Verslag oor die Genootskap se nasionale algemene jaarvergadering, 2011

Die Genootskap se nasionale uitvoerende komitee het op Saterdag, 12 Maart 2011, 'n suksesvolle algemene jaarvergadering in Vereeniging gehou.  Die algemene indruk was dat die "GGSA-kook".

Daar is gepraat oor 'n nuwe grondwet, nuwe webwerf, nuwe familieregisters, nuwe CD-ettikette, nuwe gen-handleiding nuwe toevoegings tot die begraafplaasprojek en wat nog. 

Die plek waar die vergadering gehou is, was uitstekend, die kos keurig en alles fyn georganiseerd.

In sy jaarverslag het die President, Hendrik Louw,  die volgende aangeroer:

• Die GGSA-handelsmerk moet uitgebou word;

• GGSA-produkte is 'n belangrik bron van inkomste vir GGSA en help om die ledegeld binne perke te hou. Lede word aangemoedig om hulle genealogiese navorsing vir die GGSA beskikbaar te stel.

• Die kwessie van internasionale-affiliasie is op die tafel geplaas. Inligting sal ingewin word en by die volgende NUK-vergadering bespreek word. Die vraag is gevra of GGSA die organisatoriese infrastruktuur het daarvoor.

• 'n Uitgebreide databasis wat die landswye inligting van lede sal bevat word in vooruitsig gestel.

• Die kwessie van takke wat finansiële hulp nodig het, kan hanteer word deur 'n motivering aan die NUK te rig. 'n Uitnodiging word gerig aan takke wat spesiale bemarkingsprojekte aanpak om aansoek te doen vir finansiële steun.

Finansies

Die tessourier, André Heydenrich, het in sy verslag aangedui dat verlede jaar 'n mooi surplus getoon het. Takke kan gerus met kreatiewe bemarkingspogings vorendag. Die surplus is grootliks danksy die verkope van produkte. Ledegeld word met R10 verhoog. Daar is ou Familia’s by André wat takke kan kry om teen 'n afslagprys te verkoop.

‘n Produktelys is beskikbaar by André. Kerkregisters mag nie verkoop word nie en word weggegee saam met van die ander produkte wat te koop aangebied word.

Sestig persent van die takke (7 uit die 11) plus minstens drie lede van die NUK vorm 'n kworum vir 'n AJV-vergadering. Takke wat dit nie kan bywoon nie, kan 'n volmag stuur waardeur hulle wel as teenwoordig aangeteken sal word.

Vise-President, Petro Corejees-Brink

Sy het die afgelope jaar twee referate by buite-instansies gelewer waar die GGSA se werksaamhede op akademiese vlak onder die aandag gebring is. Wat betref die begraafplaasprojek, skryf sy in haar verslag: “Buite ons eie genealogiese kringe weet min mense van die Google Earth projek”. 'n Bewusmakingsaksies sal begin moet word.

GGSA-projekte: Dennis Pretorius

• Gedurende 2009/10 is die Braamfontein begraafplaas, voltooi,

• Die projek om 'n nasionale indeks van die onderskeie meesterskantoor se indekse saam te stel, het nog nie gerealiseer nie, omdat die nodige samewerking van die takke se kant af ontbreek.

• Ontsluiting van die 1984- kieserslys. Tikwerk is steeds aan die gang en vrywilligers word versoek om na vore te kom. Dis ‘n geweldig taak. Takke word versoek om in te koop en 'n letter van die alfabet te “aan te neem”.

Webblad: Dirk Bloem

Die ou webblad word verwyder, omdat dit ou inligting bevat. Die skakel sal egter outomaties oorskakel na die webwerf van EGGSA.

Die nuwe een sou reeds aktief gewees het, as die takke hul inligting aan Dirk gestuur het. Takke wat binne die volgende drie maande nie hulle inligting aan hom stuur nie sal nie op GGSA se webwerf gereflekteer word nie.

Die begrafnisbriewe van SAGen sal op GGSA se webwerf opgeneem word. GGSA-lede word versoek om begrafnisbriewe in te skandeer en aan Dirk te stuur. Die Noorwes-tak sal hulle s'n afsonderlik bemark.

