentrate on the environment – there are lists of 100’s of ways each person can make a small difference in their own homes.

 

We have had so much beautiful rain – I hesitate to say ‘enough for now”. Take a walk in a green park, get stuck into your garden or pot plants and ENJOY the green, the sun and our lovely fresh air!!

Till next week.

 

 Ann Hope-Bailie

Last Friday...

...our Club was privileged to welcome self published poet and author Ellen Tsitsi Lugube-Maponga to the meeting, where she had the opportunity to introduce her two books Dear Self  - Feelings and Faith as well as Generations  -  For the Young, by the Old.

Ellen is originally from Zimbabwe and is married with two children. 

The subject matter of her talk dealt with regret. However, her take on regret is that it is not necessarily negative as it can be viewed as good mistakes that teach us lessons; they allow us to make better decisions based on our reflections. Looking back allows us to see what we value.

A few people can say they have no regrets. This does not mean they have none, at times it is because they are at peace with the decisions. Let us embrace the things we regret because they make us progress.

Life really is worth living amid all the good and not so good. When we establish the things we value we must now spend more time with intention to cherish them. Ellen understands the beauty and importance of living having experienced terrible abuse that led her to attempt to end her life. 

It is the little things around us prove to us that there is so much to be grateful for outside of ourselves. 

And further afield last weekend....

....Team Rotary, consisting of Costa Qually, Jean Bernardo, Sybille Essmann and Shirley Eustace accompanied Marilyn Bassin of Boikanyo and Vocational Services Awardee Ruth Stubbs of the Paige Foundation into rural Kwa Zulu Natal to fit 28 severely handicapped cerebral palsy children with much needed specialized wheel chairs. Two dedicated young comm serv Occupational Therapists from the Eshowe District Hospital and Nkandla Hospital, Savannah and Daniella, who singlehandedly run the OT departments, had hand-picked the children who they thought would benefit the most from this gift of mobility. Not only would it change the lives of these children, but also that of their mothers or "gogos" who care for them with great love and patience. Most children arrived on their mom's backs or in their arms, but left with huge smiles and a custom fitted set of wheels.

Every mother was also issued with 20kg of e-pap and a blanket. Shirley Eustace gave them instructions about the nutritional value of this wonder foodstuff and how to prepare it.

This Friday....

....Please join us either in person or via Zoom for the last Business meeting of the year.

 

Guest Speaker and Author Chriss Zas, the Cookie Challenge and Save the Date to Jingle and Mingle...

From the Pen of the President... 

Dear fellow Rotarians and friends,

 

Two points – the first one:

Jennifer Jones’ message in the most recent Rotary Africa was something I would like to reiterate.

“Not too long ago, Rotary members were expected to perform our acts of service quietly. I understood and appreciated the thought behind that - humility is a wonderful trait and we should continue to nurture it in other ways. But keeping Rotary to ourselves has a cost. And by sharing our Rotary moments, we are being generous with others and giving them an opportunity to understand the impact of Rotary. It brings to mind that wonderful aphorism: “People will forget what you said. People will forget what you did. But people will never forget how you made them feel.” So how do we make people feel Rotary? The best way is to share our Rotary moments. We have all had them - when the ordinary collides with the intention to create something extraordinary.”

Share your Rotary moments! At meetings, on the WhatsApp, on Facebook, with your families and friends.

 

The second one: You wanted a member directory – I still only have half of the information!! Only 56% of members have an email address on My Rotary – which means that those who have not updated their data on My Rotary do not get any correspondence from Rotary. Are we all serious??

 

‘Rainy days and Mondays’… they do tend to get one down, especially when they come on the same day!!

Hope you are having a good day.

Ann

Last Friday...

...We had a record number of Zoom attendees who wished to listen to our guest speaker and author Christian Zasalua, who goes by the pen name Chriss Zas. He  wished to introduce and tell us a little bit more about a book he wrote and published in 2019 - Labyrinth.

Chris was born and educated in the Democratic Republic of Congo, and he came to South Africa 10 years ago to study electrical engineering, but writing has always been is primary passion.

His book deals with leadership, confidence and unity (or lack thereof) on the African continent and hence the title of the book Labyrinth meaning  "an intricate combination of paths and passages in which it is difficult to find one's way or to reach the exit"

Chriss wanted to share the message of his book with us as he feels that Rotary's values are the embodiment of leadership, confidence and unity.

