Boomplantweek en die Internasionale Jaar van Woude - Dendro.co.za

DENDRON » No/Nr: 43 » November 2011
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editorial
boomgroete
EDITOR / REDAKSIE:
Naas Grové
LANGUAGE EDITING /
TAAL REDIGERING:
Naas Grové
DESIGN / ONTWERP:
Marnhe du Plooy,
Room for Design
COVER PHOTO:
Lloyd Edwards
PUBLISHER/UITGEWER:
Dendrological Society of
South Africa
Dendrologiese Vereniging
van Suid-Afrika
PRINTING:
4 Images
ADVERTISING /
ADVERTENSIE:
dendrosoc@esnet.co.za
MEMBERSHIP /
LIDMAATSKAP:
dendrosoc@esnet.co.za
ADDRESS / ADRES:
Honorary secretary/
Ere-sekretaris
Postnet 2054,
Private Bag/ Privaatsak
82234
Rustenburg, 0300
PHONE / FOON:
+(27) 82 575 4244
FAX / FAKS:
+(27) 86 670 7715
EMAIL / E-POS:
dendrosoc@esnet.co.za
WEB:
www.dendro.co.za
ISSN : 1991-1539
What do members get for their annual
subscribtion fee?
Very often we are confronted by members who challenge the Central Committee
with questions such as ‘what benefits are there in joining the Society and what do we
get for our subscription?’
Although this is not an attempt to justify the work of the members of the Central
Committee, it is maybe worth the effort to contemplate on what has been happening
‘behind the scenes the past year’.
editorial
boomgroete
• Annual newsletters are designed and published at a cost of approximately R 6 500 per newsletter
• Publishing of the glossy Dendron magazine at the end of the year at a cost of between R 24 000 and R 38 000
• The time that goes into the content management, image sourcing, layout and proofreading, roughly amounts
to 120 hours – that excludes the time and efforts of the contributors.
The total annual revenue of the society through subscription fees amounts to ± R 65 000. The current debtors
are at < R 15 000. From the Central Committee’s management position we secured substantial donations and/or
sponsorships for the following projects, which in all fairness should in a perfect world be financed by means of
normal revenue streams:
• Upgrading and maintenance of the website (coding, SEO optimisation, maintenance, annual registration)
• Because most of the members of the Central Committee are still economically active, Machelle Kukard does
all the administration at a nominal fee of R 500 / month, donated by one of the members of the Central
Committee. Machelle can be directly contacted for membership and subscription enquiries via e-mail at:
info@electrodiesel.co.za
• Printing of promotional material which is being issued to schools and other interested parties at special
occasions such as arbor week to create awareness and grow our society
• Upgrading of our accounting and membership administration systems
• Inputs to the National Register of Big Trees in South Africa where we travel vast distances to measure
nominated trees, all at own cost
• Development of tree identification training courses (both theoretical and practical). Currently we offer four
courses per year with a total revenue of R 20 000
• In conjunction with SABC Radio Sonder Grense we launched, as part of Arbor Week 2011 and the International
Year of Forests, various radio talk shows between 1 and 8 September as well as a ‘big tree measurement’
competition. All the prizes for the latter have been sponsored by individuals.
• Together with SANBI we printed A0 Tree of the Year posters which is distributed to our sponsors, schools,
nurseries, etc.
• The Society donated R 10 000 from sponsorships received to the Dictionary of South African Trees by Van
Wyk, Van den Berg, Coates-Palgrave & Jordaan
• None of the above would have been possible had we only relied on membership fees.
Over and above what I have already mentioned, members of the Central Committee pay visits to various branches
throughout South Africa at their own cost. We also travel long distances to deliver tree talks at various occasions
such as agricultural shows, conferences, schools, etc.
With regards to activities at branch level we leave it pretty much to the local structures to keep our members
satisfied, stimulated and involved. It is the local management committee’s prerogative to interpret the society’s
mission in a way they deem fit, as long as it doesn’t damage or compromise the society’s image in any way.
However, it is always problematic where these structures do not exist.
At the initiative of the Central Committee we have arranged joined outings in which various branches participated
and went as far as Pafuri in the Limpopo Province, Leshiba Wilderness, Nwanedi and Gundani in the Soutpansberg,
St Lucia Lake in Kwa-Zulu Natal and Modikwa in the North West Province to name a few. As a valued member
of the Society I urge every member to join in at any activity arranged by any branch, anywhere and to share
your wonderful experiences with us. These will appreciatively be carried in either one of the newsletters or the
Dendron.
On behalf of the Central Committee I wish you all the timeless treasures of Dendrology, the worth of home and the
love of your family and above all the good company of caring, true friends during the festive season.
Naas Grové
President
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DENDRON » No/Nr: 43 » November 2011