I remember looking around at our Christmas luncheon, seeing everyone laughing and having fun, and thinking how lucky we are to have such a great Club. One of the Rotary Clubs I follow on Facebook says we should be encouraging our partners/friends/family to join Rotary because they are already half-way along the journey… they’re familiar with our projects and objectives, they end up volunteering at most things anyway, and they know almost everyone already! I hope you all had as much fun as Santa, Olive and I did, and that you had a peaceful Christmas holiday.
Chief Elf (Bill Kerr), Santa (Ken Coulter), Mrs. Claus (President Jennifer Kay) and Olive the Prancing Reindeer (Jennifer Estall) at the December 19th Christmas Celebration Luncheon
With not only a new year but a new decade upon us, what are you thinking about resolutions? I certainly imagined as a little kid growing up in the ‘70s that we’d all be zooming around in our George Jetson-mobiles by now – and we are close! While I’m anxious to welcome 2020, I am a little bit melancholy about saying goodbye to the 2010s, especially because of the friends and relatives we’ve lost.
But we must always look ahead to the future or we will end up staying rooted in the past… as true for Rotary as an organization as it is for us as individuals. We need to think ahead to what we want RCOT to be at the end of this next year: how many members? Will we have a new Interact Club? Will we try to focus on having some more social activities in addition to our meetings? So many things to think about and strive for. Your Board will be continuing to strive for a Presidential Citation and will bring our accomplishments to light in the coming months.
As an organization, Rotary is well poised to really work for peace in the coming decade. With more than a million like-minded members around the world, think what we could do if we harness our power for good and bring nations and peoples together? What a world we could create…
I wish you and your families all the very best in 2020. May we open our hearts and minds to the limitless opportunities facing us and seize every day.
In the spirit of sharing, thought I would share our club’s newsletter with you. If you would like to be on our distribution list do let me know d.dennaoui@gmail.com.
As we mark the start of 2020 let’s take a moment to think about life in 1820, two hundred years ago – a mere blip in human history.
The average life expectancy was 41 years.
Travel was by horse, sail, and foot, the same speed as in ancient times.
People retreated behind locked doors at night for the streets of towns were dark and dangerous at night.
People wore perfume in their struggle against the odour from other’s bodies, from sewers, latrines and streets littered with horse droppings.
Heavy manual work was the lot of most men and women.
Traditions rather than science dominated the medical profession.
A poor summer’s crop meant a hungry winter and malnutrition.
And here we are 200 years later. WOW!
At the flick of a switch we have light, at the turn of a tap we get clean water.
We have anaesthetics to counter pain, pills to alleviate almost every conceivable malady, hip and knee replacements and patched up hearts.
Thermostats automatically keep us warm or cool, we have electric stoves and washing machines and battery driven tools of all kinds.
We travel easily in cars, buses, trains and aeroplanes, highways and ships.
WOW!
We have radios, computers, telephones, fresh food all year long, and a vast array of ways to communicate instantly to anywhere on earth.
Our life expectancy is eighty two years, twice that 200 years ago!
I suppose it is natural for us to take it all for granted, natural to be annoyed when the power goes off, the train is late or a flight is cancelled or when the store runs out of what we want. But as we move into 2020 it’s a good time to say,
Please see below for the final report for the Global Grant that provided 10 Neonatal Incubators to a hospital in South Africa. Our club provided $5000 US for this project that was multiplied by 6.5 by Rotary Foundation and Government of Canada matching funds. Lesley Barmania (current DG) from Mississauga Meadowvale was the lead and the amazing Knysna Rotary Club was the local host club. This is the 2nd project that we have supported run by the Knysna Club – the other was the Preschool and Teacher Training Centre in Knysna.
“Good morning everyone. It with the utmost pleasure and gratitude, that I write to tell you that our project to supply 10 neonatal incubators to the Children's Red Cross Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa has been completed and is now officially closed. Once again, our sincere thanks go to the dynamic Knysna Rotary Team who facilitated and steered this project to its final successful conclusion.
