Rotary Club of Port Louis

ROTARY CLUB OF PORT LOUIS

Minutes of Club Assembly

Venue: Bonne Marmite Restaurant Date: 14th August 2013 Time: 1.00pm

Present: 29 Members.

Agenda:

1. Confirmation that a quorum has been reached.

29 of 44 members present (two thirds required). Quorum reached.

2. Approval of Minutes of meeting held on 15 th May 2013.

The minutes were approved without any amendments. Proposed for approval by President Amal seconded by PE Shyam Seebun.

3. President’s Address: (Pres Amal Mungur)

The President made the following statements: 1. He welcomed new member Rtn Vincent Bourelly. The other 2 new members inducted in July, Rtn Shyam Maraye and Rtn Ashvin Deena were absent, with apologies 2. Committee Chairmen were requested to submit budgets for the activities related to the Club’s 50th Anniversary celebrations to start January 2014. He made a special appeal to get things activated since we had only four months to prepare these special events. 3. Two major projects have been earmarked for 2014, the “Better Life, Better House” project and the “Mo’zar Espace Artistic” 4. Regarding all other projects, we need to ensure they are carried out with the special cachet of our 50th Anniversary. 5. We need to focus on our strategies for raising funds for the various projects, and all members were urged to double their efforts to gather contributions from their contacts. Any amount no matter how small or big will be crucial in the realisation of projects. 6. In addition to the 2 major projects already mentioned, there will be the launch of the First Day Cover of stamp, photo exhibition of past achievements of the Club, Video clip, Banquet etc. Chairmen of committees were asked to propose new ideas as well. 7. We need to reach our target of 50 members by next year, and membership development must be on the agenda of each Committee. 8. He mentioned that the Rotaract Community project, health check for the homeless, was a success. 9. The next Club Assembly will be held on 30th October, immediately after lunch, in the presence of DG Jean Ravelonarivo.

4. Secretary’s Report (Rtn Ibrahim Sheik-Yousouf)

1. The Secretary confirmed that there had been one board meeting so far, with full attendance. All other Committees have had their first meeting, and allocated responsibilities for their various projects. Attendance for July was 64%. Members were reminded to sign the

1 attendance sheet so that an accurate calculation of attendance can be made. Membership was at 43 active members plus one Honorary Member (PP Claude Obeegadoo) 2. DG Jean visit is confirmed for 30th October. Club Administration Committee is actively working on the details. 3. Monthly report for the District has already been sent. DG’s July Newsletter (Lettre du Gouverneur) has already been emailed to all members. 4. A new Rotary International logo has been introduced. 5. An appeal is made for minutes of Club Committees to reach the Secretary by the third week of each month prior to the Board Meeting, and for these to be uploaded on the Club website, once they are approved.

5. Treasurer’s Report: (PP Noel Chong Ah Yan) a. The Treasurer gave a review of the club accounts ending June 2013. These had previously been circulated by email. b. He explained in details Club income and expenditure. c. Income for the period ending June 2013 was Rs1.2m and expenditure was Rs1.191m. d. Club account and Project accounts were reported under separate headings e. There were now separate accounts for “Mo’zar Espace Artistic”and for the Housing projects f. PP Pierre Dinan suggested for clarity, there should be sub-accounts under these headings. He also proposed there should be detailed account of how much has been spent on Projects at the end of the Rotary Year. g. PDG Mamed Baboo suggested that the Housing Project Account should show the total cost of the project, the Contributions from NEF as well as the Club’s contribution. h. These accounts were proposed for adoption by PP Andre Chung Sui and seconded by PP Kumar Gunness.

