Word from our President Suzette Raymond

Dear Ladies,

I am writing this a couple of days after our July meeting. Lindy Raizenberg

impressed and entertained us so beautifully with her passionate presentation

about Irish dancing, everyone just enjoyed it so much and we all want to see

more of her and her enchanting and talented dancers, we will be keeping in

touch with her and I will inform members of any future displays she might be

presenting.

The time has come for us to find a new Board for 2011. I announced the

positions which were free and as Past President from last year and therefore

Nominations Secretary for this year I have so far received ONE proposal for

President, but the President would need a team so PLEASE LADIES see

how you can help the club and put something back in to it. There must be

some lady out there who is a trained accountant for example who could be

our Treasurer, it is not a difficult job for someone who is trained and it would

hardly take any of your time. We are also looking for a secretary who is good

with the computer. Please contact me with any ideas.

We have the privilege of having Linda Biehl all the way from the USA

speaking for us in August. You have to admire a lady who can forgive the

men who murdered her daughter. This moving presentation and how bad can

be turned into good should be most interesting. September brings us the ever

popular David Grier who will be talking about his Madagascar trip, he is

always mesmerizing to listen to and we all admire him greatly.

Please try and support Dance For All and their gala performance on 1st

August, 2010 at 7.00 pm at the Artscape Theatre entitled Two Decades One

InSPIRAtion, a 20 year celebration and tribute to Phyllis Spira who was South

Africa’s only Prima Ballerina Assoluta. Guest Artists include Cape Town City

Ballet and an array of other fine dance companies and tickets can be

purchased at the Box Office for R250 each. Philip Boyd, whose mother was

on the Board of the IWC Cape Town must be greatly admired for the fine

work he does for the underprivileged.

I have received many phone calls asking me to put part of my speech from

the July meeting in writing into the newsletter so here it is:

My life has been totally consumed these past few weeks with the football and

the tournament, I have not missed a SINGLE game on the television and

been most privileged to have attended four live games at our Cape Town

Stadium. We, within this club have been hosting non stop football parties at

each other’s homes, dressing up in our country colours and just enjoying the

friendship and fun. I am going to get withdrawal symptoms when this is all

over.

Some negative people had been ranting on about the cost of the World Cup

versus all the critical needs South Africa is facing and whether or not this

country would gain anything from having the World Cup hosted in their

country. To say that I have been blown away at the hospitality South Africa

has shown the rest of the world would be an understatement. The

organization of every single aspect has been faultless. Noone in the world

could do it better. Our stadiums are world class best! Each day I become

more and more impressed with the global embrace that South Africans have

offered up to the world. Its not just about South Africans showing off their

varied and multifaceted culture to their global guests, its also about using this

opportunity to educate South Africa on the rest of Planet Earth’s inhabitants.

Archbishop Desmond Tutu further explained the traditional African philosophy

of Ubuntu in 2008. he said and I quote…..

One of the sayings in our country is Ubuntu, the essence of being human.

Ubuntu speaks particularly about the fact that you cannot exist as a human

being in isolation. It speaks about our interconnectedness. You can’t be

human by yourself and when you have this quality, Ubuntu, you are known

for your generosity. We think of ourselves far too frequently as just

individuals, separated from one another whereas you are connected and

what you do affects the whole world. When you do it well, it spreads out, it is

for the whole of humanity…..unquote

To me, Ubuntu is the acceptance of others as parts of the sum total of each

of us and that is EXACTLY what I have experienced during the lead up to

and the initial days of this World Cup. There is not a South African citizen

whom one meets on the street or in shops or restaurants or hotels who hasn’t

gone out of their way to greet us and the foreigners to make them all feel at

home. The questions and conversations are in earnest, they are honest and

they are asked with enthusiasm and a thirst to know more. The overseas

visitors are overwhelmed by this positive embrace and will spread the word to

the rest of the world. South Africans are drinking deeply from the cup of

humanity that has been brought to their doorstep. It makes me feel the pride

of the South African people. I cannot say ONE negative thing about the entire

procedures how South Africa has handled its duties as host and hostess to

the world. I have learnt the value of Ubuntu and that when offered in

abundance, the world is indeed a better place to live in.

So the fact that South Africa accomplishes nothing more on the playing field it

still will have won as a host country. I am very emotional about thinking of all

of this coming to an end. Some people overseas still ask are the people in

Africa very primitive? Yes it is amazing someone could ask that but they do. It

must be explained that living in a mud hut does not make one primitive,

however allowing children to sell drugs to other children and engage in driveby

killings, isn’t; that primitive behaviour? I think it is. When I think of Ubuntu

and my recent experiences here I think the rest of the world has much to

learn from Africa in general, in terms of living as a larger village, and as

human beings who are all interconnected with each other, each of us having

an effect on our brothers and sisters.

As the 2010 Cup Slogan goes, FEEL IT, it is here! Well I HAVE felt it,

because I am lucky to be here. Thank you South Africa for giving me this

unexpected gift. I am humbled.