Creating Lasting Impact

She accepts the President's chain with trepidation, but also with pride, said Judy Symons, the new president of the Rotary Club of Johannesburg New Dawn at her induction last Wednesday morning.

It was a festive morning  to welcome a loyal member to the presidency of New Dawn.

      The moment has arrived ... Judy Symons gets pinned as president by Judy and Jankees Sligcher

Judy takes over from PDG Jankees Sligcher, who has been president since January 2025, marking his third term in the post. She promised to carry on the good work of her predecessors.

She has specialised in spearheading many hands-on projects, projects that have in the past been categorised as "small potatoes". Brenda Sakellarides, in her reflection to kick off the meeting, said the accumulation of these projects amount to "large potatoes" and have ultimately led to Judy's presidency.

                                   Brenda Sakellarides in full theatrical flight   

In accepting the presidency, Judy quoted the new president of Rotary International, the Nigerian Yinka Babalola, whose theme for the year is: Creating Lasting Impact.

He believes that people are drawn to Rotary as volunteers and that it is the task of clubs to turn that into action. That is precisely what she aims to do, Judy said. We must harness that which we have done, that which we're doing and that which we will do to create lasting impact, she said.

                                Carol Stier with President Judy

Guests at the meeting included District Governor Grace van Zyl, who will pay an official visit to New Dawn in September, our new Assistant Governor Brenda McCallum and her husband John, past member Carol Stier and Lorraine Keenan from the Soweto Rotary Community Corps and Jozi My Jozi.

President Judy also announced her new board, which will consist of herself as president, PDG Jankees as immediate past president, Audrey Gatawa as deputy president, Joan Donet as executive secretary and treasurer, Yasmin Shapurjee as secretary, Alistair Dry as Foundation chair and Linda Vink as fundraising chair.

The new board will be formally announced at the next meeting.

         AG Brenda McCallum and DG Grace van Zyl at the meeting

In taking his leave, PDG Jankees looked back over his 18 months and thanked his board members for their contributions. He also thanked the project champions for all the club's main projects: Paul Channon for the Alexandra Education Committee; Helene Bramwell for Donate a Loo, Paul Kasango for Woodside Sanctuary and Brenda Sakellarides for the National School of the Arts.

                                   Amine Frense at the Princess Alice Home in Westcliff

He also mentioned the book sales that Judy Symons had arranged for Donate a Loo; her recent efforts to get supplies for the Princess Alice Home; the help at the Humanitarian Centre by Amina Frense, wheelchair donations by Lucille Blumberg and the work Zena Kimaro has done in establishing an Interact Club at Parktown Girls.

                      PDG Jankees with President Judy and Helene Bramwell, who introduced her

He singled Lucille out for her talk to the club on the Hantavirus and the meeting at the Wanderers Golf Club earlier in the year where Moeletsi Mbeki, brother of ex-President Thabo Mbeki, was the main speaker, talking about South Africa and the road to the future.

Another highlight of the meeting was the bestowal of a Paul Harris (sapphire) recognition for Lucille for her work regarding the Hantavirus. Lucille also provided yet another highlight of the morning with her salmon pancakes.

                       Lucille Blumberg with her very popular pancakes

Other speakers in recent months have been Maria Malepa, widow of Lebogang Malepa, the founder of Lebo's Soweto Backpackers, who has now relocated to her native Sweden with their two teenage sons, while keeping the popular Lebo's going.

         Maria Malepa before leaving for Sweden

Lebo's also acts as host to the Rotary Soweto Community Corps. She told the club that in her years in Soweto entrepreneurship has grown and tourism has flourished, but that much still needs to be done.

Also as a speaker was Lorraine Keenan, who spoke about the work Jozi My Jozi is doing to regenerate the Johannesburg CBD, and about the successes the Soweto Rotary Community Corps have achieved.

The Interacts from Parktown Girls reported back at the beginning of April on their attendance at RYLA and also told the club about their charity work.

