Saving Electricity & Eating Chinese Food - the same thing, really!

Brigitte Morais from Eskom told us about the importance of saving energy and gave us some well produced booklets on the subject.

She didn't advocate wearing a beanie, however!

Do you know who the beanie wearer is?

This week we are busy going Chinese so here is a painting of Confucius lecturing on food.

We'll have Emma Chen talking to us instead.

Board Members, don't forget the Board Meeting on Monday 3rd August.

Marja van der Leeuwen & Bert Ettekoven home in Delft and now back in Johannesburg.

Last Friday Bert and I have visited the Rotary Club of Delft in the Netherlands, Bert as a guest and I as a member. RC Delft has already been launched in 1936. Nowadays we have 64 members. Every Friday there is a meeting during lunchtime.

I promised Don to wear the tiara when visiting the Dutch club and Bert has taken some pictures.
I explained to the fellow members of RC Delft about the tradition of wearing tiara's in RC New Dawn. They all found it a very funny habit.

Bert has asked the President of the Club, Edith, to think about a joint project in Joburg. She has promised to discuss it within the club.

After our short speeches the lunch had begun.

Marja van der Leeuwen

Chemical Engineering Made Exciting, Energy Saving & Red Chamber

What an interesting talk by Brendon Hausberger on Selling SA Expertise Abroad. He has the knack of making Chemical Engineering sound interesting and of vital importance. Not only that it is so satisfying to be able to applaud the achievements and forsight of the faculty at Wits in theirability to provide funding for longterm research through world leading projects and to do so whilst maintaining a healthy undergraduate intake. What an encouraging talk for the future of our country.

This week our speaker is Brigitte Morais of Eskom. A difficult job given the adverse publicity

Eskom has been generating!

On the marketing side she is involved in the annual Energy Efficiency Drive, which usually happens in May. With activities ranging from visits to schools who have implemented energy efficiency initiatives, and projects implemented at customer’s sites (e.g. government hospitals, commercial buildings and even mines [including a visit underground]).

On the education side she is involved with national education

departments in training the educators on how to guide the learners to become

more energy aware, as well as assisting with the drawing up of modules to be presented to the

learners. Another part of the education programme also involves speaking to the learners directly as well as communities and other interested groups.

Here's the Menu for the 5th Wednesday 29th July at Red Chamber. Don't forget to book with Graham.

Sesame prawn toast

Gongbao white bait

Pork pot stickers

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Peking whole duck

King prawns in skewers

Sizzling Kingklip with fruit sauce

Fire cracker beef

Shitake mushroom with Chinese greens

Steamed rice

Stir-fried homemade noodles

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Red Bean Crisps

Oolong Tea

Emma has changed the King Prawns for something else so that the cost will be R160 per head including the gratuity.

Invite anyone you feel might be interested in Rotary as well as your partners, naturally!

Andrew Smythe has finalised the first Wine Tasting.

When: Saturday 22nd August at 19,30

Where: FNB Training Centre, Greyston Drive, Sandton

Cost, including a supurb Dinner, R200 per head.

Mark Lindhorst of Lindhorst Wines in Paarl will be presenting the wines. The Club will make money out of the Dinner and the Wines Sold so make sure that people you book for will buy wine! Mark Lindhorst has donated a couple of magnums as prizes and one is earmarked for the purchaser of the most wine. If anyone has corporate clients this is an ideal function to book a table of 10. The maximum number is 60 people.

It is always rewarding knowing that you have managed to find a gem where other prospectors have come up empty handed. This is how I feel when opening a bottle of Lindhorst Statement and introducing it to my guests.
The ooh's and aah's and "Where can I get a case?" really make the
evening worthwhile. Lindhorst Wines are food friendly and do well when they are laid down to rest for a year or two.

Apart from the Statement Blend, there is also a Blend known as Max's
Tribute, a Cabernet Sauvignon, A Shiraz, A Merlot, A Viognier, A Rose
and A Sauvignon Blanc.
Come and try before you buy at the revamped FNB Centre on Grayston Drive
on the 22nd August 2009.

andrew

You will notice that I have added the Rotary Monthly Themes for the year. This is to help with programme planning. That reminds me, if you have suggestions for guest speakers please let Allan know so that he can schedule them.

A Successful DG's Visit & Dr Brendon Hausberger

Thank you everyone for making the DG's Visit so easy and painless. Thanks to all the Board Members who were succinct and to the point so that it gave DG Beth Thomas plenty of time to talk to us and we were able to finish on time. Thank you Beth for fitting in with us so easily. She and our ADG Terry Hime had a meeting with myself, Graham Donet (Secretary) and Ken Malmqvist (Treasurer) immediately afterwards. I have already spoken to those of you affected by some of her suggestions.

Our speaker this week, Brendon Hausberger,

heads up The Centre for Material & Process Synthesis at Wits. If you understand what that is you are much more of a scientist than I am! He is particularly interested in the reduction of carbon emissions and spends quite a bit of time in China on a Fuel from Coal Project. He will be talking on "Taking South African Know how to the World" which is exactly what he tries to do.

Tracey Matube sent everyone an email on Membership asking for details of prospective members so that she can monitor it effectively. Please don't forget to get back to her. We have a target of 30 members by the end of June 2010 and that is certainly achievable.

Emma Chen is delighted that we will be visiting Red Chamber on the 29th July and is preparing a special dinner for us. As soon as know the menu and the cost I will let you know.

Some more Induction Dinner Pics

The DG's Visit, a Club Assembly & Eating Chinese.

Welcome, Beth and Terry, to New Dawn.

The meeting takes the form of a Club Assembly and the agenda has already been sent to everyone. We will whizz through it as quickly as we can to allow as much time for Beth's chat and discussion as possible.

Anthony Egan's somewhat eccentric talk on The Philippines last week was quite entertaining. I didn't realise that we had seen so much of it on film.

At the Board Meeting yesterday we discussed our 5th Wednesday Evening Meeting on the 29th July. As Emma Chen gave us such an entertaining talk on Chinese Table Manners we thought it was a good idea to go to her restaurant, Red Chamber in Hyde Park, to show just how civilised we can be. Watch this space!

Don't think of this as my blog, it's the Club Blog so if there is anything that you would like to contribute, pictures, whatever, just send them to me. I will be asking you to add something in the future anyway so Beware!

Induction Dinner

Here is the collage created by Roger Wellsted for the Morningside News Letter. I have a CD of all the photographs......lots more....and I will put some on the blog next week.