BINGO BONANZA 142 STYLE

On 20th May 2023 Round Table PE West hosted a social bingo fundraiser at our club house. It was a resounding success story with all 142 members being on deck and executing their roles to distinction.

BUT, lets back track… 45 days prior to the event. The event was birthed at our monthly business meeting on 5th April 2023. The plan was presented by myself (JaJa the Wize) to fellow tablers. We had to correct the initial document to include duties and delegation of responsibility. On presentation the table approved the project not just as fundraiser but also because we wanted to socialize with fellow tablers, potential new tablers and with our table friends who always support us but obviously also to showcase our clubhouse as the perfect host for future events.

I was the ringleader spearheading this project. Through this project we also informed everyday Joe and Sarah from the public what we do and through our Chairman, Cornel Strydom, we thanked our supporters for firstly joining our social event but also to place emphases on the fact that without each of them, no matter how small or big, we won’t be able to support the communities at large.

The dream team from 142 PE West once again showed that no matter how small or big your team is, if there is unity and goals are aligned you can make quick work of any project. Pienaar, Die BALJU, ensured that everything was running smooth, that the Bar was stocked with refreshments to quench the thirsts of our guests (I say guest, because they not visitors; they are 142 People) tickets were sold within 72 hours. We barely had time to put up posters in the community. We also included burger sales for supper with two decadent salads and amazing home-made burger sauce. What was astounding that all monies for the Bingo tickets and Burgers was paid into account with 10 days (the bulk) and when the event started all monies was received. There was even demand for more tickets, but we simply could not do more.

One day at a time we are winning hearts and we are including all our guests from diverse back grounds and educating them what we are all about. The yield that will come from all of this is new potential members.

We managed to squeeze in roughly 45 people into our clubhouse and they still had enough space. We had great sponsors from weekend aways, restaurant vouchers, cake vouchers, actual designer cup cakes and more. When the tickets sales were first announced 95% of all

The dream team from 142 PE West is alive with possibilities and always adapting how we go about doing our business by adopting and embracing new technologies all the way. Together we help other in need or distress through relentlessly being unselfish.

Yours in Table,

Dewald “JaJa” Niemand Treasurer and Social.

At 2022 EP Wintercon, Werner Swanepoel left a well defined footprint on the EP Area. "Gees," he said, "is not the same as fellowship. While fellowship may occasionally come with some gees, we must not confuse the two." While I may not have got his words precisely right (en as ek het, aanvaar asseblief my verskonings Mnr. Swanepoel), I think it's safe to say that I have fairly captured his meaning.

Given the enthusiasm with which Mr Swanepoel’s message was received by the Area, I can’t help but find an irony in the fact that we - generally speaking - spend so little time reflecting on the nature of the word fellowship.

There is no evidence that all Tablers from All clubs understand fellowship to be the same thing. If anything, given the wide variety in fellowship that we see in our Clubs, it is clear that no two Tables approach this issue from the same understanding.

While that may be the case, we, as men and as Tablers, are charged with a moral duty to develop fellowship among young men. At the start of every meeting of the Round Table, this duty is acknowledged and reaffirmed by each and every Tabler. We cannot skirt this duty.

In order to work towards achieving this duty, we need to arrive at a common definition of the concept of fellowship. At the very minimum, regardless of interpersonal affinity (affiniteit) or animosity (vyandigheid) between members, fellowship must exist as a state of principled cooperation and collaboration between Tablers. Tablers need not be friends, but they must be fellows in their work to achieve the aims and objectives of Round Table Southern Africa. While two principled Table gentlemen may not be friends, it is possible for them to work together by focusing on common objectives, maintaining professionalism, identifying shared interests or values, establishing boundaries and rules, recognising and leveraging differences and building trust over time. While challenges may arise, putting personal differences aside and working towards the common goals of Round Table can lead to effective collaboration despite the initial interpersonal dislike.

This state of being will allow individuals to pool their strengths, knowledge, and resources to tackle and overcome common goals. It must work to cultivate a sense of unity and understanding. It must also work to promote empathy, kindness, and respect.

It can be extremely challenging, however, if not impossible, for fellowship to emerge between a principled person and an unprincipled person. The contrast in values, ethics, and approaches to work will create a fundamental misalignment that will invariably do damage to us.

A principled individual operates with integrity, honesty, and a strong moral compass, while an unprincipled person may prioritise personal gain, disregard ethical considerations or engage in deceitful practices. Such differences will lead to conflict, erosion of trust and compromised outcomes.

Without shared principles as a foundation, the collaboration is likely to be fraught with tension, ethical dilemmas, and compromised results, making it highly impractical for a principled person to work harmoniously with an unprincipled counterpart. This is not what we want to see in Round Table Southern Africa.

In conclusion, each and every Table ought to have a conversation where it establishes the absolute minimum standards for fellowship at that Table. Once established, that Table must be ruthlessly intolerant of any unprincipled diversion from that general standard and, by extension, of any unprincipled acts or actions undertaken by individual Tablers. If we can achieve that, we’ll have a stronger association overnight.

by Tom Sutherland Round Table 210 Alex Kenton