Looking forward, the Wine Tasting fundraiser to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Alexandra Education Committee, looms large. Don't forget to diarise it and also to join in. It promises to be a fun occasion, to learn a bit a more about wine and to enjoy fellowship. Although bookings have been brisk, there's still space for more people, so if you know of anybody who will enjoy the evening, please invite them. There'll be an auction with great items for sale and a raffle to raise funds for the AEC's programme of teacher training.

A Thought for the Weeks to Come: Many people take no care of their money until they come nearly to the end of it. And others do the same with their time. - Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749 - 1832)

New Interact Club Starts With a Bang

Rock climbing along with mountain climbing (for which the wake-up call is 4am), building with Jenga blocks but most of all the team building and making new friends were on top of the list of the four Rotary Club of Johannesburg New Dawn's new Interact club at Parktown Girls who attended the 2026 RYLA session in the Magaliesberg.

The Rotary Youth Leadership Academy is one of the most popular and best-run efforts of Rotary, along with programmes such as the Long-term and Short-term Exchange Programmes. Atteendees almost always return filled with enthusiasm and so it was with the Parktown four, Nirvana Pather (president), Katharine Roberts, Ilonene Mbatha and Nasiphi Kuwane.

    Judy Symons and Zena Kimaro flank Nirvana Pather, Katharine Roberts,Ilonene Mbatha, Nasiphi Kuwane and Miss      Lamola, the teacher driving the new Interact club

The four were the speakers at the New Dawn meeting this week and reported that their Interact club, which was inducted in February this year, is already growing.

They were full of praise for the RYLA weekend, organised by the Rotary Club of Brits-Hartbeespoort, and said they had already made plans to meet up with new friends they made there.

     The Interact members at their induction at Parktown Girls earlier this year

"They taught us that 'We Can Do It', also with our new Interact Club," said President Nirvana.

She said the club had already become involved with Marang House, a Johannesburg home for seriously ill children under the age of 14 who are too young to remain in hospitals in Gauteng. They plan to donate clothes and toiletries and Interact teams help with homework twice a week.

                     Barbara Angove, Judy Symons and Yasmin Shapurjee took Easter eggs to Loné Lourens

After the meeting President-elect of New Dawn, Judy Symons, accompanied by Barbara Angove and Yasmin Shapurjee, took a box full of Easter eggs that New Dawn members had collected, to Woodside Sanctuary ahead of the coming Easter weekend.

The donations have become a tradition in New Dawn and were, as always, welcomed for bringing a little joy into the lives of the Woodside staff and patients, said Loné Lourens, Marketing and fundraising manager at Woodside.

    Club members with learners and staff of the AEC at Waverley Girls High School 

Paul Channon, a club member and Director of the Alexander Education Committee, hosted fellow club members at one of the the AEC's Saturday morning sessions on 7 March, replacing the regular Wednesday meeting. There he spoke about their work with learners from Alexandra township and a group of bursary holders told of their achievements.

Children from the township and surrounding schools gather at the Waverley Girls High School where the AEC is headquartered, on Saturdays to prepare them for the tough school routine in overcrowded and understaffed classrooms that they are accustomed to.

                    President Jankees Sligcher listening to Philippe Petit

Just as the new Interact club is growing, so is New Dawn itself and the two newest members, Philippe Petit and Alistair Dry, were given the opportunity to tell the club a bit more about themselves at a recent Wednesday meeting.

Philippe said he seems to make a habit of going to places for a short while, but then staying for longer than he had planned. After working as a building  administrator in Lille in Northern France for 25 years, he decided to get away from the cold and grey skies. He volunteered as a teacher in Chad instead of being called up for military service for a year, and stayed in that French speaking African country for two years.

After that he volunteered in Haiti in 1981 in the time of the notorious Papa Doctor for two years and ended up staying for four. After a devastating earthquake in Haiti in 2010 he returned to that country to help with the rebuilding. They planted 350 000 trees and built 350 000 new houses.

He met his wife there and they relocated to Brazzaville in the Congo, where they planned to stay for 6 months and ended up staying 5 years. Philippe and his family came to South Africa in 2024. He spends his time in retirement writing books and helping at the Alliance Française, where he is a board member.

