March 2024 Edition 9

Message from DG Ann Wright
Dear Members
I would like to extend mycongratulations to AG Pam Rawbone(Bellville RC) who has stepped into
the role of DGN 2025/26 at short
notice.
Congratulations to Anton Lubbe (Helderberg Sunrise) for
accepting the role of DGND for 2026/27. I am sure you
join me in wishing them both well as they embark on thisexciting journey and a new chapter in their Rotary lives.
President Gordon’s visionary Tour of Hope to six Africancountries included a visit to South Africa. He met withvarious Rotary and community leaders in Johannesburg
over the Human Rights weekend where he also attended aformal lunch at the Wanderers club.
Each DG was given a 2minute slot to chat about theirdistrict and we each had to present a video clip of our
projects on Food Security. Thank you to Anton Lubbe andIf anyclub isfor
wanting
to sharea container
wheelchairs clip.
please include
his
team
putting
togethera ofwonderful
the three Angolan clubs Luanda, Luanda Sul and Lobito as they have desperate beneficiaries.
Later
RIPcanGordon
a state-of-the-Art Aquaponics
Transport
be taken unveiledcare of.

Training Centre at the Nederduitsch Hervormde Kerk in
Randburg. This project is a collaboration between D9400,
Fresh Ministries and the Desmond Tutu Programme to
End Global Hunger. He visited the Hartebeespoort clubwhere he saw a Vulture rehabilitation Centre, a school forchildren with autism and an Interact Club. His last night
was spent at Sandton Square where he spotted the giant
statue of Nelson Mandela and the new, smaller version
which Rotary 9400 commissioned so that the sightimpaired visitors could experience the statue throughtouch.
The three South African DGs were privileged to spend
time with RI President Gordon and his wife, Heather. He is
an inspirational leader, empathetic and humble. Hispassion and energy levels are extraordinary and I am soproud to have served my term as a DG under his
leadership. He is an avid rugby fan and a huge supporterof the Springboks, but off the discussion board was thegame between Scotland and the Springboks!

He told moving stories of how TRF funds had changed
lives of young people in Mongolia, Argentina andPakistan. Not many dry eyes were seen in the audience.
‘March Madness’ usually refers to the NCAA tournamentin the USA, but during this month I had the feeling thatsome of our clubs were enjoying their own bit of March
Madness with all that was happening; every club has its
own special story, every project has a special meaning.
What is your story? How did you Create Hope in theWorld? Everyone attending conference on Saturday 20
April make sure you have a special story up your sleevebecause you will learn how to use it in social media and in
print media!
My DG visits have been completed. Thank you for yourhospitality and kindness. I loved connecting with ourRotarians and clubs and seeing the commitment toprojects and meetings. Please continue inviting me toyour projects and events.
Thank you for every project you do, every hour donatedin time and every Rand you donate. You are Creating Hopein the World somewhere for a child, for someone facing achallenge.
My hope is that you packed March with joyful service toothers, as well as some special times with your family andfriends. Remember, “Service Above Self,” applies to ourfamilies and homes as well.
To those celebrating special events in March and April, I
hope you receive a basketful of JOY, and FUN as you taketime to reflect and spend time with loved ones.
Can’t wait to see you all at DISCON24
Ann

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NEWSLETTERHIGHLIGHTS
1. DG Ann Message

2. Did you KNOW?
3. Discon 2024 - UPDATE

Chesley R. Perry: Rotary’s first general secretary

4. ICC 9350 Agreement with Austria
5. RI President Gordon’s African Tour of Hope
6. Club News
7. RYLA8. Welcome new Club Members
9. Save these dates
10. Snippets
11. Maternal and Child Health
12. Enhance your role with public image courses
13. March is: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Month
14. Snapshot – cause-based Rotary clubs
15. Rotary’s Vision Statement

EDITOR:
Tanya Stone tanya@conferencewise.co.za
DISTRICT GOVERNOR:Ann Wrightannw6942@gmail.com

Chesley Reynolds Perry, a Spanish-American war veteranand former Chicago Public Library employee, played apivotal role in shaping Rotary International.
Serving as Rotary’s first secretary, Perry is known as “thebuilder of Rotary International”.
Initially appointed in 1910, Perry’s part-time role evolved
into a full-time executive position by 1912, overseeing
the association’s growth from 16 clubs in the US to over
5 000 worldwide.
Perry established Rotary’s first headquarters in Chicago,
Illinois, and expanded its global presence by opening thefirst international office in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1925.
Despite announcing his
retirement plans in 1940, Perryremained in office until 1942-43,
training his successor, Philip C.
Lovejoy.
Declining nominations for therole of RI President, Perryretired in 1943 but continued
his leadership by serving as thepresident of the Rotary Club ofChicago in 1944-45.

