President Owen Maroleni is inducted at Witbank Rotary Club

The Witbank Rotary Club inducted Pres Owen Maroleni as its President for the 2013/4 year. It was a wonderful evening, and the Rotary Clubs of Middelburg and Witbank confirmed their commitment to working together on large projects such as the Greatest Train Race, and some new Projects. President Andre challenged President Owen to a joint variety show/ melodrama by the 2 Clubs. This challenge was graciously accepted.


President Owen Maroleni

The induction of President Owen celebrated the renewal of the Witbank Rotary Club from a struggling Rotary Club of 4 members to a vibrant Club of 15 members from all sections of the community. PP Gerald Gouws was recognised for his hard work in this regard.


Pres Owen Maroleni with PDG Anton Meerkotter, AG Charles Deiner and Pres Andre Brandmuller of Middelburg Rotary Club



Celebrating - Rotarian Busani Shabangu, Ann Sharon Beale, PE Jane Moloisi and newly inducted Rotarian Dawie du Toit



Rotarian Jack Mathibe, President Owen Maroleni, AG Charles Deiner PP Hugh Cable and Ann Ushi Cable

Induction of President Andre Brandmuller

The Hall at the Midway Inn was properly decorated with Rotary in mind!

The Middelburg Rotary Club had its annual induction dinner on Saturday 27 July 2013. It was an auspicious occasion at which it awarded a certificate of appreciation to Philemon Raphuti, and Educator of many years for his wonderful assistance to AG Charles Deiner in distributing books, desks, musical instruments and many other donations received from the Rotarians in Canada.

AG Charles Deiner handing a certificate of appreciation over to Philly Raphuti

In addition the club awarded Paul Harris Fellowships to PP Albert Myburgh and Rotarian Clifford Bernitz for their efforts in the Club and the community.

PP Anna Mart Ott with new Paul Harris Fellows PP Albert Myburgh and Rotarian Clifford Bernitz

PP Anna Mart Ott reported on her year as President of the Club, which caused a former Rotarian, Henry Bernitz (Member of Middelburg Rotary Club 1984-1999) to comment that he was extremely impressed to see the number and quality of projects that the club is involved in.



Henry Bernitz thanking the club on behalf of the guests

Pres Andre Brandmuller was then inducted for his 2nd term, after serving as President in the Centenary year of Rotary. He used RI President Ron Burton as inspiration to the club to Rethink Rotary within the club, because times have changed. He challenged the club to put the F's into Rotary while expanding on the good work that they are doing - Family, Fun and Fellowship!!!!!!

Ann President Ronel Vismer Reported on the work of the Ann's Club before inducting Rotarian Colleen Deiner as Ann President.


It was wonderful to hear the mayor of Middelburg express a greater understanding of what the role of Rotary is in the community, and also indicating that he would like the Middelburg Rotary Club to be more visible to the members of the Town Council.



Mayor Mike Masina enjoying the evening

President Owen Maroleni and his team from Witbank Rotary club enjoyed the evening with us, and the team spirit that exists as a result of the relationship between Middelburg Rotary Club and Witbank Rotary Club, is sure to reach new levels in the next year.






Pres Owen Maroleni of Witbank serenading his wife to the tunes of Rod Stewart at the end of the evening

Interacter Help to Sort Books

One of the biggest challenges currently faced by the Middelburg Rotary Club is to sort the thousands of books that have been donated by Canadian Rotarians in the many Containers that have been sent to us from Canada. The books must be sorted to enable schools who wish to make use of the donation to select books which will be applicable to them. Some members of the Middelburg Interact Club gave up their Saturday morning to help. THANK YOU!!!!!

Middelburg Rotary Club assists Belfast Home for the aged!

The Belfast Rusoord is an independant home for the aged and frail in the small town of Belfast. It is reliant on the goodwill of the community and some government subsidy for the continued functioning of its facilities which take care of 60 senior citizens. The Middelburg Rotary Club under President Anna Mart Ott has donated mattresses, blankets, linen, medicines, frying pans and paint inthe value of approximately R 50 000.00 to the home. Anchen Slabber and her team were most thankful when these items were delivered last Saturday.

Middelburg Rotary Club assists Ikageng Care Centre

Rotarians Greame Leathes and Andre Brandmuller delivered Pots, Steel tables and medicine to the Ikageng Care Centre at Doornkop on 31 May 2013 on behalf of the Rotary Club of Middelburg. The Care Centre currently feeds 248 school children on a daily basis. It was wonderful to see real charity in action from the ladies at the Ikageng Care Centre.

One is too many.... 99 is too little!!!!!

The Middelburg Rotary Club has been hosting the well known Steve Hamilton in the Middelburg area for the last week. Steve is the author of the book "I want my life back!" and is known as a hard hitting speaker on the subject of drug and alcohol abuse.

During the past week, Steve has been doing talkks on the subject at a number of schools in the Middelburg area, and has impressed with the impact he has had on the children. His straight talking on the subject of alcohol and drug abuse is intended to ensure that the children of our community do not have the 1st attempt at drug or alcohol abuse, because, as Steve said, it is the 1st drink/drug that causes addiction, and not the last one : "One is too many.... 99 is never enough!"
What is scary though, is the fact that Steve was able to identify so many children who are already abusing alcohol and drugs in the schools where he spoke. He warned parents not to be blind to their own children and what they are doing.