                   Alastair Dry speaking to the club

Alastair Dry is business manager at St Katharine's Preparatory School in Parktown, Johannesburg and describes himself as a commerce and theology graduate for whom service to schools and the community is a privilege, not a burden.

Service has played a large part in his life and he feels that he has found a natural home in Rotary.

Alastair did a BComm degree at the University of Cape Town where he became a conchie - a conscientious objector - in the 1980s and was sentenced to 6 years community service for refusing to serve in the then apartheid SA Defence Force.

He served on educational projects in Alexandra and Soweto before doing an MBA at the Wits Business School, where he graduated cum laude.

After some years in the corporate world, he decided that education was his calling and in 2004 he joined St John's College as business manager, where he served for 9 years. In 2013 he joined the struggling Bishop Bavin School in Bedfordview as executive head for 6 years.

He has three children and one grandchild. Two children are in SA and one in Bristol. His life partner is Giselle.

Take note: The speaker for the next meeting (8 April) is Maria Malepa of Lebo's Backpackers in Soweto, followed by a visit from the Soweto Community Corps on 22 April and a talk on Zoroastrianism by Yasmin Shapurjee's father on 29 April.

A Thought for the Weeks to Come: A great deal of intelligence can be invested in ignorance when the need for illusion is deep. - Saul Bellow (1915-2005)

New Dawn Thriving After 17 Years

South Africa has two characteristics that must be understood to get a perspective on how the country developed over the centuries.

The first is that South Africa is an extremely rich country in terms of its mineral resources.

The second is that South Africa also has one of the most abused populations in the world.

That was the theme of a talk at the Wanderers Golf Club by Moeletsi Mbeki at a meeting of the Rotary Club of Johannesburg New Dawn on Wednesday. Mbeki is a political commentator and former journalist and is, amongst many other positions, deputy chairman of the SA Institute of International Affairs.

The evening meeting was held to celebrate the 17th birthday of the club, as well as to induct two new members. A number of ex-members attended.

     President of New Dawn Jankees Sligcher, club member Audrey Gatawa and Moeletsi Mbeki at the podium

Mbeki, younger brother of ex-President Thabo Mbeki, said this abuse went on under Dutch colonial rule, followed by the British colonisation, then the Afrikaners, which culminated in apartheid and was perpetuated by the big mining companies and in latter decades, by the ANC government itself.

"If you abuse your population, you can never get development." he said.

South Africa is a New World country, one of only two in Africa, that started its industrialisation at the same time as the USA, but whereas the USA now has per capita income of $89000 per person, SA lingers far behind on just $6000. The irony is tha SA abolished slavery before the USA did, but then followed the path of exploiting the mineral wealth rather than developing the human capital.

             Mbeki with fellow journalist and New Dawn past president Amina Frense

He said the ANC has created one of the highest paid public sectors in the world, consuming 14% of GDP on salaries and perks alone.. This is unsustainable. "We have to rethink South Africa."

"The African middle class is in power in South Africa and they use that power to tax us so that they can pay themselves huge salaries."

               President Jankees inducting Philippe Petit and Alastair Dry

Two new members were inducted to coincide with New Dawn's induction into Rotary International on 9 February 2009. They are Philippe Petit, also a journalist, a published author and board member at the Alliance Française, and Alastair Dry, the money man at St Katherine's Preparatory School in Parktown.

Debbie de Vries will be re-inducted soon after having made a welcome return returned to Rotary and to the club.

                             Debbie de Vries with Judy Symons, Barbara Angove and Lucille Blumberg                                 

A number of past New Dawn members joined the festivities, most notably Peter-James Smith, a founder member, second president and the first New Dawn blogger. Also there were Lynn Collicott, honorary member Carl Chemaly, past president Carol Stier, past president Karlien Kruger and Ivone Vosloo.

               Philippe greets Peter, with Paul Kasango looking on

The year started off with two notable speakers. Wendy Carstens spoke about her passion for the Melville Koppies and Andrea Campher of Standard Bank spoke about disaster relief.

