Bulletin No.28 - 2nd February

Bulletin No. 28 - 2 February 2010

Duty Roster

Today’s Attendance - Bernhard Rupp

Make-Ups

Phillip Shaw, Peggy Saunders, Gianna Doubell, Trevor Wells, Anthony Oshry, Ross Kobus, Godfrey van Graan,  Roy Calder                                                                                                                                                Fellowship Meeting on 28 January

Ian Pringle, Christopher Holmes, John Rauch, Trevor Wells, Malcom Andrew, Gary Woodhead, Michelle Lehy, Les Kirkland, Gianna Doubell                                                                                                  Board Meeting on 1 February

Des Willis:     Foundation Meeting 23 Jan, Port Alfred 25 Jan and Sunrise 23 Jan

Fred Roberts:  Sunrise    29 January

Attendance with Make-Ups 100% plus

Non- Rotarian Visitors

Michelle Campbell attended with Ed Gutsche

Manon Baelden  (Exchange Scholar)

President Ian’s Announcements

1. Alf Levinthal is back home after his successful ops to both knees and is moving around on crutches. He should be back at lunch next week
2. Bev Radue is on his way home after a stay with family in New Zealand and should also be back shortly
3. Manon Baelden’s  parents will be in Port Elizabeth shortly. Rotarians and Anns are invited to a Bring and Braai at 7.30pm on 12 February at 15 Verdi Ave, Walmer Heights. Please RSVP to Jean 082 401 2545 or sms 0729350267 should you be planning to attend.
4. There are still too many members who are not attending lunch and are also not apologising for their absence. To underline this point 13% of the club were absent from lunch today and did not apologise for their absence. This is not acceptable
5. The same rule applies to Committee Meetings. If you cannot attend an apology in good time is expected
6. The official handover of the “eye machine” will take place with maximum publicity in the near future. Details later
7. The usual lunch meeting will move to Vistarus on 2 March.   To ensure the catering is adequate please ensure that you apologise to Gianna if you cannot attend.  NB Old books and magazines are desperately needed in the Vistarus library, which is used by all the residents. Please ensure that your boot is full when you attend the lunch!

Gianna will announce other details pertinent to this visit in due course

1. Trevor Long is looking for volunteers to facilitate the arrival, storage and distribution of containers of school and other books donated by Texas Rotarians. A very exciting project

Directors Reports:-

Gary Woodhead-  Membership

Our membership has recently dropped slightly through natural attrition, the latest being  Don McGillivray. As usual we are looking for good potential Rotarians, but there is presently no need for concern as we are more interested in quality rather than quantity.

Les Kirkland - Projects

a)      Les reminded us that there are 3 projects in the pipeline  for MG’s:-     a) Ubuntu

b) Alpha Primary School

c) Lake Farm

However he feels that we need to get others organised so that when the moratorium on MGs is hopefully lifted in the near future we are in a position to submit immediately.

b)   Peter Long is looking for volunteers for a hands on project to resurrect the bathroom at Khayalethu, home for street children, this Saturday. Five strong men immediately responded and will be taking their 4-pound hammers and chisels with them. Many thanks Arthur, Trevor, Ian, Roy and George for responding so enthusiastically.

c)   Natalie Stear reminded us of the need for dictionaries for the Star Schools,  which teach Maths, Science and English to the disadvantaged students on Saturdays. Many of these students have produced stunning results in the recent matric exams. Pres Ian agreed that the necessary R5 000 would be forthcoming from club funds

Michele Lehy  (Fund-Raising)

Besides the Golf Day and the Big Draw, which of course are our main sources of income, Michele and her committee are looking for additional fund-raising ideas.  All ideas are welcome. Please pass them onto Michele a.s.a.p.

The committee is also looking into arranging a luncheon for potential donors where the advantages of Matching Grants could be explained to them.

Trevor Wells (Fellowship)

Trevor reported that at their planning meeting last week it was proposed that the monthly Fellowship functions be:-

a)      a travelling supper in February

b)       Bird walk in Settlers Park in March, using the expert services of Ken Munro

c)       Quarterly Dinner in April

d)      A braai and film for the residents at Lake Farm in May

e)      Induction Dinner in June

John Rauch (Trust Fund)

The fund was started in 1988 and John explained that there is presently R493 000 invested at the Old Mutual. Only the interest may be used for projects

Glenn Harris

Herbert Hurd Primary has purchased a Shelter Box to assist some of the Haitian people made homeless  by the recent earthquake. Cost to the school was R6076, and Glen challenged other schools/institutions  to match this generous humanitarian act.