The Biscuit Challenge....

Also, last Friday member Michelle von Benecke brought bags of delectable cookies for us to sample, which her daughter Emma had baked, to the meeting at Wanderers,.

Emma has been chosen as a Rotary Exchange student and she will be heading off to the little-known town of Weisswasser, situated in the Eastern part of Germany, close to the Polish border and about 2 hours away from Berlin in the first week of January next year. 

 Emma has been baking up a storm and she has been selling her biscuits in order to assist with her Exchange next year. Sales have been brisk, and with great generosity she has donated R2 400 to the Club which will be added to our RI Polio contribution.

One must bear in mind that she has done this while preparing for her Matric exams.

Good luck Emma, you will make your mom and your Rotary family very proud.

Emma is taking orders at  R40 a bag for:

Oats Crunchies

Melting Moments

Shortbread

Chocolate Brownies

Iced Sugar Cookies

Jolly Jammers

and last but not least

Peanut Butter Cookies.

You are welcome to  place your orders with Michelle on 084 624 1634.

This Friday...

...we welcome another exciting guest speaker - Ellen Tsitsi Lugube-Maponga.

Save the Date....

Vocational Service Awards, Quintessential Quiz, The Norwood Spar Food Drive and the Interacters in action....

 From the Pen of the President....

What an inspirational group, our awardees are – those who received a Vocational Services Award on Friday.

Never forget though, that Vocational service is at the core of Rotary, embedded in its history, its present and future. It calls on us, as Rotarians, to foster high ethical standards in business, to recognize the value of all occupations, and dignify our occupations as opportunities to serve our communities.

We are challenged, as Rotarians, to put our vocational service into action by using our skills and expertise to serve in our community, to mentor young people to achieve their career goals, to offer leadership and professional development guidance to others, and practice our profession with integrity while inspiring others to do the same. Are you up for that challenge??

 

Please send me your contact details for the booklet – I have 12 member’s details.

Have a great week, enjoy the rain, the sport, or whatever it is that “tickles”.

Stay positive and see you on Friday.

 

Yours in Rotary,

Ann

 

Last Friday.....

....We had the privilege of honouring three remarkable individuals who use their chosen vocation to do exceptional work in the community.

Claudio Marangoni, who teaches at St David's Marist College, has a deep sense of community and is passionate about the environment. While working at St.Stithians Girls College he organized river clean-ups, tree-planting projects as far afield as Zambia and was also involved in a learn-to-swim programme for girls in Alexandra. 

During a short teaching stint at St Peters College he worked at making it a "green" school.

At St.David's he has been given the freedom to instil community and environmental awareness; he gets the boys involved in projects like eco-brick building, and every month they donate sanitary pads to a sister school in Alexandra. He has also organized a campus-wide toymaking workshop for under-resourced ECD centres in Diepsloot.

Matseke Nkadimeng is a social worker at the Soweto Parent and Child Counselling Centre. Her community spirit is deeply ingrained and where she can she assists with food parcels and cooked meals for young people who come to her office after school. She runs youth groups and focuses on drug and alcohol awareness as well as teenage pregnancy.

During school holidays she tries to keep the youngsters engaged so that they stay away from  (in Matseke's words) "risky behaviours".

Ruth Stubbs trained as a teacher, but very soon found her calling helping children and young adults with varying degrees of disabilities, but mainly cerebral palsy sufferers. 

She does most of her work in informal settlements and rural areas, giving severely deformed children  and their caregivers the gift of correct positioning and mobility. 

She is a Human Rights activist specifically in the field of children with disabilities.

Putting  the Fun into Fundraising....

Our second Quiz Fundraiser for the year once again coincided with World Polio Day and President Ann made an impassioned plea for us not to become complacent and for each and every one of us to keep fighting the good fight against this scourge.

We had a full house with 90 quizzers taking part and as they entered the Parkview Golf Club lounge they were immediately drawn to the abundant table laden with raffle prizes they could win. And boy, did they buy tickets!!

The evening was a resounding success and thanks to the generosity of everyone who attended we managed to raise a whopping R31 000 on the night!

It's Food Collection time again....

