It's Time For a Break

Rotary clubs should not live in isolation, so the visit last week by our outgoing AG, Jean Bernardo of the Rosebank club, was a very welcome one.
     This was doubly true when in walked Lyn Collocott, the incoming AG for Johannesburg New Dawn. Lyn is also from the Rotary Club of Rosebank and used to be a member of New Dawn.
     Lyn takes over from Jean in July this year.
     Johannesburg new Dawn would like to thank Jean for her year as our AG and hope she learnt as much from the experience as we did.

Jean Bernardo listens while Frayne has the floor

Back amongst old friends ... Lyn Collocate, incoming AG, with Linda
 Vink, Paul Kasango and Judy Sligcher

     Frayne has the floor for most of the meeting, telling the story of a young lad with a decent qualification who couldn't find a job, basically because he couldn't write a CV which would convince prospective employers.
     As we've become accustomed to from her, Frayne took young Kanti under her wing and with the resources of the Humanitarian Centre, taught him the finer arts of CV writing.
     The upshot was that he was offered a job in Polokwane ahead of 56 other applicants, even though he was about the only one without a university degree, having a diploma from the TUT in Polokwane.
     Those of you who could not attend the meeting, missed out on an inspiring talk.
     Dates to Diarise: At the meeting last week it was decided that we wouldn't be meeting this week, as it is 27 April and therefore public holiday (Freedom Day). The next meeting will be on 3 May.
     Sam Donet has set aside four Saturdays for selling blankets at the Parkview Spar. They are 30 April (this coming Saturday), 14 and 28 May and 4 June. If you can't make those dates, please suggest alternatives to Sam. New Dawn has set a target of 200 blankets, so get your sales forces together!
     Linda and I will be at the Humanitarian Centre next Saturday (7 May), but there are still gaps in the roster for the rest of the year, so please let Frayne know when you can do duty. If anyone has the roster she sent out a few weeks ago at the meeting, please forward it to her. The Humanitarian Centre is fast becoming one of the major Rotary resources for the district and our presence there on the first Saturday of the month is very important.
     Frayne is also in charge of the club involvement with the Jozi Book Fair from 1 - 4 September at Wits where New Dawn will have a presence.
     Paul has asked us to diarise Friday 16 September for A Night With the Stars at Kyalami on behalf of the Woodside Sanctuary. Fortunately Paul is not the star of the show, but the likes of Jennifer Jones, Yvonne Chaka Chaka, Lilian Dube and many more will be providing the entertainment.

President Jankees Sligcher at PETS in Krugersdorp

          While the rest of the club was doing what you normally do on a Saturday morning, Jenine, Joan, Paul and I were at the presidents-elect training in Krugersdorp (Carol went to the session in Benoni) where Jankees and Judy were as District Governor Nominee and District Governor Anns Nominee. A good time was had by all!
     The sessions were informative and, as always, a necessary preview of the year ahead for incoming club officers.
     A thought for the week: Inspiring words from an inspiring man on the first Freedom Day, 27th of April 1995: As dawn ushered in this day, few of us could suppress the welling of emotion, as we were reminded of the terrible past from which we come as a nation; the great possibilities that we now have; and the bright future that beckons us. - Nelson Mandela (1918-2013)  

Let the Good Times Roll!

A big Thank You to everybody who made the Membership Evening such a success on Wednesday night. First of all, thank you to all our guests. There were 13 of them if you count Rob, Robyn and Graham as guests and who knows, we might just snare one or two for the club. We certainly tried our best to persuade them.
     Thank you too to all the members who brought guests. Social evenings have netted us new members before and will hopefully do so again.
     Lastly, a big thank you to the Parkview Golf Club, who looked after us so well and helped to make the evening such a success.

Robyn, Jan, Ian and Derek with wine and pizza. What more can you ask for?

At the other end of the table Sam and Rob (newly engaged) engaged with their friends Kirsty, Dave, Richard and Michele

The three Fs, Fana Frense and Frayne getting up close and personal

Linda and Mike MacDonald, who has done so much to help New Dawn

Jenine, Jan and Mike having fun

Joan talking cheese and all things food with Brian and Jo

And Ronnie said: "Jump so high" and he jumped! Amina with Derek

Judy trying her best to get Graham back into the fold

Judy and Greg enjoy the Highveld evening on the stoep

Debbie with Greg and no, that's no mistake, their guest was also a Greg!

     Everyone agreed that the format worked well, especially as the club had put out tables and chairs for about 30 people on the verandah of the clubhouse on a beautifully warm Highveld evening. The pizzas were great, the wine and beer flowed and the conversation was stimulating. What more could you ask for!
     It's now up to members to try to entice their guests to a meeting or two to see if they will join the club.
     Other news: For those who haven't been around, the new board from 1 July will be:
President - Mike Vink
IPP - Jankees Sligcher
Foundation - Paul Kasango
Secretary - Carol Stier
Treasurer - Joan Donet
Membership - Debbie Smith
Projects - Frayne Mathijs
     Dates to diarise: 16 - 19 June - Discon at Misty Hills in Muldersdrift. Jankees has asked that everybody make the effort to be there at least for the Friday night function. 1 July - induction; 15 July - food, cheese and wine evening at the Cheese Gourmet in Linden.
     A thought for the week: Words without thoughts never to heaven go. - Shakespeare (1564-1616)

Having a Cheesy Time

The theme for the meeting last week was definitely cheese. Brian Dick of the Cheese Gourmet in Linden came to speak to the club about his unique exchange experience in Switzerland and brought a sampler of cheeses from the shop to spoil those members present.

