Picking Up Speed on the Rotary Roundabout

It's been a busy week at New Dawn as the new Rotary year gains momentum.
     The first order of business at the first Club Assembly for the Rotary year 2016-17 consisted of two very pleasant tasks, though.
     The first was the induction of Mike MacDonald as the 23rd member of Johannesburg New Dawn.
     Mike has been on the fringes of the club for quite a few years and arranged the three Barnyard Gala Dinners in Rivonia while he was at Rivonia Toyota. Not only did the club raise good funds at these events, but it was also lots of fun for everyone involved.

Paul Kasango reading out the charge during the induction of Mike
 MacDonald on Saturday at Twickenham Guest House.

     The Barnyard was one of the points up for discussion during the assembly and a decision was made that a committee be formed under Mike to look at different ways of making it work again without the club putting funds at risk. Linda, Paul and Samantha will help him, with myself and Jankees serving ex officio.
     One of the possibilities is to sell the evening as an office Christmas party event and stage it again in November next year.
     Any ideas and participation is welcome.
     The second pleasant task was being able to announce that Carol Stier has agreed to be available to serve as president for the year 2017-18, the year in which Jankees will be District Governor.
     I spoke to her during the week about it, and she agreed, so I proposed her, and this was seconded by PP Jankees.
     Congratulations Carol, we wish you well for a very successful year. It'll be a difficult year with a club member being District Governor, so we'll all have to help her. Carol has not been in the club for very long, but grew up in a Rotary family and knows the organization better than most.
     Carol could unfortunately not attend the rest of the Assembly as her mother had taken ill.

The crew at the Club Assembly: From left it's Judy (I) with Amina peering out behind her, followed by Linda, Jankees, John, Sam, Mike (I), Joan, Paul, Judy (II) and Mike (II). Frayne and Lucille arrived just after the Photo-op and Carol had left by then.

     The Assembly went well and decisions we made will be relayed in this blog posting and in subsequent meetings.
     The focus was very much on Fundraising and Membership, both ongoing issues.Because Debbie Smith couldn't attend the Assembly, we'll have to create a different opportunity for her to share her thinking on the matter.
     The next Assembly is slated for November and it was suggested that instead of a social for the fifth Wednesday, we tack it onto the last meeting in November.
     Fundraising: Linda Vink spoke about fundraising and the events we use for it such as the upcoming Golf Day and Christmas dinner and suggested that we do a themed dinner during the first half of next year at Twickenham Guest House. This translated into a Valentine's Day dinner in February on a French theme with French food and decor.
     Start honing your cooking and decorating skills for a fun February!
     General: Following the financial report-back, Jankees spoke about his Discon and asked the club to help him during his year and more specifically during the lead-up to his Discon from 15 - 17 June 2018 at the end of his year as District Governor.
     This goes almost without saying, but his year is going to place a huge burden on the club and it's just as well that we know what we're facing up to.
     He also told us where his Discon is likely to be held, but if you weren't there, you won't know, as it is still supposed to be a secret! Suffice to say it is going to be a venue that every Rotarian will want to visit.

The Youth Wing ... Samantha and John prove that you don't have to be an old fart to be a Rotarian

     Frayne then spoke about the Jozi Book Fair, which we will be discussing more at the meeting tomorrow. The preparations start tomorrow at Wits and the fair itself is from Thursday to Sunday. Please put your name down to help man the Rotary stall.
     Financial: One of the more difficult parts of an Assembly is deciding on fees and a decision was made to increase our club semi-annual dues from R850 to R1 000. This is largely due to the exchange rate changes over the past year or so.
     Also, every Rotarian is being asked to contribute $26,50, which we've rounded up to R400, to the Foundation fund this year to commemorate the founding of the Foundation a hundred years ago. This is the amount that was left over after the first RI convention in 1915 and used by then RI President Arch Klumpf to create the Rotary Foundation.
     Treasurer Joan will be sending out invoices to each member for this amount, which must be paid before the end of October, after which the money will be transferred to TRF.
     Clubs are also being asked to contribute a further $536 over and above their usual contributions, which is approximately what $26,50 is worth in todays' money.
     Paul says he'll talk about club financial obligations towards Rotary International in his Rotary Minute tomorrow.
     The annual financial statement, which was also given to DG Grant Daly, has been emailed to every club member. I'll be happy to answer any questions arising from them.
     Please note that in Carols' absence, Joan took minutes of decisions made at the Assembly and I will circulate a copy as soon as I have a chance to do so.

Heather Mason, an American passionate about Jozi.
 

     The speaker last week was Heather Mason, who is passionate about Johannesburg. She has turned her love for the City of Gold into a vibrant, exciting and very readable blog called 2Summers, so named because for her first visit she left a Northern summer for a Southern summer.
     You can find it at www.2summers.net. In her blog Heather goes in search of the best sushi in Johburg, or the best Mexican (neither of which is an easy task). She also digs out coffee shops in unlikely places and restaurants both on and off the beaten track.
     It is great fun seeing your city through foreigners' eyes, although after six years Heather can surely not be considered a stranger any more.
     It is not just all about food, though. Other blog titles explain it all: Soweto: The Adrenaline-Seekers' Capital of South Africa, Joburg's Cosmopolitan Hotel: Then and Now, Return to Lindfield, Joburg's Quirkiest Historical House and Touring Joburg's Mosques and Minarets are just a few of the more recent ones.
     Heather is also on Twitter and Instagram.

Escaping the Trump scourge, two Americans find themselves in Jozi. Left is Greta Schuler, who joined the meeting to meet Heather Mason.

     Following from the DG's visit two weeks ago, our District Governor Representative, Christopher Thompson and his wife took a trailer load of household goods to the 5Cees. These belonged to a friend of theirs who was downscaling into an apartment and had to part with many of her possessions.
     I took stock as the trailer was being unloaded and the contents were something like this: One bed and mattress, a couch, various carpets, a heater, a TV set a computer, screen and printer, a brand new electric hob for the kitchen, a gas bottle, quite a few boxes with crockery, cutlery and kitchen utensils and even an exercise machine, a foot spa (for after the exercise!) and a make-up mirror with lights for the girls.

The huge trailer stuffed to the rafters that DGR Christopher Thompson donated to the 5Cees.

     This donation showed Rotary's networking abilities at their best. In a thank you note, Sarah Sunker, administrator of the 5Cees, says: "Please send a big thanks to the person who donated these things."
     "On behalf of the staff and children at the Centre I would like to say thank you for the generous donation."
     And finally, lots of Dates to Remember: First up is the Jozi Book Fair (1-4 September) followed by the Woodside Night of the Stars (16 September) and our Golf Day (30 September). Please note also that dates have been set for selling raffle tickets for the Barrow of Booze if you're able to help. Linda has the details.
    More Dates to Remember: The next Club Assembly will be on Wednesday 30 November in place of the breakfast meeting, at the Parkview Golf Club. The Christmas Dinner is on 9 December at Twickenham and will mark the end of the Rotary year. There will be no meetings on 14, 21, 28 December or 4 January. The first meeting in the new year is therefore on 11 January. The French Evening is on Tuesday, 14th February and there will be no meeting on 15 February.
     After all that I'll start looking forward to my retirement as President!
     A Thought for the Week: Just because you do not take an interest in politics doesn't mean politics won't take an interest in you. - Pericles (495-429 B.C.)