Ronnie and Jacob; You Read About it Here First!

In Ian Widdop's absence last week Julian Nagy, with a bit of help from president Carol Stier, spoke about the Arts on Main fundraising project. Ian couldn't make the meeting at the last minute because of business commitments, but has promised to do a full formal presentation.
     David Krut, an international art agent (he represents William Kentridge amongst others) is one of the main players in the ongoing discussions. He's overseas at the moment and Ian will probably wait until his return before his presentation.

Julian Nagy addressing the club meeting

     Julian is spearheading the search for new avenues of fundraising for the club; more specifically a major fundraiser that can raise serious money for New Dawn to be able to extend our efforts of helping where it is needed most.
     Ian has agreed to champion the project.

Carol Stier presiding over the rowdy meeting

     The idea is to hold an arts evening at Arts on Main in the Maboneng precinct, somewhere around March. In exchange for buying a ticket attendees will get a meal, something to drink, a jazz band, an art exhibition and the chance to bid on selected artworks being auctioned.
     Matthew Townsend of The Canteen at Arts on Main is also part of the pilot team and will provide the food for the evening. Matthew is playing in our Golf Day on 10 November.

Lucille Blumberg, Debbie de Vries and Judy Symons at the meeting last week

     Arts on Main will provide the venue.
     Do people in general buy art? Would New Dawn and the others involved be able to sell enough tickets to enough people who would put their hands in their pockets to buy enough for the club to earn a reasonable amount in commission. And of course there's the added question whether people would be prepared to go to Maboneng in the evenings.
     Although still in the planning stage, Ian has already had a number of meetings with those involved and sounds happy with the progress being made.

Steve du Plessis and I in deep discussion about planning the registration process for Discon 2018

     There's a lot of planning still to be done for Discon 2018 in the Kruger National Park and every time we start thinking there's still plenty of time, we realise that Jankees Sligcher is well into his year as District Governor, so much so that he has almost completed his club visits.
     As so often Steve du Plessis, the District IT officer, is in the middle of things. Linda and I will be doing the registration again, as with the recent Zone 20A Institute meeting and club members can prepare to be called on to help things run smoothly. One of the main tasks will be to welcome Rotarians to the Paul Kruger Gate at the park.

Speakers
     The speaker on Wednesday is an old friend and colleague, Barnard Beukman, who has been editor of Beeld for the past almost two years.
     Barnard left journalism to start his own consulting firm about five years ago but when things started going a bit awry at what is now South Africa's premier daily newspaper dealing with general news, he got a call to return to journalism. A stalwart of many a newsroom and newspaper boardroom, he didn't hesitate.

Barnard Beukman, editor, in the Beeld newsroom

     He is an old school journalist who still believes in cultivating sources based on trust in the spheres in which you operate, quite refreshing in a world where social media often becomes the main source of news stories.
     Barnard, who started up in journalism in the late 80s, also worked in newspaper management before returning to head the editorial team at Beeld.
     He will be speaking on the role of newspapers in a charged political environment.
     In another coup for the club Stephen McGown, who was held hostage in Mali for almost 6 years, has agreed to join us for breakfast on Wednesday, 15 November, where he will answer questions about his years in captivity and what it is like to be back home again.

Stephen McGoen and his wife, Catherine

     Stephen, whose mother tragically died before his release, was on the news programme Carte Blanche last night talking about his ordeals at the hands of al-Qaeda terrorists.
     The almost six years were an ordeal also for his wife, Catherine, the daughter of Sue Peiser, an ex-member of New Dawn. The two were returning to South Africa to start a family when Stephen  decided to fulfil a dream of riding through Africa by motorcycle and was captured.
     Also on Carte Blanche last night was Ronnie Kasrils, better known as Mr Amina Frense to New Dawn members!
     Ronnie, who served as a cabinet minister in a number of portfolios (Defence, Water Affairs, Minerals and Energy and Intelligence amongst them) has been a busy man, writing a book that is being launched almost as we speak.

Ronnie Kasrils and Amina Frense took time off from their busy schedule to wish Archbishop Desmond Tutu, here with his wife, Leah, a happy birthday earlier this month

     It promises to raise quite a few eyebrows in the ANC of Jacob Zuma and the South Africa of today. Titled A Simple Man; Kasrils and the Zuma Enigma (Jacana Media), it chronicles the contact between the two during the struggle years and during Kasrils' time as minister of intelligence.
     And yes, we're doing everything, with his help, to get Ronnie to speak to the club about his unique insight into the man who has caused so much of a furore in the past decade and more. Be sure that signed copies of the book will be available for auction at the annual Christmas Dinner (8 December. Diarise it!)

Golf Day Contributions
     Don't forget to attend the meeting on Wednesday, it promises to be one of the better ones.
     And if you haven't done so yet, don't forget to bring a bottle or two (or two dozen!) of booze for the Barrow of Booze for the Golf Day on 10 November.
     A Thought for the Week: If you want peace, you don't talk to your friends. You talk to your enemies. - Desmond Tutu (1931 -)