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FRANC'S FABLES
Hi everyone! Hard to believe we’re more than ½ way through this Rotary Year.
Towards the end of January we were visited by Rtn Milton & Elaine Frary, members of the Wheelchair Foundation UK. They were accompanied by Brian and Barbara Baguley and Jeff and Joyce Barnes to finalise the handover of recent Matching Grant to handicapped and very deserving local recipients. How humbling for me to see the look on a mother’s face when her disabled young child is given mobility. Thank you to Ian and Joan for facilitating the project and appreciation to all who hosted our visiting Rotarians.
Lesley and New Generations are heartily congratulated on another most successful Bath Interact project during the week of 13 February and, by all accounts, a repeat is being planned for next year! A Matching Grant once again made possible by administrative work so competently carried out by Joan.
Anns held ‘break-up day, happy holiday party’ at Buffelsnek Forestry Station Primary and Pre-primary schools supplying gifts and refreshments to 43 children.
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The members of the Wheelchair Foundation from Britain. From left to right:
Barbara & Brian Baguley, Elaine & Milton Frary and Joyce & Jeff Barnes
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They helped in sponsoring gifts for a party at Knysna Provincial Hospital, giving those less fortunate pleasure at Christmas.
The Rotary Club of Plett was visited by DG Shân on 27 January and Penny and I were very happy to attend this enjoyable event.
Appreciation to Family of Rotary for support in so many ways during past eight difficult months of our brother Cameron’s ill health and subsequent loss. Even when death’s expected one is never prepared.
Our theme for the Year...BUILDING COMMUNITIES, BRIDGING CONTINENTS: Until next time, keep going!
Yours - Pres Franc
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U3A NEWS
The awning promised to Ruigtevlei School by U3A in 2008 has at long last been erected after many trials and tribulations. As the school has no hall, the awning is a welcome shade for gatherings. Thanks go to all those involved and the combined effort with the Rotary Club of Knysna. The principal John Levendal is thrilled. Deputy Head, Elfrieda Buys, expressed their thanks at the November meeting |
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| RI PRESIDENT-ELECT KALYAN BANERJEE WILL ASK ROTARIANS TO: |
Reach Within to Embrace Humanity during the 2011- 12 Rotary year. |
“Reach Within to Embrace Humanity”
Banerjee unveiled the RI theme during the opening plenary session of the 2011 International Assembly, a training event for incoming district governors. He urged participants to harness their inner resolve and strength to achieve success in Rotary.
"In order to achieve anything in this world, a person has to use all the resources he can draw on. And the only place to start is with ourselves and within ourselves," Banerjee said. Once Rotarians find their inner strength, he continued, they can accomplish great things in their communities and around the world. "Discover yourself, develop the strengths within you, and then unhesitatingly, unflinchingly, go forth and encircle the world, to embrace humanity," he said.
Banerjee emphasized the family as a starting point in serving others. "The communities we live in are not built of individual people but of families -- families living in homes together, sharing their lives and their resources and their common destinies. Good families lead to good neighbourhoods, and good neighbourhoods build good communities."
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Rotarians can focus on projects that support families, such as those that provide safe housing or improve maternal and child health, he said. Continuity in Rotary’s work, including polio eradication, is also important, Banerjee said. "There are so many things we are indeed good at: working for clean, safe water; spreading literacy; working in so many ways with the New Generations, our youth, in our newest Avenue of Service and assisting them to become the leaders of tomorrow." Citing Mahatma Gandhi’s call to "be the change you wish to see in the world,” Banerjee said Rotarians should also focus on change.
"If we wish for peace, we start by living in peace ourselves, in our homes and in our communities," he explained. "If we wish environmental degradation to stop, if we wish to reduce child mortality or to prevent hunger, we must be the instrument of that change -- and recognize that it must start within us, with each of us."
The theme inspired the roomful of Rotary leaders, including Jogesh Gambhir, governor-elect of District 3250 (India). “It is a touching theme, but also very purposeful and meaningful,” said Gambhir. “I’m sure we can inspire the clubs into action to solve the problems in the community. That’s the ultimate goal of Rotary.”
“There are no words for me to describe how remarkable it was. To me, he was right on and weaved everything together beautifully," said Jane Millar, governor- elect of District 6290 (parts of Ontario, Canada, and Michigan, USA). "I am so thrilled to be a district governor when this man is president. “I loved the focus on family, continuity, and change," she added. "Family is the centre of everything, and not just our immediate family. It’s also about the family of Rotary and the world as one big family."