Every year, on the last weekend of October and November and the first weekend of December we ask the patrons of the Norwood Spar to donate a food item which enables us to give our chosen charities - Phuthaditjhaba, Frida Hartley Women Shelter, Curamus Autism School, Charity  Begins with  Me and The Boeregemeenskap some Christmas Cheer.

Volunteers were hard at work and as per usual the community generosity was evident judging by the laden trolleys.

Highlands North Interacters visit their Charity of Choice bearing blankets....

Last week the Interacters, proudly wearing their Rotary pins, paid a visit to the Rays of Hope in Alexandra and were warmly greeted by Mama Bertha and Mama Dikeledi who told the young gentlemen about all the wonderful opportunities for 2023.

They were so grateful for the blankets they received.

This Friday....

....let us give a warm Rosebank Rotary welcome to guest speaker Christian Zasalua, who goes by the pen name Chriss Za. He is an African author, born in the Congo who came to South Africa to further his studies, but decided to go back to his first passion, which is writing. He will tell us a little bit more about his first published book Labyrinth, a book on leadership, unity and confidence from an afro-centric perspective.

Our newest member gets inducted, a business meeting, see who the October Club 100 winners are, and many hands make light work packing prize hampers for the Quiz Fundraiser

 From the Pen of the President....

Dear fellow Rotarians and Friends,

 

Today we celebrate World Polio Day - declared in 1988, Oct. 24 each year highlights global efforts toward a polio-free world. This is a WHO global campaign which is close to Rotary International. Rotarians the world over are working towards the end of polio in the world, donating, having events and taking part in vaccination drives. We will play our part on Wednesday night at our quiz – some of the money raised will be our contribution towards ending polio.

This ia a preventable disease and through ignorance, war and disorganization due to living conditions and famine etc. it has not yet been arrested and we have in fact gone backwards. There was a case of polio in New York recently. Sadly, in first world countries there are people who are anti-vaccination!! 12,5 Million children in the world are unvaccinated.

The ultimate aim is a healthier future for mothers and children. We can play our part!!

The quiz evening on 26^th is going to be a cracker!! If you cannot be there, get someone to buy you some raffle tickets and choose a prize on your behalf – they are worth it!!

Have a good week.

Yours in Rotary,

Ann

 

Last Friday....

....the monthly business meeting coincided with the induction of our newest club member, Margaret Dale. She is however not new to Rotary, as she had previously been a member at the Rotary Club of Bedfordview.

She was introduced to our club by David Craik, a member of the Rotary Club of Seven Oaks in the UK, who staunchly visits us every time he comes to South Africa to see his daughter.

Margaret holds a BCom Marketing degree and she is an Education Consultant; she currently works at Pridwin School as well as teaching pupils at home, and furthermore she also is an estate agent.

She has attended so many meetings, that you would be forgiven if you thought she was already a member.

She is keen to get involved with books, the international committee  and would like to use her expertise in communication to promote Discon 2023.

She is single, lives in Bordeaux and her interests include Church membership and reading.

We welcome Margaret into the Rotary Family and hope she will enjoy many years of service and fellowship.

The business meeting in brief:

President Ann informed us that Tsjamo Nyato, who had been chosen to be a Rotary exchange student in 2023, has decided that he would postpone his exchange to the following year. To help him financially we had held two skittle fund raisers and a further one is planned for the end of November. The Board has approved that a portion of the funds raised will be allocated to Emma von Benecke (Michelle's daughter) for her exchange next year.

John Symons, our treasurer reports that our club finances are in good order, that most members have paid their subs and that we will more than likely have a small surplus this year.

David Bradshaw, our Membership Chair reports that with our recent inductions we are now only two short of our membership target, which is heartening. As club almoner David tirelessly follows up with members like Roger Wedlake, who has ben battling with his back, Mike Lamb, who was down with a bout of Covid, James Byrne, Judy Powell and Bernard Neuhaus. All seem to be fine.

Vocational and Community Service Chair Sybille reminded everyone to please volunteer their time for the annual Norwood Spar Christmas food drive taking place on the weekends  29th/30th October, 27th/28th November and 3rd/4th December. Please contact Tutty Faber to slot you in.

Quiz Fundraiser Packing Party.....

A great deal of work happens behind the scenes of a successful fundraiser, and Sonja Hood and her team got together on Saturday afternoon to pack all the fabulous prizes that the brightest quiz teams as well as raffle ticket holders can win on the night.