6. Community Service Committee Report: (Chairman Alan Oxenham) First Committee was held on 18th July, and was well attended. Responsibilities for various functions & projects were allocated. a. 50th Anniversary Celebrations: a sub-committee has been arranged, lead by PP Claude Mamet, assisted by Rtn William Ah Sue. b. “Mo’zar Espace Artistic”: this project will require another Rs2.5m to complete. All necessary documents have been submitted to the Municipality, and the green light is awaited before the launch of the website. PDG Jean Claude Hoareau has volunteered to contact possible donors from the private sector for funding (CSR and others). c. Fleurir Maurice: PP Alan Oxenham will lead this project along with Lady Linda Mamet. There is currently no budget allocated for this project. d. Road Safety: This project will be led by PP Nand Soreedoo, assisted by Rtn Bernard Ould Yahoui. Six private companies with large fleet of vehicles will be targeted. Their drivers will attend a half-day awareness workshop run by Mr Barlen Moonsamy of the Police Force. Following the talk, the drivers will be requested to sign a pledge to promote safety on the roads. The cost of Rs6,000 per talk will be borne by the respective private firms, some of which have already been identified. e. Christmas Tree Project: Rtn Anwar Kathrada has been designated to help Lady Tesha Mungur. f. ZEP School: This project will be led by ADG PP Bernard Leong Son, assisted by Lady Cecile. A budget of Rs360,000 has been set, and will include funding from the District. Concerning Residence Cite Vallijee, there were some problems associated with absenteeism and

2 indiscipline, and parents claimed they did not have the time to arrange the meals. They requested the Club to fund the part-time appointment of a Liaison Officer at the cost of Rs6,000 per month. The Committee has decided not to fund the Rs6,000 but to offer the help of volunteers instead. This issue will be finalised later. g. Lunch for the Disabled: PP Anand Gopal will lead this project with the assistance of Rtn Laurent Chabrut. A budget of Rs127,000 has been earmarked, and the event will take place in November. h. Poverty Alleviation: This project will be led by Rtn Pratik Ghosh assisted by Rtn Patrice Cure. The details of this project have yet to be finalised. A budget will be set once the details are available. i. Fund Raising: The jumble sale project takes a lot of organization and is time consuming. It was proposed at the last Board Meeting (by PP Phillip and PP Roger) that we should initiate the next project with the Rotaractors, and eventually let them carry out on their own. The money collected will be kept by the Rotaractors for their projects.

7. Development & Strategy Committee Report: (Chairman PP Utesh Banydeen)

The first fireside committee took place on the 19th of July, and office bearers were appointed. PP Kumar was appointed as Vice Chairman, PE Shyam was appointed as secretary assisted by PP Andre. Most of the projects will be around the 50th Anniversary Celebrations.

a. Better House, Better Life Project: some 50 houses will be built for the less fortunate. Three meetings have already taken place with all the stake holders. The first phase of the project will involve the construction of 5 houses. The total cost of the project is estimated at Rs13.8M. A contractor has been chosen, and lease agreements between the residents and the Government will need to be signed before the initiation of the project. The project will be carried out in phases of construction of 5 houses each. Residents will need to be moved elsewhere whilst the construction takes place. The major partner of this project is the National Empowerment Fund (NEF). b. Golden Jubilee Celebrations: A tentative calendar of activities has been proposed to run throughout the year as follows:  January 2014 will start with a presentation of the projects.  In February there will be a press conference to create awareness of the various activities.  In March there will be the Culture Sharing for Peace and Unity project  April will see the start of the “Mo’zar Espace Artistic” project  May will involve the Primary School Quiz  June, will see the project of Brains Trust  July, launch of First Day Cover of stamps to commemorate the 50 years of the presence of Rotary in Mauritius.  August, Club History  September, Better House Better Life Project  October, Sortie des Handicappes (Lunch for the Disabled)  November, 50th Anniversary Month, with a week-long celebration culminating in a Banquet on the 8th of November the eve of the 50th Anniversary. It is proposed to invite past members, spouses of past members and other personalities.  Each Service Committee is requested to propose 2 projects to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of the Club. All Rotarians are invited to propose new ideas for the celebrations.

