Dodgy Dave - a Tale of 2 Tablers

“Adopt, Adapt, Improve”, these words live in the hearts of every tabler, they are spoken in every Table meeting place, they form the basis of understanding the importance and change in ourselves that the Rondle signifies, and in turn, our representation of, and loyalty to the Rondle through our actions and meetings. But we are all human, and as such, change is relevant to each of us.

A few years ago, I was approached by Jannie Katakouzinos, an avid RT195 member with a well-known history in table. Jannie would often invite me to meetings, visit the house to catch up and always pushed that he believed I would be a great addition to the Zwartkops 195 Table. After attending a few meetings on the fly and my first few projects as a guest, then a pipeliner and eventually a member, I believed I knew what table was all about, and what being a Tabler truly meant. I couldn’t have been further from the truth… These guys all knew each other and had a long history together, I did the bare minimum of what was required of me, started attending less meetings, showing up to less projects and only really jumping meeting I was told over and over again, “Table is about what you put in, that shapes what you get out”. Some weeks later, Zwartkops 195 was conducting a tin food collection for a local charity, an event I deemed unimportant to me as I wanted to make other plans with other friends on the day. I gave my excuses and left the meeting. That weekend, while having a Braai with friends, we left to the store to collect more meat and drinks. Ahead of me at the entrance to the shopping centre were all the guys from my Table, dressed in their RT Shirts and having a great time together doing their collection, I went into the store, bought some cans and dropped it off, thinking to myself, “That should be enough.”

At our next meeting, I was called out on my excuses, lack of attendance of meetings, lack of project participation, and told if I no longer wanted to be a part of Round Table, I needed to make that decision sooner rather than later. I quickly got my back up against the wall and demanded my “marching papers”, and thought to myself, “How dare they tell me to leave.” The next day, the papers were sent to me via email, for the 1st time in my life, I picked up the phone and put away the false sense of pride I had been displaying for years and asked for a 2nd chance, that day I made the decision to change, instead of argue the moot point that I was a what I believed to be a Tabler.

Starting from the bottom is rough, especially with the way I had Tabled to that point. I made no more excuses, I put my hand up at every opportunity I could, attended my meetings and projects whenever possible with the full understanding of my fellow Tablers who taught me family comes first, and in short, I found out what pride truly is! As I got more involved in Table, my life started to change, my relationship with my partner had changed as she started joining me on projects too, I found myself more dedicated to my work and family, sympathetic where needed, more driven to be the best version of myself. I was becoming a true Zwartkops Tabler. Looking back at the man I was a few years ago, never understanding what Jannie saw in me, or why he was so adamant for me to join Table, I can now, as the RT195 Vice Chairman, state the following to all who take the time to read this.

Round Table develops us all differently, there is an unlimited potential inside of each of us, as people we fall into the traps of hiding behind our comforts, spending time around people we think are great without reason whilst ignoring the calls of those who want to see us succeed, we pass others often thinking we are better or worse than they are and model our lives as such. But there is hope, Table was and is my equalizer, the true test of ones grit, a reason to show pride wherever we go for the accolades we have earned through service to the Rondel and accepting the call to Table like no other, seeing the look on the faces of those we work so hard to uplift and assist when we deliver on our promises to support and improve our communities. Gentlemen and Ladies, if you take nothing else from my words here today, at the very least, remember this…

Table is a calling, not a duty or job, the call to Table is not one that leads us into service or requires us to be something we aren’t, It shows us what we can become. It is the Adoption of one’s true nature, the adoption of the idea that we are capable of so much more while shedding our false reality of what we deem pride worthy, We are forever Adapting through institution of real positive changes in our lives and the impact thereof on those around us, it is the Improvement we crave but have feared to strive for. We are the change we want to see in the world and ourselves, It is through the calling to Table and our representation of the Rondel that we will forever continue to “Adopt, Adapt, Improve”.

“Dodgy” Dave (Zwartkops 195 Round Table Vice Chairman)