With no fewer than twelve Community Corps affiliated with his Rotary Club of Waterkloof in Pretoria and another two that the club has helped mentor with the Rotary Baobab e-Club, District Governor Nominee George Senosha knows what he's talking about when he addresses the subject of Rotary Community Corps.
DGN George, who will be District Governor of D9400 in 2024/2025, would also be able to talk with insight about the hospitality industry - he came up the ranks and was introduced to Rotary when he was general manager of a hotel in Warmbaths which hosted the Rotary Club of Warmbaths. He also progressed in the retail industry, as first manager and then owner of Pick n Pay stores, becoming the first black owner of a Pick n Pay franchise in South Africa.
It was on the topic of Community Corps that DGN George, who has twice been president of the Waterkloof club, addressed the club at the meeting this week.
A Community Corps consists of volunteers who undertake projects of their own in their communities under the Rotary umbrella, without actually being full members of Rotary.
We are nowhere near the Rotary ideal of Service Above Self if we're not in the space of Community Corps, he said, because those members are closest to where the real needs in South Africa are. There is a missing link between Rotary and the communities especially in rural areas and the deepest part of townships that a Community Corps can provide.
A Rotary Community Corps is a team of non-Rotarians who are committed to their community's long-term economic development and self-sufficiency and are flexible partners in service with Rotary clubs, he said.
Membership is open to any non-Rotarian adults in the community who share Rotary's commitment to service. Members can come from any walk of life. Membership is not intended as a path to Rotary membership. Members can comprise an entire village, neighbourhood or community association that wants to work together.
It encourages individuals to take responsibility for the improvement of their community and encourages the development of human potential.
A community’s power to transform itself exists foremost with its residents, who have firsthand knowledge about the most pressing local problems. Developing service projects to address those problems can unite and empower the community at the grassroots level, and expose more community members to the power of Rotary, DGN George said.
Ten members are needed to start a Community Corps and they need to meet at least once a month. They are encouraged to undertake at least two major projects a year. Any membership fees should be nominal.
Rotary clubs are there to mentor and guide Community Corps and are not there to solve their problems, just to guide them. They need Rotary because they do not have the Rotary expertise or access to its network.
Remember: Wednesday evening, 15 February, is a big night with a fun and fundraising evening meeting at the Parkview Golf Club. The ultramarathon superstar Bruce Force will be the speaker and members are urged to bring along family and friends as guests.
The final tickets, at R1000 each, will be sold for the numbered and very colourful Norman Catherine print which is being raffled to anyone who would like to own an artwork by this very famous South African artist. Many thanks to Jeni Lobel for arranging that it got donated to New Dawn.
The draw for the winner of the print will also take place on Wednesday night and we're hoping to raise in excess of R30 000 for it.
Did You Know? The incoming Rotary International President (2023 - 2024) comes from Scotland. He is R. Gordon R, McInally of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry in West Lothian, Scotland. He was a dentist until his retirement in 2016.
He has chosen Create Hope in the World as his theme for the year. In introducing the theme he called on Rotary to create hope by working for peace and mental wellbeing.
A Thought for the Week: All art is autobiographical; the pearl is the oyster's autobiography. - Federico Fellini (1920 - 1993)
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