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FRANC'S FABLES
Another eventful and enjoyable month has gone by at lightning speed!
Despite inclement evening on 10 March, Penny and I were delighted to share Nuts ‘n Noggins with a cheerful throng of Knysna Rotary family members
Sundowners on 18 March with International Caravanning Fellowship of Rotarians, spending two nights at Monk’s Holiday Park, was a most enjoyable event on a perfect full-moon evening. The visitors, a joyful and friendly group, comprised 17 couples travelling through the country in motor homes, hailing from UK, New Zealand and Canada
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Fun Bowls at Leisure Isle, followed by bring & braai was extremely well organised, well supported and great fellowship was shared. Thanks Club Admin for a superb Sunday at a perfect venue and appreciation to L I Bowls Club!
New Generations committee is commended for implementing another successful Know Your Town project. Interactors from Heather Hill, Oakhill and Montessori were privileged to attend this two day programme which was enormously informative and intriguing
We’ve recently had interesting Speakers, including Ambassadorial Scholars Karyne Merrick Moore (Canada), Jessica Walker (USA) & Kieran O’Reilly (Ireland). Rtn Ian Huskisson gave a thought provoking talk on air travel health issues
Registration forms for District Conference are now available and let’s show supreme presence at Hermanus!
We look forward to Cricket vs Epilepsy – if possible please be there to enjoy what’s always a remarkable and fun-filled day
Until next time, enjoy April with its holidays and a happy Easter is wished you and your families
Pres Franc
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MORE WHEELCHAIRS FOR THE COMMUNITY |
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On Monday the 24th January Bryan and Barbara Baguley and Jeff and Joyce Barnes from the Rotary Club of Worsley led by Milton and Elaine Frary, who have brought out similar groups before, arrived in Knysna for a fleeting visit. Milton is Founder/ Director of the Wheelchair Foundation UK.
They came to South Africa to see for themselves the results of their fundraising efforts and their generosity in supplying Wheelchairs to the needy members of our communities. |
They were home hosted by members of the Rotary Club of Knysna and that evening President Franc and Penny graciously opened their home for both the visitors and their hosts for a magnificent dinner.
The next day they were taken sightseeing in Knysna and they then joined the Club at the Rotary lunch. Here they made the first presentation of a wheelchair for the day to a young lady who had outgrown her previous Rotary chair. This also enabled the whole club to feel more personally involved with the project.
In the afternoon President Franc and PP. Ian Huskisson took the party on an extensive tour of the informal settlements and a further four wheelchairs were handed over to deserving recipients in their homes. They were also shown a problem with a previous chair, the repair facilities at “Die Werkswinkel” (disabled workshop) plus a ramp that had been built for one recipient at Milton’s recommendation on his last visit. This was partially funded by the project initiated by Rtn. Irmela Pakendorf of getting each member of our club to use R1000 to initiate an individual project.
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The next day they left to see what had happened in Oudtshoorn.
Requests for wheelchairs continue to flood in long after the generous donors have returned home. A wonderful project! Our club has already handed out 107 Rotary Foundation Wheelchairs. |
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Barbara & Brian Baguley, Elaine & Milton Frary and Joyce & Jeff Barnes of the
Wheel chair Foundation visiting Knysna |
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| WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE COMPUTERS WHICH THE ROTARY CLUB OF KNYSNA DONATED TO THE CORRECTIONAL SERVICES IN 2010? |
Past President Ian Huskisson at the handover of the computers at the Correctional Services |
In May last year, the club was approached by Brian Bird who is involved in teaching computer skills to prisoners. We were asked if we would finance new computers as training tools for the prisoners. Later the club paid R13 400 for three new computers and handed them over to the correctional services.
In March this year Brian informed us that the computer training is continuing and has in fact been expanded with about fifteen prisoners participating. A retired IT teacher comes in once a week to assist Brian.
Courses are run in Excel and Microsoft Word. They are now considering running a course which would enable the participants to acquire certification. |
In addition, under the auspices of Nedbank’s incubator and the Knysna Municipality’s Red Door programmes, two inmates received intensive training. They have both been released and presented detailed business plans to the Municipality and Nedbank who then supported them in setting up a garden service and take-away business respectively. All benefactors involved are to be commended.
It is indeed a pleasure to receive follow-up information on the good use of our donations!
Barbara Iken
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| President Franc invited the members of the Rotary Club of Knysna and the Rotary Anns for Nuts and Noggins to his home. Attendees enjoyed delicious snacks and drinks, fun and fellowship. |
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| GOLF IN THE GARDEN ROUTE HOSTED BY THE ROTARY CLUB OF KNYSNA
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Come and enjoy a weekend of golf in magnificent surroundings. Have great fellowship and assist Rotary fulfilling the ever-increasing needs of the communities in and around Knysna.
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• Friday 27 May at Pezula Club (under new ownership!)
• Saturday 28 May at Knysna Golf Club
• Sunday 29 May at Simola Country Club
Enter for one, two or three days.
Enter a team or individually
All profits will go towards projects of the Knysna Rotary Club
Many playing and accommodation packages available to suit all tastes and pockets.
