President Kanthan is inducted for a second term!

]Fellow Rotarians and friends

Let me start with a tale that has been told many times over but is worth retelling.

Little over 100 years ago, Paul P. Harris, an attorney, got the idea of creating a professional group with

the same friendly spirit he felt in the small towns of his youth.

On 23 February 1905, Harris called together a meeting of three acquaintances in downtown Chicago.

Gustave E. Loehr was a mining engineer and freemason; Sylvester Schiele was a coal merchant, and

Hiram E. Shorey was a tailor.

This was the first Rotary club meeting. They

decided to call the new club “Rotary” after the

practice of rotating meeting locations.

Today, Rotary has grown into 1,2 million members

who come together to create positive, lasting

change in our communities and around the world.

We do not comprise the largest organisation by

numbers but we are certainly the most influential.

Rotary was key to the founding of the United

Nations. The first meeting of the UN took place in

London on the 16th January 1946, hosted by

District 13 at the Caxton Hall, presided over by RI

President Tom Warren, who declared it to be the

'touchstone for a gesture of international goodwill unique in the history of

Rotary'.

Rotary is the trusted partner on the ground for global players such as the

Aga Khan University, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, the Centers

for Disease Control and Prevention, the Global FoodBanking Network,

UNESCO-IHE, UNICEF, and the World Health Organisation.

In some ways, the world of the young Paul Harris and my own world were

not very different.

Harris enrolled at the University of Vermont in Burlington but was

expelled with three others in December 1886 because of his involvement

in an underground society. I was expelled from the University of

Durban-Westville because of my involvement in the student protests

of 1980.

Issue 5

August 2014

Cloud

Chatter

DG Annie Steijn pinning

the President’s badge on

Pres. Kanthan

eClub members with IPDG Anneas

Balt & DG Annie Steijn

Paul Harris and his business colleagues lived in a world where time moved more slowly. One would

dictate a business letter to a secretary, have it posted, and wait weeks for the correspondence to flow

back and forth before the real work got done. This left lots of time for weekly lunch or dinner meetings –

they were leisurely affairs no doubt.

Our world today is very different to that of Chicago 1905. We have instant communication with global

partners 24 hours a day 7 days a week. In a world where one travels overnight halfway across the world,

the idea of committing to a weekly meeting in a fixed location is just not feasible.

At the same time, the need for Rotary to continue to thrive as a global payer remains unchanged.

We play a vital role with our health programmes, spearheaded by our quest to eradicate polio in the

near term as well as tackling malaria and HIV

throughout the continent.

We bring life-saving water and sanitation projects

to people forgotten by their governments.

Our educational programmes from scholarships

through to our Peace Fellowships influence the

course of global events.

Or it can be as simple as providing a blanket to a

homeless person in the dead of winter.

Our Club, the Rotary E-Club of Southern Africa

D9400, provides a way for those of us who are not

able to commit to a regular meeting in a fixed

location, to be able to play our part in these goals.

As members of the E-Club, we fulfil our obligation

to meet on a regular basis by taking part in online discussions on our website – spend a half hour there

once a week and we are compliant, as my friend Valentin Mičić is fond of saying.

But the real work is in our projects. As president-elect Annemarie Mostert has shown us through the

photographs lining these walls, for a fledgling club barely 6 months old, we have not done too

badly at all.

I stand before you today as charter president of this new and exciting club. Frankly, the selection

process went something like this: someone asked, "Who should be president?" and everyone except me

took a step back. Like me, my fellow board members have served as

president in their former clubs in the past, and no doubt share my

view that the best job in Rotary is "past president".

The people most responsible for getting us to this point are IPDG

Anneas Balt and President-elect Annemarie Mostert.

When organisations get to

be as large and as estab-

lished as Rotary, there is a

tendency for older members

to frown upon new

approaches. Anneas had the

vision and Annemarie had

the drive and determination

to see out the process.

Charlotte Khoza; Annemarie Mostert;

Tara Ison; Dr Pat Francis & Judith

Chinkumbi – Sasego Cares Board

members

Pres Kanthan with Tara Ison

who celebrated her birthday on

12 July.

Tara receives flowers for her

birthday

Rtn Brett

Gardner in

his kilt

We have yet to finalise our flagship projects for the year ahead with my fellow board members.

Personally, I'm a fan of bricks and mortar projects where one builds a library or a sports court or a clin-

ic and hands it over.

We are all aware that in this country, land own-

ership is one of the most emotive issues.

A project that has caught my attention is one

spearheaded by the Free Market Foundation,

which involves funding the transfer of state land

to people who have lived there for generations.

