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Monthly Newsletter of the Port Shepstone Lions Club - 2nd Edition - August 2012
their vehicles. Much fun is always had by all.
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y fellow Lions, I am extremely pleased with the positive attitude of all our members regarding projects and fellowship. 34 members attended my first meeting. This is 84% of the membership and is surely a record. The Lions Show was a great success. As a club we need to however evaluate the results, numbers through the gate and the bottom line profit. I feel that changes need to be made to the “concept” to increase the numbers through the gate and the bottom line profit. Our monthly projects are going well as usual. In August we hosted 35 elderly people for Bingo at the Lions Den. This always proves to be the highlight of the oldies month and is also much enjoyed by the members. The snacks, supplied by the ladies adds to the enjoyment of the afternoon together with some refreshments. The old folk are collected from their various residences and returned by the enthusiastic members in
Our Blind Bowlers Annual event also took place at the Uvongo Bowling Club. This has been convened by Hans Waggenaar for the past 20 years. Hans is unfortunately recovering from an operation and was unable to attend. The keen presence of the members ensured the smooth flow of this amazing project and it was a joy to see how many attended. The ladies once again supplied a delicious meal which was much enjoyed by the bowlers. Our fellowship has also been enjoyable over the past month. We arranged a progressive dinner where we involved the homes of a few members in the same neighbourhood. This was great fun and was attended by some 38 members. Similar fellowship events are planned for the future and I look forward to reporting those. It is very encouraging to see the enthusiasm of all the members as well as the new younger ones. The young blood is definitely keeping us old “toppies” on our toes. We have a few pipeline members who have been attending meetings. I hope to induct them soon. My goal for this Lionistic year is to increase the membership by at least 6, and to also retain the existing members.Thank you all for your ongoing support.
Forthcoming Events : September 2012 4th : Show Post Mortem Meeting 6th : Ladies Meeting 7th : Lions Show Appreciation Evening 8th : Italian Feast @ Beneke Home 13th : Directors Meeting 14th-16th : Leadership Retreat Weekend at Camp Anerley 22nd : Lions Bingo 24th : Heritage Day 27th : Club Meeting (Zone Chairman Visit) October 2012 4th : Ladies Meeting 11th : Directors Meeting 13th : Zone Meeting / Kokstad Charter Dinner 18th : Projects Meeting 25th : Club Meeting 26th - 28th : Midyear Conference Weekend in Winkelspruit
Lion President Jean Masson Birthdays : September : 1st : Rob Bing 1st : Elsie McKillen 4th : Dale Mc Garry 10th : Andre Beneke
http://route56.lionnet.org.za
October : 1st : Martin Rundle 5th : Jean Masson 7th : John Saunders 13th : David De Jong 21st : Mike Rodda 22nd : Gary Vogt 29th : Pete Stoppel
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Liesel James with her mother, Lion Lady Joey Van Niekerk
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e are extremely proud of the fact that the daughter of Lion Pieter and Lion Lady Joey Van Niekerk was selected as a finalist for the Shoprite Checkers 2012 Woman of the Year Contest in the Youth Movers category. Although Liesel did not win this category, this is still an exceptional achievement. Liesel James has dedicated the past four years of her life to empowering and uplifting the children of the marginalized Ocean View community near Kommetjie in Cape Town, where high levels of unemployment, drug and alcohol abuse, physical and sexual abuse, gangsterism and malnutrition is the order of the day. She has worked with and motivated community leaders and school staff to reach out to the children of this challenged community. Her mission is to distract these young and impressionable children from the social ills that surround them by giving them dignity and a reason to stay off the streets with hope for a decent future. Liesel believes that vulnerable and exposed communities don’t get sufficient support from Government and local authorities.