DISTRICT OFFICE:
dist9350@iafrica.com

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DISTRICT 9350 CONFERENCEDISCON 24 hosted by RC George in Mossel Bay 19-20 April.
And 18 April for golfers
Thank you to the Rotarians who have registered for DISCON24. You will leave Mossel Bay refreshed and energised with arenewed passion for the endless hours of planning and service which you deliver and which brings so much hopeto your communities.

Who will be your inspiration and motivator to continue your Rotary journey?
On Friday it could be: Andre du Toit – The Magic of Change;
Ken Mugisha – How to grow Rotary, the Ugandan Experience or Prof Jonathan Jansen – Why Rotary Matters.
On Saturday it could be someone who has never presented to D9350 Rotary before:
RI Presidential Rep Phil Dyer (UK) – PI and the art of Story Telling, Dr Carrie Minnaar (JHB) Oncologic Hyperthermia Specialist andMandy Muchnick – a mental well-being champion. Both young ladies are dynamic and award winners in their fields.
Of course, there will be awards and project presentations that will take your breath away. You will interact with members from
Angola, Namibia and South Africa and they will become your new best friends. Bring your business cards to stay in touch. Bring
your note book to record all the brilliant ideas. Bring your credit card to shop at the District store and bring loads of R5 coins tohave fun at the Kiss Polio Goodbye table.
Bring your smile for the candid camera and don’t forget to bring loads of energy to enjoy the entertainment.
And YES, you still have a few days left in which to register for accommodation at the DIAZ Hotel (or your choice), for Conference
and for the entertainment. BUT please do so NOW as it will make the organisers life that much easier as they
aim to deliver a world class experience.

REGISTER HEREICC 9350
AGREEMENTWITH
AUSTRIA.
AG Elisabeth Walters from
Salzburg RC was in theCape recently and presented
DG with the original copy of
the ICC 9350 agreementwith Austria.

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CLICK HERE TO REGISTER

4DISTRICT NEWSPRESIDENT GORDON'S AFRICAN TOUR OF HOPE.

DG Ann at the podium

Dave Wright, DG Ann Wright, DG Riana Pretorius (9400),
RIP Gordon McInally, Heather McInally, DG Jacques Venter,
Linda Venter

RIP Gordon and his wife Heather,admiring the miniature Mandela statue.

Dave Wright inspecting the plants.

RIP Gordon address in NG Kerk.

The RIP being escorted by a Scottish
piper.

The opening of the Aquaponics.

Botswana Rotarians with DG Ann

DG Riana Pretorius (9400), Rev. Dr Robert Lee 111, RIP Gordon
McInally, PDG Annemarie Mostert (9400), Heather McInally.

The Rev. Dr Robert V.Lee 111 Chairman
and CEO FreshMinistries with RIP Gordon.

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CLUB NEWSRC CLAREMONTRC KNYSNA

Our very own Abby has justbeen recognized as an
AWARD-WINNING global
grant scholar! Abby clinched
2nd place in the prestigious
Public Health Innovations
competition at the World Technology Forum. Huge
congratulations, Abby – we’re bursting with pride!
Your dedication and innovation shine bright, andwe’re honored to have you as part of our team. They
have extended her stay so Abby can complete her
PhD. Keep inspiring us all.

Rotary Club of Knysna’s new Honorary
Rotarians
Members of the Rotary Club of Knysna gathered forbreakfast at Issequena Heights Boutique Hotel to
pay tribute to three longstanding Rotarians who
recently stepped down from the club. Ian Uys, John
Satchel and Elwin Thompson were awarded
Honorary Rotarian status in recognition of their
many years of outstanding service to Rotary.

