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INTERACTORS
Six of Knysna’s high schools have Interact Clubs: Knysna Senior Sekondêr, Oakhill, Percy Mdala, Knysna High, Knysna Montessori and Heatherhill Sixth Form College. Heatherhill is our newest club, having been chartered in 2010.
Click on the links below to read reports from four of our Interact Clubs:
Interact Training Day 2011
A highly successful Interact Training Day was held at Belvidere Manor on Saturday, 3. September. Belvidere Manor is owned and run by Mike and Sue Mills of the Knysna Rotary Club, and is a gracious and elegant setting.
Interactors from 11 Interact Clubs: Pinelands, in Cape Town, 4 clubs in Mossel Bay and 6 Knysna Clubs, together with their teachers, made up more than 50 participants.
Rotarian Mike Mills put together a comprehensive and interesting programme:
• PE Ina Thompson explained the structure of Rotary International
• A DVD made in Knysna illustrated some of our projects
• President Rob Clark explained the workings of the Club
• Breakaway sessions provided guidance for presidents, secretaries and treasurers
• PDG Elwin Thompson demonstrated the art and pitfalls of public speaking
• PP Lesley Satchel discussed Rotary Youth Exchange programmes
Interact Clubs were invited to address the gathering about their successful projects. We heard about soup kitchens, food collections, toy and clothing collections, entertaining the elderly, donations to needy schools, even assistance to an ex-Interactor who needed to pay her university entrance fee. There were comfort packs for abused women and children, book collections, a puppet theatre for a preschool, participation in a combined Knysna-Bath Interact project to paint two preschools, dances, and much more. Montessori Interact has a project where members work during the holidays in the school hostel, which is let out to visiting sports teams – the Interactors see to the laundry, cleaning, breakfasts according to a roster and help their school raise valuable funds.
The Best Interact Club Trophy for 2010-11 plus cheque was handed by Rtn Heather Thomas to new Montessori President Donna Mohamed in recognition of their full and interesting programme over the past 12 months.
A DVD made by the Bath (UK) Interactors during their recent visit to Knysna was shown. This detailed the upgrade work carried out at two preschools in Knysna.
This project had won the District Youth Award, and was so successful that the two Interact Clubs from Bath are planning a second trip in February 2012 to work with the six Knysna clubs again.
Dr Sian Hartshorne addressed the Interactors about acne, a teenage problem. She had an interesting powerpoint presentation and explained her points clearly for the audience.
Sue Mills, our hostess, had not only seen to the excellent lunch and other refreshments for the Interactors, but also delivered a presentation about correct table-settings, which is of interest to young people who often have holiday employment in restaurants.
Certificates were handed to all attendees. It was a great pleasure for Knysna to host this training session which also included Interactors from Cape Town and Mossel Bay. It is hoped that Mossel Bay will be able to send Interactors to the RYLA camp in Sedgefield with the Knysna Interactors who will also attend.
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