Claremont
Clarion
The newsletter of the Rotary Club of Claremont
“The Club with the cherry on the top”
President: Rochelle Myers Editorial email: p.rogers@absamail.co.za
Secretary: Mark Lancaster Meetings: Kelvin Grove
P O Box 23163, Claremont, 7736. Campground Road
Editor Peter Rogers Newlands
Assistant Editor Paul De Groot Cape Town 7700
Comment Writer: Chris Rainier-Pope Web page: www.rotary-claremont.org.za
Meetings: Tuesdays 18h15 for 18h45
Club email: claremont@rotary9350.co.za ‘phone 685 6551 Fax 685 6676
Disclaimer
The opinions expressed in the Clarion are purely those of the editors and do not
necessarily reflect the opinion of the Claremont Rotary Club, the Club President, or the
Rotary organisation.
Volume 33. No 24. Tuesday, 16 January 2007
JANUARY IS ROTARY AWARENESS MONTH
COMMENT
HAPPY NEW YEAR
For 2007
And FOR THE Clarion:
WHAT OUR FOUNDER SAID
"We are here on earth and we are here to stay during our respectively allotted periods. How much
of happiness and how much of misery shall be our share remains with us almost entirely to
determine. If we possess a modicum of reason, it will be apparent to us that it is the part of wisdom
to cheerfully make the best of the situation and to harmonize our own lives with nature's inexorable
laws. We are entitled to the maximum of happiness; and may we be sane enough to observe that
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the route to a life full of happiness does not lie in intemperate indulgence. We need and the world
needs an optimistic, rational philosophy of life."
by Paul P Harris - The Rotarian, February 1914
As we move into the next year of our lives, it is always a time of reflection with the past and
excitement for the future. In today's uncertain world, let your own lives be full of happiness for 2007
and based on our simple but straightforward Rotary way of life.
For many of us, it is customary to sing the song "Auld Lang Syne" tomorrow. I close by copying
down the first and last verses (in the original) for your enjoyment.
"Should Auld Acquaintance be forgot
And never brought to mind?
Should Auld Acquaintance be forgot,
And Auld Lang Syne!
...And there's a hand, my trusty fiere!
And gie's a hand o' thine!
And we'll tak a right gude-willie-waught,
For Auld Lang Syne"
Calum Thomson
RGHF Chairman
RC Longniddry & District,
D-1020, Scotland.
The first meeting of the 2 Bond year (as in James) was a pretty low key one with lots of hand
shaking, passion hugging, emotional kissing and other forms of passing on best wishes for the new
year. About 25 members attended.
It was also a committee meeting night so went by quickly to facilitate whatever committees were
able to meet.
SPOTS
* Paul de Groot thanked all for their assistance and participation with Uncle Willy`s party
series. He noted that it was the best Christmas tree they’ve had for years and thanked Jaap
Dekker in particular as it had came from his garden. Paul also shared a moment that had
occurred during the quiet explanation of Daddies having to supply lots of wind to blow out
the lanterns at the right time for Father Christmas’s arrival. A little boy had very loudly
exclaimed that he knew the daddies were full of wind "because it came out everywhere!"
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* Mark Lancaster announced an interesting line up of speakers for the forthcoming
meetings and encouraged members to use this as an additional reason to invite guests /
potential members.
* Ken Sturgeon made some deep observational comments on the Robben Island ferry
operations which had left him with a somewhat upset bunch of Irishmen who had
descended on him for his daughters wedding. Notwithstanding they had still shared some
Irish jokes with him - one of which he told the meeting. Having come from an Irish
Clergyman within his group of visitors it is worth getting Ken to tell you sometime (with
accent) if you were not there. He also updated us on the Events office and drove the point
that there is a very good opportunity for Rotary to glean some serious TV exposure - IF we
supply info.
* John Ryall reminded all - and named some - to get off their butts with action on the
President’s challenge - or their allocation will be forfeited back into the general Community
Service funds.
John also proposed a thank you - to a big round of applause - to Melissa van der Meer for
her virtual nightly commitment at Uncle Willy`s parties.
* Paul Roux thanked the club for their support for the Kidz Positive project and announced
that it (the project) had won a notable award. (Sorry but I cannot read the phonetic manner
of the note I made of the award’s name.)
PRESIDENTS SPOT
President Rochelle rounded off the meeting by also thanking all for their help with the
Christmas parties, mentioning Lionel Morkel’s hospital sojourn, Recognizing and
congratulating Paul Roux on the award for the Kidz Positive project, advising us that
our most recent member - and now departed to Melbourne - Gill Victor is preggy!
On the other end of scale it was also big thank you to Jimmy Warner for the wine on the
tables as he had days before become a GRANDFATHER. (He is quick to point that it is
NOT from the marriage of his daughter days before that.)
The committee meetings followed.
President Rochelle displaying a T Shirt designed by our Short term Exchange students.
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Barbara Silveira, our Long term Exchange Student, addressing the Club for the last time
before her return to Brasil.
FORTHCOMING EVENTS
11 March 2007 - Cape Argus/Pick 'n Pay Cycle Tour
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DUTY ROSTER
If you are unable to do your duty for unforeseeable circumstances please arrange a stand-in and let the
Sergeant for that meeting know and please inform the Master Sergeant, Debbie Nash at
debbien@kenilworthclinic.co.za
Date January 16 January 23 January 30 February 6
Venue Kelvin Grove Kelvin Grove Kelvin Grove Kelvin Grove
6.30 For 6.45 6.30 For 6.45 7pm for 7.30 6.30 For 6.45
Sergeant Muggleston Maxwell Meintjes Burningham
Attendance Valentine/Van der Valentine/Van der Viljoen/Surve Viljoen/Warner
Meer Meer
Fellowship Nash Viljoen Warner Bohlmann B
Grace Bohlmann G Eion Brown Burdes Nash
Intro. Speaker Bohlmann B Bohlmann G Brown E
Speaker Marius Boraine Shaun Mcleod Partners Evening Committee Meetings
District Website Snakeman
(Membership
Evening)
Thank Speaker Cheek De Groot Dekker
Four Way Test; Maxwell Meintjes Morkel Muggleston
Comment/Editorial
Asst. Editor Dekker Du Plessis Himely Huchon
Rotaract Attendance Morkel/Meintjes Maxwell/Muller
Exchange Student
Duties
Lighthouse Club lifts
BIRTHDAY/ANNIVERSARIES
JANUARY
10 Anne LANCASTER Birthday
10 Jimmy & Louise WARNER Wedding
16 Frank MUGGLESTON Birthday
Congratulations and have a great day.
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JOKE OF THE DAY
Many years ago in a small village, a farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village
moneylender.
The moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful daughter.
So he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his daughter.
Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal.
So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter.
He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag.
Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.
1) If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.
2) If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.
3) But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into jail.
They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to
pick up two pebbles.
As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them
into the bag.
He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field.
What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her?
Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:
1. The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
2. The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat.
3. The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and
Imprisonment.
Take a moment to ponder over the story.
The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical
thinking.
The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking.
Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers.
What would you recommend to the Girl to do?
Well, here is what she did.....The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble.
Without looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became
lost among all the other pebbles.
"Oh, how clumsy of me," she said.
"But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked."
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Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one.
And since the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible
Situation into an extremely advantageous one.
MORAL OF THE STORY:
Most complex problems do have a solution.
Please share this with your partner in Rotary.
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