Familia: Richard Ford

Sowat 3 000 Familia’s is dié jaar uitgestuur waarvan die meeste harde kopië is. Die totale koste vir druk en verspreiding was R75 000. Die redakteurskomitee bestaande uit Anne Lemkuhl, Keith Meintjies en Elmarie Weyers word in die verslag spesiaal bedank.

Skakeling En Bemarking: Rentia Landman

Radiopraatjies gelewer

Aanmoediging van die skakelpersone van die onderskeietakke

Hemde met GGSA logo en nuwe GGSA-plakkate in proses

Takverslae

Die takverslae is met dank aanvaar. Hulle spreek van goeie ondersteuning vir hulle lede en besondere inisiatief met bemarking.

Mosie: Noord-Transvaal

Dit handel oor Ancestry24 wat die boeke in die tak se biblioteek wil digitaliseer en die tak vra wat moet hulle doen. Die AJV besluit dat dit nie gedoen mag word nie, maar dat die President met Ancestry 24 in gesprek tree oor die moontlikheid van 'n kontraktuele verbintenis tot voordeel van GGSA-lede.

Bestuursverkiesing

President - Hendrik Louw

Vise-president - Petro Corjees-Brink

Nasionale Sekretaris - Leoni Barnard

Nasionale Tesourier – André Heydenrych

Addisionele lid - Dirk Bloem (GGSA-webtuiste en tegnologie)

Gekoöpteerde lede:

Familia - Richard Ford

Omnibus – Judie Meyer (Johan Pottas was nie weer beskikbaar nie)

Skakeling & Bemarking - Rentia Landman

Projekte - Dennis Pretorius

• Die volgende AJV is op 16/17 Maart 2012 in Uniondale met die tema: Go Country.

Newsletter: March 2011

The latest newsletter of the branch is published below. 

Please be patient while it is loading. 

Click on "Wes-Gauteng-nuusbrief 2011-03" below to enlarge.

Wes-Gauteng-nuusbrief 2011-03

Verby 600 000!

Lucas Rinken

Verby 600 000, op pad na 700 000.

Dit is wat aan die gebeur is met Lucas Rinken se e-SAGI, seker die mees omvattende genealogiese databasis in Suid-Afrika.

Lucas wat ook voorsitter van die Wes-Gautengtak is, het bekendgemaak dat hy onlangs  bogenoemde syfer bereik het.  En nog is het einde niet.  Hy werk nog elke dag met dieselfde ywer om die data wat hy van oral ontvang, met sy data saam te smelt.  Dis nie 'n eenvoudige proses nie.  Hy moet seker maak dat die inligting wat hy van 'n familie ontvang, inskakel by sy bestaande inligting om sodoende koppelings tussen families te maak. Juis dit is die groot waarde van e-SAGI.  Dis nie bloot net name en datums nie.

Lucas help iemand se familie vind.

Te midde van Lucas se harde werk (eerder slim werk) het hy altyd 'n dankie aan almal wat hom van data voorsien.  "Ek sou dit nooit alleen kon nie," sê hy telkens as hy 'n nuwe mylpaal bereik.

Lucas is gereeld by genealogiese uitstallings in Gauteng en omliggende gebiede. Dan word hy oorval met navrae -- meestal met goeie gevolg.

Klik HIER vir meer inligting oor e-SAGI en hoe om dit te bestel.

The world's biggest family: The man with 39 wives, 94 children and 33 grandchildren

Ziona Chana lives with all of them in a 100-room mansion;

His wives take it in turns to share his bed;

It takes 30 whole chickens just to make dinner.

Click on any picture to enlarge it.

 

He is head of the world's biggest family - and says he is 'blessed' to have his 39 wives.

Ziona Chana also has 94 children, 14-daughters-in-law and 33 grandchildren.

They live in a 100-room, four storey house set amidst the hills of Baktwang village in the Indian state of Mizoram, where the wives sleep in giant communal dormitories.

