Left Out in the Cold

We were left out in the cold on Wednesday morning, but still managed to leave the meeting with warm hearts, as we usually do.

The person responsible for unlocking the Parkview Golf Club got delayed, so in true can-do Rotary New Dawn style, the meeting was called on the veranda on one of the coldest mornings of the past few weeks.

Halfway through good humour, blood circulation and warm bodies were restored when the key made its way to Parkhurst and the club building was unlocked.

         Out in the Parkview cold

          ... and back in the heat of things

It was a business meeting following the August board meeting and there was lots to report on.

President Julian Nagy started off by congratulating Donate a Loo with their golf day and said he'd visited the Wanderers Golf Club while it was on and it looked to be a great success. New Dawn will now start concentrating on our own Golf Day on 21 October, the major fundraising event of the year, to be held at Parkview Golf Club as in the past.

Fundraising was the first order of business with the prospect of the third draw for Power of Pennies coming up, to be held in August and to be organised by the newly established Fellowship portfolio in the capable hands of Ivone Vosloo.

President Julian also spoke about the My School Card effort and said although funds have been trickling in, the club needs a member to champion it and go on a proper recruitment drive. This shouldn't be such a difficult task as it is passive income. All you have to do is to get people to sign up once with New Dawn as their beneficiary, or one of their beneficiaries.

The Braamfontein Spruit river system running through Joburg is desperately in need of a thorough clean-up

          Hopefully the spruit will look a lot more like this after World Cleanup Day on 17 September

Babette Gallard and Paul Chinn did a presentation to the board on their efforts in arranging a cleanup of the Braamfontein Spruit on World Cleanup Day on 17 September and the proposal has now been formally accepted.

Members are reminded that New Dawn will be tackling the section running through the Parkview Golf Club and it'll be a case of all hands on deck.

Karlien Kruger has volunteered to co-ordinate the club's efforts for the Mother and Child area of focus, as have Babette and Paul for the environment. Graham Donet oversees the Youth portfolio and will be involving Minenhle Majola, who in this case will be wearing his Rotaract hat.

PDG Jankees Sligcher has taken on the responsibility of arranging a mentorship programme for incoming members, something that has been lacking during the Covid years. Joan Sainsbury once again emphasised the value of the Rotary Leadership Institution courses in teaching newcomers more about Rotary as an international organisation.

Next week: There'll be a speaker next week. Hendrik Engelbrecht will be speaking on the benefits of solar power.

A Thought for the Week: By the time a man is wise enough to watch his step, he's too old to go anywhere. - Billy Crystal (1948 -)