She therefore makes an effort to rally those in communities who have the means, skills and will to pool together to make a difference in the lives of these people. The work is done through her nonprofit company, Creating Change, which has evolved from being a Children’s Environmental Awareness Group, to one that teaches nutrition, environmental education and sustainability, natural gardening, conscious cooking, natural building, product development and environmental awareness activities in Ocean View. She also facilitates a role model program for children to encourage them to become positive role models. Liesel directs her work from a classroom, which is also a fully functional kitchen, at the Marine Primary School in Ocean View. Children go there voluntarily to learn about nutrition and environmental sustainability. From a young age they are taught how to address the issue of food security by growing their own food in a vegetable garden at the school. Liesel has helped to establish the garden, which is now maintained by the children. They cook meals from vegetables grown and are assisted with their schoolwork. Furthermore,
Liesel James (nee Van Niekerk)
Liesel facilitates clean-ups in the area and bridges the divide between Marine Primary and the more affluent schools in the area. Her motto is that everybody must take care of the 10 km around them and make a difference in the lives of those less privileged. She firmly believes the true problem is not that people do not want to help, but it is that there is no central coordination for individuals to help engineer solutions to help address social, economic and environmental challenges. Her vision for Ocean View includes building a dedicated Eco Youth and Heritage centre next to the school where all the children in Ocean View will have access. She is planning an enterprise development project to grow fast growing biomass and food on a larger scale with the aim of providing jobs and food security to the community. Liesel is a truly wonderful example to us all - well done!!
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Port Shepstone Lion Publishes His First Novel enjoys reading politics and philosophy. The humour of Spike Milligan and Monty Python played a formative role during his years as a young adult.
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ort Shepstone Lion, Past President and Past Zone Chairman, Lion Kelvin Hulley, realised a life long dream by recently writing and publishing his first novel which was released in January 2012. It is difficult to imagine how he found the time for this project considering the fact that he is also a community pharmacist by profession, a dedicated family man, member of our Lions Club and an avid sports fanatic which includes his weekly session of squash at the Port Shepstone Country Club followed by traditional “refreshments” with the boys! Lion Kelvin completed his schooling at Durban High School and in 1975 obtained a Pharmacy degree from Rhodes University in Grahamstown. During the early 1990s, Kelvin read for a BA degree at Unisa with majors in African Politics and International Relations. Kelvin’s main interests are camping safaris into Botswana, angling, golf and mountain biking. In addition, he
Kelvin has been service-minded for most of his adult life. He started out as a member of Jaycees International and has been a serving member of the Lions Club of Port Shepstone since 1991. He served as Club President during the 1999/2000 and 2010/2011 Lionistic years. He also served as Zone 6 Chairman during the 2000/2001 Lionistic Year and as the 1998 Lions Show Convener. Kelvin is a Melvin Jones Fellow. Kelvin is married to Lion Lady Anita who has also been extremely active within Lionism for many years. They have three young adult children: James, Bradley and Kate.
This book delivers on both promises? They say that the sunsets at Hippocampus Lodge are a sight to behold. Africa is about daytime and night-time, not minutes and seconds.
Ralston Raft in the Dance Fire Ralston Raft in The Dance Fire is an African adventure with a delightful mix of ingredients. The story brings together diverse characters; some are noble and grand, others are boisterous and devilmay-care. Ralston Raft finds himself caught in a chain of events following his controversial resignation from the university where he teaches philosophy. Does Raft's life, as it unfolds, keep with the existentialist thinking he teaches his students? Unrequited love, a treasure hunt into the Botswana wilderness, and a truly moving encounter with the San Bushmen are some of the elements of this book. Southern Africa is presented with love and sensitivity in a style which provides the reader with a genuine feel, without being hindered by laborious tracts of text. A rich vein of descriptive humour enhances the book immensely, with each chapter "a must read" story on its own. Roman poet, Horace, asserted that literature should delight and instruct.