3  Promotion of Rotary Image will take place as part of the Golden Jubilee, with a new logo, polo shirts, coats, pins, badges etc. to be worn by members.  A new project: Rehabilitation of Prisoners, is being launched on 19th August, and all Rotarians are invited to attend. This project is being led by IPP Uday Gujadhur, and will consist of the integration of convicts into society after respective prison sentences. They will be involved in projects such as laundry service, vegetable cultivation, chicken breeding etc. Initially this will be a pilot project involving 5 prisoners at the cost of Rs5,000 per prisoner.  Another new project is the supply of Breakfast for children attending the Marcel Cabon Government School. This is a joint project with the Rotary Club of Montreal, Canada. This will be a matching grant project, and the Club’s contribution will be USD5,000. The total cost will be USD25,000. It is proposed to start in the third quarter of the year.  ADG Bernard has been delegated by the Board to promote the 50 th year of the presence of Rotary in Mauritius with the other Rotary Clubs, and encourage them to carry out their respective projects in 2014 under this theme.  Membership Development: three new members have been inducted since the beginning of the Rotary Year.  Diversity of membership to include women as members: it is proposed that the Membership Committee should work on this issue and carry out a survey amongst members to seek a consensus.

PDG Jean Claude Hoareau drew the attention of the Committee that it might be too early to go ahead with the Marcel Cabon School project in the third term of the school calendar, because funds have not be received yet from RI and the District, and it might be better to start in January.

PDG Jean Claude also commented on the issue of admitting ladies as members. In his view, and having observed the development of so many Rotary Clubs, he was no longer opposed to the idea, even mentioned the potential contributions of lady members, and would even encourage the Club to consider this issue if there were to be a majority of members supporting this.

PE Shyam supported the proposal of PDG Mamed that the first item on the agenda of the various committees should be Membership Development so as to give this issue better importance. Membership Committee is under the leadership of PP Ujjval for ongoing recruitment, whereas membership orientation and training will be under the leadership of PDG Mamed.

8. Vocational Committee Report: (Chairman PP Philip Ah Chuen)

First meeting was held on 19th July, the officers have been nominated as follows: Vice Chairman PP David Isaacs, Secretary Rtn Ashvin Deena, Assistant Secretary Rtn Shyam Maraye. The following update were noted on the projects:

 Brainstrust: Leader PE Shyam Seebun

 Classes des Metiers: Leader Rtn Serge Riviere

4  Culture Sharing for Peace and Unity: PP David Isaacs

 Primary School Quiz: Leader PP Stephane Henry

 Save Water Project, now renamed “Save Energy” : Leader Rtn Steve Farrow

Speakers for New Generation Month in September, and for the Vocational Service Month in October, have been identified and details given to Rtn Adam Moollan for inclusion in the calendar of speakers.

For the Golden Jubilee Celebrations in 2014, a special painting competition for students will be organized. This will be arranged to honour the memory of PP Marcel Lagesse. Funding for this project is already available.

9. New Generation Committee Report (renamed Youth Service): (In the absence of Chairman Rtn Rajesh Desai)

PP Philip reported that both himself and Rtn Rajesh Desai attended a meeting of the Rotaractors on 17th July. Rtn Rajesh was introduced as the RCPL Officer responsible for Youth Service. In the absence of Rtn Rajesh, PP Philip attended a Rotaract Board meeting on 30 th July.

10. Club Administration Committee Report: (PP Michael Bootle in the absence of Chairman Rtn Phil Hadley and Vice Chairman PP Ujjval Desai)

A first committee meeting took place on 20th July. New member Rtn Vincent Bourelly has been invited to join this committee. The following activities were reported:

 Club Assemblies: the next one is scheduled for 30th October in the presence of the District Governor Jean Ravelonarivo. The next ones after that will tentatively be held on 15th January and on 21st of May 2014, as listed in the Club diary. It is proposed to organize the assembly meeting of 15th January in an off-site venue, in the evening, as done in the past. Details to follow after consultation with members.  Rotarians at the door: PP David Floyd is organizing the roster and is being requested to send weekly reminders to members. PP Michael requested President Amal to announce who is at the door the following week as another reminder. A request was made to whoever is at the door to ensure the visitor’s book is duly signed by guests and visiting Rotarians.  Speakers’ List: This is being organized by Rtn Adam Moollan. PP Michael requested the President to send a letter of thank you to the speakers.  Visit of District Governor on 30th October: this is under preparation and further details will follow  Christmas Lunch: is scheduled for 18th December at the Bonne Marmite Restaurant.  Induction Dinner for 2014: will take place on Saturday 21 st June, earlier than usual due to Ramadhan starting around 27th of June. PP Phil and PE Shyam will meet to discuss details of venue etc.  Weekly lunches: it is proposed that Rtn Ming lead the discussions with the restaurant to try and maintain the current prices.  Public Relations: Rtn Ming is responsible for arranging various items(T shirts, pins, polo shirts etc.) in line with the 50th Anniversary logo which PE Shyam is preparing.

