Do you still remember our 10th anniversary coming up?

By John Stephens, joint vice-chairman and secretary

This is just to refresh your memory.

When Dennis Pretorius spoke to us at the beginning of the year, he challenged us to do ten good things for the Branch:

1. Richard Ford had to draw up a Ten Year Membership Gallery. 
He has completed his task.
2. Neels Coertze had to compile and publish Ten Year Newsletters. 
He has done an excellent job.
3. John Stephens had to do the same with Ten Year’s Minutes.
The task is complete.
4. Have we had Ten Fun meetings this year? 
Not completed yet. Were they fun meetings up to now?
5. Have YOU added ten items/books to our library? 
Some have done this, but have YOU?
6. Have we added ten family histories to our library?
No, I think we come very short of fulfilling this task. Remember that Dennis said he’d donate one family history to the library. We should follow suit even if our research is not completed yet.
7. Have we increased our membership by ten members? 
Yes, we have doubled that!
8. Have we helped ten other people this year? 
Yes. I think we have.
9. Have we given ten hours per month for transcriptions? 
No, not all of us have. Some are still chewing on the Elephant we have to eat.
10. We have not stopped enjoying what we do, not even for ten minutes. 
Is this true of YOU?

Now that we have reminded you, please give this some thought. Maybe you can still help us achieve all of these tasks this year.

To help you we have arranged the following program:

1. 28 August – Cemetery recording in Eikenhof-area
2. 4 September – Our Branch has a stall at the Genealogy Day in Pretoria
3. 18 September – Joe Botha will address us on “Web Pages for Family Genealogy
4. 16 October – We have a “fun”-day! We have organised a “Bring-and-Brag-day. You bring any item of sentimental value and enlighten us as to the reason for your bragging!
5. 13 November – Training Course for Beginners, so that we may help even more than just ten people.
6. 20 November – Another “fun”-day: “Bring-and-Braai” and in so doing, close a very interesting year.

But, the year hasn’t ended yet: On 22 January 2011 we have a real “fun”-day!! Our Branch, in collaboration with the Roodepoort Museum, is holding a Genealogy Day in the foyer of the Roodepoort Theater. A Whole day from 09.00 to 15.00 we will participate in this Open Day at the Museum.

We have invited other Branches to exhibit their Genealogy as well. All this is FREE of charge. Even free entrance to the Museum’s exhibition:”Go for Gold”. And a free guided tour of the Museum.

Please promote this day wherever you go.

Datums om van kennis te neem

Deur John Stephens, mede-voorsitter en taksekretaris

• Webwerwe vir familie-genealogie: 18 September 2010

‘n Interessante byeenkoms wag op 18 September 2010 om 14.00 op lede van die tak. Die onderwerp is heel besonders en handel oor Webwerwe vir Familiegenealogie.

Dit word deur Joe Botha met “Powerpoint”-toeligting aangebied.

Joe sê die praatjie sal gaan oor hoe so ‘n webwerf lyk, wat daarop moet verskyn en hoe dit gestruktureer moet word. Lede sal kan leer hoe om vir so ‘n webwerf te skryf en hoe om dit op die internet te plaas. Joe sal ook wys wat die voor- en nadele van sulke webwerwe is.

• Bring-en-Brag-dag: 16 Oktober 2010

Die Wes-Kaap-tak het onlangs ‘n oulike byeenkoms gehad, naamlik‘n “Bring-en-Brag”-dag.

By hierdie geleentheid bring elke lid ‘n erfstuk saam en kom vertel wat besonders daaraan is. Dit sal ‘n aangename, vrolike en informele geselligheid wees -- presies wat nodig is om taklede se stresvlakke te verlaag.

Die komitee van Wes-Gautengtak het onlangs besluit om dié voorbeeld na te volg. Dit sal op 16 Oktober 2010 gehou word.

• Opleidingskursus vir Beginners in Genealogie: 13 November 2010

Nog een van die tak se voortreflike opledingskursusse sal op 13 November 2010 aangebied word.  dis 'n moet vir enige beginner in die genealogie.

• Bring-en-Braai-dag: 20 November 2010

Op 20 November 2010 word bogenoemde gehou. Werksaamhede vir die jaar word dan op ‘n vrolike, aangename wyse afgesluit. Ook hier is geleentheid om stresvlakke tot die minimum af te bring.

• Genealogiedag: 22 Januarie 2011

Die nuwe jaar gaan wegspring met ‘n Genealogiedag in samewerking met die Roodepoortse Museum, op Saterdag 22 Januarie 2011. Verskeie takke is genooi om ook hul genealogie-uitstallings daar te kom hou. Die tema van die Museum is “Die Ontdekking van Goud”, of te wel “Go for Gold”. Die Genealogiedag word by die Roodepoortse museum en teater gehou. Dis ‘n hele dag van uitstallings tussen 09:00 en 15:00.

Die voorsitter van die tak, Lucas Rinken, meen dat dit nie te moeilik gaan wees om die stambome van sekere goudgrawers en goudontdekkers op sy skerm te kan vertoon nie. Manne soos die Struben-broers, Walker en Harrison is voorbeelde hiervan. Daarbenewens kan daar moontlik nog gekyk word na die Eerste Afrikaanse mynmiljoenêr, Willem Petrus Boshoff, se stamboom en geskiedenis.

Hierdie byeenkoms kan vir die Wes-Rand van waarde hê en kan bydra tot groter en hartliker samewerking met die Roodepoortse museum.

Vir meer inligting oor enigeen van bogenoemde
byeenkomste kan John Stephens gekontak word.
Sy besonderhede is in die kolom regs.

Legacy workshop: excellent turn out

Report an photographs by Penny Evans

What an excellent turn out for the meeting of the West Gauteng branch held on 17 July 2010! Thirty five people, of whom seven were visitors, were packed into our lecture room. Tables had been set up and there were laptops everywhere.

Lucas Rinken, chairman, proceeded to give his “hands on” workshop on Legacy, a genealogical program. He used his laptop and the projector to cast the images onto the screen. Each person could therefore see the demonstrations.

Legacy has many sophisticated features but the aim of this workshop was to teach the basics. Having explained how to input your own information, he responded to numerous questions. This was followed with a clear explanation and demonstration, allowing time to practise. Richard Ford and Dennis Pretorius (left above) acted as facilitators.

This was a much needed workshop given by an expert in the use of Legacy. Each person felt free to ask for help, no matter how basic the question. Both the beginner and more experienced members gained by attending an afternoon well spent. Now is the time to put into practise what you have learnt.

Ten Minute Talks

Neels Coertse (right) entertained the members with anecdotes regarding the spelling of names, nicknames and surnames, using names from his family tree as examples.

Giel Nel spoke about his first visit to the LDS Family History Centre in Parktown to search for information about his grandfather. He diligently searched the Hoopstad register, going through all entries from 1872 to 1876. Nothing was found. However, he succeeded when he went to the Hopetown register -- here was the baptism date for Gieljan Johannes Nel.

Happy Birthday

We would like to wish a member, Ruth Jobson (left) a very special 80th birthday on 19 July. May you have a wonderful day and many more happy birthdays.

Newsletter: July 2010

The latest newsletter of the branch is published below. Click on "Full Screen" below to enlarge it. Please be patient while it is loading.
Wes-Gauteng-nuusbrief 2010-07