Monday 27 January 2020

New Dawn Milestones as 2020 Kicks In

It's a Chinese curse to wish you to live in interesting times, but at New Dawn we do like living on the (ever interesting) frontier.
     This was abundantly evident again with the first, very busy, quite hectic, meeting of the month last week.
DG Maurice and DGA Chrisna Stander were honoured visitors
     We had visitors aplenty starting with the District Governor and District Governor Anns Maurice and Chrisna Stander, good friends of New Dawn.
     They were there to honour PDG Jankees and President Judy Sligcher for becoming Major Donors to the Rotary Foundation. They are the first members of New Dawn to be honoured in this way
DG Maurice Stander with a Major Donor pin for Judy and Jankees Sligcher
     PDG Jankees is of course a founder member of New Dawn.
     The DG also took the opportunity to hand over a special banner and certificate from Rotary International recognising the club for being the largest donor to The Rotary Foundation in District 9400. This is a record New Dawn has been keeping up for the past few years.
President Judy Sligcher with the banner and Certificate from the Rotary Foundation
PDG Francis Callard and Paul Westcott of the Rotary Club of Northcliff
      The Rotary Club of Northcliff decided to organise a raid and PDG Francis Callard, accompanied by his wife, Janet, Paul Westcott and Dave Woodhouse paid us a visit during which the shovel that we use for the weekly brag, disappeared under mysterious circumstances.
     It was returned by Janet Callard on Sunday on the stoep for champagne at the Sligcher home, who claims she took it to force New Dawn into a return raid on Northcliff. We're duty bound to do just that, so watch this space.
President-elect Ian Widdop with Joan Sainsbury
     Other visitors were Debbie de Vries' mom, Petro Swanepoel, Joan Sainsbury, who is transferring from the Rosebank Rotary club and Steve du Plessis, paying us a retro visit after spending the last three months in Hermanus.
Nick Bell
     Also there was Nick Bell, back in South Africa from the UK for he and his wife's annual three month visit to South Africa to visit their daughter and her family, including grandchildren, of course.
Phia van der Spuy addressing the club on the subject of financial trusts
     The speaker was Phia van der Spuy, author of Demistifying Trusts in South Africa. She addressed the club on the role of trusts in estate planning and emphasised the importance of keeping trust and trustees and your will up to date.
     Ian Widdop and Carol Stier reported that the Rotary E-club of Silicon Valley in California, USA, have reached out to New Dawn with a specific request for information on The Link project. They have expressed an interest in co-funding future expansion. Exciting news, indeed.
     Another milestone was that the SA Revenue Service has finally granted the club tax exemption and PBO status after exhaustive work behind the scenes by Julian Nagy, our club treasurer. Word has it that many clubs in the district are very envious.
The Standers, Carol Stier, Debbie de Vries and her Mom, Petro Swanepoel,  listen intently
     Speaking of Chinese curses, Lucille Blumberg filled the club in on the latest on the Coronavirus that is sweeping across China and many other parts of the world and has caused whole cities such as Wuhan, where it is thought to have started, to be shut down by Chinese authorities.
     So far there are no reported cases in South Africa, although Lucille says it could reach here at any time. Hold thumbs.
     The first meeting of the year was followed by the first social occasion on the Sligcher stoep for champagne on Sunday. As you can see from the photographs, a good time was had by all.
Susan Kasango and Hannah Bartlett in the garden
Our host and hostess, Jankees and Judy Sligcher, enjoying lunch. Hats were obviously a feature of the day
Julian Nagy and Helene Bramwell enjoy a glass of sparkling wine and a chat with Paul Kasango and Lucille Blumberg in the background
The braaimeisters of the day were Adriaen Sligcher and Harmon Gongggryp, Judy's brother, and they did a sterling job behind hot fires on a hot day
Lucille Blumberg tucking into the trout she brought for the braai while Judy looks on
Francis Callard and Ronnie Kasrils deep in conversation
Graham Donet pronounces the lovely party on a beautiful Johannesburg summer day a success
     Date to remember: The first board meeting of the year is on Tuesday 4 February at 7am at the Sligcher home, 9 Sutherland Ave, Craighall Park. All members are welcome to attend.
     A Thought for the Week: If youth knew; if age could. - Sigmund Freud (1856 - 1939)



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