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ROB'S RAMBLINGS
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And so November has been and gone and with it many exciting moments to reflect on, with plenty of evidence of the ongoing variety of activities our Club is involved in.
Isabelle and I were very privileged to be invited by the Anns to their Christmas lunch celebration held at the Knysna Yacht Club on Monday, November 14. We were warmly accepted and given the royal treatment. The atmosphere was relaxed and full of good cheer and happiness. The table flowers and arrangements were delightful, with ample evidence of the level of care and the ladies’ touch. My only error, which I was immediately made aware of, was a thank you and appreciation for all the incredible work “you guys” do!
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On Tuesday, November 15, immediately after our weekly meeting, a number of our members participated in a handover ceremony to the Knysna Sport School Trust. This is the fourth year of an annual Matching Grant award shared with the Rotary Club of Nieuwkoop in the Netherlands. Visitors from the overseas Club were present and went home hopefully convinced their funding, used primarily to pay for underprivileged scholar participation in sports development, is being responsibly monitored and is meeting the needs of a truly worthy community cause.
The week of November 14 saw the arrival of some extremely enthusiastic and skilled young surgeons and anaesthetists for our annual E.N.T. week. A total of about 45 operations were performed during the week including an emergency procedure made possible through the provision of an operating microscope with television attachment, by a S.A. medical equipment supply company. This emergency procedure was a first for our local Dr. Martin Young and saved the patient a journey to Cape Town.
Our assembly meeting held on November 17, primarily covered a review of the Club and Cycle Race annual accounts, the election of a president nominee for the 2013/2014 Rotary year and approval of proposed bye-law amendments, proved to be a lively affair and we are still in the process of debating and finalising some of the issues raised. We were privileged to have our AG Mika Lutchman at this gathering, which went beyond the call of duty, travelling through from Cape Town to be present. This was followed by a braai held in honour of, and to thank our E.N.T. visitors.
The highlight of the month, on Tuesday November 22, was the visit by our District Governor Deon Van Zyl, accompanied by his AG for our region, Mika Lutchman. The occasion was well attended and during dinner four new members were inducted.
Deon and Mika were treated to a visit to witness pre-school children at work and a practical demonstration of the SOUNS literacy programme, which we actively support in conjunction with the Knysna Education Trust. From the subsequent e-mails received, it would appear that both visitors were duly satisfied with what they saw and we received a clean bill of health.
On the evening of November 25, we were visited by a group of youth exchange students from District 2000 in Switzerland. Together with a number of our members, we exposed them to life in the townships through a local tavern experience. We followed the evening with a farewell breakfast and waved them on their way as their coach headed to Mossel Bay with a happy, but different view of life in Knysna.
And so as the year draws to a close and with the December ramblings due to go to press after the Christmas festivities, it only remains for me to wish one and all a truly blessed Christmas celebration with family and friends and a happy and healthy New Year. I look forward to 2012, the next six months of my reign and your continued wonderful support, with much anticipation.
We make a living by what we get but we make a life by what we give |
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Visit the District Governor – Deon Van Zyl |
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The annual visit of the District Governor should be the highlight of every club’s Rotary year. It certainly was for the Rotary Club of Knysna and DG Deon van Zyl’s arrival at the Knysna Yacht Club on 22nd November had been eagerly anticipated.
First, the former high court judge met with AG Mika Lutchman, President Rob Clark, PE Ina Thompson and Secretary PDG John Satchel and discussed matters of district interest. There followed a session with the general membership during which the DG gave us an overview of his aspirations for the district. The floor was then thrown open to questions from the membership. The main point of discussion was the possible realignment of Districts 9350/9270/9320 and 9400. DG Deon explained the history and motives behind this RI initiative and assured members that nothing had been decided and would not be, without consultation with the clubs involved.
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| Highlights from the DG Visit |
The DG and AG were presented with manuals detailing the work and projects being conducted by RC Knysna and the DG then went on to praise the RC Knysna for its exemplary work in many fields in the Greater Knysna community and held the club up as an example to other clubs in the district.