                                            Wendy Carstens

Wendy is known as the saviour of the Melville Koppies, one of the last remaining bits of the grassland (there are more than 50 species of grass, she said) that existed before the discovery of gold and the subsequent development along the Witwatersrand.

Wendy said she had been involved with the Koppies for 30 years, but has finally stepped down and handed over to a committee that she says is every bit as dedicated as she ever was. She warned about the western portion of the reserve becoming a no-go area with vagrants making hiking there unsafe.

                Audrey Gatawa with Andrea Camper and president Jankees

Dr Andrea Campher is a lawyer who works for Standard Bank. She hails from the Northwest Province and started a disaster relief unit within AgriSA in 2021. She said that seeing the devastation caused by the drought of 2015-2017, the worst since 1933,  ''made me aware that I want to help people."

She said cycles of drought and flooding will always be there, but also spoke about other disasters, such as the devastating July riots in KZN in 2021, the current foot-and-mouth outbreak and seasonal wildfires.

"In South Africa not maintaining infrastructure makes things difficult for disaster prevention."

    Jacqui Chemaly, Mike Vink, Carl Chemaly, Julian Nagy, Lucille Blumberg, Linda Vink and Alastair Dry at Wanderers

A Thought for the Weeks Ahead: When nations grow old, the arts grow cold and commerce settles on every tree. - William Blake (1757-1827)

 

A Good End to New Dawn's 2025

The calendar year has ended for the Rotary Club of Johannesburg New Dawn with an array of fellowship and club meetings before the usual break over the festive season. These have mostly been well attended, as has become the norm over the past months.

Although there was no end-of-year function as in the past, members gathered at a number of fellowship opportunities to have fun, but also to spread the word about Rotary and all the good work that is done by the organisation.

        Club members and visitors gathered for a group photo at the last meeting of the year

This included visits to see the hit musical Chicago, starring Kiruna-Lind Devar, the daughter of proud club member Brenda Sakellarides of the National School of the Arts, but in her day also a star of the musical stage.

There was also a visit to the Music in the Park musical evening which, because of all the rain and thunderstorms Johannesburg has experienced over the past more than a month, was moved at the last minute from the Wanderers Golf Club to the GTC Atrium in Corlett Drive. The evening was pronounced a success nevertheless.

        The gang at PRON with owner Emma Chen (in pink), an old friend of New Dawn 

Before that the club gathered at the restaurant PRON (People's Republic of the Noodle) in Linden, surely now a favourite restaurant amongst club members.

  v

         Yasmin Shapurjee, Audrey Gatawa, Zena Kimaro and Judy Symons enjoying the Chinese cuisine at PRON

Very good news for the club is that after all the fun and celebrations (or because of it, who knows), Judy Symons agreed to be the next club president from July next year until the end of June 2027.

Her club officers will be Yasmin Shapurjee as secretary and Joan Donet as treasurer. These posts have been duly reported to Rotary International, which stipulates that the positions must be filled by the end of the calendar year preceding the year of service. Well done, you three!

           Loné Lourens accepting Christmas donations on behalf of Woodside Sanctuary

The last meeting of the year was marked with a visit from Loné Lourens, Marketing and Fundraising Manager at Woodside Sanctuary, to collect gifts and donations of toiletries donated by new Dawn members at the instigation of Judy Symons.

At the meeting Zena Kimaro told the club that her efforts to start an Interact club (for school kids from 12-18 years old) at the Parkview High School for Girls has been met with huge enthusiasm and has already been officially registered.The girls will start on projects in the new year.

         Brendon Hart with Judy and President Jankees Sligcher

Brendon Hart, Operation Manager of the Parkview Golf Club, attended the meeting as a visitor and to accept a small cash donation that the club makes every year to the kitchen and waiting staff that serves us at breakfast every Wednesday morning, literally in the past weeks come rain or shine. This is also an attempt to cement the already good relationship between PGC and New Dawn.

With a few potential members waiting in the wings, things are looking good for the next year, as well as for the next Rotary year that starts in July 2026.

See everybody again on 14 January 2026.

