Jenine Coetzer & Dolly Parton!

What a pleasant disaster last week's meeting turned out to be! The Hotel School thought we weren't going to be around for the meeting so Jenine Coetzer couldn't show here disaster pics. She and Steve will be back this week for her talk on her visit to Haiti to report on the earthquake. The rapidly produced breakfast was really great and we had a good social time. What more can you want?

Here's Jenine in her usual travel make-up.











Country music legend Dolly Parton and Boy Scouts of America Chief Scout Executive Bob Mazzuca inspired Rotarians at the fourth plenary session on 23 June to keep serving their communities and underscored the common bond their organizations share with Rotary, in philosophy and in practice.
After greeting the audience by singing her hit song "9 to 5," Parton recited The Four-Way Test, saying she also sought a "short, simple, and powerful" statement to guide the Dollywood Foundation: Dream more, learn more, care more, be more. (You'll find "9 to 5" in the Video Bar.)
The philanthropist and literacy advocate went on to explain her foundation’s Imagination Library , which promotes reading among preschool children by providing them with a free book each month from birth until age five. The program, which has received support from more than 115 Rotary clubs, has grown from its base in Parton’s home state of Tennessee, USA, to other communities in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.
Parton said she was inspired by her father, who was illiterate but "one of the smartest people" she knew. "He knew it was a crippling thing not to be able to read and to write, so he was proud when people would call me the 'book lady.' And he lived long enough to see my dream come true with the Imagination Library. He was with me all the way."
Rotary Foundation Trustee Vice Chair John F. Germ, also from Tennessee, joined Parton on stage to present her with Paul Harris Fellow Recognition. "This is a wonderful friendship, us working together, and I hope to continue doing my part," Parton said. "Thank you for accepting me and believing in the program."
Mazzuca told attendees that the Rotary and Scout movements are similar in their ability to develop leaders, citing a shared history.
"Rotary founder Paul Harris and James E. West, our first chief scout executive, were dear friends," said Mazzuca. "They traveled the country together, establishing local Boy Scout councils. And our relationship continues to be strong today, with Rotary clubs in the U.S. sponsoring more than 1,400 Scout units serving 45,000 young people."
The similarities also extend to The Four-Way Test and the Boy Scout Oath and Law, Mazzuca said. "Each offers words to live by that have served us, and the communities we serve, extremely well over the decades."
He encouraged both organizations to extend a hand to children and younger generations, especially those at risk of disease.
"Together, our job is to mold and shape those young minds to keep them healthy, and help them to not only survive but to thrive during difficult times -- to teach them why Scouting and Rotary’s values are so crucial to our future as a people, and to teach them that they must pay forward what they learn from us," Mazzuca said.

Next week's meeting will be a Business Meeting, the first of Graham's year as President. We are looking forward to hearing the results of his first Board Meeting on Monday.

Finally, our World Cup Soccer Team. It has to be Ghana!

Welcome Back!

Prof Mike Case gave us an interesting talk two weeks ago on the problems that the University is facing with Engineering and how it is doing its best to integrate the three levels of engineering qualification.

Don Lindsay is studying the painting closely in order to give UJ a valuation whilst Jankees Sligcher and Hugh Rix stare in astonishment at Paul Kasango's breakfast. Mike Vink has just dozed off!





Our speaker this week is Jenine Coetzer talking about what she saw in Haiti shortly after the earthquake. She is with the SABC External Service and went there with a team of Medics.
She'll be showing us pictures and talking about her experiences and impressions. Her husband Steve will be showing her pictures as she admits to being a little technology challenged.

In this photograph she is wearing her normal working clothes.

The 27th sees Francis Callard's Induction as District Governor and our President, Graham Donet, will be representing the Club. We wish Francis all of the best for 2010 - 2011. It will be a particularly challenging one as he is the first DG of the new District 9400. He and his team have the job of knitting the new District together and getting everything to work. It's not just a new far-flung district it is also being run on Rotary's new experimental restructured system and that effects all of us. I believe it will mean many more opportunities within Rotary in the future. The new District includes Mozambique, Botswana & Swaziland so life must be more interesting.

We are almost half-way through the World Cup and I looked out for Ian Widdop at the Netherlands/Denmark match. He had no choice but to wear orange thanks to Jankees but he was quite lucky not to be arrested for ambush marketing of chicken broiler units!

Our team this week is Portugal. They have so many supporters in South Africa!

A Thank You, John Paisley's Induction as a Rotarian, Graham Donet's Induction as President and Professor Mike Case.

Att. The Chairman Mr. Peter James-Smith

New Dawn-Rotary Club

Dear Mr. P. James-Smith

DONATION

On behalf of Woodside Sanctuary we would like to take this opportunity to say a very big thank you to the New Dawn Rotary Club, for the incredible kindness and generosity shown towards Woodside in the donating of twenty wheelchairs.

It is only with the dedication and compassion of friends like yourselves that this was made possible. Thank you so much for your kindness.

Without donors such as you, we could simply not do what we do.

We, and those we serve, deeply appreciate your generosity. Thank you once again for your incredibly awesome gesture!

Yours sincerely

Kirsten Smith (Ms)
Public Relations Officer/Fundraising

Doesn't that letter say it all? The letter is addressed to me as President in my capacity as a representative of every member of our Club. It is really addressed to you and speaks volumes for what you have achieved this year. Thank you for making my year as President such an enjoyable one.

Graham's Induction Dinner last Friday was great fun and the food was excellent. As soon as I saw the Welgemeend label I knew that Mike Vink had donated the wine. I doubt that any other Rotary Club, other than our twin club, Paarl, could boast such a good Bordeaux blend at its Induction Dinner. But then Welgemeend is a Paarl appelation!

First of all it was a great pleasure to induct John Paisley as a member of our Club. John is such a versatile person with a background as a professional photographer and now as a Director of The Coaching Centre where he handles Performance Management. Welcome to the Club!
Here is the Board for 2010 - 2011 with Lucille Blumberg & Jean James-Smith in the foreground!

Congratulations Graham and all the best for 2010 - 2011. I'm sure it will be an outstanding year.
And here's everybody!

Our guest speaker this week is Professor Mike Case, Head of Department, Electrical & Electronic Engineering Technology at UJ. He will be talking on "Engineering Education - the Way Forward" as this is an area that he specialises in. How to teach engineering where facilities are not really available.

This week's team is Nigeria. I see quite a number of Nigerian flags flying from cars! Maybe we should spread our net for members a little wider and then we may see this at breakfast!