Ralston Raft in the Dance fire is prefaced with the following tribute to the San : Do not stand on his land, and weep He is not here, but he does not sleep He is the Kalahari winds that blow No creature exists there, that he does not know He is the glint in an eland’s eye A falling star in the evening sky His rock art grows old And the Dance Fire is cold Kaggen waits alone today, for the Hunters to return can he show the way? Stand not on his land With pity and sorrow Think of what’s done Where you, will be tomorrow
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International President Wayne A. Madden’s
Reading Action Program
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s part of this year’s “A World of Service” theme, International President Wayne Madden is challenging Lions to participate in the Reading Action Program to focus on increasing literacy and access to learning resources through their service. Literacy -- the ability to read and write-- is the foundation for education and social development. Yet, hundreds of millions of adults lack minimum literacy skills and millions of school-aged children are not attending school to obtain them. The Reading Action Program is a call to action for every Lions club around the world to organize service projects and activities that underscore the importance of reading and address specific needs related to illiteracy within their own community. There are nearly 800 million people around the world today who cannot read. This fact is astonishing given how important one’s ability to read is for learning and development. Literacy not only forms the basis for individual academic, occupational, and social success, but it can also empower communities to fight poverty, reduce child mortality, achieve gender equality, and ensure peace and democracy. Reading and School Readiness Reading aloud to young children is one the most effective ways to prepare children to succeed in
school. However, many children, particularly those living in poverty, are not exposed to books and reading until they begin attending school. Research shows that books contain many words that children are unlikely to encounter frequently in spoken language. Children's books actually contain 50% more rare words than primetime television or even college students’ conversations. How can you help a child succeed in school? Serve as a volunteer reader or organize a book drive. Reading and Special Needs Based on US statistics, only 10 percent of blind children are learning Braille. While audio devices are useful sources of information for blind people, only Braille offers complete command of written language. However, 85 percent of blind children attend public schools where few teachers know Braille. This percentage is even greater in developing countries that lack access to resources and teachers with Braille knowledge. Access to Information and the Digital Divide Access to technology notably affects literacy rates. The Internet provides opportunities for people to improve their lives. When people go online, they can get health information, use government services, manage finances, look for jobs, and do research for school. For most people in developing and transitioning countries, quality Internet access is not available or affordable. There is a great inequality in the global distribution of information technology.
Worldwide, approximately 5 billion people—nearly 90 percent of the world’s population—do not have an opportunity to use computers connected to the internet. Technology for Facilitated Learning Technology provides a wide variety of tools which can be used by people who are blind or have low vision to access information. The American Foundation for the Blind's goal is to provide the information you need to learn about available technology and even discover new ways to use technology to enhance your everyday life. Books and Learning Resources Before children can be taught effectively, schools or other educational institutions must be created and stocked with adequate teaching materials. Rural schools in many poorer countries are severely limited in their supplies. They may lack t e x t b o o k s , p a p e r, d e s k s , blackboards, chairs – even pencils. Without good textbooks or other classroom resources, more teachers cannot necessarily improve the quality of learning.
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Port Shepstone Lions’ Annual Blind Bowlers Weekend
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he Port Shepstone Lions and Lion Ladies were, once again, involved with the National Association of Blind Bowlers Tournament held at the Uvongo Bowling Club this past weekend. A number of blind bowlers travelled down to the South Coast from all over South Africa to participate in this annual tournament. The Port Shepstone Lions became involved with the NABB National Association of Blind Bowlers
(KZN Region) in 1981 during the "Year of the Disabled". The annual weekend tournament means a great deal to the blind bowlers and for the past 31 years the Port Shepstone Lions have sponsored the competition. Apart from the games, the weekend includes accommodation and meals. The Port Shepstone Lion Ladies provided and served dinner on the Saturday evening. The Club is indebted to their main sponsor, National Braiding Industries as well as Spec Savers, Port
Lion President Jean Masson addressing the gathering.
Lion Ladies hard at work preparing the meals for the Saturday supper
The bowlers relaxing after a long day on the green
The coveted Blind Bowlers Trophy sponsored by Sheppie Lions
Another Wheel Chair Donation The Lions Club of Port Shepstone recently donated a brand new wheelchair to Mr Hilton Botha, a resident of the Angel Wings project who is suffering from emphysema. The wheelchair was handed over by Club Service Projects Director, Philip Bromley to the Manager of Angel Wings, Mr Jannadrè Foster.
Shepstone and Curnow Garrun Insurance Group for providing sponsorship for this event. During his opening speech, Club President Lion Jean Masson paid tribute to the sponsors as well as Lion Hans Wagenaar who, for many years, has single handedly organised this event. Regrettably Lion Hans was unable to attend as he has recently undergone an operation.
The bowlers enjoying superb weather and great facilities at Uvongo Bowling Club
Sheppie Lions serving the meals
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Sheppie Lions Progressive Dinner - 18 August A superb evening of delicious food, good wine, excellent fellowship and wonderful hospitality. Grateful appreciation to our hosts, Jean & Myrna Masson, Jeff & Jenny Smith, Mike Davidson and Kevin Ross.
Shelly Beach Lions Induction Dinner - 25 August A large group of 15 Sheppie Lions and Lion Ladies supported The Shelly Beach Lions’ 4th Induction Dinner held at the Shelly Beach Ski Boat Club on 25th August.