A Few Thoughts for the Weeks Ahead:

It's never too late to be what you wanted to be. - George Eliot (1890-1880)

Be at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbours and let every new year find you a better man. - Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790)

You don't have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step. - Martin Luther King Jr (1929-1968)

The best thing about the future is that it comes one day at a time. - Abraham Lincoln (1809-1865)

Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts. - Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

Thanks a Million, New Dawn

Since the first annual New Dawn Golf Day in 2012, the club has raised more than a R1 million towards good causes, President Jankees Sligcher told the field of golfers at the prize-giving dinner at the Parkview Golf Club last Friday evening.

From early beginnings where a 4-ball cost only R2000 (it was R4800 this year), the Golf Day has stayed the course as the premier fundraising event of the Rotary Club of Johannesburg New Dawn.

       President Jankees with Mike MacDonald, Joan Donet and Linda Vink, the three Golf Day kingpins

As it has been every year except for the Covid-year 2020, the meeting on 19 September at the Parkview Golf Club was pronounced a huge success. Ex-member Mike MacDonald, Joan Donet and Linda Vink weaved their usual magic to ensure a fun day for everyone.

Income is still down from the heady years just before and after Covid, but the Golf Days stand strong amongst fundraisers tackled by the Rotary Club of Johannesburg New Dawn and a handy R64 000 was raised that will go towards The Link projects.

                             Barrow of Booze winner John Harman

Nobody was happier than John Harman, a member of Adriaen Sligcher's 4-ball, one of the top teams on the day, but also winner of the coveted Barrow of Booze, the raffle prize everyone wanted.

Many thanks once again to all the club members who contributed to make the wheelbarrow with its contents such a spectacular sight.

                The Schmidt brothers Berndt, Karl and Christian with brother-in-law Greg Taylor

Another happy crowd were the Schmidt brothers, who walked away with the prize of a cool box each filled with meat from Impala Meat in Northcliff, who have been Golf Day sponsors for a number of years now.

                DG Dr Angélica Salomão with PDGA and PDG Judy and Jankees Sligcher

The meeting the week before marked the visit by District Governor Angélica Salomâo, doing the rounds of clubs in D9400.

She said her main aim with her club meetings is to chat, to meet people and to see and hear what Rotarians are doing.

Although membership is important, it's not just about the numbers. "We don't need members, we need Rotarians. We must nurture members to become real Rotarians."

"We need to make our family stronger, so let's recruit more people and transform them into Rotarians."

               DG Angélica observes a Link volunteer and pupil at Risidale Primary School

As part of her itinerary, the DG visited Risidale Primary School in Johannesburg, one of the schools involved with The Link Literacy Project, for which New Dawn won a Rotary Foundation global grant (worth just short of R500 000) before Covid struck.

PDGA Judy Sligcher writes of the visit:

We were met at the school hall by Aletta Liebenberg, the centre manager. Her infectious enthusiasm was so palpable that it just added to our excitement at being part of this incredible system. Very quietly, more volunteers entered the hall as they went about setting up their lessons for their pupils. Each volunteer appeared to be completely focused on the task at hand, namely teaching their pupils the wonderful life skill of reading. The system is extremely well organised with sheets, letters, phonics, blends, games and little books that are totally appropriate for our South African learners.

Each of us visitors was assigned to a volunteer to observe really closely the interaction between volunteer and learner. I was assigned to Marilie, a truly dedicated and motivated person who has taken this task very seriously. She said: “It gives me such a sense of satisfaction that I am actually helping to make someone whom I would never have met, have a better chance at reaching their full potential. It gives me a huge sense of fulfilment that I am making a difference in our society”.

 

It certainly made me feel very privileged that our Rotary Club Johannesburg New Dawn, is making a huge impact on pupils in our community thanks to our involvement with the Link Literacy project.

And that is why we are Rotarians.

          The Sligchers with Judy Symons, Wendy Challis and Helene Bramwell were among the volunteers

Heritage Day this week saw New Dawn volunteers manning a stall at the Parkview Heritage Festival in Tyrone Ave, Parkview. We raffled a bottle of KWV 20-year old brandy, a bottle of premium wine with two wine glasses and a giant cooler bag and made more than R4000 while spreading the story of Rotary among interested festival visitors.