RC CLAREMONTRC Knysna President Herb Hunter with Ian Uys, Elwin
Thompson and John Satchel.

Rotarian Jo Maxwell said: There is nothing
more rewarding than laughing, joking andhaving fun with the elderly as Liz and I handed
out R100 gift vouchers to 80 SASSA pensioners
at Pick ‘n Pay.

RC GOODWOOD/INTERACT CLUBRC TYGERBERG

Tygerberg RC had a speaker evening. Mark Wilkinsongave a talk on the proposed Winelands Airport. The
evening was well attended and they had 108 people
attend. Thank you to Bellville and Durbanville RC's foryour support.

Goodwood Rotary Club are very proud of their Interact
club at Edgemead High. The current teacher in charge
is a past member of the club. The Interacters invited DG
Ann to attend one of their meetings where they gave an
insight into the incredible work they do.

66CLUB NEWSRC KIRSENBOSCHRC MELKBOS AND BLOUBERG
Melkbos and Blouberg Rotarians welcomed KZN Rotarians, who had cycled 900kms in
8 days to reach Cape Town in time for the CTCT Race. They raised around R200,000 tofund 2 projects, and they generously donated R5000 to the welcoming clubs for a
combined project.

President Graham Buccholtz.

The cyclists stopped at the Table Mountain Frame in Blouberg
but the mountain was hidden.

RC CLAREMONT

President Ruvi Moyo, CT Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis
and Tsie Mogoje.

RC PINELANDS

Pinelands Rotarian Marcus Karlein
completed the cycle race.

Marshalling at the Bike Park. Peter Sharples, Tatenda
Fudzichena (Frank’s nephew), Velma Jansen and Frank
Matose.

57 Learners representing 27 schools from across the Peninsula completed avery successful RYLA camp. Under the superb leadership of Rtn Ethan and theteam of Rotaract and Rotary facilitators, an active weekend of activities took
place in the beautiful Franschhoek mountains – with its usual change frombeautiful, hot and sunny days to cool and rainy weather over the weekend.
Learners thoroughly enjoyed the weekend and many did not want
the weekend to finish – although a number of them will be returningas team leaders in September.
A huge shout out to the 13 Rotary clubs who sponsored learners tothis camp, to the Rotarians, Rotaractors and friends of Rotary who
attended the camp as facilitators (Rotaract Bellville, Wynberg andClaremont members and prospective members were present).
Without this support the camp would not be possible.
We look forward to seeing everyone again in September!

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WELCOME NEW MEMBERS
RC BELLVILLERC FRANSCHHOEK AND DRAKENSTEIN

Welcome to Rotary Bellville Xolani
Mhlongo and to Gabriella Lamour
who is their current Rotaract
President.

Mary Maatouk, David Anderson, Dirk Cupido,
Rowan Smith.

RC PAARLNew member for Paarl, Patrick Klaasen. Proposedby Bryan Anderson with President Marita.

RC BLOUBERGRC SOMERSET WEST

A big welcome to new Somerset West Rotarians:
Rory Sterley, Brody Moodie and Jamie Schoeman.

RC CLAREMONTAG Bev, new member Roy Hamlyn, Pres Ruvi and Lynn Hamlyn.

HOPE
The BUTTERFLY is asymbol of hope andtransformation.

Ivar and his wife JudyThe Rotary Club of Blouberg mourns the lossof an outstanding Rotarian and much-loved
member of the community – Ivar Drewienka.
A memorial service was held at the Milnerton
Golf Club on Tuesday 12th March.

CORNFLOWERS
symbolize hopefuloptimism for the future.
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SAVE THESE DATES!

DisCon 2024 - Golf Day
Pinnacle Point Estate
Apr 18, 2024 11:00 am
DisCon 2024 - Meet & Greet
Diaz Hotel and Resort
Apr 18, 2024 6:30 pm
District Assembly 2024
Diaz Hotel and Resort
Apr 19, 2024
8:30 am – 4:00 pm
DisCon 2024
Diaz Hotel and Resort
Apr 20, 2024
8:00 am – 5:00 pm
DisCon 2024 - DG's Gala Dinner
Diaz Hotel and Resort
Apr 20, 2024 7:30 pm
D9350 Food Garden Webinar
Apr 24, 2024
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm
Stellenbosch Rotary Club Golf Day
Stellenbosch Golf ClubApr 25, 2024
8:00 am – 6:00 pm
D9350 Food Garden Webinar
Jun 26, 2024
5:00 pm – 6:00 pm