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New Domain for the Sheppie Lions Web Site www.sheppielions.co.za The Port Shepstone Lions Club web site, which is one of the longest running in our Multiple District, has been moved to a brand new domain - www.sheppielions.co.za. The domain also now hosts our Annual Lions Show web site - lionsshow.sheppielions.co.za. For the past 14 years, this web site has been a labour of love and has a multitude of facts and information relating to the Port Shepstone Lions Club, it’s history, achievements, press exposure, an online calendar of events and birthdays which is kept fully up to date, and various other interesting information. New email addresses have also been created for a number of club officers. These addresses point to the original email addresses of these officers and will remain permanently in place for future directors who take over these portfolios. The addresses are as follows : Club President - president@sheppielions.co.za Club Secretary - secretary@sheppielions.co.za Club Treasurer - treasurer@sheppielions.co.za Fundraising - fundraising@sheppielions.co.za Membership - membership@sheppielions.co.za Community Services - projects@sheppielions.co.za PRO / Webmaster - pro@sheppielions.co.za Ladies Club - ladiespresident@sheppielions.co.za
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Member Profiles LION GARY VOGT
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Married to : Jenny Children : Kristen (27) & Johnathan (25) Occupation : Senior Financial Accountant Illovo Sugar SA (LTD)-Sezela Mill Been a Lion since : 2006 Sponsored by : Lion Haydn Rowlands Greatest Lionistic Achievement : Secretary for two years, House and entertainment Director (2 yrs) Hobbies : Golf, Mountain Biking, Running. Bad Habits : Indulging in too much beer! Your philosophy on life : To be fair to others and treat all people with respect no matter what position they hold in life . Not to judge people and accept people as they are. Enjoy life as we have so little time on Earth. Ensure my children have the right foundation in life to succeed on there own.
LION ROB BING Married to : Betty Children : Keith (39) & Lesley (38) Occupation : Retired Geography Teacher Been a Lion since : 1981 Sponsored by : Lion Charles Wooler, Zimbabwe Greatest Lionistic Achievement : Life Membership 2007 Hobbies : Girls, woodwork, armchair sport and a prolific reader Bad Habits : None. Ask Betty Your philosophy on life : Think positive – it hides a lot of s#*t
LION JOHANN DU PLESSIS Married to : Petra Children : Morne (36) & Francois (35) Occupation : Business owner - Roll A Fold (Trellidor) Been a Lion since : 1998 Sponsored by : Lion Paul Brauteseth Greatest Lionistic Achievement : Club President 2006/2007 Hobbies : Golf, watching Sport on TV Bad Habits : Smoking Your philosophy on life : Be positive and don’t let things get you down
Did you know... that there are a total of 7 Sheppie Lions living in one street in Umtentweni that is one Km in length. They are Nico De Jong, David De Jong, Mike Davidson. Jeff Smith, Jean Masson, Andre Beneke and Kevin Ross.
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A Trip Down Memory Lane
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4 0 20
outh Coast Herald Editorial November 4th 2004
Lions Roar at Sheppie Conference Lions from Kwazulu-Natal and the Freestate converged on Port Shepstone en masse last weekend. Lions and Lion Ladies from the Port Shepstone Lions Club pulled out all the stops to ensure that the Annual Lions District 410-C Conference was, once again, a huge success. Delegates from most of the Lions and Lioness Clubs in Kwazulu-Natal and the Freestate converged on the Kapenta Bay Hotel last weekend. The itinerary consisted of a welcoming evening for all delegates at the Port Shepstone Lions’ Den last Friday night, and the District Conference last Saturday. Partners in Service were treated to a days outing at the Lake Eland Game Reserve in Oribi Gorge, arranged by Lion Garth Leisegang and the Port Shepstone Lion Ladies. The day’s proceedings were followed by a superb District Banquet. This year’s theme was “The Great Gatsby” and virtually all delegates dressed
