About Round Table
Who and What we are!
ARTSA – the Association of Round Tables in Southern Africa – consists of all the Round Tables of Lesotho, Namibia and South Africa. The main aim of Round Table is to enjoy fellowship with people from all walks of life, as well as organising fund raising events and community activities.
“Round Table Southern Africa is a non-political, non-denominational association of young men between the ages of 18 and 40, embracing representatives of nearly every profession and occupation, whose objects encompass the encouragement of high ethical standards, the promotion of social intercourse and fellowship among young professional men, the quickening of individual interest in everything affecting the public welfare, and the promotion of understanding amongst peoplesof different cultural, language and political backgrounds.”
What does Round Table do?
Every Round Table holds one or two business meetings and usually one ’social’ meeting per month. These meetings are the forums at which various welfare projects and fund-raisers are discussed, often with input from outside speakers. Fellowship is always of a high quality, especially after closure of each meeting. Social meetings may be used to play action cricket or some other social activity, or more frequently, simply to ‘raid’ another Table in the endless quest for more fun and fellowship!
In particular, Round Table offers an excellent opportunity for meeting new friends from your own community, area, country and the world. It also offers an excellent vehicle for self-improvement in areas such as public speaking, leadership, project management, and meeting procedure.
Travel forms an important part of Tabling and is integral to the smooth operation of Round Table internationally. Typically, a visiting Tabler to another Association is often looked after by Tablers in that Association to make it easier for Tablers to travel internationally.
Round Tablers worldwide are instant friends.
What about my Family?
Social events with our wives and children are frequent (typically once a month or more) and typically take the form of ‘theme’ parties and dinners, braai’s (barbecues), brunches and weekends away. At an Area level, there are normally a number of inter-Table socials such as Darts Days, Quizzes and Raft Races, all of which include the whole family. A local favourite is the annual Sabie Tube Race in which about 500 usually sane adults ‘race’ along 7 km of the Sabie River in Mpumalanga Province
(hosted by Sabie Round Table No. 89).
Family involvement is important to Tablers.
What sort of community work, does Round Table do?
ARTSA is arguably one of the most focused Associations as far as welfare work goes. It has clearly aligned itself with the plight of children and has run national advertising campaigns to this effect. The ARTSA constitution is also very explicit on the ways in which funds raised from the public may be applied. Community projects are run at Table, Area and Association levels. Successful Association projects have included Childline (the promotion of a toll-free number for children to call for assistance), the National Sea Rescue Institute and involvement with FAMSA. Currently, there is immense interest in the involvement of the East Rand Area with SA Police Services Child Protection Units – this topic will be fully covered on the East Rand Area pages.
At Area level, events such as the motorcycle Toy Runs and mass outings for underprivileged children are held by many Areas. At Table level, community service projects include schools, community centers, outings for the aged or underprivileged, assistance for those in need and other projects too numerous to list.
All the time, Tablers are having fun helping their communities.
Where does the money come from?
Welfare and community service projects invariably require money. Each Table and Area uses a variety of means to raise money. These projects range from melodramas, to beer fests, to the running of “Old Smokey” (a miniature steam engine built in 1923) at Germiston lake for the kids. Tablers have no fear of approaching corporate sponsors for assistance in the form of paint for an old age home, bookings for a Golf Day or sweets for a children’s’ outing.
Yes, Tablers have fun raising money as well!
Our Aims and Objectives
- To develop fellowship among young men through the medium of their professional and business occupations;
- To emphasise the fact that one’s calling offers an excellent medium of service to the community;
- To cultivate the highest ideals in business, professional and civic traditions;
- To recognise the worthiness of all legitimate occupations and to dignify each his own by precept and example;
- To foster responsible citizenship and loyalty to their Country;
- To further the establishment of peace and goodwill in international relationships;
- To further these objects by meetings, lectures, discussions and other activities.
About Round Table