Bulletin No. 26 - 19th January 2010

Bulletin No. 26 - 19 January 2010

Duty Roster

Today’s Attendance - Ed Gutsche

Make-Ups

Nil                                                                                                                                                

Visiting  Rotarians

Andy Crowe (Assistant Governor)            P.E. East

Lynn Grenfell                                                East London

Non- Rotarian Visitors

Manon Baelden (Exchange Student  from Belgium) was brought by host Christopher Holmes, Gary Andrew accompanied Malcom  and Leanne Naidoo supported her husband and new member Vernon at his maiden speech.

President Ian’s Announcements

1. The next  Board Meeting will be held on Monday 25^th at 5.30pm at Old Grey
2. There will be a Fellowship Committee meeting at Michelle Lehy’s home on 28^th. All committee members to attend please
3. Denzil Stickells (welcomed back after a 4 month absence overseas visiting the family) and Andy Crowe (Assistant Governor)  were afforded a special welcome to the lunch
4. To maximise her exposure to the local area specifically and South Africa generally Rotarians planning trips/outings should try and invite Exchange Scholar Manon Baeldon to join them if at all possible

Change of Date: The visit to the soccer stadium that has been arranged by Michelle Brown will take place on Tuesday 16^th February (NOT the 9^th as previously announced) . The plan is that immediately after lunch on that day we will move down to the stadium to be there at 2.30pm for a prompt start. Those interested in attending are to ensure Michele has your name.

Our Speaker: Vernon Naidoo

Vernon gave us a clear and lucid  idea of what makes him tick.

His motto: “Never give up!”

One of 8 children, he was born and educated  in Port Elizabeth. Working for NMMU he spreads the critically important message of the value of Maths, Science and computers to mainly the under-privileged schools in the northern areas. And he is passionate about what he does.

Much time is also given to counselling and motivating the principals and the teachers (many of whom are under-qualified to teach these subjects) to ensure these subjects obtain maximum exposure.

Vernon has the makings of a good Rotarian, and Leanne a committed Ann.

Forthcoming Events for your Diary

25^th January        Board Meeting                                                                  5.30pm                                Old Grey

26^th January       Stephen Theodosiou    “Walking on hot coals”                                                     Lunch venue

28^th January        Fellowship Committee meeting                                                                                                Michele Lehy’s home

2 February          Business Meeting                                                                                                            Lunch venue

9  February         Di Ann Qoto (Miss P.E.)                                                                                                 Lunch venue

23 February        Ismail Mahomed      Festival Director: National Arts Festival                          Lunch venue

Letter from Paula Santos (the Ambassadorial Scholar we hosted a few years back) was sent to me by Trevor Long

Greetings from Sunny California!

It has been some time since I’ve been in touch with any of you. Life has kept me happy, healthy, and busy. After finishing up my doctorate I took a position as the Regional Clinical Director for a growing behavioral health group. I specialize in training, supervising, supporting, and developing our clinical programs. We work with children and families with children with various developmental delays. With school through I now have a more stable lifestyle consisting of the director position, teaching graduate level course in psychology and behaviorism at 2 different universities, and a small private practice a past professor of mine. This stable lifestyle has now allowed me to join a local rotary club!! I just joined a few months back and helped set up an Interact Club at one of the local high schools, and have recently been asked to be president elect of our club. I’m not sure yet that I can take on such a large role to be president but have really enjoyed working weekly with the Interactors- we are off to a great start.

I am writing for 2 requests: (1) do you have an Interact Club affiliated with the Algoa Bay Rotarians that we could put the Pasadena Sunrise/Blair Interactors in touch with? and (2) I know how active you have always been with your matching grants and projects. Our club is looking to take on a project regarding sanitation/clean water. Would you be interested or know a club in the area who might be? and I am planning a trip back to South Africa before the end of 2011! I have won a bid for a trip over to game reserve which was a fundraising project through my sponsor district back in Massachusetts I would love to stop in and see the Algoa Bay Rotarians if possible during my brief travels and should we be able to put our Interactors or clubs together in any way we could also exchange any information, etc. at this time.

I hope this emails finds you all well and happy in 2010

Yours in Rotary,

Paula

Who will respond to Paula?  Trevor have you got this under control?

Water Project

Members will recall that with Uitenhage South this Club supported a water provision project in Uganda a few years back.

Les Kirkland has just received the official report from the Rotary Foundation which states that the project has been successfully completed and over 800 people in the rural areas of that country benefit directly from the borehole, pumps and storage tanks installed.

Another good job completed. Well done!

Sergeant - Rolf Angelbauer

Club members with birthdays this week are David Browne (23^rd), Ria Angelbauer (24^th) and Gianna Doubell and Lindsay Ziehl (25^th).       Best wishes to all of you.

Wedding anniversaries celebrated this week are:-

Danie and Thelma Theron on 24^th.

Melwyn and Esther Levitan celebrate their 40^th (Ruby) wedding anniversary on 19^th, which is very impressive.

But  Ken and Jenny Munro celebrate their 51^st wedding anniversary on 24th, which is outstanding!

Congratulations to all of those mentioned.

Rolf told the story of the absent-minded man who only remembered his wife’s name (Rose) when his friend identified the name of the flower with bright colours and thorns growing in the garden

2009 Academic achievements

Rotarians were invited to let me have details of 2009 academic achievements of their children/grandchildren for inclusion in the Bulletin.

Besides Nina Brown who was mentioned last week  the other children/grand children whose details were passed onto to me were:-

Simone Brussouw (grand-daughter of Fred and Melanie) passed her matric well and will be reading for a degree is Media Communication and Culture at NMMU this year

Shelley Saunders (Peggy’s daughter) enjoyed an outstanding year in 2009. Not only did she achieve 5 distinctions in the B.Com Marketing degree she completed last year, but also played cricket and hockey at provincial level. She will be reading for her Honours degree in Marketing at NMMU this year.

Vocational Readings -  Michelle Brown

Michele read us the last two lines of William Henley’s poem “Invictus”, which inspired Nelson Mandela to achieve the extraordinary heights he has.

“I am the master of my fate,

I am the captain of my soul”

How do we get the majority of our population to buy into these concepts?

Tailpiece

Do you realise that in about 40 years time there will be millions of grandmothers throughout the world with pierced navels and colourful  tattoos in the strangest places.

A scary thought!!!!!

Malcom Andrew