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| DES AND LEA DOWNING’S GIFT |
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Des Downing asked PDG Elwin Thompson what Rotary project they could support and without hesitation Elwin recommended Masithandane in Sedgefield. Elwin send a few Newsletters from the Rotary Club of Knysna, with articles about Masithandane for their information. After reading them, Des and Lea then donated an amount to Masithandane to help with the buying of equipment.
Thanks to Des and Lea for their generosity. |
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Happy children at Masithandane
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| ROTARY’S KNOCK-ON EFFECT by Barbara Iken
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When reading the newsletters of the Rotary Club of Knysna, it is clear that over the years the club has been very active in projects and community support. As all who have been directly involved in community projects are aware, however, Knysna is fortunate in having many other citizens and organizations who are also dedicated to improving the conditions of our community. Often when the club is involved in a project, others join in. This can be done materially, financially or in services rendered. What we see in these cases is a strong knock-on effect. Some examples of this knock-on effect are described below.
Earlier this year the club agreed to spend R25 000 for five new bicycles for the Sports School. When they heard that the bicycles were meant for the use of disadvantaged youngsters at the Sports School, Coimbra Cycle House in George gave an exceptional price so that we could buy not five, but seven bicycles. They also donated a water bottle and bicycle pump with each bicycle.
When they heard about this contribution, a group of non-Rotarian mountain bikers - Dave Underwood, Ryan Utermark, Hein Gillomee, Kevin Stocks, Jean Montcreef, Gavin Selfe, Terry Odgers and Grant Trollip – together donated another two new mountain bikes to the Sports School. The handover took place at Abbottsfield in Rheenendal on Saturday 5th February and the beneficiaries are the forty cyclists from the Keurhoek community who partake regularly in Knysna Sport School’s Development Programme.
When approached by Dr. Laurel Giddy, the Service Projects Committee agreed to finance the installation of two locks on the cupboards of the rape centre in the Provincial Hospital, enabling the safe storage of their victim support packs. Knysna Locksmith was commissioned with the installation, but Quintin Brand would not accept payment and donated the locks and their installation.
I am sure that there are many Rotarians who could tell similar stories of how others “came to the party”. Let us remember that the work Rotary does is powerful, both in its results and achievements, as well as in terms of inspiration and infectiousness. Cooperation amongst different groups of a community is a sign of a caring and active society.
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Bicycle handover to the Knysna Sports School Development Trust with, from left to right, Dave Underwood, Neilen Booysen, Vernon Moos, Roelf Leen, Ayrton Jonkerman, Keith Cretchley and Colin Mathiesen. In the front are Buron Barnado and Kyle Underwood |
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| ASSISTANT GOEVERNORS’ TRAINING AT ROSENVIEW
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The Assistant Governors for 2011-2012 for District 9350 were lead by the District Governor Elect, Deon van Zyl, at their training on 11 and 12 February at the beautiful Rosenview wine farm near Stellenbosch. The Assistant Governor for the Southern Cape will be President Mika Lutchman from the Rotary Club of Mossel Bay.
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District Governor Elect, Deon van Zyl, with Past District Governor,
Elwin Thompson, at the AG’s training. |
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President Mika Lutchman from Mossel Bay,
the new AG for the Southern Cape
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| INTERACTORS BUILDING COMMUNITIES, BRIDGING CONTINENTS
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After many hours of planning, e-mails and working for their own way to South Africa, the 24 Rotary Interactors from Beechen Cliff and Hayesfield Schools in Bath, UK, and six teachers, arrived in Knysna. These 16 and 17 year old boys and girls had a mission, ‘to help the children in Knysna’.
Interact is a Rotary-sponsored youth service club and the Rotary Club of Knysna sponsors six clubs in Knysna.
The planning started two years ago when John Young, a teacher from Beechen Cliff School, visited the Rotary Club of Knysna with a group of students. The students then decided to do a project in Knysna. It took a lot of discussions and decisions before the two Interact Clubs in Bath and the six Interact Clubs in Knysna came up with a Rotary Matching Grant of about R100 000 to upgrade two crèches, Siyafunda in Robololo and Chalky Talky in Hornlee. A Matching Grant is when two Rotary Clubs put money together and Rotary International matches the amount. The Interactors from Bath and Knysna wanted to do the physical work together, like painting fences, painting murals, making the equipment an d also interacting with the little ones at the two crèches.