Fellowship followed in the form of a meal in the lovely surroundings of the Yacht Club. During the evening DG Deon inducted 4 new members. They are Michelle Wasserman, a former Rotarian and Deputy Mayor of Knysna, Esme Edge, Town Councilor responsible for Infrastructure, Annette Nelson who is the mentor at the Knysna Education Trust, with a special interest in the innovative SOUNS literacy programme which was introduced to South Africa by Rotary, and Danie van Rensburg, a local Builder. The next morning DG Deon was taken to one of the pre-schools to observe the SOUNS programme at first hand.
The addition of the new members makes RC Knysna again the largest club in District 9350.
The Presidents of 4 of the 6 Interact Clubs which RC Knysna supports, namely, Knysna High School, Knysna Sekondêr, Oakhill College and Heatherhill College, and 3 of their teachers, also attended the function and had the opportunity to chat with DG Deon after the meal.
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Knysna Sport School Matching Grant |
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“Sport has, over the ages, transcended politics, and national boundaries and has brought people together for the common good.”
These were the opening remarks of Gijs van den Will Bake (PP) from the Rotary Club of Bodegraven, in the Netherlands, at the handing over of a cheque for R237,027 to the Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Knysna Sport School, Colin Mathiesen, at the school on 15. November 2011.
Gijs and his colleague, Maarten Joustra, had been invited to Knysna by Hans Tollenaar of the Nieuwkoop Club, also in the Netherlands. Hans spends the European winters in Knysna, during which time he is an integral part of the Rotary Club of Knysna. He had initiated the first matching grant between these three clubs some three years ago. Matching grants are a mechanism which Rotary uses for gearing up funding through international cooperative fund raising.
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From the left Hans Tollenaar, Colin Mathiesen, Gijs van den Wall Bake &
Maarten Joustra
together with some of the Sports school participants
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Handover of the cheque by Gijs van den Wall Bake, PP RC Bodegraven and D-1570 MG Co-ordinator, on the right, to Colin Mathiesen, Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the KSS |
The Knysna Sport School was founded in 1992 by Keith Cretchley to give youth the opportunity to be coached in various sports, with the aim of bringing children and youth of all walks of life together. Keith also took in youth from disadvantaged backgrounds, but soon found that he was unable to adequately finance the operation. Consequently, in 2005, local resident Colin Mathiesen and a few other benefactors founded The Knysna Sport School Development Trust and approached The Rotary Club of Knysna for assistance.
The school currently supports 111 children who play cricket, hockey, golf, soccer, and tag rugby. Having established the school and set it running along the right lines, Keith Cretchley retired earlier this year and received a Paul Harris fellowship award (the most prestigious award in Rotary) from the Rotary Club of Knysna.
Charles Smith has now taken over as head of the school and has introduced two new activities specifically for the wild outdoors, namely; canoeing and adventure trips. Both these activities have proved to be very popular. The adventure trips were undertaken in conjunction with Cape Nature. A group of youngsters cleared 22 fertiliser bags of rubbish while hiking along 13 kilometers of beach. The hike in itself was fun and informative and, as a special treat, the participants were allowed to camp on the beach and make a beach fire.
The school is in negotiation with SANPARKS to do similar trips to Robberg, near Plettenberg Bay, and into the forests around Knysna.
The school also has a strong cycling component and Rotary the Club of Knysna uses it to further its Development Cycling initiative.
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When in 2002 local ENT specialist Dr Martin Young had the idea of offering ENT procedures pro Deo to underprivileged patients he approached the Rotary Club of Knysna for assistance. Retired Dr and wife team Ian and Joan Huskisson, both Rotarians, became the facilitators of this undertaking.
Dr. Young approached the Groote Schuur Hospital in Cape Town and was able to secure the services of ENT surgeons and registrars (surgeons-in-training) as well as anaesthetists. He negotiated with the Knysna Provincial Hospital as well as with the Life Knysna Private Hospital to provide theatre time and support facilities at no cost. Dr Huskisson persuaded the Rotary Club members to provide private accommodation for the team who travelled to and from Knysna at their own cost.
Rotary Anns also supplied lunch platters and refreshments during each day whilst a number of restaurants treated the medical specialists to free meals in the evening.
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The Team in action, using the operating microscope. |
This year, 44 operations were performed, both in Knysna and at the Plettenberg Bay Day Clinic, some lasting as long as 3 ½ hours. This was possible because two trained and two trainee ENT surgeons were available to get through the high workload, making a big difference to the waiting list which, for some operations, is as long as a year.
