rotary club of newlands “the club that...
TRANSCRIPT
HOWZAT! R OT A R Y C LU B OF N E W LA N D S
“The club that appeals”
President: Colin Burke
Secretary: Lucian Pitt
Editor: Peter Ennis
e-mail: [email protected]
Newlands Rotary website: www.newlands.org.za
Rotary District 9350 website: www.rotary9350.co.za
16 November 2015 WEEKLY UPDATE P O Box 44735
CLAREMONT
7735
MEETINGS: Western Province Cricket Club Sports Centre, Ave De Mist, Rondebosch,
every Monday at 18h00 for 18h15 (Except for first Monday of the Month
which is a Partner’s Meeting, 18h30 for 19h00).
ATTENDANCE: Notice of apologies and guests and/or meal specifics to email Vanessa
Rousseau at [email protected] and copy to Melinda Stapleton at
[email protected] before 10h30 on Monday mornings please.
Comment
SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP
Over the past year or so, a few of our International and Vocational committee members have
attended some presentations given by budding entrepreneurs at TSIBA Ignition Centre.
Newlands Rotary has awarded most of the entrepreneurs who presented to us with R3000
grants to purchase an asset that will make an important contribution to assisting them to take
their companies to the next level. We have also attended and supported a pitch and poster
competition between some of the entrepreneurs, through providing cash prizes for the top
four presenters.
The committee has also decided to continue to visit the centre to once again listen to
entrepreneurs give presentations and motivations to improve & sustain their businesses and
we will support those worthy ones. But we ask ourselves, where do we go from here and do
we want to put more time and effort into helping mostly young people to start and sustain
their own companies? So I have been surfing the internet and have started to read a book or
two to get some ideas and inspiration.
Andy Ismay
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One of these is a 2013 book by Clem Sunter that caught my eye, called “21st Century
Megatrends – Perspectives from a Fox” which was written to give South Africans a way of
understanding the path forward in a world that constantly generates mixed signals about the
future. Its focus is to highlight the megatrends shaping our lives and the importance of how
South Africa must establish an economic platform capable of launching a new generation of
entrepreneurs to create jobs and to avoid the scary scenario of a “Failed State.” Here are
some quotes from the book that impressed me the most and which reinforce my belief that
more Rotary time, money and effort should be spent in this key strategic direction as there
are too many obstacles and “chains” holding back the growth and success of entrepreneurs
in RSA:-
1. “The snobbish attitude of political & business intelligentsia, which at worst consider
entrepreneurs to be criminals and at best greedy little capitalists…”
2. “All recent national plans… have emphasised the developmental state which is a
euphemism for more chains and more regulation…. The people writing these plans
have never personally had to create wealth themselves in order to be paid.”
3. “The vast bureaucracy surrounding the establishment and on-going operation of a small
business in a legal manner…. Below a certain size, entrepreneurs should have total
freedom to hire and fire as it is their business and money after all.”
4. “The culture of non- payment to small business which thrives in the world of big
business…”
5. “The tight fisted approach of all providers of capital to entrepreneurs in RSA”
Clem Sunter believes in a balanced economy for South Africa with “an outward economy
that earns enough foreign exchange to pay for our imports and an inward economy that
creates jobs and makes a significant dent in our hideous unemployment rate”. He suggests
that we should compare ourselves to China and the US, that although their approaches are
quite different, the one thing in common is their passionate support for entrepreneurs. Sadly,
we do not get close to these strategies in our country, although there are a number of NGO’s
that are doing wonderful work and I am sure they could do with Rotary’s help. He says that
we have a big business formal based economy in a country that should cater more for the
informal sector if we have any hope of creating 5 million jobs by 2020, i.e. through creating
one million entrepreneurial businesses. “We must do everything to find out more about it and
then nurture the animal spirits, as Keynes would say, which make entrepreneurs bet their life
and their money on new start-ups”
Clem Sunter went on to say that, ”South Africa averted civil war through Codesa 1 & 2
resulting in a new constitution and a democratic election and now we need Codesa 3 or an
Economic Codesa in which the Government, the top 100 CEO’s in the Private Sector, the
unions and other significant players in civil society participate to create an inclusive economy
driven by a new generation of entrepreneurs and industrialists”
Rotary, is apolitical and Rotarians are not lobbyists, but many of us in general and in
Newlands are, or have been own business owners and entrepreneurs – surely we have the
capacity to encourage a culture and environment for growth in entrepreneurship through our
business and Rotary activities. Let’s increase our effort and sharpen our focus on one of our
6 global areas - Economic and Community Development.
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Previous Meeting
Last week’s meeting took the form of a special
get-together to meet and greet our Australian
guests, Julie and Denis Jewell (here on the
right with President Colin), winners of the draw
of the Emergency Vehicle fund raising raffle
held earlier this year. Here are some pictures of
the gathering at the Royal Cape Yacht Club on
Wednesday 11 November 2015.
From Melinda Stapleton
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www.facebook.com/newlandsrotary
FUTURE FIXTURES
Year Planner
Please advise the secretary promptly of any additions or changes November 2015
Mon 16 Ordinary Mon 23 Business, AGM Sun 29 Stellenbosch Fietstoer
Mon 30 Ordinary December 2015 Mon 7 Partners, Year-end function
Mon 14 Ordinary Mon 21 No meeting Mon 28 No meeting
Newlands Rotary ClubRunner Calendar
Bill Meyer
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UMPIRES AND SCORERS
DATE 16 November 23 November 30 November 7 December
MEETING Ordinary Business Ordinary Partners
SERGEANT John Winship Graham
Finlayson
Peter
Henshilwood
Year-end
Function
4 WAY TEST/
OBJECT Menno de Wet Janey Ball Jenna Monk
GRACE & TOAST Willie Wijenberg Glynis Menné Vanessa Rousseau
ATTENDANCE Richard House Jenny Ibbotson Bill Meyer
FELLOWSHIP Jana Forrester Chris Beech Michael Walwyn
MINUTES Rochelle
Malherbe Melinda Stapleton
Pieter van
Aswegen
COMMENT Andy Ismay Corinne Hudson Ian Pursch
THANK SPEAKER Wybe Meinesz Nora See
INTRO SPEAKER Regine le Roux Regine le Roux
Invited GUEST SPEAKERS
16 Nov Eric Tollner – Hout Bay Harrier Hero
30 Nov Hilary Lane – Triumphing in a ‘normal’ world
14 Dec Paul Spiller – TB Prevention
If you cannot do your job on the day,
please find someone who can do it
instead of you, then contact the Sergeant
on the day to update the roster. Please
don't leave this until the Monday
afternoon – let the Sergeant know in
advance if you have not been able to
arrange a swap. If you are going to be
away for particular future meetings let
Peter Ennis know.
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Rotary Club of Newlands Office Bearers
Colin Burke President [email protected]
Lucian Pitt Secretary [email protected]
Peter Ennis Treasurer [email protected]
Chris Beech President Elect [email protected]
Brian Pickup Community Service [email protected]
Melinda Stapleton Club Service [email protected]
Jenny Ibbotson International & Vocational Service [email protected]
Chris Beech Membership [email protected]
Wybe Meinesz Past President [email protected]
Regine le Roux Public Relations [email protected]
Johan Beukman Youth Service [email protected]
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