With 100 rooms the Ziona mansion is the biggest concrete structure in the hilly village of Baktawng You treat this place like a hotel. With 100 rooms the Ziona mansion is the biggest concrete structure in the hilly village of Baktwang.  Mr Chana said: 'Today I feel like God's special child. He's given me so many people to look after.

'I consider myself a lucky man to be the husband of 39 women and head of the world's largest family.'

The family is organised with almost military discipline, with the oldest wife Zathiangi organising her fellow partners to perform household chores such as cleaning, washing and preparing meals. One evening meal can see them pluck 30 chickens, peel 132 pounds of potatoes and boil up to 220 pounds of rice.

Coincidentally, Mr Chana is also head of a sect that allows members to take as many wives as he wants.

The senior ladies of the Chana family

He even married ten women in one year, when he was at his most prolific, and enjoys his own double bed while his wives have to make do with communal dormitories.

He keeps the youngest women near to his bedroom with the older members of the family sleeping further away - and there is a rotation system for who visits Mr Chana's bedroom.

Rinkmini, one of Mr Chana's wives who is 35 years old, said: 'We stay around him as he is the most important person in the house. He is the most handsome person in the village. She says Mr Chana noticed her on a morning walk in the village 18 years ago and wrote her a letter asking for her hand in marriage.

And Mr Chana, whose religious sect has 400 members, says he has not stopped looking for new wives. 'To expand my sect, I am willing to go even to the U.S. to marry,' he said.

One of his sons insisted that Mr Chana, whose grandfather also had many wives, marries the poor women from the village so he can look after them.

Jaarprogram, 2011

DATUM	TYD	PLEK	ONDERWERP/GELEENTHEID
2 – 6 Maart	10.00 – 18.00	Hobby-X in die Dome, Randburg	Ons hanteer 'n stalletjie namens die GGSA.
19 Maart	14:00	Ned. Geref. Kerk Ontdekkerskruin	Ds. Kobus van Tonder: "Die Dorslandtrek"
16 April:	14:00	Ned. Geref. Kerk Ontdekkerskruin	Dirk Bloem: "Die Nuwe Webwerf van die GGSA".
14 Mei:	09.00 - 14.30	LDS-kerk, Parktown	Eie navorsing onder leiding van gesoute navorsingslede.
18 Junie:	14:00	Ned. Geref. Kerk Ontdekkerskruin	Richard Ford: "Die Nuwe Hersiene Grondwet van die GGSA" en hoe dit ons raak.
16 Julie:	14:00	Ned. Geref. Kerk Ontdekkerskruin	Marius Smit: 'n Drukker vertel hoe om jou publikasie mooi te maak en wat die pryse is.
20 Augustus:	14:00	Ned. Geref. Kerk Ontdekkerskruin	Besonderhede sal mettertyd bekend gemaak word.
3 September:	Van 09.00	Pretoria	Ons beman 'n stalletjie by die Genealogie- en Familie-erfenisfees gereëk deur Isabel Groesbeek.
17 September:	Van 09.00	Panorama-begraafplaas	Giel Nel en taklede: optekening van die grafte
15 Oktober:	14:00	Ned. Geref. Kerk Ontdekkerskruin	Ons wag voorstelle in van lede vir hierdie byeenkoms.
19 November:	14:00	Ned. Geref. Kerk Ontdekkerskruin	Afsluitingsgeleentheid.

Branch Committee, 2011

By Penny Evans

The branch held their AGM on 19 February 2011. The new committee is as follows:

Designation	Name
Chairman	Lucas Rinken
Vice-Chairman	Bob Saunders
Recording Secretary	John Stephens
Membership Secretary	Gerard Marloth
Treasurer	Dennis Pretorius
Assistant Treasurer	Barbara Bouwer
Events Secretary	Margaret Humphries
Librarian	Graham Southey
Librarian Assistant	Louise Dick
Editor, Newsletter	Neels Coertse
Publicity and Blog Liaison	Penny Evans
Cemetery Recording	Giel Nel
Product Sales	Kriek Fourie

Lucas Rinken thanked the committee for their hard work and commitment. He welcomed Bob Saunders and thanked him for being prepared to serve on the committee.