Everybody gains: the patients and the hospitals, the team members themselves. The medical instrument makers come to the party to display their latest instruments and allow the team to use them. This year an operating microscope worth R1.3 million with a TV display of the operation was made available by TechMed.
For the second year running Mrs Desire Jooste on Leisure Isle gave her house for their use. Having the whole team staying together is so helpful with the long hours that they spend at the State Hospital (8am to 6-7pm) and for the logistics. Other locals who assisted were Sotheby's for their offer of preparing the house and 34 Degrees South for hosting the team for dinner.
A stabbing casualty had the good fortune to be brought into the Provincial Hospital while the ENT team were on the go and they were able to re-connect his facial nerve - a first for this region as this operation is usually done in tertiary referral hospitals like Groote Schuur Hospital, by a surgical team comprising ENT, plastic and neurosurgeons.
This year’s ENT week was yet again another example of how people and organisations in a community like Knysna can cooperate for the common good.
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| Interactors – Knysna High School |
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The Interact Club of Knysna High School consists of approximately 80 members from all grades. The members meet once a week and projects are done during the learners’ free time. A committee consisting of a president, a vice-president, a secretary, a treasurer, a club representative (responsible for internal arrangements), an international representative (responsible for liaising with overseas clubs) and a community representative (responsible for identifying and making arrangements for community projects) is elected every year.
Our projects for this year have included the following:
• Assisting the Rotary Club of Knysna with the registration of cyclists at the annual Oyster Festival
• Building a puppet theatre and making of masks and sock puppets for a local crèche.
• Working with an Interact club from Bath, U.K., to upgrade a local crèche.
• Some of the visiting Interactors visited our school for a day and donated sport uniforms to the school
• We treated the local firemen to cakes, thanking them for their hard work.
• Three of our members attended a leadership course at Outward Bound.
• We had a sleepover in the school hall and repainted the Interact wall.
• We hosted the annual Valentine’s Ball.
• We visited Stepping Stones during their fun run.
• We donated 50 care packages to FAMSA for rape victims.
• We are also assisting them in upgrading the trauma room at the local police station.
• We are collecting baby clothes to donate to the maternity ward at the provincial hospital.
• We are collecting books to donate to schools and crèches.
• Some of our members worked as ushers at the mayor’s Women’s Day celebrations.
• Helping a soup kitchen plant a vegetable garden.
• Placed soap in all the bathrooms and put up posters for National Handwash Day.
The learners really benefit a lot from belonging to the club as they learn to care for others instead of only focusing on themselves and their own problems. They also get the opportunity to develop their leadership skills.
Educator responsible: Mrs. H.J. Small
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Committee members attending the
Rotary Training Day |
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Interactors helping out with the
Stepping Stones Fun Run
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| Rotary Supports the Young Eagles – local Football Club
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On 15. November fifteen players of the senior team of the Young Eagles Football Club were each presented with a full kit consisting of a shirt, shorts, socks, boots, pads, balls and water bottles at the Dam-se-Bos sports field. The Rotary Club of Knysna was approached by Frank Pietersen, the manager-cum-trainer of the club to finance football kits for some of the players.
RCK decided to fully kit out a whole team. The club has four teams – Under-12s, Under-15s, Under-17s and the Seniors - and is associated with the Knysna Soccer Association. This enables them to play in league matches as well as against teams in other towns, although transport sometimes does pose a problem.
In October six players were able to take part in the newly-launched Lucas Radebe Football Festival in Gauteng. |
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The Young Eagles Football Club members with Frank Pietersen (2nd from the right) |
This festival was named after the much-loved former Bafana Bafana captain and Leeds United star, and aims to develop football, find new football talent and engender life-skills amongst young South African football players. The teams of the Young Eagles Football Club practise on the sports field at Dam-se-Bos next to the Chris Hani Hall. The players come from many communities in Knysna. Training is strict and disciplined, but matches are invariably exciting and lively, with English, Afrikaans and Xhosa being bandied about the field. When Frank Pietersen is not following his passion as a coach, he works as the driver for Knysna Association for Persons with Physical Disabilities.
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| And Gogo Mzuzu sees again…the Long Story!