This Friday....

...Please join us either in person or on Zoom to applaud three remarkable people who are using their chosen vocation to make a difference in this world. They all truly deserve the Vocational Service Award which they will be receiving on the day.

A mid-month social meeting , The Senior Youth Leadership Course is back, the Highlands North Interactors blood drive and calling on all volunteers for the Norwood Spar Food Drive....

From the Pen of the President.....

Dear fellow Rotarians and friends, what a pleasure to have run the youth leadership course again after a 3 year break. Refreshing to get in touch with and interact with young people of 16 or 17. Thank you to those Rotarians, Anns and friends who came and helped. Thank you especially to our Youth Chairperson, Past President, Assistant Governor, NPC Chairperson Jean - she runs the business and whips the team into shape!! 

As we get closer to January, the calendars fill up and everyone gets busy - take time to diarize 3rd Dec for Year End drinks at my house - watch out for your invite!! 

May the promised rain fall soon.

If we do not see you in person, please try and pop in on line!!

Yours

Ann

Last Friday.....

.... was a mid-month social meeting, where the attending Rotarians, be it in person or on Zoom, had a chance to shoot the breeze and chat among themselves. Lyn Collocott invited two guests, Senzeni Ndebele and Brigid Booth and we certainly gave them a warm Rotary welcome.

Senzeni, born and bred in Bulawayo, shared with us that she had been exposed to Rotary projects during her school years. She completed her BComm degree at the University of Cape Town and then went on to do her honours at Stellenbosch University after which her career brought her to Johannesburg. She now works in mining.

She does her charity through the Church, where she teaches Sunday School and works in their thrift shop.

Brigid has a successful catering business which keeps her very busy. 

SYLC is back....

After a three year forced break due to Covid the Youth Committee was once again in a position to arrange the annual Senior Youth Leadership Course (SYLC).

The very first course was held 50 years ago in 1972 at Parktown Convent. Subsequent annual weekend courses were held at a fellow Rotarian's farm, Kloofwaters in the Magaliesberg, and in more recent years at Kadesh Barnea Campsite close to the Hartebeespoort Dam.

Invitations are extended to various Johannesburg schools for grade 11 learners to attend the three day course, at which their leadership skills are honed.

On Friday morning 32 learners arrived at Bryanston High School, where they were randomly divided into 5 groups and their first assignment was to choose a name for their team - Team Rio, The Silencers, The Rainbow Tree, The Band and The Alphas.

The Anns were at hand to feed the youngsters and before heading out to the camp they were given an amount of R455 as a group (R65 each!!), with which they had to purchase all their food for Friday evening, Saturday breakfast and lunch and a three course dinner on Saturday evening which they had to prepare and  which was then judged for nutritional value, taste, ambiance, presentation and creativity.

The judges, President Ann, Jean Bernardo, Sonja Hood and Sybille Essmann were blown away by the enthusiasm and thoughtfulness that each group brought to the table and the competitiveness was clearly evident. Well done to all the groups.

Tyron Sharnock, who has been the facilitator for many years, once again agreed to take on this task. 

Traditionally on Sundays the Rotarians would host a braai for the youngsters and it was great that so many of the members made the effort to be part of the fun.

People of Action....

And in between all the club activities Marilyn Bassin from Boikanyo needed volunteers to help prepare and assemble specialized wheelchairs - Madiba Buggies - which are destined for 35 cerebral palsy  children in the deepest rural parts of KZN. 

Interactors get active with their Blood Drive...

On Thursday the Highlands North High School held their second successful blood drive for the year and in total 30 units of blood were donated on the day. Our President Ann, AG Jean and teacher Mimie van Deventer were amongst the willing donors.

Calling All Volunteers...

There are still of open slots.

This Friday....

..... will be the penultimate business meeting for 2022. 

For catering purposes please respond on the Rotary WhatsApp chat group whether you will be attending in person.

Guest Speaker Kristi - putting the fun into fundraising and have you booked your Dream Team for our flagship fundraiser?

 From the Pen of the President....

Dear fellow Rotarians and friends,

Hope everyone is well? Looking forward to having some rain soon – take a moment and remember what it is like when it rains for days on end!!!

Lots of things happening – we have committee meetings coming up. Everyone should belong to at least one committee – if you are not on one, why not? Meetings are on Zoom.

