DURBAN BRANCH.

News Sheet No. 1.
October 1972

The get-together for October took place as usual on the second Thursday of the month in the Board Room, Department of Bantu Administration, 132 Ordnance Road. Eight persons attended. The evening was enlivened by a colour-slide talk given by Ken Gillings on two Zulu aspects viz. the funeral of the late Cyprian Bhekuzulu Zulu, Paramount Chief of the Zulu, and of the Shaka Day Celebrations held on 24th September 1972 at Stanger.

These monthly meetings will continue to take place at the same time (second Thursday) and the same venue unless otherwise notified. Glasses and ice are being supplied, but please bring your own bottled or canned refreshments.

FUTURE EVENTS

Capt Ken Johnson has kindly consented to give a talk on "The Use of Helicopters in Jungle Warfare in Borneo and Malaya as applied to the Artillery" at the meeting on the 9th November.

To avoid any disappointment on the part of our guest speaker please support this neeting and invite interested friends to come along.

The proposed tour to Intombi and Hlobane will take place over the weekend 28/29 October 1972 as announced by circular.

ORGANISATION OF BRANCH

At the October meeting it was decided to continue to run this Branch on informal lines, as in the past. However, in order to make the activities of the Branch more purposeful a number of recommendations were adopted, viz -

(a) Chairmanship. When the Branch was formed some years ago Fred Herbert was popularly appointed as nominal chairnan. Business and civic responsibilities prevented him, however, from participating in any activities of the Branch. Justin Hulme has now been appointed as chairman.

(b) Secretarial work. The secretarial work carried out in the past by Justin will now be undertaken by Tania Johnston. (Telephone 6651 during working hours - c/o P.O. Box 154, Durban).

(c) Programme Committee. An ad hoc committee to arrange for a speaker or other main item of interest at monthly meetings, and to plan tours and outings has been appointed, consisting of "SB" Bourquin, Midge Carter and Ken Gillings. If you have any ideas or requests in this direction please contact one of the trio.

HISTORICAL SNIPPET.

Christie's the fine art auctioneers in London, are to selI an old army biscuit - the sort given to troops in the South African War.

The seller of the 26 sq. cm biscuit is a private individual who wishes his identity to remain an absolute secret. The biscuit, with an inscribed plaque and in a wooden frame with a gilt foliage border, goes up for sale on Octobor 24 and is expected to fetch about R60.

A spokesman for Christie's said: "We decided to sell it because we have never sold a biscuit before. It looks like a slimming biscuit."

Tania

T.M. Johnston