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In a happy sequel to the Gogo shopping story in the August Newsletter, Rotarian Louise Pannell noticed that one of the GoGos, Vugelwa Alicia Mzuzu, had to hold her shopping list literally to her nose to read it.
Louise contacted Rotarian Andy Muir, a local optometrist who immediately tested GoGo Mzuzu. Diagnosis: A cataract operation is required! Unfortunately the annual Cataract Surgery Marathon involving Rotary & Lions International Clubs in the Southern Cape and Karoo had just been completed.
Nevertheless, Andy contacted local ophthalmic surgeon Peter Harpur who saw Mzuzu and agreed to perform the operation free of charge. Lions Club’s International Olwen Toms sourced two lenses from the George Hospital and Lions paid for them. The Life Knysna Private Hospital provided theatre and other facilities pro Deo. On 31. October Vugelwa Alicia Mzuzu had her sight restored thanks to the cooperation of a large number of people and organisations in the Knysna community. The photograph was taken by Carmen Grobler of the Life Knysna Private Hospital.
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| Dr. Peter Harpur with Gogo Mzuzu, following her cataract operation |
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| Rotary Youth Exchange Districts 9270 and 9320
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Every year a dedicated AG, Hilary Augustus, member of the RC Durban North in district 9270, gathers some of the long term Rotary Youth Exchange students from her district and D-9320 and takes them on a tour from Natal to Cape Town. She is ably assisted by Umhlanga Rotarian Dael Connolly, spouse of PDG Ant Connolly.
This year the groups consisted of 15 youths from Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Sweden and USA. Rotary annually facilitates cultural exchanges for some 8’000 youths worldwide.
During a stopover in Knysna, the group did a ferry trip to the famous Knysna Heads. Thereafter the youth were privileged to be hosted by Mike and Sue Mills of the local Rotary Club at the historic Belvidere Manor House. This was built by a young Scotsman named Thomas Henry Duthie in 1848 who had married Caroline, the third daughter of George Rex the founder of Knysna.
The group met RC Knysna’s president Rob Clark, members of New Generations committee and other Rotarians and enjoyed an evening of fellowship in magnificent surroundings. Even a few raindrops did not dampen their spirits although some of them remarked that they had not expected to be cold in Africa.
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President Rob Clark with the Exchange Students |
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Sunday, 6. November was a beautifully sunny, but cool and windy day. This did not, however, deter a group of about twenty Rotarians and their wives from braving the chilly air and playing in the 2011 Local Rotary Croquet Tournament held at Lake Brenton. The competition was lively and unconventional and at no time was it clear who would emerge as the winning team. At times confusion reigned as to whether hockey, golf or croquet was being played. A pleasant and delicious finger food buffet, accompanied by liquid sustenance, provided a well-deserved break. After lunch the final two matches were played. After fierce battles and many wild balls, Eleanor Pawson and Peter Klews emerged as the triumphant winners of the 2011 Rotary Croquet Tournament.
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Ina Thompson presenting the winners,
Eleanor Pawson and
Peter Klews
with their prizes |
Elwin, John, Ina, Barbara: Where on earth did that one go? |
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| Swiss New Generations Exchange Visit
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A Swiss contingent of 9 students and 2 Rotarians passed through Knysna on 25. November. They arrived in the late afternoon and after some sightseeing at the Heads, they experienced a traditional African meal in a local “Tavern” accompanied by some Knysna Rotarians. After a breakfast at the scenic Knysna Yacht Club the following day, they travelled on to Mossel Bay on the last leg of their visit.
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| Angola hit by Polio - The War is not over yet!
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Polio has made a resurgence in the northern Angolan province of Uige and the province has declared a state of medical emergency after a 14-month-old boy tested positive for polio, according to UNICEF.
The boy, who was not vaccinated, lives in Quimbele, an isolated region near the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) district of Popokobaka which has had nine confirmed polio cases this year, the UN children's fund said.
"This shows that surveillance is working," said World Health Organisation representative Rui Vaz in a statement. The new case was discovered locally, and the samples were hand-delivered, carried back after a three-day walk through the bush. The systems are clearly in place to monitor cases in even the hardest-to-reach areas."
After eliminating new polio cases for three years in succession following its 27-year civil war, Angola saw a strain of the crippling virus reappear in 2005. Last year, Angola registered 33 new polio cases, the DRC 93 and Congo 50, raising concern among anti-polio campaigners, who had already considered the disease to be eradicated in all three countries.
