Pretoria high school for girls

Old Girls’ Association

Working in Hopeaugust 2010

PRETORIA HIGH SCHOOL FOR GIRLS OLD GIRLS’ ASSOCIATIONPrivate Bag X2, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028

email: oldgirls@phsg.org.za Tel: 012 430 7341

OFFICE BEARERS 2010

ChairmanWilma (Venter) CloeteCell: 082 570 0837

Deputy ChairmanBeth (Ritchie) de BeerCell: 082 807 2462

TreasurerTina PanayiCell: 083 601 2147

Minutes SecretaryLindy (Giddy) LootsCell: 083 457 5928

Correspondence SecretaryMerryl PierceOGA office: 012-4307341Cell: 072 293 4426

Committee Members:Anne (O’Brien) BarnardCell: 083 462 6160

Shani CloeteCell: 082 372 7454

Kim LovegroveCell: 082 553 5029

Staff LiaisonRosemary (Henderson) SpruytCell: 083 254 1396

Debra Dugmore082 332 0834

NATIONAL BRANCHES

Cape TownDenise (Mostert) (Cadle) Fourie8 Minorca AveMonte SerenoSomerset West 7130Tel: 021 852 0738email: delvier@mweb.co.za

DurbanLiz (Mobbs) Cluver10 Haygarth RoadKloof 3610Tel: 031 764 6265Cell: 083 284 9492email:lizathome@absamail.co.za

GrahamstownDaphne (van der Merwe) RinkTel: 046 622 9554email: chich@intekom.co.za.

HermanusLinda (Badenhorst) GriffithsTel: 028 313 1843

JohannesburgVal (Hearn) Taylor43 13th AveParktown North 2193Tel/Fax: 011 788 6922email: valtaylor@telkomsa.net

PietermaritzburgLiz (Spurdle) Irons44 Leonard Rd, Hilton 3245Tel/Fax: 033 343 3150email: rirons@cybertrade.co.za

INTERNATIONAL BRANCHES

United KingdomMichele (Beguin) Edwards23 Westbrook Rd, ReadingRG30 1LB United KingdomTel: 0118 956 0892email: michele.edwards2@ntlworld.com

Australia – PerthEdda (von Lichtenfeld) EmeryTel: +61 8 92930863Fax: +61 8 92930871Cell: +61 421 363320email: edda@bigpond.net.au

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From the Editor’s Desk

Dear Old Girls

I recently attended a mother and daughter tea in the school hall which was addressed by Anne van Zyl, who explained how it came about that she decided to apply for the position as Head of the Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls. As Anne (ex-Headmistress at PHSG) went through the process of the interview and her subsequent appointment, I realised how privileged all of us sitting in the hall were, as in a small way, as old girls, we had shared in some part of her journey.

How privileged we are to have been educated in a wonderful, traditional school where things change daily but still remain the same – like an ancient oak tree: steadfast and beautiful.

Exciting news if you will be attending the AGM or your reunion on 9 October 2010 – Headmistress, Mrs Penny McNair, will be conducting a tour of the school and grounds at 11 am. Do not miss this opportunity.

Remember to check the web page www.phsg.co.za for regularly updated news of the school and the OGA.

Enjoy your read.

ANNE (O’BRIEN) BARNARD: EDITOR

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DATES TO REMEMBERSPRING FAIR: 4 SEPTEMBER 2010Remember to visit our new-look stall at the front entrance to the school under the oaks. Home-made goodies and any other contributions can be brought to the stall on the day or please contact one of the committee members to arrange for collection.

OGA AGM: 9 OCTOBER 2010 at 9 amThe meeting will be followed by tea in the quad. All welcome.

GUIDED TOUR OF THE SCHOOL: 9 OCTOBER at 11 am

REUNION LUNCHEONS: 9 OCTOBER 2010 at 12 noon10th, 20th, 30th, 40th and 50th+ yearLuncheons are by booking only so please contact your reunion convenor ASAP. Convenor details can be found on the back cover of the newsletter.

FOREvER FRIENDS FEATURE

For our next issue, we would like to have a special “Forever Friends” feature. If you have any ‘schooldays’ photographs of

you and a friend(s) with whom you are still good friends, please email a .jpg along with a present-day photograph of you and your friend(s). Send your email to oldgirls@phsg.org.za and

include “Forever Friends” feature in the subject line.

If you would like to post photographs, please send copies as we are unable to return them. Send your photographs to: “Forever

Friends” feature, Private Bag X2, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028.

