This Week - Committee Meetings and a look at our Weaknesses as a Club

 After the start of the meeting we will break for Committee Meetings on WhatsApp Groups and rejoin the Zoom  meeting at 19:00 to report back.  What the Membership Committee has to say about growth and an increasing reduction in the average age of membership will be of primary importance when we return to the general meeting.  

There will be a Board Meeting before as per usual though the Business Meeting is held over till next week.

Saturday 7th September, 11:30, is our social meal at Akti Mediterranean Restaurant in Bedford Centre.

I have booked for 20 people on the assumption that more couples would want to attend than usual and perhaps a few extra.  It worries me that support for these social activities will continue to be low when our Spring Braai at Modderfontein Dam will be the October social event.  It's a conundrum because of the times we live in, safety factors for evening events and a general lack of sociability except within a very small circle; initially through Covid lockdown and subsequently through changed perceptions.

These are the specials that they are providing for us on Saturday though they are normally just Monday to Friday.  The standard menu is also available.

Last Week

Justice Edwin Cameron spoke on the subject "South Africa - Peril or Promise".  He didn't mince his words when it came to the issues that South Africa faces of which we are very aware from corruption in government, social services and individuals and in every aspect of life including his own profession.  Yet his message was on balance positive with respect for the constitution amongst the majority of South Africans both inside and outside parliament.  We have a strong civil society and freedom of the press backed up by a legal system that protects both.  He saw that these factors would draw South Africa back from the abyss by the sheer will of its citizens despite the chaos that was initiated and continues from the start of the Zuma presidency.

Next Week

As I have already mentioned, it will be a Business Meeting...and it promises to be an interesting one.

International - Northern Ireland

Volunteers led by the Rotary Club of Belfast made improvements to the courtyard garden of a senior home in January. The team of Rotarians, community members, and people in transitional employment through the judicial system cleared weeds, constructed raised garden platforms, and filled them with soil. Cold temperatures scaled back their plans, but it was still a “rather back-breaking” effort, says club member Jenny Boyd. 

A District 1160 grant of about $1,250 was used to underwrite the expense. Karen Blair, a past president and project leader, recruited colleagues from her law firm to get a little dirt under their fingernails. “This project allows all members to be involved in a very hands-on activity,” Blair says. “And even those with no gardening ability can participate by chatting with the residents over coffee.”