Helene Bramwell used the opportunity to sell more books from the collection Donate a Loo has built up, adding to a mini-fundraising effort, because as we know, every penny counts.

Thanks to everyone who took time off to be there.

A Thought for the Weeks Ahead: The secret of happiness is something to do. - Johan Burroughs (1837 - 1921)

The Booklender of Zondi & Other Stories

There are not many places in Soweto, let alone in the area around Zondi, where you can lend, buy or even just sit and read (or rather stand, there is a shortage of chairs) books, let alone a collection of 30 000 books of all kinds and creeds.

The Soweto Book Café in Zondi, the handiwork of Thami Mazibuko, is therefore a shining light in the sprawling township.

    The visiting Rotarians with Thami Mazibuko and Mbali Zulu at the Soweto Book Café

The Soweto Book Café is in a house on a side street in Zondi and open to all comers. If you're not a member, you pay R20 to borrow a book for 2 weeks and if you want to keep a book, Thami will name the price.

Thami says his biggest need is for a table (already pledged by Lucille Blumberg) and chairs for people to sit and read, especially children. Wi-Fi is also a pressing need.

                                           A few rules for bibliophiles

Thami says he keeps a register of everyone who borrows books, their names and contact numbers as well as their age, and which books they have taken.

On Fridays and Saturdays the children can learn chess and Chinese Checkers. There is also a need for other board games such as Scrabble and Monopoly, as well as puzzles, he says.

Thami lived in Hillbrow and Yeoville until 2013, where he came into contact with writers and other artists and learnt a love for reading and books. He says he started with 15 and now gets books from all over the world.

Last year he organised a book festival in the area and plans to do it again in November this year. They also invite writers for book launches.

    Rotary fellowship at its best at a curry evening in Parkview

It's been a busy month in typical Rotary fashion of matching fellowship with service and a striving to fulfil the ideals of Rotary International.

July ended off with a delightful curry evening organised by Helene Bramwell and the team at The Taste of Punjab in Parkview following Paul Channon's talk on the Alexandra Education Committee and their often incredible achievements the previous Wednesday.

                                      Paul Channon

Paul reminded the meeting that unemployment in Alexandra, a mere few kilometres from Sandton, the most well-to-do area in South Africa, stands at a whopping 60% and that the six high schools that serve the township are wholly inadequate with classes of 60 children, making a decent education extremely difficult.

He says the nearby old Model C schools are also not always faring as well, trying to manage the numbers of people.

The AEC provides bursaries for talented pupils to attend functioning schools and covers school fees, transport, learning aids such as laptops and books and school uniforms as well as support for the families of bursary children to give them the best possible advantage in completing their schooling. This costs in the region of R60 000 per pupil per year.

These alumni in their turn are encouraged to give back by mentoring the newer crops of bursary holders. 

"We're all about finding, in Joburg terms, the nuggets of gold in these communities," Paul said. 

                    Honorary member Carl Chemaly was amongst the guests who came to learn about the AEC

Dates to Diarise: There's an online board meeting tomorrow (contact President Jankees or Judy if you want to join in) followed by the meeting where the TV producer Carol Shore will be the speaker, talking about her award-winning film Making Righteous Blues. The following week Genevieve Sligcher will be talking about her work as a TV producer in the UK.

Also, don't forget about the club assembly on 6 September to discuss a 3-year succession plan for the club, among other topics.

On 10 September DG Angélica Salomåo pays us a visit. and on 19 September it's the annual golf day. Please remember to bring booze for the barrow, to sell as many raffle tickets as possible (a minimum of a sheet of 15 numbers, please). Most important of all, contribute to the prizes and invite your golfing friends to join us.

A Thought for the Weeks Ahead: The business of the poet and novelist is to show the sorriness underlying the grandest things and the grandeur underlying the sorriest things. - Thomas Hardy (1840 - 1928)

Welcome Back, Mr President

With Inyosi Julian Nagy leading the way, the Rotary Club of Johannesburg New Dawn welcomed PDG Jankees Sligcher as the new president for the Rotary year 2025/2026.

