NEWSLETTER: SEPTEMBER 2009

BOB SAUNDERS, VICE-CHAIRMAN

STUUR U VOORSTELLE/VERSOEKE

Die takkomitee besin nog oor volgende jaar se program sodat lede daarby sal baat vind.

Ons versoek opnuut terugvoering en vrae wat die naaste aan u hart lê asook versoeke vir spesifieke onderwerpe. Help ons om aan u verwagtinge te voldoen.

Stuur nou 'n epos aan my in dié verband deur HIER TE KLIK.

The committee has a request to all members: forward snippets of news and reports of those very special and personal moments of revelation during your research. Most of us will experience a special moment and sharing these can often encourage those seemingly hitting the proverbial “brick wall” to persevere.

KOMITEEVERGADERING: AUGUSTUS 2009

Die komitee het nie in Augustus vergader nie, omdat die tak gasheer was vir ‘n vergadering van die Nasionale Uitvoerende Komitee. Dankie aan Margaret Humphries (links) en haar span (Penny, Mienie en Heidi) wat die verversings verskaf het.

Die volgende vergadering sal voor ons takvergadering op 19 September plaasvind om 12:00. Komiteelede, neem asseblief kennis hiervan.

BRANCH MEETING: AUGUST 2009

We had a bumper turnout for the August meeting which was addressed by the President of our Society, Hendrik Louw. Sadly though, the numbers were bolstered by visitors rather than branch members. However, an interesting debate took place.

Hendrik is a highly enthusiastic leader and passionate about genealogy and the importance of preserving all records for future generations. Like your committee, Hendrik is also keen to find the elusive formula that will galvanise our members and make us all equally enthusiastic about ongoing research and preservation of family history.

His talk was directed at us in much the same way we (the committee) have invited you (the members) to come forward with ideas and wishlists so that we might be guided regionally and nationally.

MAANDVERGADERING: 19 SEPTEMBER 2009

Ons volgende takvergadering is op Saterdag, 19 September 2009, by die NG Kerk-gebou, Ontdekkerskruin, Phillipslaan, Discovery, Roodepoort. Dit begin 14h00. Ons gasspreker dié maand is Simon du Plooy, voorsitter van die Noordwes-tak. Hy gaan ons vertel van Robert Jacob Gordon (links).

Simon beskryf dié man as Suid Afrika se “Davy Crockett”.

INVITATION TO PARTICIPATE IN A UNIQUE PROJECT

During the NEC meeting last month, the Northwest Branch announced a new branch project in conjunction with LAPA Publishers. It has great potential in our circles and the wider public who are hovering on the brink of possibly recording their own life and times.

The book will be called “Wie is ons regtig?”. What is required/requested are short personal stories for publication into an omnibus format. The request from NorthWest (paraphrased), reads as follows:

"Ons sal dit waardeer indien u alle lede aanmoedig om hul bydraes vir die beoogde bundel aan ons te stuur. Die bydraes moet fokus op interessante/snaakse/dramatiese gebeure of karakters, heldedade en dies meer wat die oningewyde sal interesseer of vermaak".

Links:  Oom Kallie.

The story does not have to be professionally written as those selected will be worked/edited in conjunction with the publishers journalists to an acceptable annecdote/story.

Please consider supporting this venture as it really is intended to record stories countrywide and not only regionally.

Check the blog for further postings on this topic and a forwarding address.

Alternatively, pass these on to me (hand-written at a meeting) or digitally, and I will forward them as is to the correct source who will then take it further with the publishers. Please include a contact address (snaill mail or e-mail) to facilitate the host branch and or publishers to establish contact and dialogue with you on the matter.

TAKBIBLIOTEEK

Ons het ‘n groeiende takbiblioteek onder die toesig van Graham Southey (links). Maak asseblief gebruik van hierdie gratis gerief wat vir ons taklede. Dit bestaan uit allerei boeke, tydskrifte en joernale van verskeie genealogiese verenigings asook familiegeskiednis, genootskappe, en die SAG-bundels.

VENTER NEWS

Genealogically newsworthy to interest groups, and researchers in general: Barend Venter (a researcher of the Venter family in South Africa), has just released to us the inaugural Family Newsletter of the Venter. Barend will gladly add you to the mailing list if you would take the time to drop him a line at: famventersa@gmail.com.

PERSONAL ANECDOTE

Even the big boys have the odd story to tell! I managed to coerce a pale and wan Lucas Rinken (left) to give me a story to illustrate that even after all these years, he still gets pleasure amidst the dreary everyday tasks, from what he does for the branch, the society and genealogy on a broader scale, and it goes something like this:

e-SAGI can be a JOY to work on

Much of the focus in compiling e-SAGI is to receive files/gedcoms from other researchers, to prepare same for inclusion in our database and then to perform the tedious task of weeding out possible duplicates. And then there is always the endeavour to increase numbers contained, hence the all out effort to reach 500,000 names. BUT, at times this is enough to drive me crazy!

Happily, I am member of SAGen and along comes an email from a VERY respected genealogist, Mansell UPHAM: "Beste Lyslede. Enige inligting oor die komponis Stephanus le Roux Marais se Marais voorsate sal waardeur word.-- Mansell Upham"

Now:

1. Another focus area of e-SAGI is to include as many well known South Africans in the database as possible. And who in Afrikaans circles does not know of this composer and his well known songs.

2. I know I have a many by the surname MARAIS in the database, 1 842 to be exact.

3. Coming from Mansell, this is a challenge I cannot ignore.

So I checked the database and found someone by that name, but with no ancestors. BUT is he the right one?

So I do a Google search and find:

Stephanus Le Roux Marais (born 1896, Bloemfontein district, Orange Free State, South Africa, died 25 May 1979, Graaff-Reinet) was a South African composer.

He studied at the South African College of Music in Cape Town and at the Royal College of Music in London. In the subsequent 32 years he held various positions as church organist and teacher. He was a pioneer of the Afrikaans art song. In 1928 his "Vier Afrikaanse Sangstukke" (Four Afrikaans Song Pieces) was published. In the five years following, he was awarded 23 diplomas at the Cape Town Eisteddfod.

The dates matched, so I dug into SAG 5 and there he is:

h2 Stephanus le Roux * 1.2.1896 x 18.12.1945 Edith Johanna REX

I quickly captured the MARAIS line and soon connected into the MARAIS’ already in e-SAGI. But his mother's line was more difficult until I connected to his maternal grandmother's Van der MERWE line as I have Janet Melville's (left) wonderful book available.

And now, all this is available in e-SAGI and I could send off a reply to Mansell.

Better than working through 1 000 possible duplicates.

And that is how a plan comes together – by some astute research in the available literature and the electronic media, and using our fantastic database, to piece together the missing pieces.