PP Andre Brandmuller of the Middelburg Rotary Club presents Steve Hamilton with a certificate in appreciation of his efforts in respect of the prevention of alcohol and drug addiction

The CV of the Shiny Bum - Drummond Hammond

The “Official CV” of a Bloody Shiny Bum

What is a "

Shiny Bum”?

The Encarta English Dictionary defines

shiny as glossy, sparkly, polished or gleaming and a bum is defined as

buttocks or a vagrant (American) or, interestingly enough, a devotee - somebody who is excessively devoted to a particular activity or place i.e. a ski bum, fishing bum, shiny bum etc.

This definition I think defines all Rotarians world wide –

Shiny Bums – excessively devoted to the well being of mankind.

Now … the author of this specific CV and his best mate “Famous Big Stu” coined the name

Shiny Bums for Rotarians and Round Tabler's of Middelburg (MP) and used the term frequently, loudly and proudly. A few noses were put out of joint in the process but it was always used in jest and always teasing in a kinda loving sort of way.

The author of this CV, whom I will refer to as Plonker, swore blind he would

NEVER become a Shiny Bum “‘cos they don’t give us guns, bullet-proofs and things we can blow up”.

So the Rotarian

Shiny Bums, in their infinite wisdom, slowly and quietly got to work on this anti-Shiny Bum.

 

First they send him to Wales as the class clown of an otherwise brilliant GSE team, to go and find guns, bullet-proofs and things that go bang in the night. And what does the Plonker do? Gets all teary eyed at the Rotary Conference in Plymouth ‘cos of the Rotary Polio Plus project and promptly brings back an anti-drugs program for kids and schools that the

Shiny Bums (Rotary & Round Table) promptly support – what a plonker!

Then the Plonker is informed that he is a member of the Rotary International Foundation Alumni and is promptly made an Honorary Rotarian and Round Tabler in the same year. Oh you devious

Shiny Bums.

And so the sucking-in continues unabated. The Plonker gets awarded with

Rotary Shiny Bum merit certificates, international friendship certificates et al. He allows himself to get involved with the Christmas Lights project (with that hero Charlie Deiner of wheelchair fame), the wheelchair distribution project, the blankets and jersey’s project to name but a few.

But wait, there’s more. The bloody

Rotary Shiny Bums then get the intrepid Plonker involved in the greatest race of all, Rotary’s Greatest Train Race, a race for lives and the betterment of mankind. And what does our Plonker do

– he’s in boots and all (EXCO member and all excuse me!) screaming “

you’ll never make me a Shiny Bum!”.

Ah! But the

Rotary Shiny Bums are patient, they smile, nod & wave and endure his abuse, quietly waiting to strike.

Then they award the Plonker with a gong, the Paul Harris Fellowship gong. They are devious about this … they tell the Plonker he is attending his other best mate’s Rotary farewell dinner before moving to Australia. The Plonker is sucked in, yet again, and receives this most prestigious Rotary award from non other than past AG George Kalell, his other best mate.

Bloody Rotary Shiny Bums!

Now enters a period of loud protestation and screaming – “

you’ll never catch me alive”.

The Plonker moves out of town to the stunningly beautiful town of Bela Bela (Warmbaths) and settles with his family there, well out of reach of the

Shiny Bums.

And one would think here our Plonker lives quietly and happily ever after…

NO, NO, NO – HE DOES NOT!!!!

The bloody fool allows himself to get soft soaped by an old bat, PP Joan Grissel

(PHF++), and gets sucker punched into being inducted as a

BLOODY SHINY BUM!!!! Much to “Famous Big Stu’s ”dismay I might add, hehehe!

On Thursday the 7

th of February 2013 Drummond and Hettie Hammond were quietly (oh yeah!) inducted into Rotary by the Warmbaths Rotary Club. Hettie and I would herewith like to thank a few Rotarians, who along the road, quietly showed our Plonker the way:

PDG Anton Meerkotter, PADG George Kalell, PP’s uncle’s Gabby Kalell, Jacky Deiner & Doc Max Patz, Ashrif Latib, Andre Brandmuller, Gaylene Deiner, Andreas Mastoroudes and President Ana-Mart Ott. Then there are all the Rotarians and ex or retired Rotarians such as Dawie Loots, Rob Sole, Mark McGiddy and so many others of the huge Rotary family.

 

A special thanks must go to two special guys in the life of our Plonker. Our Plonker’s other best mate, Rotarian (jnr) Graeme “Grimples” Leathes, who was inducted the other day and who happily told our Plonker he should join too.

And, without him realising that he tipped the scale in favour of Rotary, ex Rotarian, Selous Scout and all round good guy, Dale Collett – one of our Plonker’s boyhood hero’s, and living proof that nothing is impossible and whom I found out, quite by accident, was a Rotarian in his day.

To PP Aunty Joan Griessel … you got me! And as for Rotary Warmbaths – President Piet and the club - thank you kindly for your warm welcome (and cold pints) and you will soon find out how hot the kitchen gets!

And as the un-named Rotarian whispered … Rotary will never be the same!

Best Rotary Greetings

Your
Shiny Bum!

Rotarian Drummond Hammond