Welcome to our First Newsletter of 2020
From the Editors desk
This isn’t just any old newsletter, oh no, it’s our ratepayers’ first Newsletter of the new decade- the 20s. Christmas has passed, the fireworks have exploded and the New year is under way, so let’s take a look back in time to a hundred years ago, when, in the USA, a decade known as the Roaring’ Twenties took place, where liberated women known as flappers, wore dresses that are still in fashion today, if you don’t believe me, then watch the Charleston being danced on ‘Strictly Come Dancing’ – that’s the flapper look.
Popular products and gadgets came into being during this decade, things such as Band Aid (plasters), Hairdryers, Lie Detectors, Silent movies, and inventions such as Henry Ford’s Model T Automobile, Airplanes, Washing machines, Instant cameras, Juke boxes, Traffic lights, Radio and TV transmissions, and much, more.
By comparison our world is one of Satellite dishes, the internet, social media, smart TV’s, smart phones, downloads, driverless cars, artificial intelligence, genetic modifications, air travel, animated movies, and the list goes on and on…
During the roaring twenties, for the first time, more people lived in cities than on farms, which echoes the lifestyle changes of people today.
Famous names from that decade were Charles Lindbergh (Aviator), Al Capone (Gangster), Jack Dempsey (Boxer) and F. Scott Fitzgerald (Author).
Now a hundred years on we can only start to imagine what this new decade will bring to the world and South Africa, what will be produced and by whom, and will these people be as famous or as infamous as the above.
For all our sakes, let us hope that the next decade is an improvement on the last, and that it will bring peace, harmony, stability, prosperity, electricity, water, and most of all, a coming together for the benefit of all.
From the Chair
MEMBERSHIP RENEWAL FEES
Our membership fees, which form the backbone for Village maintenance, are now due. Thank you to the members who have paid. If you have not done so, please pay your subs – see our webpage under banking for the reference when you make payment. Encourage neighbours and friends to join – (subs.address.name). 100 members give us R 35 000. We require 3 times the amount for our normal annual maintenance tasks, not considering a few special projects.
AGM
Please see the minutes on our webpage. The chair report is contained therein. If you have comments, please send it now as we all forget by the end of the year. A huge thank you from our employee, Siyanda, for the impromptu contributions placed in the hat at the AGM. We raised R1400 as a special bonus for him.
100 CLUB
Members are encouraged to assist us with fundraising. One wat of doing so, is by joining the 100 Club. We hope to make this the 200 club soon!! Please see particulars for participation and so contributing to the BRRAG coffers on our webpage under banking particulars. (100club.address.name). When you join the 100 club you can choose from available numbers or a number will be issued to you and you will be notified of that number.
PRIZE DRAW 100 CLUB FUNDRAISER 2020
AVAILABLE NUMBERS
• 01 – 03 – 04 – 07 – 08 – 10
• 11 – 12 – 15 – 16 -17 -19
• 22 – 24 – 25 – 27 – 28 – 30
• 31 – 32 – 34 – 35 – 36 – 37 – 39 – 40
• 41 – 42 – 43 – 44 – 47 – 48 – 49
• 51 – 52 – 53 – 54 – 55 – 56 – 58 – 59 – 60
• 61 – 62 – 63 – 65 – 66 – 67 – 68 – 69 – 70
• 71 – 72 – 73 – 74 – 75 – 76 -77 – 78 – 79 – 80
• 81 – 83 – 84 – 85 – 86 – 87 – 90
• 91 – 92 – 93 – 94 – 95 – 96 – 97 – 98 – 99 – 100
DECEMBER GUARDS
The hiring of the guards during December turned out to be a huge success. We had no reported serious criminal incidents, a complete turn-around of the September to November 2019 position. We still count on members to contribute if you have not done so (ref Guards.address.name) as we ring fence these funds and may be able to use additional guards at Easter or have a starting amount for next December.
Thank you to each one who made a contribution, small and large. Your goodwill went a long way and will still go a long way to assist us with safety and security measures. Please also take note of our security camera appeal. (camera.address.name).
We also owe a huge thanks to all the night watch members who were on constant alert and assisted with issues that developed and could potentially have had negative results. Thank you to one and all for keeping all holidaymakers safe in their beds. We wish you all a wonderful and crime free year ahead.
COMMITTEE MEMBERS
We have spaces on the committee to fill and request volunteers to come forward to be co-opted. Please contact us by email – bushmansratepayers@gmail.com.
BRRAG TRAILER AND STORAGE CONTAINER
Thanks to Des Alcock who made space for the storage space for our trailer available. Any member, who wishes to us trailer (at R 150 per day) can send us an email and we will arrange access to the trailer on short notice.
We have lots of “stuff” that we need to store for use from time to time. To this end, we attempted to obtain a shipping storage container but due to all sorts of last-minute difficulties, that project had to be canned. Members who contributed to the acquisition of the container should please forward your banking details to our email for a repayment. If we do not receive banking details, we will gladly fund other projects with the funds. Thank you to the following members by surname and street:
| Kannegieser (River) | Du Plessis (Smuts) |
| Cooper (River) | Basson (River) |
| Van Zyl (Park) | De Jager (Hertzog) |
| Sprong (Ocean View) | Landman (Pienaar) |
| Joubert (Hertzog) | Hanekom (Cycad) |
| Gouws (Hoof) | Wainwright (Park) |
| Campbell (Ocean View) | Mclachlan (Main) |
WATER
We were all subjected to water outages other than the 10am – 4pm and 10pm – 4am advertised outages. Unfortunately, there was a dearth of information and many enquiries. We are attempting to establish a direct line to a responsible Municipal employee so that we are not in the dark but rather know what is happening from time to time. What is clear though, is that we will again see water outages at the end of the year. We must all plan around these occurrences. BRRAG will attempt to place information on our webpage as and when we receive it because only with this information, can we plan for the outage periods.