This is the third time since New Dawn was established in 2009 that President Jankees has held this office, as well as being District Governor for Rotary District 9400.

                   Julian Nagy in the guise of a Zulu praise singer

                    Julian strutting his stuff                  

                    Past District Governors Senosha, Sligcher and Callard together for the induction

Julian, himself a past president, got the ball rolling for the induction with an impromptu appearance as a Zulu imbongi or inyosi, a traditional oral poet and historian. He praised the virtues of the incoming president and his contribution to Rotary over the years, much to the surprise and then delight of the meeting and perhaps disproving the theory that old white men can't dance.

The induction was attended by a number of dignitaries and friends of New Dawn such as Immediate Past District Governor George Senosha and PDG Frances Callard. PDG Frances was accompanied by PDG Ann Janet Callard.

                     IPDG George Senosha with two more recent members, Yasmin Shapurjee and Avril Naidoo

Minenhle Majola, currently president of the Rotary Club of Johannesburg, the oldest Rotary club in Africa, also attended. Minenhle is a previous president of the now defunct Rotaract Club of Johannesburg, a joint venture of the Rotary Clubs of Johannesburg and Johannesburg New Dawn. The two clubs have pledged mutual support in the year to come.

Other visitors were Rotarian Fred Waldeck from the E-club of Southern Africa, joining for a taste of Rotary fellowship, something that is difficult to achieve with online meetings, and Nazia David from the Rosebank/Killarney Gazette, who attended with her husband, Daaiyan.

                      Rotarian Paul Channon and President Minenhle Majola

President Jankees thanked his board members for their willingness to serve and stressed that he is not in office to be served by fellow club members, but to serve them in all their endeavours and to ensure that any potential new members understand the value and values of Rotary.

He also stressed the value of building a three-year plan during which members can shadow the board to eventually be able to take over in running the club.

                        PDG Francis Callard pinning on the pin of office 

PDG Francis Callard emphasised the importance of membership not just to the club, but also to District 9400, which at the moment is facing a possible redistricting because of dwindling numbers. Rotary needs people of integrity, people with a good business reputation, and who are willing to serve others in the community and all around the world.

He also said fellowship is at the heart of Rotary and without it, service becomes sterile and without it Rotary becomes just another social club, but that Rotary is and must be selective in approaching membership without being elitist.

    The Kasango gang: Felicity, Michael and Rotarian Paul

At the previous meeting (9 July) club member and past president Paul Kasango re-introduced his son and daughter, Felicity and Michael, to club members.

Michael is studying in China in the city of Hangzhou (not far from Shanghai) towards a degree in data science and data cloud technology and told how exciting and pioneering it is to work close to people in a city known for tech startups.

He said the South African spirit is alive all over China and the expat community often get together to watch Springbok rugby matches with boerewors and biltong and other favourites.

South Africans are held in high regard in China because of Chinese involvement in Africa and his ultimate goal is to be able to act as an intermediary between South Africa and China in the tech field.

Felicity is studying at a university in Florida. She said the university town has a strong community of Rotarians. She has an on-campus job selling tickets to big sports events and enjoys doing that and the financial independence it brings.

She said her goal is to eventually return to South Africa to work in the financial sector, but would like to first get experience in a place like Wall Street.

Proud Dad Paul, who says his main task now is looking after the house and three dogs, spent most of his childhood in exile with his family, so knows all the joys and sometimes pitfalls of a life lived abroad.

Dates to Diarise: Next week Paul Channon will be doing a presentation on the Alexander Education Committee, which he heads up. On 6 August there is a visit to the Soweto book club after the morning meeting. Pencil in the dates of 18 August (online board meeting) and 6 September (possible club assembly).

On 10 September the new District Governor, Dr Angelica Salamoa, will visit the club.

The annual New Dawn Golf Day follows on Friday 19 September.

A Thought for the Weeks Ahead: The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose of life is to give it away. - Pablo Picasso (1881-1973)