Chairman Alf Hunter’s Report for the Financial Year 2019 / 2020
Welcome all Members to this semi – remote AGM, based on email communication between Members and the Committee, for the financial year, 1 April 2019 / 31 March 2020. This has been necessitated by the National lockdown due to the Covid – 19 virus.
This year is also our 40th Anniversary Year and we are being honored by the Heritage Association of South Africa (HASA), who are holding their Annual Function in Swellendam at a date to be confirmed.
We take a moment to remember our dear friend and member Henri Barry who sadly passed away on 5 April 2020 after a terrible accident.
(Require member proposer and seconder, via email.)
(As per response of Members)
Our last financial year ending on 31 March 2020, was a busy and active year for your Association, and the following talks and outings took place.
This is the largest ongoing project embarked on by SHA to date, and currently, approximately 60 Family Crests have been designed and manufactured, and are ready for installation on the Western end of Voortrek Street
This effort includes all facets of our society and is enhancing co-operation between all our people.
In co-operation with our Municipal Management Team, the SHA is involved in saving this historic old Pont and is in the process of having it registered as a National Monument.
The SHA has reignited the effort to restore this old Monument. We have been in contact with the Minister of Culture and are currently in consultation with Heritage Western Cape to obtain support for this effort.
The SHA and the Municipal Management team have had an initial meeting to discuss the possibility of restoring these old Leivore, which date from at least 1746. A further meeting will be held when possible again. At present the Glen and Drostdy Leivore are operational.
The SHA has made a financial donation to The Friends of the Museum to assist with the restoration of this old historic Rose Garden, and we will be seeing the results soon.
As part of our 40th Anniversary Year the SHA is in the process of reprinting our current Heritage related books, which will be on sale at our monthly book table in the future.
We have also received a very generous donation of books from the wife and daughter of our well-known author Edmund H Burrows. We are in the process of arranging this shipment from London and will keep you informed.
In conjunction with the Municipal Aesthetics Committee the SHA has been involved with the support and guidance of various building restoration efforts, including the maintenance Project of the Museum, The Groen Padda Development, the new Railton Center etc.
Our finances have been audited by BVSA, who did this for us on a pro Bona basis as per previous years. For this we are incredibly grateful.
The audit indicated that our finances are in sound order, and the audit pack will be made available for further insight to our members.
A summary of our Operating Profit/Loss statement is as follows: (This excludes the Family Crest Project, which is detailed in the Financial Statement)
Funds Generated – 24,221.00
Less cost of sales – (17,205.00)
Less SHA talks and outings, loss of (1,168.00)
Less operating expenses (7,693.00)
Less bank charges, equated between normal activities and the Family Crest Project – (1,113.00)
Total operating loss of R742,00
(Proposer and Seconder required via email).
Your current Executive Committee is prepared to stand again for the next financial year ending on 31st March 2021. This will however require a proposer and seconder via email. Additional members can be considered as we move forward to a normal society when it is considered safe to hold public meetings. For clarity, your current committee consists of the following persons.
(Proposer and Seconder required by email)
(As per response by Members.)
Signed Alfred Hunter – Chairman Swellendam Heritage Association.