To Zoom or not to Zoom

After nearly six months of various stages of lockdown, things are slowly getting back to a more normal rhythm in the world out there, the world from which we have been sheltering ourselves in fear of contracting Covid-19.

     So it is with the world of Rotary too. Although meetings are still on zoom, the club has decided to have a social next Wednesday evening (23 September) in lieu of the usual fifth Wednesday social. The fifth Wednesday of September we'll be visited via zoom by DG Annemarie Mostert, which will be her official visit to the club.

     The board meeting this evening to further discuss the strategic plan, will be at Carol Stier's home in Parkview, so also face-to-face. The aim is to get the updated and revised strategic plan ready for the DG's visit.

The new covered veranda at the CCJ

     The social meeting will be on the new veranda of the Johannesburg Country Club in Auckland Park. When the plan was mooted last week nobody said they wouldn't attend, but it being a social evening, attendance is by choice.

     More regular face-to-face meetings at the Parkview Golf Club will be discussed again at the next board meeting (the first Monday evening of the month). Several suggestions of a mixture of zoom and physical meetings have been proposed.

     There seems to be a consensus that board meetings will be held on zoom and many members have said they'd prefer at least some of the regular meetings to remain on zoom.

     In advising on the possibility of a social meeting next Wednesday, Lucille Blumberg said new cases of the virus are definitely coming down, as are hospital admissions.

     Lucille said she avoids any contact with anybody for more than 15 minutes at a time, and always keeps a distance of at least a metre.

     The CCJ has advised that it follows full coronavirus protocol and that the wearing of masks is compulsory to all visitors.

The pizza menu at CCJ

     The idea is to have a pizza evening, starting at 6pm. A pizza typically costs about R60 to just over R100 and there is a bar available, so remember to bring cash and a mask.

     There's another deadline looming after Tony Reddy resigned as secretary of the club and withdrew his candidature to be the next president after Ian Widdop, due to business pressures.

     Tony is working on a project involving 19 African countries and feels he won't be able to give either positions enough attention to warrant staying on. He's definitely not leaving the club, he says.

     Joan Donet is filling in as temporary secretary and nominations for both posts must be in with her before the next board meeting on 5 October.

     The position of secretary is obviously more urgent, but a new president-elect will have to be in place by the very latest at the end of this year.

     Remember, in accordance with Rotary practices, you cannot put a name forward without clearing it with the person concerned. They have to be willing to accept a nomination before it can become official.

     The seed project, so brilliantly kicked off by Helene Bramwell, will be under discussion at the meeting on Wednesday. There will be four speakers telling us about their gardening projects and efforts in helping urban communities feed themselves. Don't miss it.

     A Thought for the Week: It is easy to sit up and take notice. What is difficult is getting up and taking action. - Honore de Balzac (1799 - 1850)