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.