A cheese sampler for New Dawn from the Cheese Gourmet in Linden

     Brian and his wife, Jo, own the Cheese Gourmet, considered by far the best cheese shop in Johannesburg. They sell only local cheese, sourced from farms and producers all over the country.
     They were approached last year to take part in a TV program where they would spend time on a farm in Linden, Switzerland, while the farm owners travelled to South Africa to run the Cheese Gourmet.
     Their mutual experiences served as material for an episode in a TV series involving exchanges all over the world.

Brian Dick telling about his Swiss experiences

     As you can imagine, a visit to one of the few remaining Emmental cheese makers was a highlight of the exchange for Johannesburg's Mister Cheese.
     The farm where they were staying, had a herd of only 24 Holstein cows, and the milk is delivered to the cheesemaker.
     Brian said it takes 1200 liters of milk to make one Emmental cheese, weighing in at a whopping 96kg. Only two cheeses per day are made.

What's an Emmental without its' holes!

     The holes which are so typical of Emmental cheese, are made by a process of fermentation over a time of 4 - 5 months.
     Another visit between bouts of farming was to make cowbells, another dying art in Switzerland.
     Brian said they were given the equivalent of R1600 per day to live on, which to many would be a fortune. In a country with a minimum wage of about R40 000 it only just stretched far enough, he said!
     Their Swiss German counterparts enjoyed their stay in Linden, Johannesburg, but found it difficult to get used to having labour in the home and the restaurant in such plentiful supply, Brian said.
     The Cheese Gourmet is at 71 7th Street, Linden and well worth a visit.
     A date to remember: The meeting this week will go ahead as planned on Wednesday morning, but don't forget the membership evening at around 6.30 pm, also at Parkview Golf Club. Quite a few members have indicated that they're bringing guests. It promises to be a fun evening. Be there!
     New club officers (president, secretary, treasurer and foundation chair) must diaries Saturday, 23rd April at the Krugersdorp Golf Club for PETS. Carol, the incoming secretary, went last weekend.
     Our thoughts go to: Joan Donet, who lost her older brother, Colin, to a stroke last week. On a more joyous note, Jankees and Judy are now Ouma and Oupa! Their daughter, Genevieve, gave birth to a daughter in London on Sunday.
     A thought for the week: You have enemies? Good. That means you've stood up for something, sometime in your life. - Winston Churchill (1874 - 1965)






   

Membership is the Life Blood of the Club

Fana Marivate is welcomed into the club by Paul Kasango. On the right is Ian Widdop, who read out The Charge

Membership and the participation of members, is what makes the wheels go round in Rotary, and it was a happy meeting last week when Fana Marivate was inducted as the newest member of The Rotary Club of Johannesburg New Dawn.
     Paul Kasango did the honors in the absence of president Jankees Sligcher, enjoying a well-earned break from business and Rotary duties with Judy in their new get-away in Mtunzini on the far northern KwaZulu/Natal coast.
     Ian Widdop was on hand to read out the Charge as to why the club thought Fana would make a good Rotarian. This time he didn't sing, though! Pity.
     Fana (real name Martin) is a CA, chief financial officer and a board member of Mitochondria Energy Co of Johannesburg. He hails from Durban and he and his wife have one child.
     Fana is the 21st member of the club (we also have one honorary member) and the first to be inducted this year.
     Fana joined after a conversation on a flight from Cape Town with Frayne Mathijs, for which she must be commended. He seems quite a catch!
     Of course we all get the opportunity to introduce prospective new members to the club next Wednesday, 13th April. An invitation template has been sent to all club members, which you can use to entice people you know to join us for a fun pizza evening at the club, with a bit of Rotary propaganda on the side.
     This will hopefully be a first step to swelling the ranks a bit.

Linda Vink and Sarah Sunker with a group of happy kids and a ton of Easter eggs.

There was also joy at the prospect of having Easter eggs for the Easter holidays, thanks to the members of New Dawn.
     Jenine kicked off the initiative by collecting Easter eggs for the Woodside Sanctuary prior the her and Steve's departure for a holiday in Hermanus, and then the club kicked in with another collection for the 5 Cees.
     Sarah Sunker, administrative head of the orphanage and daughter-in-law of pastor Mike Sunker, was on hand to receive the eggs on behalf of the excited children. Sarah told us that pastor Mike was in hospital to have two toes amputated. We wish him a speedy recovery.
     Dates to remember: The aforementioned membership evening on Wednesday, 13th April.
     This week's meeting: Brian Dick of The Cheese Gourmet in Linden is visiting the cub. Brian and his wife, Jo, exchanged places with a Swiss couple (no cheesy jokes, please) last year and he'll be telling us all about it.
     He's also bringing samples of cheese from his now famous Linden shop, so be sure to be there.
     Thought for the week: A government which robs Peter to pay Paul can always depend on the support of Paul. - George Bernard Shaw (1856 - 1950)