Contact PP Ses Hartshorne 082 334 4760 – 044 387 1231 Fax: 044 – 387 1231 on request
e-mail: seselh@mantrain.co.za, website www.knysnarotary.co.za |
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| THE ROTARY CLUB OF KNYSNA SUPPORT FOR VERMONT CENTRE, HORNLEE
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Since its opening in 1996 the Vermont Centre has been supported in many ways by the Rotary Club of Knysna and the Rotary Foundation.
Most recently bathrooms in the Frail Care needed urgent attention. The Rotary Club arranged for tiling of walls and floors resulting in a beautiful and hygienic facility.
When the doors opened in 1996, the building was empty. The Rotary Clubs of Knysna, Singapore and Bodengraven/Netherlands joined hands to get a Matching Grant from Rotary Foundation to supply the furniture, curtains and bedding. The kitchen was also equipped with this funding.
Over the years Rotary supplied a mini-bus, an industrial washing machine and replaced the total hot water system.
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The Rotary Club also arranged a loan to the Home when it was in financial trouble. Retired Rotarians with financial expertise have sat on the board of the centre.
Vermont has also been the beneficiary at various times of wheelchairs provided by the Wheelchair Foundation through Rotary.
The above is just one example of Rotary’s ongoing involvement in community projects in the greater Knysna area. |
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A group of Rotarians and a Rotary Ann went hiking in the Gamka Mountains.
They had a few days of fun and fellowship while enjoying nature |
| Eleanor, John, Derrick, Elwin and Rob try to move the rock on their trail, while hiking in Gamkaberg |
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| INTERNATIONAL CARAVANNING FELLOWSHIP OF ROTARIANS (ICFR)
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The group consisted of 14 Rotarian couples from the UK, 1 each from New Zealand, Canada and SA. The SA organiser was Dave Ferguson from Blaauberg Rotary Club.
The ICFR tour arrived in Knysna on Friday 18th of March from Addo National Elephant Park, and stayed at Monks Caravan Park until mid morning on Sunday 20th before setting off to Swellendam where they overnighted before going on to Goudini Spa.
On the Friday evening, the group was joined by Knysna Rotarians for a “Bottle & Plate” fellowship function at the caravan park. It proved to be a very relaxed and informal way of entertaining this very friendly group. Rotary experiences were shared and contacts were made with the Rotarians from Clubs that had already done Matching Grants with Knysna, and a number of new possible opportunities are being investigated as a result of new friends made during the evening.
John Satchel
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The Rotary Club of Knysna once again received clothes and blankets for the children at the Provincial Hospital from different donors. The Rotary Club of Forster in Australia, a lady from London and a lady in Knysna donated the clothes and blankets that were handed to the Superintendent of the hospital and the Matron of the Children’s Ward. Lyn Lynton from the Rotary Club of Forster sent several boxes with clothes for the premature babies at the hospital over the last year.
Lyn is planning a visit to South Africa in May and will also pay a visit to Knysna. The Knysna Rotarians will show her around to the different Rotary Projects. |
Dr Ras Venter, Superintendent of the Provincial Hospital, Rotarian Ina Thompson and
Ethel Linden-Mars, Matron at the hospital with the blankets and clothes for the children. |
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| CLUB FELLOWSHIP ON THE BOWLING GREEN
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 | The Administration Committee of the Rotary Club of Knysna organised a Bowls Day for the Club. A large number of the members and families participated in the fun and fellowship day.
PP Mike Mills in action |  |
The winners,
Mike Smerdon, Sue Miles and Andre Sandiford.
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Five Rotarians had the privilege last week to accompany a group of teenagers, Interact members from Heatherhill, Knysna Montessori and Oakhill on a Know Your Town tour. The teens themselves were a very receptive and co-operative group of young people, of whom their schools can be proud.
The programme, arranged by Rotarian Mendy Weiner, took them to the Knysna Provincial Hospital, the Haart Clinic, the Fire Brigade and the Waterworks on one day. The second day included sitting in on a meeting of the Knysna Town Council, visiting the Magistrates' Court, Knysna Police Station and Mortuary. Last was a visit to the National Sea Rescue base at the Heads. The Rotarians also took the Interactors to the Rotary direction-finder at the Waterfront to tell them about Rotary and to the Wimpy for lunch.
Without exception, every place that the group visited was ship-shape, well organised, clean and running like clockwork. They were impressed with each and every facility in our town. The staff that showed them around was enthusiastic, respectful and willing to go the extra mile in showing us every aspect of the work they do for the citizens of Knysna. Many thanks to Dr Ras Venter, Senior Fireman Fredericks, Mr Shane Mopp, Mayor of Knysna Eleanor Bouw-Spies, Mr Gavin Capes, Constable Chris Spies, Mr Floyd Floyd Herwels and Mr Mike Jacobs.
Our young people enjoyed the Know Your Town tour immensely and have had their eyes opened to things they had not thought of before. The five adults who accompanied them were likewise all proud to live in this town which has our interests at heart.
Lesley Satchel
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| KNYSNA ROTARIANS IN TRAINING
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President Elect Rob Clark, President Nominee Ina Thompson and Adrian Auckland, Treasurer,
attended the training for
Rotary office bearers in Mossel Bay. |  |
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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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