After the AGM Jack Holloway (right), son of Dr JE Holloway, and a long standing friend of Graham Southey spoke about the Anti-convict Movement of 1849. During that year the British intended to establish a penal colony at the Cape as was the case in Australia and Tasmania.

The colonists of the Cape stood together when they heard about this. Jack Holloway’s great grandfather, George Holloway signed the anti convict petition. In this petition they declared that they would have nothing to do with the government and would not sell produce to the ship, The Neptune, on which the convicts were held.

The ship lay at anchor for months and the convicts might have perished had it not been for a few who were loyal to the British government. One of them was Captain Robert Stanford. He owned a large farm, Kleine Rivers, and he was able to send produce to the convict ship.

His actions were regarded as treason by the colonists and he was ostracized.

Captain Stanford’s child became ill and died on the way to Cape Town. Stanford approached George Holloway, who owned the Coaching Inn in Kuilsrivier for a room where the child could be laid out. George Holloway agreed but knew that this would cause trouble if he assisted Stanford.

He was boycotted, became bankrupt and lost everything. In 1854 George Holloway sent a petition to the British government asking for compensation. This petition is now in Stanford House.

Edward Robert Stanford, a grandson of Captain Robert Stanford, married Daisy Wayland who was a distant relative of Graham Southey.

Cemetery Recording Outing on 5 February 2011

Report and photographs by Penny Evans

Members of the West Gauteng branch met at the Danie Theron Church which is situated in a semi-rural area to the south of Johannesburg. By 09:30 am we were ready to go to the Eye of Africa, a golfing estate in the Alewynspoort area.

This estate is situated in an area that was previously a farm which had belonged to Mr and Mrs Tanning. Situated within the estate is an old family cemetery which is enclosed by a stone wall.

Many of the graves did not have a headstone. Some of the headstones had been so badly weathered that the inscription had been completely eroded. Other headstones were in good condition and the group readily set to work taking photographs and recording the information.

Members of the following families have been buried here: Mulder, White, Van der Merwe, Van Zyl, Smit, Meyer, Van derWalt, Snijman, Smith, Labuschagne, Booysen, Roos and Reyneke.

It is difficult to know when the first family members were buried here. From an existing headstone one sees that a Mr Viljoen passed away in 1898. Most family members were buried from the 1920's to the 1960's, although a few were buried in the 1980's. There is a recent grave dating to November 2010. Fresh flowers had been placed on this grave.

The weather was ideal, the surroundings beautiful and peaceful. By late morning we were ready to enjoy our picnic at a nearby spot under shady pine trees. Lush green grass grew under these trees.

In the vicinity were two buildings from a previous era — a dilapidated farm silo and a small farm school which was being renovated. At 12:30 pm we reluctantly left.

The following members attended: John and Iris Stephens, Lucas Rinken, Barbara Bouwer, Pieter Oosthuizen, Gerard Marloth, Robyn Templeton, Bob Saunders, Christa Roberts, Margaret Humphries, Penny Evans, Irene Strydom of Tedderfield and Di Kruger of the Dumblade Conservancy.

A big thank you to John and Iris Stephens for the arrangements and refreshments. We look forward to the next outing in this area.

Successful genealogy day at the Roodepoort Museum

By Penny Evans

On 22 January 2011 the West Gauteng Branch, in conjunction with the Roodepoort Museum, held a successful Genealogy Day in the foyer of the Promusica Theatre.

Guides took small groups of visitors on a tour of the museum which had exhibits and photographs of the early days of gold mining in the vicinity of Roodepoort. The museum has a section converted into an mid 1800's Highveld farmhouse, the kitchen, lounge and bedrooms furnished according to the style of the day. In addition various rooms depict the decor of the Victorian era and even that of the 1920's and 1930's. A wonderful worthwhile visit.