The model has been successfully tested in Parys

in the Free State. Little over 1200 rand is what it

takes to turn a family into property owners. I will

be engaging with the Free Market Foundation to

see whether there is room to work together, given

that the FMF is not in the business of raising

funds.

Also on the question of land, there is now a strong case being made for ownership of so called tradition

lands in the former Bantustans to be turned over to those living there. Some of this land in the former

Transkei and KwaZulu is extremely fertile and can generate wealth, but one needs ownership of land

before one can invest in its development. I believe there can be a role for us to play before and after

through fundraising for the process, irrigation pro-

jects, and education on modern profitable farming

techniques. Such actions can provide a more sane

business model to land distribution than that which

led to dead pigs at a politician's farm.

But these are all ideas at this point. I invite our fellow

Rotarians to put forward projects for consideration by

the board. Be aware though – if you put forward a pro-

ject, you will be expected to champion the project and

see it through to completion.

Thank you for the honour of allowing me to serve as

President. I look forward to an exciting year.

Left: Trevor Watson-

Thomas. PDG Mark

Doyle & Brett Gardner

seen at the induction.

DGE David Grant, DG Annie Steijn

& PDGA Lyn Doyle

… Liana van der Walt

and KG Govender (KZN)

KG Govender. Shirley Downie, Denise

Cruickshank, Belinda Alport, Clive Chetty,

Sue Paget, Pres Greta du Bois

(Morningside) & Pres Kanthan Pillay

???????????????????

Left: Such a beautiful pic of a child

with big dreams……with a

nurturing house mother

Zandspruit Water &

Sanitation project

Below: Cabbage and spinach

gardens at Govenant Garden

Estate’s Gardens at Zandspruit -

ROTARY DUES

Please remember to pay

your membership fees.

Rotary International

needs to be paid in the

next few weeks.

By October, shoulder high bush has been cleared and some 20 beds have been established . This is a development which will grow and adapt at a slow pace according to the development and input of the gardeners.

They are increasingly gaining confidence in the program as well the fact that Rotary Northcliff is not going to disappear and leave them in the lurch as has been the scenario with many similar ventures.

We are predominantly dealing with semi-literate students and the elderly unskilled and they develop at a pace within their comfort zone.

Within the next 18 months we think that , with continuous input from ourselves and training, they will have sustainable gardens but within this period continuous training and assis-tance will be essential.

COMMUNITY PROJECTS

Please remember to send your project details to PE Annemarie

Mostert as soon as possible: annemarie.mostert@leboneservices.co.za

Zandspruit Bread project

Now if any of the club members

are on the Tim Noakes diet—

where no bread is allowed… then

don’t look at the pictures!

This delicious bread has been

made by the locals. It is an

exceptionally successful project.

Books from the Humanitarian

Centre were taken to the

project….and whilst the adults

bake bread, the youngsters read

and study hard…. See the next

page.

2015 São Paulo convention dates changed

Rotary International President Gary C.K. Huang and the RI Board have changed the dates for the 2015

Rotary Convention in São Paulo, Brazil, to Saturday, 6 June, through Tuesday, 9 June – starting

and ending one day earlier than previously scheduled.

The dates were changed because the original opening day (Sunday, 7 June) coincided with one of the

city's most popular parades. The new start date will dramatically reduce traffic congestion and make it

easier for Rotary members to attend the opening plenary sessions. It will also make it convenient to

attend our very own Rotary Carnival, a Host Organization Committee event, on Saturday evening.

Please share this information with club members by updating your websites, newsletters, and calendars.

Check riconvention.org regularly for dates, deadlines, and registration and housing details. Find

information about Host Organization Committee events at www.rotary2015saopaulo.br. If you still have

questions, contact ri.registration@rotary.org.

Win Bauer doing documentary of the cen-

Covenant Garden Estate

benefits from the donation of

books from Humanitarian

Centre

Happiness!!! Visiting CGE on Saturday morning - the farm is

growing!! Win went with us and is busy with a short video.

Above: Annemarie is seen with her husband, PP Hand Mostert

(Northcliff)

Doreen &

Joan Rose

Village, Iris

Fey

Charlotte and Banele joined Annemarie at the Whishing Well Nursery School - to spread the warmth Below: 28 July - Thank you to Iris and Doreen and the ladies.

Nelspruit induction of two

new members.

PDG Shirley Downie met with

the current eClub members in

Nelspruit and inducted

Douglas Mabuza and PP Bar-

ry Liebenberg

Blankets were handed out for

the old age home

residents.