Remember to include your FIRST NAME, (MAIDEN NAME), SURNAME and THE YEAR IN WHICH YOU LEFT PHSG.

We welcome your news, views and points of view.Please send your letters to:

The Editor, OGA NewsletterPrivate Bag X2, Hatfield, Pretoria 0028

ORemail: oldgirls@phsg.org.za

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SHE LOvED TEACHING AND SHE LOvED GIRLS’ HIGHMYRA (BROOKS) MOORE 1950 passed away on 14 January 2010. The following letter was received from her daughter.

Thank you for taking the time to write – your kind words are so comforting at this sad time.

There were so many Old Girls and teaching colleagues of my Mom’s at her funeral, and their presence just made me realise, yet again, what a wonderful closely-knit network our Old Girls’ Association is. It was special to connect again with some of my old teachers, and also contemporaries, now on the staff at PHSG.

The following is an extract from one of the tributes to my Mom.

“Whenever I meet Girls’ High girls, they glow when they talk about Mrs Moore’s history lessons. Like a star brings light, she brought light to the learning of her students through her precision and passion for their learning. I can attest to the dedication she brought to lesson preparation, and her mark book was a work of art. She loved teaching and she loved Girls’ High. It was a moment of immense joy for her to stand on the steps of North Lodge at the start of 2009 with Frances, Beth and Ellen to celebrate the 4th generation Girls’ High girl from the family.”

Kind regardsFRANCES TORLAGE

Letter to the Editor

WE HAvE A NEW SECRETARYThe Old Girls’ Association Secretary for 2010 is MERRYL (KETJEN) PIERCE 1963. Merryl attended Girls’ High from 1959 to 1963 when she matriculated. Mrs Nelson was the headmistress at that time.

PHSG is a family tradition as is PBHS with the males in the family. Merryl’s mother, JOYCE (BOLTON) KETJEN, attended PHSG as did her daughters, CLAIRE (PIERCE) CORNELISSEN 1992 and JUSTINE PIERCE 2001. Merryl’s middle child, Gregor, attended PBHS and he is now resident in the UK. From two married children, Merryl has two granddaughters and two grandsons. When not being the OGA Secretary, Merryl can be found in the office adjoining the sports office at PHSG, where she assists with orders and sporting requirements. This is Merryl’s 18th year of service at PHSG and she is due to retire in 2011 when she will be 65 years old.

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Dear Old Girls

2009 was a very exciting and challenging year for the Association. Twenty years ago the printed word was the communication tool of choice. Most people wrote letters to each other when they wanted to exchange information. Most people read the newspapers everyday, especially on Sundays! The telephone was used for quick communication but more formal communication was written and posted or even faxed. That has changed drastically over the last ten years. Microsoft and the internet changed all our lives. First we had email – what a wonderful way to keep in touch. We could communicate with friends and family all over the world in a matter of minutes. Everyone had a computer and soon we were attaching cameras and sound to our computers so that we could talk to people and even see them. Wow!

Then skype came and it was even better. It was like sitting in a room together chatting and you could see changes taking place in other people’s lives as they happened. Then came Facebook and news could be shared with a group of friends almost immediately. So, if I wanted all my friends to know I was getting divorced, I posted it on my Facebook page and everyone knew immediately (except my husband who thought we were still happily married)! Next came Mxit with a social network via the cellphone. Instead of sending out invites to a party and waiting for a response you could do it via your cellphone and have the answer in minutes. No more letters getting lost in the mail.

So, how has this affected our association? We have members ranging from 18 to 100 years in age. The method of communication is totally different for the older and younger folk and we have to make the twain meet. We have had to adjust to the changes and to embrace new technology while maintaining the old methods too. Currently we are emailing as many newsletters as we are mailing. Even this is not a total solution to the problem and so we also put the newsletter on the website to make it available to more people. To advertise the reunions we now have a Facebook page in addition to placing ads in magazines and newspapers. Newspaper circulation is dwindling as more people get the

Chairman’sReport

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news on the internet or via their cellphones. We have to move with the times or we will soon be left behind. As a committee we are faced with numerous challenges and these are very exciting times. We now have emails from members in their 80’s starting businesses on the internet and embracing the new technology!

On the other hand, last year we had a Country Fair type stall at the Spring Fair and it was a huge success. Very reminiscent of Miss Mullins’ Morning Market with home-made cakes, jams, pickles, lemon curd and syrup. It was a wonderful morning of visiting with older Old Girls as well as meeting younger Old Girls and we made a very respectable profit of around R11 000.