accordingly. The banquet room was transformed into a scene from the roaring 20's complete with LP records for place mats at the tables, a 1932 Ford truck compliments of Chris Nash, and a 1941 Harley Davidson motorcycle compliments of Kevin Rickson from Victory Motorcycles. Lion Lady President Di Saunders and her team worked hard to ensure that the venue was superbly decorated. The DJ for the evening, Lion Denis Meyer created a superb party mood throughout. The following day consisted of the District Cabinet meeting and a number of interesting workshops for delegates. This annual gathering is an important event for Lionism in District 410-C as it promotes good fellowship amongst the various clubs and provides the opportunity for dissemination of important information to all clubs. One of the highlights of the conference was a presentation by “Higher Ground”, a Christian, non-profit organisation based in KZN that offers therapeutic recreational holidays to children and adults with physical and mental disabilities. The presenters, both originally from the USA, were both completely blind until they received free surgery compliments of Lions SightFirst. They now both have vision and it was extremely heartwarming to hear their words of appreciation for the Lions
organisation. An interesting presentation on the diabetes situation in South Africa was also given, and a presentation on press publicity was also delivered by South Coast Herald reporter David Rush, who provided superb advice on how Lions can build positive relationships with their local newspapers, and, in turn, succesfully promote their various projects. For many years the conference was held in Harrismith in the Freestate as this was considered to be a more central location withinthe District, however, this is the second year in a row that the conference has been hosted at the Kapenta Bay Hotel and, owing to it’s success, it has been decided to host the 2005 Conference in Port Shepstone once again. The success of organising and running this huge event would not have been possible without the sterling efforts of project convener, Lion Martin Rundle and his team from the Port Shepstone Lions Club, which is currently the largest and most active club in the District.
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PORT SHEPSTONE LIONS CLUB 2012-2013 BOARD OF DIRECTORS
It’s Lions’ Leadership Retreat Time Again
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uring the weekend of 14th - 16th September, Port Shepstone Lions will, once again host our Annual Leadership Retreat for the Port Shepstone High School Executive Council of Learners. This will be our 26th annual retreat. Lion Hilton Horsley has, once again, kindly agreed to convene this project and is hard at work with his
preparations. The weekend program will be very similar to last year’s one. The formal dinner will still take place on Saturday 15th September, however, the venue has been changed to Zizi’s Restaurant in Umtentweni owing to a double booking at the Port Shepstone Country Club. Our Lion Ladies will take care of all the meals etc. and members will be involved with the presentation of various leadership-related workshops and team building exercises. This is one of the club’s most successful service projects and it is always wonderful to see how many members and their Ladies become involved every year. This year will be no exception. All members are encouraged to support this project. As members we also learn a great deal about leadership and team work, lessons which we can put to good use in both our personal and professional lives and even as future Lions leaders. The leadership development of our youth is another core projects of Lions Clubs International and we can be proud of this excellent project.
Regional Lions Leadership Institute
President : Jean Masson Immediate Past President : Kevin Ross 1st Vice President : Andre Beneke 2nd Vice President : Bruce Plumbley 3rd Vice President : Philip Bromley Secretary : Dale Mc Garry Treasurer : Richard Borradaile Membership : Andre Beneke Public Relations : Denis Meyer 2nd Year Director : Barry Van Der Veen 2nd Year Director : Nico De Jong 1st Year Director : Gary Vogt 1st Year Director : Alastair Warman Tailtwister : Kelvin Hulley Lion Tamer : Mike Davidson Lion Ladies President : Myrna Masson Lion Ladies Secretary : Jacqui Ridden Lion Ladies Treasurer : Jane Massey Newsletter Editor : PDG Denis Meyer email : pro@sheppielions.co.za Web Site : www.sheppielions.co.za Club Facebook Page : https://www.facebook.com/PortShepst oneLionsClub Club Postal Address : P O Box 509 Port Shepstone 4240 Club Street Address : Lions’ Den Ambleside Road, Umtentweni
And to end off..........
Congratulations to out very own Lion Andre Beneke who recently successfully completed the Regional Lions Leadership Institute held in Johannesburg. Above Photo : Front - Course presenters L-R IPDG Stuart Charlton, PDG Paula Lang, PDG Nick Mare, IPDG Jacqui Hocking and PCC Cliff Hocking. Back L-R Lions Andre Beneke (Port Shepstone), Willie Van Der Schyf (Reitz), Leslie Waring (Hilton), Trevor Hobbs (North Durban), Alcino Cardoso (Hilton).
Ek het ook ‘n binneste, Ek het my bes probeer, maar toe word ek te dors!