After a break from weekly meetings the Rotary Club of Johannesburg New Dawn got together again this week to kick-start the new year in typical New Dawn fashion: by hearing many stories of members who had quietly carried on with their good deeds regardless.
The meeting was held in high spirits, despite a slight hiccup when the keys to the Parkview clubhouse only just arrived in time to prevent the first gathering from taking place on the verandah and without Zoom or breakfast.
We ended up with Zoom, with breakfast and the good news that the Brag is Back! Members had the opportunity to tell their good news stories and there were many.
Carol Stier kicked off the feedback session by reporting that the Christmas gift wrapping held at the Ferndale on Republic mall in December was a great success. Two tables were set up and shoppers could get their gifts wrapped in exchange for a donation of any size to the Rotary Foundation.
Carol reported that more than R36000 was raised, with over R7000 of that being collected on the evening of 24 December. "A guy arrived with a trolleyful of gifts for young kids and kept us busy until 7 pm!"
The money will be apportioned to participating clubs according to the number of shifts worked.
Ivone Vosloo reported that the end-of-year Festive Dinner went very well, despite load shedding at a crucial time. She also pointed out that only 24 club members (out of a total number of attendees of about 100) were there. Just a reminder that this is one of the club's signature fundraising efforts so please try to be there this year. If you haven't noticed yet, Christmas is once again fast approaching.
The total takings for the club were a very welcome R20000, but also a sign that the evening should focus even more on ways in which to raise funds along with all the fun.
President Julian Nagy announced that during the break he'd had a request for the club to help with purchasing bunk beds for the Bright Spark Foundation SA School 4 Life for vulnerable girls and boys run by Welcome Witbooi, former prison gang boss who spoke to the club late last year.
In the end New Dawn donated about R5000 worth of bedding for the beds via Babette Gallard, a more practical contribution to help the school, which opened last week.
Julian also reported that Paul Chinn, Babette's husband, had had a heart problem in recent weeks and although out of hospital and out of danger, is now resting and recuperating. We wish him a speedy recovery.
Helene Bramwell reported that through Rotary channels a friend of hers in KwaZulu-Natal had managed to channel furniture she was wanting to donate to the Rotary Club of High Noon in Verulam after PDG Jankees Sligcher had put her in touch with the club. The furniture will go to victims of the flooding in KZN last year, many of whom are still in a struggle for survival.
Judy Symons reported that all the music rooms at the National School of Art in Braamfontein that she and Adele Dabbs took on, have been renovated and freshly painted, no mean feat after the original request for New Dawn to breathe a little life into about a third of the rooms.
Next week: The speaker next week is Sarah Barret, who organises inner city tours of Johannesburg and who visited the club towards the end of last year.
25 January: The meeting will be in the form of a Club Assembly, an opportunity to focus on strategic issues facing the club. The main discussions will revolve around a report by Carol Stier on the possibility of a variety of club membership types and how to deal with these in the club bye-laws and constitution.
1 February: The speaker will be DGN George Senoshi and the meeting will be followed by the monthly board meeting.
8 February: This will be a business meeting with feedback from the board meeting and the Club Assembly.
15 February: A social evening with the ultra-marathon superstar Bruce Fordyce is planned for the evening to replace the normal breakfast meeting.
16 March: It's a Thursday and the resurrected Bridge Drive will held at the Ferndale Recreation Club, so get your cards and bidding boxes ready for a bit of social bridge (or competition bridge for those so inclined). It's also a major fundraiser for the club, so please start finding out how you can contribute.
Speaking of contributions: The Brag is Back with a Bang and giving members the opportunity to share good news and good thoughts at the meeting, as was traditionally done at almost every meeting until Covid hit. The brag nets about R1000 for the club to help with running costs. A big thanks to everyone who contributed.
A Thought for the Year Ahead: Hope smiles from the threshold of the year to come, whispering, 'It will be happier'. - Alfred, Lord Tennyson (1809 - 1892)
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