The project objective was to enhance neonatal infant care and contribute to reducing child mortality in communities in South Africa and other African countries. Specifically, this project was to supply and install 8 closed infant incubators, and 3 Giraffe open baby warmers that would be connected to computerized patient monitors through a new integrated computerized system. This equipment was a vital part of the new intensive care unit at the Red Cross War memorial Children’s Hospital in Cape Town, South Africa.
Additionally, this project provided training to staff on how to use the new ICU equipment. The estimated total project cost was US $253,419 and was part of a much larger US $7 million project that will revitalize and update the current hospital facilities and equipment.
The project received contributions from:
10 clubs in South Africa,
17 clubs in District 7080
1 club in Quebec - Rotary Montreal
1 club in the USA - Rotary Knoxville
1 Club in Germany - Rotary Muenster 1648
3 Districts - 7080, 9350 and 1870
The Rotary Foundation World Fund, and
Government of Canada
Aziz & I visited South Africa last December 2018. DG David Holtshausen (D9350) met us in Cape Town and together we visited the hospital to view the neonatal incubators in use. How inspiring to see the results of connecting and working together! Please see attached photos.
Because there was a significant drop in the value of the local currency between the time of preparing the budget and the time of expensing the budget, together with an increase in the South African value added tax from 14% to 15% during the same time, the project was forced to supply one less Giraffe Baby Warmer than was planned. Regardless, our contributions have allowed the hospital to increase their ability to provide world-class care to infants in South Africa and other African countries. As of May 3rd 2019, 145 critical-care infants had benefited.
So thank you! Thank you for working with us to make this a reality. Thank you for believing it could be done...and thank you for your continued support to touch the lives of so many. Could I ask you to please pass this on to your members and all those involved in this wonderful project.
Aziz and I wish you all a holiday season full of peace, joy and love. All the very best for 2020 and beyond...Lesley Barmania”
We have made great strides in the project, and we are happy to share some feedback that we received from the first graduating class of Creamos' Leadership Training Program:
"I learned how to accept critique and praise in front of a group and I was able to see the errors I was making and how I can better myself.”
"The course made me see the ways in which I was behaving that could be hurtful to my coworkers. I feel like a new person”.
"It helped me know how to treat people and have more empathy and recognize I am equal and not more or less than anyone else".
“This course was very enjoyable because it helped me learn to be a leader and how to better understand others and the process of working and teaching others”
We did not send any young people to RYLA in the last Rotary year. Now we want to be sure to get excellent, deserving and motivated attendees. We need your help publicizing that we are starting to look for RYLA Candidates.
We are looking for high quality candidates to attend RYLA. The date for 2020 has not been announced but it is usually in last week of April/first week of May. See weblink for details. https://rotary7080.org/sitepage/ryla
The criteria is to be age 18-26 year and to be seen as a committed, emerging community or thought leader.
In my experience you know the suitable young people when you meet them. Much like champion Rotarians they live by the spirit of 'Service Above Self’. They ooze enthusiasm and raw talent and they have a passion for serving their local and wider community, in thoughts, words and actions.
RYLA gives them the chance to further develop these skills, mix with other like minded peers and learn from great facilitators.
Just like many of the Exchange Students, often when I hear past RYLA attendees speak, they describe their experience as life changing.
Please introduce suitable candidates to Desmond Jordan if you know of any.
SNAPSHOTS was introduced as a place where interesting photographs from members could be shared. Please send any snapshots that you have to rotary2359@gmail.com.
Above is a photo of the Oakwood School collection of gifts gathered for Christmas
Paul Harris Fellow Community Recognition Dinner Hosted by the Oakville Rotary Clubs - Wednesday January 29, 2020 at Le Dome - 6 p.m. - $50.00 per person - Please sign up
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