Bulletin No.32 - 2nd March 2010

Bulletin No.32 - 2 March 2010

Duty Roster

Today’s Attendance at the Business Lunch held at Vista Rus - Mike Wood

Make-Ups

Pam Ellis, Cameron Scott, Trevor Wells, Anthony Oshry, Rob Russell, Ross Kobus, Michelle Lehy and  A.N. Other at the Fellowship meeting.                                                         Date?

Ian Pringle, Michelle Lehy, Gianna Doubell, Glenn Harris, Lindsay Pearson, Christopher Holmes, Malcom Andrew, John Rauch, Nick Wilmot and Trevor Wells at the Board Meeting on 1 March.

Attendance with Make-Ups  100% plus

Visiting Rotarians

Nil

Non- Rotarian Visitors

The Anns who joined their Rotarian husbands and attended the lunch at this unusual venue (Pixie Pringle, Melanie Roberts, Joy Williams, Sandy Wells, Jenny Munro, Jenny van Graan, and Joan Osborn)  were given a warm welcome by Mike.

Gianna Doubell brought daughter Janika and Alana Wyss, Ed Gutsche was accompanied by Siobham and Exchange Student Manon Baelden attended her last lunch before returning home to Belgium on Thursday.

Vera Lawo a 1999/2000 Exchange Student from Aachen in Germany attended with her friend David Henneke. Vera is presently completing her PhD in Psychology in Germany. This highly intelligent young lady was an Exchange Student at the age of 16 years. After her year at Pearson she returned to complete another two years of schooling in Germany. Most unusual

President Ian’s Announcements

a)      Members who will be attending the hand-over of the Eye Machine on tomorrow  evening were requested to sign the list that Alana Wyss was circulating at lunch. Please inform Pres Ian/Christopher Holmes if you did not sign that list but plan to attend the hand-over of this R360 000 piece of medical equipment.

b) We are all expected to reply to committee meeting invitations. Silence,  when an invitation is extended,  is not an option. ENSURE THAT YOU REPLY TO EVERY INVITATION!

Visit to Vista Rus

From the moment we arrived the Rotarians and Anns were warmly welcomed and directed to the dining room.

The organisers had gone out of their way to accommodate us: decor was outstanding, the meal excellent and the service super!

In her short talk to us the organiser, Fatima,  gave us a few details about the home. Vista Rus is a Section 21 company which accomodates 526 destitute people (including 102 children). Without any support from the government the home depends financially both on a) donations from churches and the public and b) what the residents themselves earn in the community as car guards, labourers, through recycling etc

A really pleasant experience that all will look back on with pleasure!

Vista Rus is living up to their motto:  Making a Difference

Other Matters

a)      Katherine Holmes, our outgoing student to Canada, has written a long letter describing  her really positive involvement with her host families, in her school, with the local Rotary clubs and in the community. The letter is too long to be included in the Bulletin but is available in full on our web site.

Katherine is doing us and Rotary generally very proud!!!!!  Please read her letter

b)      The Anns are cordially invited to both the wildlife/bird presentation by Ken Munro at lunch on Tuesday and also to the bird-watching outing in Settlers Park on 13^th March.

Director’s Reports

Nick Wilmot drew attention to the Club’s financials emailed to members recently. He has requested that any queries comments etc should directed to him in writing so that he can give complete and considered replies.

Lindsay Pearson reported that four young people (two from St Dominics and two from Lawson Brown) will attend the RYLA camp this weekend. Details later.

Trevor Wells thanked Gianna for the organisation behind last week’s very successful Travelling Supper in which The Rector, The Surgeon and the The Decorator all displayed their remarkable culinary skills!

The Fellowship Committee has also arranged a braai at the North End Lake on 13^th March.  Details later.

Gianna drew attention to the 5 000 Rotary banners that Arthur Ahlschlager has filed in his archives and then asked the question, do we carry on with this old tradition or do we present something more appropriate to visitors? Gianna invited us to submit ideas for the PR committee to consider.

Michelle Lehy and her fund-raising committee are searching for another lucrative fund-raising activity (besides the Golf Day and the Big Draw) to boost club funds and by so doing increase our contribution in the community.  All members to give this some thought and then contact Michelle with your ideas

Forthcoming Events for your Diary

4 March                Hand over of the Eye Machine  (Phaco Presentation)                                      Grey Pavilion  5.30pm

9 March              Ken Munro                 Wildlife/bird presentation                                                     Lunch venue

13 March             Bird Watching                                                                                                                    Settlers Park  8am

13 March           North End Lake braai                                                                                                        Power Boat Club 5pm

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

23 March             Lauren Stretch                                                   KICK                                                       Lunch venue

6 April                   Donovan May, President of the EP Cricket Board                                                              Lunch venue

13 April                Charter Dinner                                                                                                                 Humewood Golf Club

22 May                 Spit Braai                                                                                                                             TBA

29 June                Induction Dinner                                                                                                              Humewood Golf Club

From Paula Santos (Ambassadorial Scholar)

It has been some time since I have 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 behavioural health group. I specialise in training, supervising, supporting and developing our clinical programmes. We work with children and families with children with various developmental delays. With school through I have a more stable lifestyle consisting of the director position, teaching graduate level course in psychology and behaviourism at 2 different universities, and a small private practice with a past professor of mine.

This stable life style has allowed me to join a local Rotary Club! I just joined a months back and helped set up an Interact Club at one of the high schools, and have recently been asked to be president-elect of the club. I’m not sue yet that I can take on such a large role but have really enjoyed working weekly with the Interactors- we are off to a great start.

I have won a trip to a (S.A.?) game reserve through my club in Massachsetts and would love to stop in and see the Algoa Bay Rotarians if possible during my brief travels. I would also like to put our Interactors or clubs together so we could exchange information etc at this time

Sergeant -  Pam Ellis

Because of the shortage of time Pam was limited  to wishing Godfrey van Graan a very happy birthday for yesterday

and  congratulating Rob and Sally Russell on their 37^th wedding anniversary on the 3^rd and Des and Cathy Willis’ on their 43^rd on the 4^th March. Hopefully my Maths is correct

(Pam has requested that we do not try and contact her through the Collegiate fax number that appears in the Gold Book.)

Vocational Readings -  Ken Munro

Your legacy should be that you made it better than it was when you got it.

Lee Iacocco of the  Crysler Corporation

Many thanks to Pres Ian for acting as scribe during my absence last week

Malcom Andrew