Also in attendance is PDGA

Sylvia Knoop (white t-shirt)

and Manfred Paulmann (2nd

from right)

Douglas Sylvia

Leon

Rtn Sue Paget is

recognised for her out-

standing work on the

RFHDs programme.

RFFA Programme Director, Sue

Paget received an award on 19

July in Johannesburg.

RFFA’s CEO, Marian Bunch is

seen with Sue and PDG Anton

Meerkotter )Director of RFFA).

Below: Marion & Sue seen with

the group of RFHD’s team of

executives.

Below: The SAPS Mamelodi East used Madiba Day celebrations to

hand over all the Blankets and shoes donated by the eClub to suitable

recipients.

Seen below is Annemarie with Andre van

Eerden and the lads who received Toms Shoes

at the Strand Sekonder school giving TOMS to

1200 learners. If you want Toms shoes, please

contact Cornelia on cornelia@miaauw.co.za.

D9400 Membership Committee Chairperson prepared an excellent

paper on Membership aspects….here

are some of the ideas.

Accept the premise:

We need to increase membership by …

Who will do what? 1. The Membership Development Strategy and Plan: 3 year target: 100 active Rotarians by 2015/6 50 by December and 75 by June 2015 Identify the markets • Attend seminars and training sessions Initiate, design and support the recruitment efforts of each membership country and hub (ie

Nelspruit/Mafikeng) Promote innovation, flexibility, transformation and diversity Use the “tools” Constant PR and communication

Promote the recognition pro-grammes (membership pins) Use guidelines from “Attracting and Engaging Members” Engage in the coordinated district wide membership development activities Set up Club Membership Com-mittee 2. Extension:

Establish The Rotaract E Club of Southern Africa 9400 and automatically take those members into Rotary ranks.

3. Tools for Action: Connect the new Leaders - Ask them and Link them

with current Rotarians (Mentors) Engage the knowledge of the Collective and Individual

Leadership Leverage social media platforms to mobilise volunteers

/ Rotarians i.e. The internet makes creation of interest groups possible.

Engage volunteers from their respective areas of com-petence - vocations.

Find something worth changing and then assemble groups that spread the idea where the idea becomes far bigger than ourselves - Projects • Talk Rotary in the media, boardrooms, schools, family – invitation to those to truly live their social strategic intents and values - Fel-lowship

Showcase volunteers or Rotarians using their passion and convictions with moral responsibility and moral boundaries

Invite members from your local community

Newest member seen below: Dr Mashadi

Motlana was inducted by Pres. Kanthan on 18

August just before the board meeting. Welcome!

She was an exchange student, is a physiatrist as

well as running a few companies including her

father’s Trust – the great Dr Nthato Motlana.

eClub Board members together

with our newest member Dr Mashadi and

many of the YFM staff members...

August is Membership month

Nelspruit arrange a security system for an

old age home

Nelspruit club member Leon Pitallo hands over a Community

Service Award certificate to Hi Tec Security. They installed a

security system valued for R 22 000 in the Oranjezicht Retire-

ment Village.

Well done to Leon for finding the donor and organsing safety for

the elderly.

Nelspruit induction of two

new members.

PDG Shirley Downie met with the current eClub

members in Nelspruit and inducted Douglas

Mabuza and PP Barry Liebenberg

Right: Blankets were handed out for the old age

home residents.

Also in attendance is PDGA Sylvia Knoop (white

t-shirt) and Manfred Paulmann (2nd from right)

Douglas Leon

Barry Shirley

PDG Chris

Potgieter is inducted as

an Honorary Member by

Shirley during the

Nelspruit visit

On Friday 26 July, PDG Shirley

took a wheelchair to Nelspruit.

Leon was going to hand it to a dear

lady (93) in need.

On Tuesday 30 July when Leon

called the daughter to make ar-

rangements to hand the wheelchair

over, he established that she had

passed away over the weekend.

Leon has donated the wheelchair to

the old age home that he does a lot

of work with.

Graeme Reid (PHF )and Rotary e club member from Kenya receives a club scarf from Sue Paget.

Spreading warmth in the Western Cape at "Brak en

Jan" crèche. Items knitted and made by the ladies of Rose Village in Emmerentia Johannesburg were handed to the toddlers. Below: Pres Clive Reed with Andre van Eeden (both from Helderberg Sunrise Rotary Club) and PP Hans Mostert (right)(Northcliff) and Annemarie Mostert (E-Club)

It’s always wonderful to see these

smiles of happiness and gratitude.

Thanks to the ladies who spend

hours knitting these beautiful

garments.