Pres Ian announced that the Club will also purchase such a shelter.

Each of these shelters will provide for a family for 6 months

Nick Wilmot (Treasurer)

The latest financials have been emailed to you recently and are available to all members.

The good news that Nick shared with us is that the Club is solvent with:-

R328 000 in the General Account

R476 000 in the Matching Grant account

R493 000 in the Trust account

Thanks Nick. A most pleasing financial situation!

Pres Ian has requested that this uplifting letter from Trevor and Denise Long be brought to the attention of all membersl

PROVINCIAL ONCOLOGY PROJECT

Ray Klingingsmith visited Port Elizabeth last year and he was taken to the Provincial hospital to see where some of the CHOC Matching Grant initiated by the Grey Boys would be spent. As a result of that, Maureen Heath, Denise Long, and later Sandy Wells, were able to arrange for some pressing needs to be met.

Algoa Bay Anns, P.E.West Inner Wheel and St Paul’s Anglican church have been able to supply sandwiches on 3 days a week for the oncology out patients. Previously only 2 days were organized. There is still space on the roster if anyone would like to assist. The more participants there are, the fewer occasions one has to do a duty. Contact Pixie Pringle for details if you are able to assist.

Dr Neil Littleton needed some additional equipment to enable him to assist more patients.  This equipment was obtained from ROMEX (Rotary Medical Exchange in East  London).  Michelle Brussouw very kindly arranged for Grant Tomlinson from Intertown Transport to do the transporting.  He brought the equipment from East London, and then delivered it to the hospital.  There was no charge for this. In these time of financial hardships for businesses this was a very generous gesture.  If anyone needs any transporting to be done, you will know who to contact in the future.

Peter Long will very kindly arrange for a partition to be built. New curtains and painting of the oncology day room would complete this project, and hopefully this could be accomplished in the near future.

Forthcoming Events for your Diary

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

16  February       Dr Piet Naude from NMMU                                                                                        Lunch Venue

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

2 March                Lunch will be held at Vistarus .                                                                           Details later

16 March            Prof Leanna Uys  (vice Chancellor of the University of University of KZN)  Lunch venue

16 April                Quarterly Dinner                                                                                                               TBA

29 June                Induction Dinner                                                                                                               Humewood Golf Club

Sergeant - Bernhard Rupp

Bernhard congratulated both Rod van der Weele and Karin Shaw both of whom will celebrate their birthdays on 7 February, and Ross and Lindsay Kobus who will celebrate their 39^th wedding anniversary on 6^th February.

Congratulations and best wishes to all four of you.

Des Willis still has the Fellowship Box

A Department of Water Resource representative stops at a Free State farm and speaks with the old farmer.

“I need to inspect your farm to ensure you are not exceeding the water allocation”, said the official

“No problem”‘ said the farmer, “but do not go into the field over there”

The official responded ‘ “Meneer, I have the full authority of the ANC government. See this card? This card means I am allowed to go wherever I wish on any agricultural land: no questions asked. Do you understand?”

The farmer nods politely and goes about his chores. Shortly thereafter he hears loud screams and sees the official running for his life closely followed by the farmer’s bull. He is obviously terrified and screaming for help so the farmer throws down his tools, runs to the fence and yells at the top of his lungs…

“Your card!  Show him your card!”

Draw

Vaughan Giles conducted the Draw with the following results:-

Attendance: Bill Williams

2^nd Prize: George Tzemis

Ist Prize: Incoming- President John Rauch

Vocational Readings -  Mel Levitan

1. Never look down to test the ground before taking your next step; only he who keeps his eye fixed on the far horizon will find the right road  - Dag Hammarsjold   (did Steve’s firewalkers not receive a similar message?)
2. Don’t say you do not have enough time. You have exactly the same number of hours per day that were given to Helen Keller, Pasteur, Michelangelo, Mother Theresa, Leonardo de Vinci, Thomas Jefferson and Albert Einstein  -   H. Jackson Brown

Thanks Mel. There are some stimulating thoughts in these words.

Malcom Andrew