Rotaract Club to grow its numbers

KNYSNA NEWS - The Knysna Rotary Club welcomed a group of fresh new faces to its ranks on Tuesday 20 June.

The Rotaract Club was inaugurated by the chairperson of the Knysna Rotary Youth Committee, Butch Coetzee, and is the first of its kind in Knysna.

The club intends to bolster the membership numbers of the Rotary Club, expand its demographic and create a wider reach within the community.

The new club members were presented with commemorative plaques by Rotary Club president George Coon. The new members of the Rotaract Club are president Thozeka Sikali, vice-president and treasurer Dyane Phillips, secretary Phelelani Best, Wilfred Nyoni, Yamkela Peyi, Khanyiso Baardman, Noxolo Mngcita and Councillor Jason White.

Butch Coetzee pictured with the new Rotaract Club: Jason White, Noxolo Mngcita, Khanyiso Baardman, Rotary president George Coon (middle), Wilfred Nyoni, Phelelani Best, Dyane Phillips and Thozeka Sikali.

"It's the first Rotaract Club in Knysna and as president I'm excited - we are all excited," said Sikali. "Everyone has a passion for the community and community development.

"I'm excited to learn from everyone in this dynamic team. We are starting to identify various community projects to work on to give back to the community."

Coetzee welcomed the establishment of the Rotaract Club. "Rotaract in the past has been a pipeline for young professionals to come into Rotary. Since 2019, Rotary International has recognised the need to get more young people involved - doing this through a separate membership, that forms part of the mother club.

For us it's a big step forward to see more young people in the club to bring new energy, jubilance and fresh ideas to our ranks. All of the members of the Rotaract Club are passionate about bringing change to their community and they embody service above self," he said.

The new president of Knysna's first ever Rotaract Club, Thozeka Sikali, is very enthusiastic about the bright future of the club. Photos: Zoe Fick