The youth leadership course will be smaller this year – our dates did not suit school holidays like they usually do – just as much value and fun for those who attend.

Looking forward to a raucous quiz evening and there are great prizes always – it just happens to be World Polio Day on the 24^th Oct and quiz is on 26^th!!

After the informative talk last Friday, we have some great tips for proposals and selling ourselves – onward and upward!!

Stay positive, enjoy the sun and “hou die blink kant bo”!!!

Till next time.

 Ann Hope-Bailie

Last Friday....

The editor attended the meeting via Zoom and "happy snapped" this caption

...AG Jean Bernardo introduced guest speaker Kristi Hansen, head of fundraising at the Rotary Club of Morningside, who shared valuable insights she garnered from the District 9400 Fundraising and Marketing Seminar which she attended on the 19th and 20th of August this year.

Kristi, a mother of two boys, is well equipped to head up this committee as she has 15 years of experience in PR and advertising. She currently works as an editor in the content department for Kape, a global cyber-security firm, fighting for the rights to privacy on the Web.

In her spare time (besides Rotary) she writes restaurant reviews and goes hiking. She calms her mind by meditating and listening to recordings of thunder and rain on her phone.

Kristi maintains that for fundraising to succeed we need to change the way we think and equip ourselves with new ideas. We should stop thinking of fundraising as hard work and a slog and that people are unwilling to give.

In fact, there is an abundance of money, we must just be courageous in our ask.

Did you know that in 2021 the total estimated CSI expenditure in South Africa amounted to R10,3billion!

Generally giving is irrational, immediate and personal. People respond to stories that resonate:

For successful fundraising you need a powerful and well structured marketing plan.

When planning and showcasing fundraising events you should use creative and eye-catching copy, and put social media, radio, television and newspapers to good use.

No doubt we could benefit from a more in depth session but  Kristi gave us a lot of food for thought and a new perspective on marketing and fundraising.

And Speaking of Fundraising....

Wednesday 26th is fast approaching and ticket sales for our flagship fundraiser are going well but Sonja Hood is sending out a final appeal for raffle prizes, mainly wine, snacks or chocolates as fillers.

This Friday....

After a two year hiatus our Club is once more hosting the Senior Youth Leadership Course (SYLC) in Hartebeespoort this weekend.

The Wanderers meeting format will be a informal social gathering. 

No usual Friday meeting, instead Loads of Fellowship, The District Governor Ann visits the Rosebank Anns and Club 100 winners for September announced...

From the Pen of the President.....

President Ann's pen is taking a break this week and she sends us greeting from the Fairest Cape where she is spending precious time with all of her children and grandchildren.

Enjoy and make it count!

A fun filled Weekend of Fellowship and Fundraising....

Always popular, always successful, the Swiss Club Skittles evening last Friday was loads of fun and we also managed to raise R5 500 to help our Rotary Exchange Student Tsjamo  make it to Finland.

Our Queen of Fundraising Sonja Hood put together some enticing Raffle prizes and the selling of tickets was brisk. 

And just look at Jean and Charmaine's big smiles after their winning tickets were drawn....

Judging by the noise levels the competitive spirit between the red and green teams was palpable but after three nail-biting rounds of skittles the green team was victorious.

The Club festivities continued on Saturday with a well attended Bring & Braai hosted by Sybille.

The weather was glorious, the food was plentiful and we were also able to celebrate veteran James Croswell, whose birthday was on Sunday the 2nd of October.

Thank you to Braai Master Steven Hood who cooked everyone's meat to perfection.

Everyone agreed that these memorable occasions contribute to making our Club so special.

This Friday....

.. we welcome guest speaker Kristi Hansen who will give a Master Class in successful fundraising.

Who puts the FUN in FUNDRAISING?

Kristi Hansen has been a Rotarian on and off for nearly 13 years, and has been the clubs'  PR chick for many of those. She's worked in advertising and PR for over 15 years. She's currently the Fundraising Director at the Rotary Club of Morningside, a task she finds truly terrifying.

Fortunately, she attended the recent Marketing & Fundraising seminar held by District 9400, featuring one uber-dynamic Annelize De Jaager, and came away with a new confidence and plenty of fundraising ideas that she can't wait to share with you on Friday.