With Environmental Sustainability taking root within
Rotary as the 7th Area of Focus, Rotary has
designated April as the Environment Month.
Click the link below to see what Rotarians aroundthe world are doing to improve the health of theplanet. ROTARY EARTH DAY“He who plants a tree, plants a HOPE.”- Lucy Larcom

I don’t think anyone really
understands how tiring it is to act
okay and always be strong when in
reality you’re close to the edge.

It’s okay not to be okay

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SNIPPETS
Rotarians and giving

THE POLIO PLUS SOCIETY
You are invited to become a member of the Polio
Plus Society.
A 10 year old child in Zimbabwe, has been
confirmed to have the Polio virus. This is on our‘doorstep’ and we invite you to assist us to help
eradicate the world of Polio.
Join the Polio Plus Society by contributing an annual
amount of $100 till we have a Polio free World.
(you may make a monthly donation of a small
amount or an annual payment of $100).
For your $100 contribution, you will become amember of The Polio Plus Society and will receive a
certificate as well as a Polio Plus Pin.
Your name will appear on our District Database –please let us know should you already be a member
so that our database can be updated.
As soon as you make a contribution to Polio Plus,
please let me or Janey Ball know, so that we areable to acknowledge and thank you.
Helène +27 825749257 helene@erasteer.co.za
or Janey +27 823787800 janey@iafrica.com
Chat to us at DISCON 24 where you may sign up to
become a member.

Strategies for attracting new members(view on the learning centre)
Sadly, we have not reached our target of +1100
members. Clubs have until mid June to induct
members.
Thank you to those clubs who have gone the extra
mile and inducted more than THREE members.
We are losing more members throughresignations.
Learn how to make your club more attractive andaccessible by updating the experience you offerand showing people what your club does well. If you
can do this, you’ll be able to attract
new members while having fun and thriving as a club.

Most of us are happy to give our timeand our skill to projects, but not as
generous when it comes to donating to
our International Funds – The Rotary Foundation
and Polio Fund. Did you know that: over 80 percentof Rotary members make no contributions to
PolioPlus, or that over 60 percent make no donation at
all to The Rotary Foundation? For an organization of
1.4 million members, that means that nearly 1 million
of us are not contributing each year.
Speak to Helene Visser at DISCON to learn more
about the proposed D9350 Polio Society.
More cases of Polio have been confirmed in Angola
with connections to DRC, Huambo and Nigeria.
Latest news from Pakistan – 2 new cases reported.
Please bring some spare cash to Conference for fun
things to do/purchase in aid of Polio.

Rotary Youth Leadership Awards(RYLA) is an intensive leadershipexperience led by Rotaracters and Rotary forpotential school leaders where they develop their skills
as a leader while having fun and making connections.
Our RYLA camps are held in the Franschhoek
mountains at the Carmel camp twice a year.
Congratulations to Ethan and his team of Rotaractersfor the great work they do, and to David, your passion
for RYLA is much appreciated.

Convention dates
Start saving now to attend a RotaryInternational event.
2025 21-25 June – Calgary, Canada
2026 13-17 June – Taipei, Taiwan
2027
5-9 June – Honolulu, Hawaii
2028
3-7 June – Manila, Philippines
2029 26-30 May – Minneapolis, Minnesota
2030 25-29 May – Chicago, Illinois

A convention is the best place to build international
relationships.

WE MAKE A LIVING BY WHAT WE GET,BUT WE MAKE A LIFE BY WHAT WE
GIVE. - Winston Churchill
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MATERNAL AND CHILDHEALTHDr Sylvia N. Cebekhulu, acting chairpersonof the National Confidential Enquiries into
Maternal Deaths wrote in one of thetriennial Saving Mothers reports:

Enhance Your RoleWith Public Image Courses

By Sr. Jeanette Meiring
Maternal and Women’s
health coordinator.

