It's seems a bit of a contradiction to talk about business as usual when you're referring to Zoom meetings in the middle of a devastating third Coronavirus wave in Gauteng, but probably the best thing we can do at the moment is to soldier on.
A number of members that we know, and that includes Linda and me, have by now had both vaccinations and yet, apart from a vague feeling of achievement at having done so, there has been nothing tangible to show for it. We're still locked down, still restricted in our travel movements, wearing masks, sanitizing, social distancing, etc.
But at the same time we should be grateful for not being another statistic in the ever increasing Covid wave that is flooding Gauteng; not to be in hospital, on a ventilator, looking for a hospital bed and/or oxygen supply or any of the other misfortunes and worse that so many are suffering.
So amongst all this chaos it is business as usual, amply illustrated by the myriad smaller and larger efforts by club members, both established and new, that keep the wheels of New Dawn well-oiled and turning.
There's also always something to look forward to. Let's make that the mother of all Rotary New Dawn parties once we get to meet again!
An achievement to be proud of has been to supply the Umbuyisa School of Arts and Culture with poles and shade netting for their two vegetable patches to keep the sun and birds out.
Another is that the seedling farm at the National School of the Arts in Braamfontein that we funded with a Foundation Emergency Grant is being readied for its first planting now that production plans are in the final stages, reported Dani Geddes at the meeting. She said that weather permitting, the first planting will be in about two weeks. Tangible achievements indeed.
The business meeting was a full and busy one. Where to begin? We spoke about the revolving presidency last week and this week Joan Donet and Karlien Kruger spoke about the handover between them of secretarial duties. Joan still bears the burden of the position, but no doubt Karlien will soon become the kind of stalwart that everyone expects her to be.
On the financial front we could announce that there will be no increase in club dues for the year, especially if the rand/dollar exchange rate behaves itself.
With Hannes Dressler back in Moscow and there being uncertainty about his future movements, Shan Vorster will be undergoing a crash course in what is expected of a Rotary club Treasurer as a back-up. Either way we'll be in good hands.
The committee system is getting off the ground following the example of the fundraising committee during the past year. Committees such as that for membership have already kick-started with others ready to follow suit. Keep up the good work, everybody.
It was also announced that going forward Zoom meetings will be recorded and that Carol Stier, who is in charge of public image, will post relevant clips on the New Dawn YouTube site. Who knows who the next social media star is going to be.
Next Week: The speaker next week is PDG Francis Callard, a member of the Rotary Club of Northcliff and an old friend of New Dawn, who will be telling us more about the Rotary Foundation. This is a very important part of Rotary and required attendance for anybody interested in how to access global and district grants.
DG Visit: Every year the District Governor of that Rotary year is required to visit each club in the district where he or she meets with the board for a review of the club's objectives and achievements. Traditionally this took the form of meeting with four or five clubs at a time, followed by a formal dinner, which played havoc with the DG's health. Lately the DG has visited clubs during their weekly meeting, followed by a meeting with the board.
This will probably be done on Zoom this year. The meeting will be on Wednesday, 29 September. It's a date worth diarising as it gives us direct access to the DG and also because the new DG, Stella Anyangwe, is a dynamic speaker and personality.
President Ian Widdop also announced that the first three monthly evening meetings will be held on 28 July, 25 August and 15 September, at least initially on Zoom, although how one has fun on Zoom is beyond me.
Back to Covid: Lucille Blumberg reported that the number of reported infections should peak in the next week or so, but that the number of hospitalisations and deaths will continue rising after that.
Be safe out there, everybody.
A Thought for the Week: The church says: The body is a sin. Science says: The body is a machine. Advertising says: The body is a business. The body says: I am a fiesta. - Eduardo Galeano (1940 -)
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