Above:  Ann Smart, curator: Roodepoort Museum

Exhibitors arrived early to set up their tables. Although the day got off to a slow start, by mid morning many visitors had arrived. The exhibitors were kept busy answering questions, giving advice and handing out information sheets. Visitors eagerly waited while the databases were checked for any infomation on their ancestors. Some delighted visitors were inspired to join our branch. Members had the chance to socialize over a cup of coffee.

We would like to thank the following branches for their support:
Johannesburg branch;
Northern Transvaal branch representing the Barkhuizen and Diedericks families;
Isabel Groesbeek (right above), a knowledgeable and experienced researcher;
Anne Smart, curator of the Roodepoort Museum and her staff;
Neels Coertse (left) for being available to take photographs of the family history information in Bibles;
Lucas Rinken for spending many exhausting hours searching his database;
Barbara Bouwer for sellind the CD's and enrolling members;
The members who helped set up tables and
The staff of the Civic Theatre.

Right:  Members paging through some of the genealogy books.

The planning and hard work of the committee made this a successful day. A very special thanks to John Stephens for his input and for supporting us on the day, despite his illness.

Newsletter: January 2011

The latest newsletter of the branch is published below. 

Please be patient while it is loading. 

Click on "Full Screen" below to enlarge it.

Wes-Gauteng-nuusbrief 2011-01

Newsletter: December 2010

The latest newsletter of the branch is published below. 

Please be patient while it is loading. 

Click on "Full Screen" below to enlarge it. Wes-Gauteng-nuusbrief 2010-12

Genealogy day on 22 January 2011 in Roodepoort

On Saturday, 22 January 2011, the Roodepoort Museum in partnership with the West-Gauteng Branch of the Genealogical Society of South Africa is hosting an open day to promote and facilitate interest and research in genealogy and family history.

Time and venue

The function starts at 09:00. The Genealogical Society will have their displays in the Jo'burg Promusica Foyer and the Roodepoort Museum will be open until 15:00 for free guided tours of the museum.

Database of 586 000 names

Visitors will also have the opportunity to ask Lucas Rinken, Chairperson of the branch to look for their family name on his database which numbers about 586 000 names.

Lucas Rinken, has already done some “home work” on the gold discoverers. He has a genealogy lined up for the Struben Brothers, a family tree.

He also has one for Willem Boshoff, the first Afrikaans Mine millionaire. This he’ll have on his computer and will project it on a screen for people to see.

Family Bibles

Neels Coetzee, a members of the meber of the branch, is compiling a photographic database of old family Bibles. Visitors are requested to bring their old family bibles to be photographed free of charge. These family Bible photographs will form part of an International Database on the internet.

Look for our next week's article in the Roodepoort Record to find out more about this exciting event and the other organisations and researchers that will be available to assist you with your family history.

Guided tours

On the 22 January you can get a free guided tour of the museum without making a prior booking. Remember that the museum is only open by appointment if you want to come on another day. Tours are tailored to your needs and interests and on average last about one hour. For more information contact the museum on 011/761-0225/6/8.

Where to find us:

The museum is situated in the Civic Centre, 100 Christiaan de Wet Road, Florida Park. Entrance to the museum is right next to the Joburg Promusica Theatre.

Genealogiedag vervang maandvergadering: 22 Januarie 2011

Vandeesmaand se maandvergadering word vervang met ‘n genealogiedag saam met die Roodepoortse Museum.

Dit vind plaas op 22 Januarie 2011. Dit begin om 09:00 en eindig om 15:00 .

Alle lede is welkom.

Toegang tot die uitstallings is gratis.

Ander uitstallers sluit  Isabel Groesbeek; die LDS onder leiding van Isebelle Krauss; die Heidelbergse Erfenisstigting en moontlik ook Linda Lombard van die Noord-Transvaalse Tak van die GGSA.

Voorts is Neels Coertse oorgehaal om familiebybels te fotografeer. Die publiek en ons lede gevra word om hul familiebybels saam te bring.

• Intussen het Lucas Rinken en Graham Southey gesorg dat die takbiblioteek nou na die kelder van die NG Kerk verskuif is, terwyl Kriek en sy aanstaande skoonseun met die deur wat installeer moes word, gehelp het.