Angola has had just five new cases this year, UNICEF said, crediting a mass immunisation drive with slowing the outbreak.
The new case is the first since March and the first this year outside the southeastern province of Kuando Kubango.
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| RC Oudtshoorn Golf Fellowship
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Typical Klein Karoo hospitality greeted the crack Knysna team of Ses Hartshorne, Emil Möller, Pam and Peter Klews when they arrived at the Oudtshoorn Golf Club to represent the Rotary Club of Knysna on a lovely spring day in October. Whilst the golf course is not comparable to one of the coastal courses, the organisation and enthusiasm of the club members more than made up for that.
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A shotgun start ensured that everyone would finish at the same time. The Knysna team did not disgrace itself and was in the prizes. In fact every team participating went home with a prize. Ours was a supply of various alcoholic beverages and after some swapping we took home a few Castles and some excellent Danie se Withond Grundheim Witblits – Die ware Jakob. For the non-Afrikaans speakers that translates to local Grappa.
But the main purpose of the day was of course to raise funds. President Fanie Fourie announced at the prize giving that the day netted R30’000 for the Rotary Club of Oudtshoorn. This would enable the club to continue with their main project – the financing of cataract operations during the Cataract Marathon next year. 42 procedures were carried out in 2011.
The day ended with an excellent braai. We shall certainly be back in 2012 and were assured that RC Oudtshoorn would get a team together for our golf weekend 2012 – “even if we have to teach a few club members how to play” to quote President Fanie. |
| The Crack Knysna Team |
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28. January: Mini-Conference - Lord Charles Hotel in Somerset West
25. February: Southern Cape Rotary Day
18. March: South Cape Bowls Day
24. March: The Anns' Big Walk
20.-22. April: District Conference @ Mossel Bay
6.-7. July: Annual Cycle Race
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The visiting ENT doctors were very happy with the lunches and teas provided by the Rotary Anns during ENT week. We salute the doctors giving of their time to operate here in Knysna! A big thank you to Barbara U, Penny, Kath and Pam for delivering such delicious lunches.
On November 18, Sue McIver, Kath and Bill Pickles, a tourist lady from Australia and I were taken though the Township by Ella and Penny of Emzini Tours, ending at Ella’s house and soup kitchen, with all the children from the area flocking around us. To keep the excited children busy, we handed out a soap to each child and took photos. The children wanted to see themselves on each photo and some quietly, gently stroked my straight, silver-grey baby hair! A very successful and enjoyable afternoon, especially hearing the news that the little ones in Ella’s safe house are now ardent hand washers!
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We had a request from Margaret Talamagies from M&M Soup Kitchen in Hornlee for a donation towards her 172 children Christmas Party to be held on November 17. Thanks go to Mary van Eeden who offered to deliver our donation of fruit juices.
The first bag full of Judy Carter’s fluffy toys has been delivered to FAMSA. Ann Lee displays many toys in her office/entrance hall and children may choose the toy they love most, to play with and keep.
Judith is getting stronger by the day and felt so blessed to be at our Christmas luncheon meeting. She lit a candle for all women with breast cancer and thus started a new Rotary Ann tradition. This candle will burn brightly at all future meetings and remind us women to look after ourselves.
And as we enter into this special Festive Time of Light, may we be blessed and enlightened,
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| Dori Waterston and Sue McIver handing over soaps and posters to Sister Ntlanga at the Witlokasie clinic |
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‘And may we strive to touch and know the great human heart common to us all, and O Lord God, let us not forget to be kind.’ Amen
Best Wishes to you All! Dori
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| You can tell whether a man is clever by his answers. You can tell whether a man is wise by his questions. Naguib Mahfouz
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President: Rob Clark; Past President: Franc Bentley;
Secretary: John Satchel; Treasurer: Adrian Auckland;
Club Administration: Ina Thompson;
Service Projects: Alan Warne;
New Generations: Mike Mills ;
Rotary Foundation: Peter Southey;
Public Relations: Dereck Wheeldon ;
Anns President: Dori Waterston
Venue for Tuesday Meetings: Yacht Club at the Knysna Waterfront at 12:30 for 13:00 |
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