Paarl Rotary president Deon Erasmus (left) handed over the chain of office to his successor, Marita van der Sluys, at the club's induction dinner.
In his annual report, Deon said: "These are indeed difficult and uncertain times, but Rotary brings hope in adversity. I constantly remind myself that the Rotary Club of Paarl was chartered in 1940, also in challenging times with widespread despair during the Second World War, when a small group of like-minded Paarlites decided to stand up and make a difference by providing hope to those in need in our valley. We therefore build on this legacy to continue to improve quality of life in our vulnerable communities.
"Looking back, the year seems to have passed far too quickly, and that is because of the highlights we experienced. I think of our annual spectacle project that enables 130 children to be tested and receive spectacles; our annual winter blanket drive distributing more than 200 blankets; the annual seniors’ concert that has been going for 30 years; the Royalty project anti-internet porn project for learners; Paarl Kickboxing’s anti-bullying project; and the expansion of the Kerith Retreat food garden, among others.
"Our focus on youth is showing positive results at the Mbeko Eco Club, Andrew Murray Children’s Home, RYLA, and Adventures into Citizenship. Our six Interact clubs continue to foster a culture of community service among the youth at various schools in the area.
"The Karoo outreach, where we distributed Endboxes with educational toys to 5 schools in the Prince Albert and Merweville areas, was also highly successful and created a great outreach opportunity thoroughly enjoyed by those Paarl Rotarians making the trip. Talking of outreach – the two short term exchange students from Paarl that we sponsored on an exchange to Hungary integrated well into their host communities and flew the flag for Paarl Rotary. We expect their counterparts to visit us after the school holidays.
"Another significant highlight has been the establishment of the Labyrinth Circle. A first for South Africa introduced by Paarl Rotarian Rudy Du Pont, and based on his experience of a model in Belgium to support the family members of dementia patients. The first pilot project has been completed and we look forward to rolling it out to other areas in our district. This promises to be a significant intervention in an area of health that is becoming increasingly prevalent among senior citizens.
"All the above would not have been possible without the support of each Rotarian and his or her family. Our weekly lunch meetings are a haven for fellowship and inspiration with interesting speakers. It is this friendship and camaraderie that keep us together as a community of the like-minded – striving to improve quality of life in our communities. Our partners and families understand this and allow us to realise our ambitions of Service Above Self. Without them, we would not be able to be part of, nor contribute to an international community of Rotarians that Imagine Rotary, and Create Hope in the World."
Paul Harris Awards were presented to Rotarians Rudy Dupont, Gerhard van Reenen and Hester Visagie for their service to the club. Rotarian Pierre Botha also received a merit award. The board members supporting the president are June Kroukamp (secretary), Eugene Reynders (Treasurer), Deon Erasmus (immediate past president), Hester Visagie (Youth), Marlo Laubscher (Projects), Gerhard van Reenen (Rotary Foundation), Pierre Botha (Public Imagme) and Bryan Anderson (Membership). Merit awards also went to the Royalty Project (prevention of teen pregnancy and online stalking), Paarl Valley Wheelchair Friends (promotes mobility for the disabled) and Mbekweni Eco Club (an effective community voice in biodiversity and nature conservation).