 |
THE ROTARY CLUB |
 |
|---|
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT:
Dear Readers This month I would like to share with you excerpts from a communication received from Rotary HO in Evanston yesterday 4 March 2009 “Dear Rotarians, Thank you for submitting your Matching Grant application. Due to the global economic downturn and volatile investment climate, Rotary International and The Rotary Foundation, like many charitable organizations, have made some difficult decisions. The Rotary Foundation (TRF) has experienced significant unrealized investment losses. At their last meeting Trustees reduced the Humanitarian Grants budget by US $16.3 million for the 2008-09 Rotary year, in an effort to minimize the impact of unrealized losses to Foundation assets. Matching Grants have been immediately impacted by this decision. Unfortunately, your application cannot be funded this Rotary year and will be reverted.” Regretfully this will impact materially on projects in the pipeline as roughly half of our project funding (R2 Mio in 07/08) came from Matching Grants. Peter Klews
|
|---|
On 24 February 2009 we celebrated Rotary’s 104th Birthday at the Knysna Yacht Club. During the celebratory dinner our Executive Mayor, Eleanor Bouw-Spies, was inducted as an honorary member of the Club. Eleanor is an old friend of our Club and has already been a member, but sadly had to resign when her Council work increased. We are very pleased to welcome Eleanor back into the Rotary fold. |
|---|
 DG Elwin, Eleanor Bouw-Spies and President Peter Klews |
 Knysna Executive Mayor and Honorary Rotarian Eleanor Bouw-Spies |
|---|
Two short term exchange students were selected by the Knysna Rotary Club to spend the summer holiday overseas. Georgie Goulle, from Oakhill went to a family in Istanbul, Turkey, and Mariechen Basson, from Knysna High went to Graz in Austria. They had already hosted students from the same towns in Knysna. They reported back to the Rotary Club at a lunch meeting recently, and both had had unforgettable experiences in the countries they visited. |
|---|
 Franc Bentley (Director: New Generations Committee), Georgie Goulle, Mariechen Basson, and Peter Klews (President: Rotary Club of Knysna) |
|---|
The South Cape / Karoo branch of Epilepsy South Africa is situated in Knysna where they have a Residential Care Facility catering for 60 multiple-disabled adults of whom 97% have epilepsy. Epilepsy has two protective workshops on their premises to keep most of the residents and 25 profoundly disabled day-visitors from the surrounding communities meaningfully occupied. In January our Club presented this wonderful organisation with much-needed tablecloths. |
|---|
 A delighted Marie Kapp (housekeeper) and Trudi Heyns (kitchen matron) of Epilepsy. |
|---|
Our Club has been actively involved in the establishment of the Bongani community garden as well as supplying the fencing and water tank. Our District’s Veggie Garden Fund was used to initiate this project, which has since gone from strength to strength. |
|---|
 Bongani veggie garden |
 Water tank for Bongani |
|---|
On 17 February 2009, Club President Peter Klews inducted two new members to the club, Barbara O’Hagan and Toitjie Muller. The club strength is now back to 54 members, the peak it reached during 2008 and increases the number of female members to over 20%. |
|---|
 Barbara O’Hagan |
 Toitjie Muller |
|---|
21 February 2009 saw a most successful Interact outing when representative members from our 5 active Interact Clubs, their Rotarians and a teacher, plus DG Elwin and Ina, met with two Interact Clubs from Bath (UK) and four teachers. The Bath Interactors were on a tour to see projects that they have been supporting from England: AIDS and educational facilities in Thembalitsha (Cape Town) and Grabouw. Peet Joubert led an outing to the Garden of Eden and Kranshoek, giving an interesting talk, and then we had an excellent traditional braai at Kranshoek. |
|---|
 |
|---|
We are pleased to announce that Damian Lahoud is officially an Ambassadorial Scholar! He’s going to university in Sweden at Linkopings. Damian has come through our Rotary ranks, having served as vice-president of Knysna High Interact club, attended RYLA Outward Bound, and was a STEP student to Turkey. Well done and best of luck to him. |
|---|
THE ROTARY CLUB OF KNYSNA - knysna@rotary9350.co.za
Should you not wish to receive further newsletters please email knysna@rotary9350.co.za
asking to be removed and provide your name and email address to which the newsletter was sent