On the Road with Rotary New Dawn

Steve du Plessis and Jenine Coetzer decided to use their travel time to Hermanus in the Western Cape constructively last year and stopped over at three towns on the way to visit local Rotary clubs with donations of books.
     This effort works on so many Rotary levels, it's quite scary.

Steve du Plessis with German volunteers and staff at the St Augustine's School in Paternoster

     Amongst these is first and foremost obviously fellowship and they were able to make new friends along the way, also new friends for New Dawn.
     They donated books to schools, hand-picked from the Humanitarian Distribution Centre in Bedfordview, thereby involving other clubs, District 9400, clubs in the USA and Rotary International, and at the same time introducing clubs and schools to the wonderful facility that is the Humanitarian Centre.

The German volunteers help to keep the Paternoster kids busy

     They visited Colesberg, Paternoster and Hermanus on their way to their holiday home in Hermanus.
     In Paternoster on the West Coast they joined hands with a German initiative at the St. Augustine's Laerskool. The project is funded by the Germany based Kinder forden-Zukunft Stiften who annually sponsor German students to come to Paternoster for the practical part of their study courses - they then work with the children at the school.

Steve with Jackie Ramsay, president of the Rotary Club of Colesberg

     Driving through towns like Colesberg in the Karoo, as some of us still do, one is acutely aware of how dry it is there and how great the need for any sustainable help they can get, especially if it fits in with the club ethos of helping children in need.

Jenine in typical pose, helping kids and showering them with love

Steve with president elect Ann Wright and secretary Ferdie Marais of the Rotary Club of Hermanus

     These efforts were all undertaken in the name of the Rotary Club of Johannesburg New Dawn and was a wonderful way to spread goodwill. Thanks, Steve and Jenine!

Judy Symons and Carol Stier flank kids from 5Cees on their Zoo outing

Three of the boys get an underwater view of a hippopotamus

     Other club members also gave up of their time to help children in need; most notably president Carol Stier and Judy Symons, who took a group of children from the 5Cees for an outing to the zoo. Carol posted photographs on Facebook, so I'm sure you all saw them.
     It is a tragedy that "home" conditions are so dire for some of the 5Cees kids that they spend their holidays in Berea, probably getting quite bored in the process.

Carol and Jenine at Woodside Sanctuary in Cottesloe

     Carol and Jenine also took toiletries and other consumables to the Woodside Sanctuary as part of their Christmas drive to make life a little more comfortable for the patients.

A New Year
     Last week was the first meeting of the year and by all accounts it was a very successful one, with the percentage of members attending being considerably higher than the average. It must mean members miss being at the meetings!

The Banner Man ... DG Jankees Sligcher handed over some more banners collected during his travels around the region. President-elect Linda Vink and president Carol Stier were the recipients

     At the meeting it was decided that the arts evening, slated for March, would be postponed until the second half of the year to create more time for planning.
     There will definitely be a fundraiser during this first half of the year though, as the Bridge Drive has been scheduled for 15 March, a Thursday.
     We'll be talking more about the details at the meeting on Wednesday, so be there if you can, and find out how you can help. The club will be responsible for teas and a lunch and for getting prizes for both players and a raffle.
     The Bridge Drive will be at the Oaklands Bridge Club from 11am to 4pm. Cost is R250 per player and we need 30 tables of four to play, so please speak to all your bridge playing friends.

Club heavyweights ... Graham Donet and DG Jankees Sligcher more than make up the numbers at meetings

     Speaker: Speaking of the meeting on Wednesday; we have a speaker in the form of Rezanne Bakkes, who will speak on how to effectively market your business through social media.
     We'll also be talking about a social event that Carol has up her sleeve for 31st January, a fifth Wednesday.
     Birthdays: We have four birthdays coming up in February: Jenine Coetzer celebrates on 7 February, Frayne Mathijs on 9 February, Ian Widdop on 21 February and Debbie Smith on 22 February.
     A Thought for the Week: I tore myself away from the safe comfort of certainties through my love for the truth - and truth rewarded me. - Simone de Beauvoir (1908-1986).