Nuusbrief: Julie 2011

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Use the icons below the report or click on "Wes-Gauteng-nuusbrief 2011-07" below to enlarge. Wes-Gauteng-nuusbrief 2011-07

The printing of your book

By Penny Evans

Marius Smit

On the 16 July 2011 Marius Smit gave an interesting talk on the different factors to consider when deciding to print your research in book form.

He spoke about the terminology used in the printing business, for instance the difference between leaves and pages and what scoring meant.

He advised members not to use too many fonts but rather to use different sizes of the same font. Unusual fonts are best avoided. Times New Roman is a popular choice of font.

One should consider the layout, either in landscape or portrait and the size of the page. The margin must allow for final trim cuts and must take the binding method into consideration.

He brought sample books to show the different binding types. There are many ways of binding a book for example fold and saddle stitch, plastic ring binding, wire binding and interscrews.

The thickness and type of paper needs to be considered.

Colour is more than three to six times more expensive than black and white.

Photographs should be high resolution to get crisp reproduction.

The talk was inspiring and made one realize that one’s family history research should be presented in book form.

  

The Stephens and Campher families

John Stephens

John Stephens gave his ten minute talk about his research into the STEPHENS and CAMPHER families. John has reached a brick wall in his research into the STEPHENS family, as he is unable to find out the names of his great grandfather and mother.

John was able to find more information about the CAMPHER family. The progenitor was LOURENS CAMPHER who married ANSELA van den Kaap. Certain sources state that she was a free slave, other sources indicate that she was born in Nederland in 1665.

John’s great grandfather was CHRISTOFFEL JOHANNES CAMPHER and his great grandmother was ELIZA BETHA GERTRUIDA CAMPHER born JOUBERT. Spelling errors have occurred on the gravestones of his great grandparents.

The name Campher is also spelt Kamffer or Kamfer.

New website for GSSA

By Penny Evans

There was a good turn out of West Gauteng members on 18 June 2011 at the Ontdekkerspark venue. Dirk Bloem gave a presentation on the new GSSA website that he is developing.

He stressed that the website was not only his work but gave credit to Richard Ball (eggsa webmaster) for his assistance, and Alta Griffiths and Lucas Rinken for their input.

The various branches had responded well to the questionnaire that he had sent out, asking what they wanted on the website.

He planned to have the website up and running by the beginning of July 2011. The web address is www.genza.org.za.

At this stage it will be a basic website. The following aspects will be available:

• Goals and objectives of the GSSA
• List of the NEC members
• Welcome note
• Information on GSSA and branch publications
• GSSA projects
• GSSA products
• Various links to genealogical sites
• Branches can place notices of their forthcoming events.

The website will be expanded gradually. Chairman Lucas Rinken thanked Dirk Bloem for his presentation and the wonderful work he is doing to get this new website up and running.

Hennie van Aswegen gave his ten minute talk on the origins of Ventersdorp. He was born in Ventersdorp and therefore has an interest in this town’s history. Venterdorp had its beginnings in 1859 after Johannes Hendrikus Venter placed an advertisement offering stands for sale.

Newsletter: June 2011

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Wes-Gauteng-nuusbrief 2011-06

It is the First Day of the Month: Back Up Your Files!

It is the first day of the month. It's time to back up your genealogy files. Then test your backups!

Actually, you can make backups at any time. However, it is easier and safer if you have a specific schedule. The first day of the month is easy to remember, so I would suggest you back up your genealogy files at least on the first of every month, if not more often.

Of course, you might want to back up more than your genealogy files. Family photographs, your checkbook register, all sorts of word processing documents, email messages, and much more need to be backed up regularly. Why not do that on the first of each month?

Next, TEST YOUR BACKUPS. More than once I have heard sad stories of, "I thought I was making regular backups to the external hard drive but, when I went to restore some files, I found the hard drive was dead. I lost everything." The exact details will vary from one out-of-luck person to another, but many have similar stories. Yet it is so easy to test your backups to make sure they are being made in the manner you think.

On the first day of the month, restore one or two small files from your backups. You don't have restore everything, just pick a few typical files. Restore them to a temporary directory (mine is called WORK) and see if you can use them.

To avoid the "dead when you need them" problem, always make at least TWO backups to two differnet types of media in two different locations. Three would be better and four would be even better.

My computer automatically makes backups every hour to an external USB hard drive plugged into the back of the computer plus it also automatically makes backups in the middle of the night to an online backup service on the Internet while I am sleeping. Having redundant backups increases the odds of having at least one good backup at the time of critical need.