5 It was important to have these items ready by the beginning of January to launch the activities of the Anniversary Year.  Club website: This is still the responsibility of PP Bob Russell. It is believed that PE Shyam will look at updating the website.  Club Newsletter: although this is the responsibility of the Club Admin Committee, Seargent-at-arms Rtn Serge Riviere has volunteered to edit the Newsletter.  Friends of Rotary: PP Michael will talk about Friends of Rotary when there is a meeting to discuss membership.  Member attendance: The secretary will provide attendance details for the Admin Committee to follow up on members who are not able to attend meetings regularly.  Ladies’ Outings: the committee aims at organizing 2 ladies’ outings per year. Various suggestions have been made, ranging from Golf, to tenpin bowling, to outings in nature parks etc. The next outing is scheduled for the first week in October, subject to confirmation.  CSR and other donors: the Committee recommends that the President sends a letter of thank you to all our donors, besides a receipt issued by the treasurer.

PE Shyam recommended that PP Dan Bundhoo should be given priority for his series of talks related to Rotary’s History (Ten Milestone over Half a Century)

Rtn Serge appealed to members for materials to be published in our next Newsletter. He requested articles on Atelier Artistique Moz’ar, the Better House Better Life project, and monthly attendance.

11. PR and Public Image Report (Rtn Ming Chen)

In view of the forthcoming Jubilee PR will be very active and should arrange visibility of our actions and projects on a Nationwide basis. The following are proposed:

 Rotary pins: a request has been made to the Board to purchase and distribute additional pins for members so they can wear them all the time, at Business meetings, at work and at social functions etc.  For more visibility, it is proposed to have fluorescent vests with the RI logo at the back along with the wording “Rotarian at work”. These could be worn during our projects by ourselves, our spouse and children.  To enhance our visibility Nationwide, we need to invest in actions. One of the suggestions was to revamp the “Act of Kindness” and award a recognition trophy on a monthly basis, to those who have contributed to society. The contribution of the Media will be sought for this monthly award.  Club initiatives require media coverage. Rtn Ming appealed to all Chairmen of Committees to inform him of any activity well in advance so he can be on site to document and take pictures of these events.  In line with technology, we need to upload videos of our activities on Youtube. Rtn Ming thanked PDG Mamed for sharing a video clip from another Rotary Club.

PDG Mamed informed the members that RI has a tool called “Rotary Showcase” which is distributed worldwide and which illustrates the actions and projects of Rotary Club.

The secretary enquired as to whether our Facebook page was active. It is proposed to see PP Ujjval about this as he was the one managing this page on Facebook.

6 PP Kumar mentioned that pins with a special Jubilee logo need to be ordered. IPP Uday has contacts in India to manufacture these pins. However, a design is required soon so as to process the order.

12. Approval of Budget for Projects 2013-2014 President Amal appealed to the members to approve the budget, and approve a 10-15% contingency in case some projects cost a bit more than budgeted initially. By approving this proposal, there will be no need to call another assembly for approval. This motion was seconded by IPP Uday and no objections were raised.

13. Any Other Business

PP Kumar asked about arranging joint meetings with other Clubs. President Amal will discuss this when he attends the first meeting of all Club Presidents.

PDG Mamed requested that our Club By-laws are updated in line with changes brought by the Council of Legislation of RI, especially before the visit of the DG. President Amal replied that this is being done.

There were questions about fund raising to cover Internal activities. PP Alan Oxenham mentioned that his committee is working on a budget to cover the activities related to the Jubilee Celebrations.

A Golf Competition, Tombola and fund raising dinner were also proposed.

There being no other business the President thanked all members for attending this Club Assembly and closed the meeting at 2pm.