A New Dawn Rising

Even as Spring starts giving way to the Highveld Winter, the signs of a re-awakening at the Rotary Club of Johannesburg New Dawn are bountiful and plentiful.

It's been a busy month, starting with a talk by Honorary Member Nick Bell and culminating in honorary membership being bestowed on Past President Julian Nagy via the Bridge Drive.

The Rt. Rev. Nick Bell has already left the country again after a three-week long stay, much shorter than he and wife Hillary's normal stay with their daughter and her family in the South African winter.

                    President Jankees Sligcher and Gertrude Miyaka with Nick Bell in Soweto, with the new fence

Nick spoke to the club about the generous donation of more than  R20000 by the Rotary Club of Luton Someries in Luton, England, to help Gertrude Miyaka and her School of Hope put a fence around her nursery school in Soweto to safeguard it and the new toilets installed there by Donate a Loo and New Dawn.

Nick, who now lives in Northumberland and is a member of the Rotary Club of Holt, was vicar of St. Mary's in Luton for 20 years and as a member of the Rotary Club of Luton, was instrumental in establishing the Rotary Club of Luton Someries. He still has many friends in and connections to, the club, which was founded in 1990.

                                                   The new toilets at the School of Hope

Both Luton and Luton Someries have expressed interest in tackling new projects with New Dawn, which could culminate in proposals for new Global Grants. Hold Thumbs and watch this space.

                                                   Brenda Sakellarides

The annual Bridge Drive this past week was a great success with a projected income of around R30 000, up from the R20 000 raised last year. The money has been pledged to the National School of the Arts and Brenda Sakellarides was on hand to explain to the bridge players (more than 50 of them) that the morning was not just about playing bridge and enjoying lunch, but also about helping the NSA to help pupils in need.

The NSA is a state school, but relies heavily on donations to help the roughly half of its pupils who cannot afford school fees and all the other activities that these talented pupils take part in.

                                             The Bridge Drive lunch table

"Sometimes the golden key to success is a pair of shoes, a bus ticket, a lunchbox; knowing that getting to school is no longer a problem and buying lunch will mean that you can concentrate and achieve better marks," she said.

The players responded both by playing, buying raffle tickets and taking part in a quick auction. There was even an individual donation to help one of the NSA pupils to see through her Matric year.

                                               Julian Nagy becomes an Honorary Member

      The gathering at Giles Restaurant in Craighall Park after the Bridge Drive on Thursday

Thursday was rounded off with a social function at Giles in Craighall Park where club members could let their hair down (those that have any left) and spend some quality friendship time as Rotarians, prospective Rotarians and guests.

There has been a lot of discussion around club business in the past few meetings as New Dawn prepares for the Club Assembly on 17 May at Twickenham Guest House. Be there if you care about the future of your club, and remember that there is no meeting next Wednesday, 15 May because of the assembly.

A Thought for the Weeks Ahead: But man, proud man,/ Drest in a little brief authority, Most ignorant of what he's most assured, / His glassy essence, like an angry ape,/ Plays such fantastic tricks before high heaven/ As makes the angels weep. - William Shakespeare (1564 - 1616)