How much information and how many pictures will you lose if your hard drive crashes this evening?

By the way, all hard drives WILL crash someday. The only question is "when?" Make your backups today.

Published with permission from: Eastman's Online Genealogy Newsletter. 

Newsletter: May 2011

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Wes-Gauteng-nuusbrief 2011-05

A visit to the Parktown Family History Centre

Report and photographs by Penny Evans

Gwyneth Thomas gives her talk.

A visit to Parktown Family History Centre on 14 May 2011 was well attended by members of the West Gauteng branch of the GSSA. Members were made to feel welcome by the directors Elder Lewin and Sister Pat Daubney, who gave of their time and expertise to assist members.

Members were able to use all the facilities to research their family history. The directors allowed our branch to use their kitchen so that we could have a break for refreshments, which were provided by Margaret Humphries and her team.

Doing research.

Christa Roberts.

Gwyneth Thomas, a branch member, gave a short but interesting talk on the resources available in the centre. Gwyneth assists at the centre when they have staff shortages.

Parktown Family History Centre is well equipped with facilities for research.

• Free use of computers and the familysearch website
• Free use of microfilm readers;
• Over 20,000 microfilms;

Elsabé Calitz.

• On line websites for other countries;

Robin Templeton.

• Church records with reference to microfilms—all denominations;
• Civil registrations for the four main provinces;
• British census records;
• South African voters rolls;
• General reference books, individual South African genealogy books, 1820 settlers and old atlases.

The LDS Church is in the process of indexing and digitizing all the church records which are available to them.

This centre is closed on Mondays. It is open from 9.30am to 2.30pm Tuesdays to Fridays. It opens 7am to 2.30pm on Saturdays.

We are very fortunate to be able to use this centre which has such a vast storehouse of records. A big thank you to the staff who welcomed and assisted us.

Click on a photoghraph to enlarge.

Lucas Rinken se Toekenning van Uitnemendheid

Klik op foto om te vergroot.

Lucas Rinken

Lucas Rinken, jarelange voorsitter van die Wes-Gautengtak van die GGSA, het vroeër vanjaar die gesogte Toekenning van Uitnemendheid van die Genootskap ontvang vir sy waardevolle genealogiese bydrae, in die besonder vir sy werk aan e-SAGI.  (Klik HIER om meer daarvan te lees.)

Hieronder volg sy tipiese, beskeie Rinken-dankbetuiging wat hy in 'n e-pos aan sy vriende gestuur het:

Graag wil ek julle almal bedank vir die nominasie en die pragtige motivering daaraan verbonde.

Soos ek aan julle toe genoem het, het ek geweet dat my beskeie aandeel nie Genealoog van die Jaar verdien nie en ek is dankbaar dat hierdie spogtoekenning aan 'n meer verdienstelike paar gegee is vir die tweede uitgawe van hul prag werk oor die De Beer-familie. My hartelike gelukwensing aan Diwwie en Jaleen.

Dit was nogatans 'n eer om genomineer te gewees het en dat dit uitgeloop het op die toekenning wat wel aan my gemaak is, het my onverwags betrap. Ek het dit nooit verwag nie en dink steeds dat ek dit nie verdien nie.

Ek sien die toekenning egter as nie net vir my nie, want die bietjie wat ek gedoen het was nooit alleen nie.  Daar was altyd vele helpers wat my op hul hande gedra het en my taak ligter gemaak het. Ek kan nie name noem nie, daar is net te veel en dit sal moeilik wees om dit in enige volgorde te rangskik.

My hartelike en dankbare gelukwense dus aan julle almal asook aan baie ander wie nie hierdie e-pos sal ontvang nie.

Dis 'n eer om saam met julle te kan werk. Ek vertrou en bid dat my gesondheid dit vir my sal toelaat om nog lank saam met julle te werk en ons tak verder uit te bou.

Lucas, jy verdien dit deur en deur na soveel jare se ywer en geduld. Geluk daarmee. Die tak is dankbaar om jou in ons midde te hê. -- Die takbestuur.

Ons lede se navorsing

John Stephens, sekretaris van die tak, het die volgende lys gestuur van die vanne wat tak-lede navors.

