"Origami Night :) "

hello dear fellows in service

last Tuesday during our weekly meeting we had a new lovely extraordinary experience;
An Origami Session, conducted by our sweet guest Nirvan Talha the founder of  Waraqat

Each one of us learned how to do a colourful shirt with a tie and a framed boat :)

 

Video Showing to do a shirt with a tie

 

 

Video Showing how to do a framed boat

 

 

but actually; what is Origami ? What's its origin ?

Origami (pronounced or-i-GA-me) is the Japanese art of paperfolding. "Ori" is the Japanese word for folding and "kami" is the Japanese word for paper. That is how origami got its name. However, origami did not start in Japan. It began in China in the first or second century and then spread to Japan sometime during the sixth century. At first, there was very little paper available so only the rich could afford to do paperfolding. The Japanese found useful purposes for their origami. For example, the Samurai (sa-MURE-ay) would exchange gifts with a form known as a noshi  (NO-shee). This was a paper folded with a strip of dried fish or meat. It was considered a good luck token. Also, the Shinto Noblemen would celebrate weddings by wrapping glasses of sake or rice wine in butterfly forms that had been folded to represent the bride and groom. As easier papermaking methods were developed, paper became less expensive. Origami became a popular art for everyone, no matter if they were rich or poor. However, the Japanese people have always been very careful not to waste anything. They have always saved even the tiniest scraps of paper and used them for folding origami models.  For centuries there were no written directions for folding origami models. The directions were taught to each generation and then handed down to the next. This form of art became part of the cultural heritage of the Japanese people. In 1797, How to Fold 1000 Cranes was published. This book contained the first written set of origami instructions which told how to fold a crane. The crane was considered a sacred bird in Japan. It was a Japanese custom that if a person folded 1000 cranes, they would be granted one wish. Origami became a very popular form of art as shown by the well-known Japanese woodblock print that was made in 1819 entitled "A Magician Turns Sheets of Birds". This print shows birds being created from pieces of paper.  In 1845 another book, Window on Midwinter, was published which included a collection of approximately 150 origami models. This book introduced the model of the frog which is a very well known model even today. With the publication of both these books, the folding of origami became recreation in Japan.  Not only were the Japanese folding paper, but the Moors, who were from Africa, brought paperfolding with them to Spain when they invaded that country in the eighth century. The Moors used paperfolding to create geometric figures because their religion prohibited them from creating animal forms. From Spain it spread to South America. As trade routes were developed, the art of origami was introduced to Europe and later the United States.  Today, master paperfolders can be found in many places around the world. Akira Yoshizawa of Japan is one of these. He is considered the "father of modern origami" because of his creative paperfolding. He also developed a set of symbols and terms that are used worldwide in the written instructions of origami.  The interest in origami continues to increase today. Just as the ancient Japanese found useful purposes for their origami models, so do we today. Origami will also be a part of our future as we look toward the millennium. The origami crane has become a global peace symbol.   Thank you Rotaractly yours Nourhanne Barakat

" Fajr El Tanweer for Blind People "

We always have this misconcept about blind people, that they have a disability that holds them from acting as normal members in our society; that they can’t manage visual or written missions an ordinary man can do except with Braille method …..

Inorder to help erase this misconcept and shed the light on these people we decided that our serive project for this year should cover this area.

During our 1^st visit to "Fagr El-Tanweer" organization all we had in mind is just trying to help them doing small stuff ; but we were really astonished with their minds, abilities, visions & attitude ……

Smiles never leave their faces; they are open minded with so many goals for a better future.

However in the 2^nd visit we knew exactly what were their real problems and how can we help. Starting with the small computer lab that can serve 12 prsns /session. PCs were delivered to them by the Ministry of Communication but can’t work properly as the devices are not updated or maintained…..

We started to setup windows for the computers; upgrade the working computers and separte them from the old and malfunctioning ones.
After finishing the Computer Lab we started to check the rest of the devices in the place to see if they are ok and we found out they were tool old to be prepared.

We left also copies from CDS (Windows, and other programs) so they can use them any time …..

At the end they asked us if we can help them with the Braille printers as the ones they already have are very old & the new ones are very expensive; they cost about 40,000 L.E /unit

Guys , we encourage you to help them keep going , stay always updated & in touch with the society. Kindly find their website below :)



http://www.fajraltanweer.org/arabic/index.asp

Rotaractly yours

Community Service Committee

"A New Start: Meeting Tuesday 01/01/2013"

 
    We were lucky enough that our weekly meeting fell on the 1st of January, 2013. It was supposed to be an Origami Session but on New Year's Eve the instructor called and apologized asking to postpone it to the next week.

    As the Club's President i was in big trouble; i had not prepared any agenda and i had to send them an agenda as soon as possible. After some thinking i had this thought in mind; The meeting will be on the very first day of the year and since probably most of us are going to write our resolutions then why dont we share them together and help each other keep them ?!

    So here we were: The agenda of the first meeting of the year was this (This is exactly what i sent them):

Dokkiweya;
>
>   Its a new year, a new beginning. Im glad we'll start this year 
> together.
> So what about a new and fresh start ???
>
> Our agenda for tomorrow's meeting is very simple. You only have to 
> think
> of an answer to one question
>
> "What are your resolutions for the new year on the personal and 
> Rotaract
> level?"
>
> We are one family now, we can help each other keep these resolutions 
> and
> promises.
>
> So tomorrow we will be sharing each others' resolutions and putting a 
> plan
> on how to help each other.
>
> Sit with yourselves and think and write down your list. Its a 
> chance
> to open a new page and determine what do you want to change or what 
> do you
> want do.
>
>
> Love you guys and Happy New year :)
>
> Rotaract Love <3
>
> Shaymaa Hamouda
> Charter President
> Rotaract Club of Dokki Garden-City
> Egypt, D2450
> "Be the missing piece"

    On Tuesday we met on time and before starting we discovered that our lovely Club Service Director Shaimaa Hatem has prepared us a format and gave each one of us a copy. We had to write 10 goals we want to accomplish, 8 words we want to live by, Places we want to visit and faces we want to meet during the year.

    After all members were done we started reading our resolutions out loud, with each member's turn we figured out we have a lot in common more than we thought. We were so happy to discover this common ground and goals that we can accomplish together.  

    Yesterday, Shaimaa sent all the members the format so that they can fill a copy and send it back to her. She'll be working on them with the help other directors in order to come up with a plan to fulfill these resolutions during the year.

    Also during the meeting i gladly announced the names of those who are willing to run for next year's High Board Elections. I preferred they take the decision of running early so that they can have enough time to be prepared and get ready for the big posts next year isA :)

    Thats all fellows in service; this meeting was one of the best so far. I was proud of the Dokkiweya sharing their resolutions and hopes for the new year and i was more proud they finally decided to step up and take the lead and continue the journey of this wonderful club during the next year <3

   Before i leave: "Hope, Faith & Love" are the three words that were common between the words most of the members chose to live by during this year. Thus i hope you a splendid year full of happiness and joy and community service. I had faith this year will be better than the last and that the Rotaract family generally and the Egyptian specifically will give even more care and will help the community in better ways. And finally lots and lots of Rotaract love <3

Rotaractly yours

Shaymaa Hamouda

President

<3   <3