“The death of a woman during pregnancy, childbirth, or the
puerperium (postnatal period) is one of the greatest possibletragedies. The right to life is everyone’s constitutional right andwomen also deserve such rights. Everyone has the right to haveaccess to health care services, including sexual and reproductive
health care.”
In my experience as the Maternal and Women’s Healthcoordinator, I come to realise that reproductive health services
are the cornerstone of all-encompassing maternal and childhealth. It is not just the absence of disease or dysfunction, butalso physical, emotional, mental, and social wellbeing in all
aspects of sexuality and reproduction. Sexual Reproductive
Health also includes the ability to determine if, when, and how
often to have a child.
Unintended pregnancies have adverse health andsocioeconomic consequences for women, girls, men, and boys.
Sound maternal and child health outcomes are the backbone tobuild strong communities but sadly approximately 17% of thewomen who died during the 2021 – 2023 period, died frompreventable causes related to pregnancy and childbirth.

Universal access to high-quality Family Planning services &information is therefore essential for wellbeing and a satisfying
sexual life.
This includes being informed about, having access to andchoice of safe, effective, affordable, and acceptable
contraceptive methods, including safe termination ofpregnancy.
The Western Cape Department of Health introduced theAdolescent and Youth Health Policy in 2017 through which they
desire to empower young people who are healthy, stay safe,
enjoy life and achieve, make a positive contribution and prosper.

As Rotarians we can play an essential role towards
these goals by partnering with healthcare facilities
in contributing towards getting the message across.
Contact your nearest facility and enquire to theirneed.

When you step into your new leadership roleand start taking relevant courses in the
Learning Center, make sure to explore the
Public Image courses. These courses will help
maximize your effectiveness by making
Rotary’s public image a priority.
Through Rotary’s Public Image courses,
you’ll learn:•••

More about the concepts behind Rotary’s
brand identity
Ways to bridge the gap between publicawareness and understanding of Rotary
Strategies to promote your clubinitiatives and impact you make in thecommunity

To access the Learning Center courses, youmust be logged into your MyRotary account.
On the Course Catalog page, select the Public
Image card to browse the available courses.

“The only thing worse than being talked
about is not being talked about.”—Oscar Wilde (August 1940)
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WATER, SANITATION AND
HYGIENE MONTH

Clean water is a basic need forhuman beings. When people,
especially children, have access toclean water, they live healthier andmore productive lives. However, atleast 3,000 children die each dayfrom diseases caused by unsafe
water, which is what motivates ourmembers to build wells, install
rainwater harvesting systems, andteach community members how tomaintain new infrastructureThis video shows how Rotary
supports local solutions to bringclean water, sanitation, and hygiene
to more people every day.

Clean water, sanitation, and hygiene education
are basic necessities for a healthy environment
and a productive life.

We don’t just build wells and walkaway. We share our expertise with
community leaders and educators
to make sure our projects succeed
long-term.

WATCH VIDEO

Have you considered starting a Cause based club?
Below is a snapshot of a few current active interest and cause-based Rotary Clubs

Club

District

Interest

Saturday E Jazz, Uganda

9213

Jazz music as a key feature of the fellowship,
played before and after the meetings.

Seoul Sairee, Seoul, Korea, Republic of

3650

Musical lovers

Taipei Art, Taiwan

3521

Art

E-Club Film & Friends D2101, Italy

2101

Movies and documentaries

Seoul Culture & Art, Seoul, Korea, Republic of

3640

Taipei Aesthetics, Taiwan

3521

Most members composed of individuals
majoring in various forms of art such as music,
fine art, and visual arts.
Art and Aesthetics

Seoul KANS, Seoul, Korea, Republic of

3650

Professors group

District 2451 Deaf, Eqypt

2495

Supporting hearing impaired people.

Queen Creek, Arizona, USA

5495

Youth and Teen Mental Health Awareness

E-Club of Bipolar. UK

1145

All members are affected by bipolar (people
living with the condition, close family members
or friends, or those with a keen interest in thecause).
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Rotary
ROTARY’S VISION STATEMENTTOGETHER WE SEE A WORLD
WHERE PEOPLE UNITE AND TAKEACTION TO CREATE LASTINGCHANGE ACROSS THE GLOBEIN OUR COMMUNITITES AND IN OURSELVESTAKE ACTION: www.rotary9350.co.za

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