Barbara Bouwer: Van Niekerk; Pienaar; Smit; Kruger; Bouwer; Du Plessis; Van Wyk; Viljoen; Van der Merwe; Strydom
Elsie Calitz: Calitz
Neels Coertse: Coertse
Louise Dick: Dick; Van der Westhuizen; Clack; Dignon; Veloen; Greyling; Greyvenstein
Louw du Plessis: Du Plessis Dorsland Trekker; Diedericks
Herman Esterhuizen: Esterhuizen
Penny Evans: Gass
Richard Ford: Bester; Ford; Marais; Meyer; Nel; Schoon; Dunaiski; Reichelt
Don Hodgkinson: Hodgkinson
Ruth Jobson: Jobson
Kriek Fourie: Fourie; Van Daalen; Knoetze; Gerber; Westphall
Margaret Humphries: Humphries; Bennett; Freshwater; Quirk; Currin; Marais; Mare; Van der Nest; Vosloo; Freemantle
Andre Janse van Rensburg: Janse van Rensburg
Gerard Marloth: Marloth
Petro Meyer: Meyer
Milford Juniper: Juniper
Giel Nel: Nel
Pieter Oosthuizen: Oosthuizen
Ds. Hennie le Roux: Peiker
Ben Leach: Leach; Du Preez; Nel; Higginson; Scholtz; Grimes; Du Plessis
Dennis Pretorius: Pretorius; Boshoff; Nienaber; Scott; Lamprecht; Schoeman; Gerber; Mc Donald; Graaf; Herbst; Kemp; Van Niekerk; Sabdbrink; Sluiter; Buitendach
Lucas Rinken: Rinken; Renke; Renneke ens.; De Wet; Koch; Rall; Brooks; Adendorff
Christa Roberts: Roberts
Bob Saunders: Saunders; Jones; Lester; Rampling; Lawson; Landman; Lester
Graham Southey: Southey
John Stephens: Stephens; Campher; Vermeulen; Nelson; Roberts; Wallis
Colin Steyn: Steyn
Robyn Templeton: Templeton
Gwyneth Thomas: Thomas
Ilse van Zyl: Steyn; Van Zyl
Frans en Donna Viljoen: Marx; Grobler
John Schwartz: Schwartz; Janse van Rensburg; Perkins; Moore; Thorndyke

The new constitution

By Penny Evans

On the16 April 2011 members of the West Gauteng branch met on a cold and rainy day to listen to Richard Ford speak about the new constitution and sound branch management.

Richard Ford

The GSSA was established in 1964. A decision was taken at the AGM in 2010 to update the constitution. Richard Ford was asked to head this committee. The three members who assisted him were Martin Zoelner, Simon du Plooy and Neels Coertse.

An important change made was that branch management was brought into the new constitution.

He said that two specific articles in the new constitution are also very important. Article 8:2:3 states that notice of the AGM meetings of national council and branches should call for submission of portfolio and branch reports. This should include complete financial reports covering the previous calendar year. Nominations for the election of office bearers are to reach the national or branch secretary within ten days of the notice of the AGM .

The national or branch secretary shall circulate the agenda of the meeting, along with the supporting documents fourteen days before the AGM. Article 8:7 deals with the recording of proceedings. The minutes shall be distributed among members of the meeting within three weeks of the meeting. To conclude he mentioned the objectives of the society which are:

• To promote and facilitate interest in, and a general understanding of, the importance of research in genealogy and family history among members of the society, other interested people, and the general public;

• To provide a wide range of meetings, educational courses, projects and services about genealogy and family history for the general benefit of members of the Society, and other people;

• To encourage the observance of the highest standards of research by members of the Society, and to promote reliability, integrity and professionalism of all South African genealogists;

• To be actively involved in the preservation of genealogical records and memorabilia and

• To establish and maintain contact with like-minded societies throughout the world.

Newsletter: April 2011

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Wes-Gauteng-nuusbrief 2011-04

Nuwe pryse vir SAG

Prof Christo Viljoen skryf op SA Genealogie:  Mnr Leon Endemann, Hoofnavorser van GISA, het die volgende boodskap deurgegee wat ek graag aan SAGenealogie ingeskrewenes aanstuur om te benut voordat die prysverhoging in werking tree:

"Vanweë verhoogde drukkostes is GISA genoodsaak om die SAG (SA Genealogieë) reeks van boeke se prys te verhoog. Die verhoogde pryse tree onmiddelik in werking, maar tot 14 April 2011 sal die ou tariewe nog geldig wees, d.w.s. R400 per volume en R6 400 per stel van 18 boeke. Daarna, vanaf 15 April, sal die prys verhoog na R500 as kleinhandelprys per boek en R7 200 vir die hele stel."

Deel 5 bestaan uit 2 volumes, dele 5a en 5b. In totaal is daar 18 boeke in die hele stel van 17 dele.

Klik HIER om by GISA se webwerf uit te kom.