Our previous newsletter included a “Letters to the Editor” section. Please use this forum to make comments and express your views. Unfortunately, the email version of the newsletter crashed the Girls’ High computer system and we really apologise for that. We have found a better way to send it this time. Keeping in touch with our members is a constant challenge as many Old Girls do not understand the need to notify the Association when they change their physical addresses, email addresses or telephone numbers. The younger generation is inclined to post these changes on Facebook – all their friends know, so why don’t we know?

Mrs McNair and I visited the Cape Town Branch for their lunch and what a wonderful afternoon of socialising it was. Mrs McNair went to the Johannesburg Branch meeting and thoroughly enjoyed the afternoon. I attended the Durban Branch meeting on my own as it coincided with the Matric Dance. I am so grateful that we are invited every year as these are very special occasions. We cannot thank the branches enough for the wonderful work they do.

The Association welcomed 274 new members on 9th August and it was heart-warming to walk around the school and see them proudly wearing their badges!

I would like to thank the committee for their hard work and dedication during 2009. Without them I could not function effectively. Likewise, a very special thank you to Mrs McNair and the staff at Girls’ High, they are amazing and take such good care of our alma mater. That is why we are still one of the top schools in the country. Well done!

WILMA (vENTER) CLOETE: CHAIRMAN

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Headmistress’ReportFor The Old Girls’ Association

Dear Old Girls

It is hard to believe that the year 2010 has finally arrived, and that as I write this article, PHSG has certainly joined into the spirit of the occasion, with the girls all learning the “Diski” dance, staff having the opportunity to wear their specially created green and yellow t-shirts every Friday, and the girls being able to wear any green and yellow top with jeans, on selected civvies days. We have a count down chart in the main foyer of the school too!

Apart from our own enthusiasm, we are however pleased that the end of construction and change in and around our property is in sight. While the upgrades have been most beneficial, they have certainly demanded time and energy from many, and I am most grateful to the governors, Mr Tubb and Adv. Lubbe, and any other person who has assisted and ensured that the interests of the school were always foremost and maintained. The areas on the west side of the school grounds are now really looking lovely and we would never have had the funds ourselves to do this fine upgrade. After the World Cup we will embark on the greening of the newly paved area. The trees will be provided at no cost to the school as part of the upgrade. Perhaps it is important to mention that access to the school during the World Cup will be limited to those who work and live on the property.

The year 2009 ended well for PHSG, with all but one lass passing the grade 12 exam, and again almost 93% achieved access to a Bachelors degree, should they wish to do so. A total of 486 distinctions in a variety of subjects was also achieved. One of our learners, Liang Yu, was the top candidate in both Mathematics and Physical Science in Gauteng and she was also the top learner in our district, Tshwane South. She is an amazingly humble lass, who will leave this country to go to Yale University later this year. We also had the top candidate in Geography in the district. These amazing overall results are testimony to the absolute commitment of all staff at this school. They never hesitate to go the extra mile for any girl and constantly keep abreast of any new developments. Their input into matric marking at the end of each year

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is done largely in the interest of the learners, as we feel staff then have a better understanding and grip on what is required and why!

The Girls’ Schools’ Festival hosted by PHSG in early May last year was a phenomenal success and credit is due to staff and parents who planned, organised and assisted on the day. An event such as this does so much more than allow girls to compete against each other. They learn tolerance and empathy and forge friendships they never dreamed of. This is what festivals are all about. We like to win, but that is the bonus! At the end of April this year we travelled to Stellenbosch, where Rhenish Girls High hosted this festival. Much excitement abounds and our young ladies are generally fine ambassadors for our great school!

Each year there is movement of staff, and 2009 was no different, but fortunately, although three ladies left us, only one was lured away to a private school. The other two sadly had to move where their husbands found employment. We are fortunate though to have secured the services of other staff, and they have slotted in to life at PHSG so well. At the end of term 1 this year, Ms Gen Cator sadly had to leave, as her husband too has been promoted to a post in Cape Town. This is indeed a real loss to us, as Ms Cator has been associated with PHSG since her high school days and as an educator has been involved in a wide variety of activities. Her greatest asset, however, was her keen sensitivity to the needs of learners and staff alike and we will miss this greatly. We wish her well as she embarks on a new challenge in a new environment.

