Monday, 29 July 2019

Connecting the World with Pizza

Pizza is on the menu for tomorrow evening, the fifth Wednesday of the month. Remember, there is no meeting on Wednesday morning, but we'll be getting together from 6pm onwards at the Parkview Golf Club for an evening of fellowship.
     This is in line with President Judy Sligcher's stated aim of creating more social events where members can catch up with each other and guests and have some fun at the same time.
President Judy Sligcher discusses the new year with IPP Linda Vink, Julian Nagy and Helene Bramwell
     Judy used the meeting last week to set up club committees for the various club activities such as membership, projects and fundraising, Foundation and administration.
     Members were allowed to choose where their interest lie and in many cases chose more than one committee. Time will be made during ordinary meetings for committees to discuss business.
Linda Vink and Judy Symons look on while Judy hands over the honorary membership certificate to Frayne Mathijs
     Judy also announced that the board had decided to bestow honorary membership on Frayne Mathijs after many years of sterling service.
     Frayne will obviously still be able to attend meetings and take an active role in club affairs.
     At the same time Judy announced that club fees, discussed at the board and explained by Julian Nagy, the new treasurer, have been raised to R2400 a year, up from R2000, which can either be paid in a lump sum, semi-annually as has been the custom, or at R200 a month for those who prefer to do it that way.
Ian Widdop with visitor Felipe Pimenta
     A special visitor to the meeting was Felipe Pimenta from Sao Paulo in Brazil.
     Felipe is in South Africa for a series of lectures on sustainable development at the University of Johannesburg. He is studying in Italy at the moment after a stint in Belgium and is on his way to the Sorbonne in Paris.
     Most significant of all is that he has been a member of the Rotaract Club of Jacana in Sao Paulo for the past 12 years and fully expects to become a Rotarian on his eventual return to Brazil.
     With his background he's living proof of the Rotary theme for the year: Rotary connects the world.
Osumanu Dadzie of Ghana
     His visit followed that of two Rotarians the previous week, one of whom was Osumanu Dadzie, MD of a car rental company in Accra, Ghana, for those thinking of renting a car there.
     On hearing of Mike MacDonald's Pro-Am Golf Day at the Wanderers the same afternoon, Osumanu promptly volunteered to join the field.
     A pity then that he pitched up at the Wanderers for a rendezvous with Mike in his full soccer kit!
Graham Donet waits with the brag while Hervé Essélé takes a photo
 of the banner the club gave him
Back in Libreville Hervé hands the banner over to his club president
     Another visitor at the same meeting was Monsieur Hervé Christian Nkoghé Essélé, a policeman from Libreville, Gabon, here on official business. He is a member of the Rotary Club of Libreville, the oldest Rotary club in Gabon. He speaks mainly French, but with the help of PDG Jankees we managed to Connect the World of two Rotary cultures.
     Dates to diarise: The club decided, with a prompt from our new president, that we will definitely  be taking part in the Rotary Family Health Days this year, which are from 1 - 3 October, probably at the same Albert Street venue as two years previously. More details to follow.
Sinterklaas with one of his helpers, Zwarte Piet
     We also set a date for the Christmas dinner, on Wednesday, 4th December. This more or less coincides with St. Nicholas' Day in the Netherlands, which is on 6th December, with the main celebrations on the evening of 5th December, when gifts are exchanged.
     The venue for the dinner is still to be decided, depending on the number of people who attend.
     The favourite as a venue seems to be Twickenham Guest House, which is unfortunately limited to about 40 people.
Jankees and Judy Sligcher at the Johannesburg North Central induction
Elvis Munatswa shows his dance moves with his new club president, Monica Kiwanuka (in yellow)
     Twickenham was the scene of another Rotary function on Friday evening for the induction of the new president of the Rotary Club of Johannesburg North Central, Monica Kiwanuka. With Elvis Munatswa, a previous speaker at New Dawn, as Master of Ceremonies and excellent live music, a good time was had by all.
     The club and New Dawn have strong ties. PDG Jankees Sligcher attended as the representative of District Governor Maurice Stander and Carol Stier attended as AG for the club.
     A Thought for the Week: Courage is being scared to death but saddling up anyway. - John Wayne (1907 - 1979)




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