Lötter
(Chair)
BOERE SPORTS
We received the below appeal from a member. All responses will be communicated with John.
At the recent BRRAG AGM, community building events were raised. The recent Father Christmas activity was raised as an example as was the now debunked new year’s Boere sports beach event, which was a great family affair, looked forward to year after year.
The reason given for its discontinuation had to do with very stringent regulations pertaining to the organisation of events. Our legal eagles have been researching the regulations and are, at this stage, not convinced that the event in question falls with the ambit of the prescriptions of the act and regulations as currently defined.
The purpose of this note is to attempt to gauge whether there would be any interest in re-kindling this much-loved event.
An event such as this does take quite a bit of organisation as you can imagine and will require a group of individuals working closely together to make it happen. In the past a number of families took it on, but these families are not necessarily available or a part of the Bushman’s community.BRAGG will certainly support the idea and assist with its management provided that the few committee members don’t have to organise it!
There may even be an event organizing Company out there which may be prepared to take it on.
I view of the recent discontent around various issues notably water, it is important to build the community spirit which is so critical to our little dorpie.
Any ideas or input would be most welcome. If there is no support, so be it. We’ll just continue as we are.
There is obviously little point in the legal guys putting any further effort into this if there are no takers.John Charter
Community Fundraising Report
Portfolio – Jack Dell
I would like to say a very big thank you to the people who attended our Christmas fundraising events, and to the people who made it possible by giving up their own time and effort; and for contributing foodstuffs and drinks to these events.
Our Christmas Community Braai, Craft Market, and Raffle draw tickets sold during December, helped raise more much needed funds than any previous year.
We can never raise too much in the way of funds, so if you want to make a separate donation before our next fundraiser then please feel free to do so.
Community General Information
Dog owners.
Please be considerate to others and pick up after your dogs’ mess, and dispose of it at your own home.
COMMUNITY MONTH END BRAAI
We will continue to host the community monthly braai and special functions.
Forthcoming Community events for January 2020 to December 2020
(May be subject to change)
| January | 31st | Month end community braai at the tennis club |
| February | 28th | Month end community braai at the tennis club plus |
| December carry over & February 100 club draws | ||
| March | 27th | Month end community braai at the tennis club |
| April | 11th | Easter Craft Market at the Bushman’s Town Hall |
| April | 24th | Month end community braai at the tennis courts |
| Plus 100 club draw | ||
| May | 29th | Month end community braai at the tennis club |
| June | 21st | Fathers’ day fundraising braai at the tennis club |
| Plus 100 club draw (Booking essential) | ||
| June | 26th | Month end community braai at the tennis club |
| July | 31st | Month end community braai at the tennis club |
| August | 28th | Month end fundraising – soup – sherry – bingo – |
| Night + 100 club draw. (Booking essential) | ||
| September | 25th | Month end community braai at the tennis club |
| October | 30th | Halloween special month end braai + 100 club draw |
| November | 27th | Night Watch Security members and family braai night |
| (By invitation only) | ||
| December | 4th | Christmas fundraising Braai at the tennis courts |
| (Booking essential limited seating available) | ||
| December | 17th | Christmas Craft Market at Bushman’s Town Hall |
| December | 28th | BRRAG AGM at the Old Town Hall at 9am |
N.B. Any date changes or additional dates will be advised and updated on our Website and included in our quarterly newsletters. This annual programme appears on our webpage.
Tail end humor
The President is walking out of the White House and heading towards his limo, when a possible assassin steps forward and aims a gun. A secret service agent, new on the job, shouts “Mickey Mouse! ”. This startles the would be assassin and he is captured. Later the secret service agent’s supervisor takes him aside and asks, “What in the hell made you shout Micky Mouse ?” Blushing the agent replies, “I got nervous. I meant to shout……….”Donald, duck”.
For the women
Wife to Husband: “I’m not arguing. I’m simply explaining why I’m right”.
Wife texts husband on a cold winter morning: “Windows frozen won’t open.” Husband texts back: “Gently pour some lukewarm water over it and gently tap edges with a hammer.” Wife texts back 10 minutes later: “Computer really messed up now.”
For the men
If you want your wife to listen, try talking softly to someone else.
The devil shows up in church and everyone runs out but an old man. Devil says why didn’t you run, aren’t you scared of me? Old man says: Nope, married your sister.
New pick up line…..I have electricity
For the older generation:
It takes real skills to choke on air, fall up the stairs and trip over nothing. I have those skills.
I came, I saw, I forgot what I was doing. I retraced my steps, but got lost on the way back. Now I have absolutely no idea what’s going on.
The bad news is that time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot.
The Very Last Word
“Last week the candle factory burnt down. Everyone just stood around and sang Happy Birthday”.
An optimist stays up until midnight to see the New Year in. A pessimist stays up to make sure the Old Year leaves. ‘
Have a wonderful and prosperous New Year