The rest of the Matching Grant paid for educational equipment, outdoor equipment of all different descriptions, sun umbrellas, climbing frames, garden benches and picnic tables, paving, fence, cupboards and shade cloth.
The Rotary Club of Knysna gave printed Interact t-shirts to the students and also supplied some meals. The Rotarians transported the students to the different venues during the week. The two principals prepared traditional meals for the group: Eleanor Chalkey prepared breyani, and Ethel Sediba samp and beans. Both dishes were greatly enjoyed by the visitors.
The Bath Interactors and some Interactors from the six clubs in Knysna, Percy Mdala High School, Knysna Secondary School, Knysna High School, Knysna Montessori, Oakhill School and Heatherhill College, enjoyed a real South African braai on the Monday night. Except for all the hard work in the hot sun, the Bath Interactors also made time to visit the Elephant Park and to go on the lagoon on the Spirit of Knysna during their four day visit. They attended classes at the different Knysna Schools on their last day and enjoyed the unusual experience.
Andrew Young, a teacher from Bath, and three students had an interview with Knysna FM, the brand new radio station in Knysna. This was another experience they will not forget.
The visitors from England brought gifts of rugby jerseys, soccer outfits, caps, books and pencils and many others from the UK for their new friends and schools in Knysna. They enjoyed their working holiday in Knysna so much that are already planning another trip to Knysna next year.
Past President Lesley Satchel, a Rotarian of the Rotary Club of Knysna, worked endlessly to make all this happen.
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February 2011
Our thanks to Knysna Rotary, especially Lesley, Ina, Joan and Gillian, Bath Rotary, and the Interact students of Bath, and of the schools of Knysna.
Last night someone mentioned that behind the students doing the physical work, are the Rotarians, finding the way, making the way and preparing the way for the work to be done.
We at the Knysna Education Trust are sincerely thankful to the Rotarians, the old and the young, those who see opportunities to serve others, those that act on what they see and put forward the vision and are able to find others, even across the oceans, of like mind and spirit; and those who get the vision and are willing and able to see it through. Then, and not lastly, those who carry out the implementation of the vision, and serve others from the heart, bringing joy and changing lives through providing opportunities for others to grow.
For the children at Siyafunda and Chalkey Talkey ECD Centres, your provision of outdoor play equipment, and the upliftment of their play areas, is a greater gift that you will ever imagine. These resources will allow children for many years to come, with the tools and opportunities to develop and grow them physically, emotionally, socially, creatively and cognitively and teach them life skills that will stand them in good stead, and one day they may be in the position to bestow the same gift as you have given to them, on others.
We know and understand the time, effort, organization, communication, adjustments and planning that it has taken in order to facilitate this matching grant, and we thank you, sincerely.
We also know that for our visitors from Bath, this will be an experience not easily forgotten. Building opportunities for these young children and building relationships with them is a beautiful thing, and we are blessed to have you here to give and receive.
Thank you to you all.
To Knysna Rotary, we are so honoured to have your continual support, and your generosity never ceases to amaze us, or those that we serve.
A heartfelt thank you.
Annette Nelson, Educational Mentor
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| JERSEYS FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD
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| The Rotary Club of Knysna is very lucky to have friends all over the world. A lady, Lorna Deakin, in Ilkley, Yorkshire in UK, heard about the needs of children in Knysna. She started knitting jerseys and then asked her friends to bring the gifts to Knysna. An elderly lady in Knysna, who would like to stay unknown, knitted beautiful baby jerseys and crocheted blankets for the children in the hospital. We also received boxes of knitted jerseys and caps from Liz Hall of the Rotary Club of Foster in Australia. These jerseys and blankets were handed to the local Provincial Hospital where Sister Brownley allocates the clothes as they are needed.
The Rotary Club of Knysna would like to thank these generous people for their gifts to the children in need. |
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| Sister Brownley with jerseys for the children |
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President: Franc Bentley; Past President: Ian Ballantine;
Secretary: Graham Waterston; Treasurer: Adrian Auckland;
Club Administration: Rob Clark;
Service Projects: Alan Warne;
New Generations: Mendy Weiner;
Rotary Foundation: Peter Southey;
Public Relations: Ina Thompson;
Anns President: Penny Bentley
Venue for Tuesday Meetings: Yacht Club at the Knysna Waterfront at 12:30 for 13:00 |
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