Another significant figure to have left our environment was Mr Schroder, Principal of Pretoria Boys High School for many years. While our interaction with our brother school is limited, Mr Schroder frequently supported ideas and meetings requested by the young men and ladies of both schools. In honour of Mr Schroder, we invited him to a special assembly and took him briefly “down memory lane” and presented him and his wife with a garden bench, as requested and chosen by his wife! I will miss the friendship and support of this fine gentleman and the many trips to endless meetings, made pleasant events by his constant comment and wit, but wish him and his wife many happy healthy years of retirement.

The House Plays of 2010 were thoroughly enjoyed by all. One is annually amazed by the vast amount of talent displayed by so many young ladies, be it in writing a play, directing and co-directing, acting or being involved in the very important backstage process. While there may be some turbulent moments in the time leading up to the evening of presentation, the valuable lessons learnt and the friendships and camaraderie experienced can never be underestimated. My thanks go to Ms Russell and Ms Dugmore for their many hours of input and guidance, to parents of the girls who no doubt spent much time travelling and waiting for daughters involved in the House Plays and to all other folk who in any way contributed to the success of the Play Festival.

The various inter-high diving and swimming competitions took place in term 1 this year, culminating in the very prestigious Johannesburg

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Premier Inter-high gala, which PHSG hosted at Ellis Park. Our girls swam beautifully and the grade 8 spectators did us proud. PHSG was 3rd in the gala. Ms Dorlas, Mr and Mrs Albertyn with many others ensured that this huge task was very efficiently and slickly presented.

Each term we try to invite a speaker to address the girls, and recently we were privileged to have a past learner, Renée Hlozeck, now an astro physicist, present a short programme. She had a delightful approach to her topic and the girls seemed quite amazed! She certainly relayed a somewhat challenging topic at an exceptionally well-pitched level. As part of Human Rights awareness week, we invited Prof Finn to address the girls on matters relating to bullying and similar issues. I hope that this may go some way in educating the young ladies about the dangers of this type of behaviour.

Construction and renovation were limited during 2009, but ongoing maintenance to the tune of approximately R600 000 was completed. In 2010 we will again focus on general maintenance with the upgrade of the young ladies’ senior toilet block currently underway, and some classrooms being repainted. Costs to do renovations are extremely high, and so we are able only to do a limited amount each year. However, as long as we manage this, we should keep our “grand old lady” looking good!

The long holiday, due to the World Cup, was welcomed by all educators, but meant that exams were written only in July, after the big event. Other activities are following. Preparation for the Spring Fair 2010 is underway, and we hope to do as well, if not better than 2009.

So much happens at a school of this size, but I trust that this gives you a glimpse of where we are at and where we are heading in 2010. Many thanks to Wilma Cloete and her committee for their ongoing support and to you all for your input, visits and friendship. You are all very special to this school and I invite you to keep in contact via email, fax or phone and visits, and I look forward to seeing many of you later this year, at the Annual Reunion in October.

PENNY McNAIR: HEADMISTRESS

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Old Girls’ NewsPlease ensure when you write to us that you include your FIRST NAME, (MAIDEN NAME), SURNAME and (MOST IMPORTANT) THE YEAR IN WHICH YOU LEFT PHSG. If you left in any year before your matric/grade 12 year level, please indicate. Write in bold handwriting. The deadline for news for the 2011 newsletter is 31 March 2011.

1945 GERLINDE JENKINS is living in Pretoria and has two granddaughters. Sian Jenkins attends PHSG and her other granddaughter, Julia Jenkins, will qualify as a civil engineer at the end of the year.

1949 YvONNE (COLLINETTE) RORKE was involved in getting her late husband, Paddy Rorke’s book, Trek Airways – A South African Adventure published by Athena Press in the UK. The book tells the history of Trek. In the 1950s it took four days and three nights to fly from Jan Smuts Airport to Europe. Paddy was a PBHS old boy. Yvonne is still working at three small jobs and enjoys playing bridge and bowls.

1959 MARGARET (EEDES) WILSON sent us news of her three sisters, EvELYN (EEDES) PEARSON, ANNE (EEDES) MULLINS and ROSEMARY (EEDES) BANTOCK. Anne ran the tuckshop for quite a few years and Rosemary’s daughter Sally was a boarder at PHSG. Margaret’s grand-father, Jack Cleland, was involved in the building of PHSG and her mother was MARY (CLELAND) EEDES.

1965 DOROTHEA (SCHEIBERT) HARTENSTEIN was blessed with two grand-children in 2009, Yara and Leopold. Dorothea lives in Taufkirchen, Germany. Her email address is d.hartenstein@arcor.de

1972 MARIANNE (BEGUIN) SCHOLTZ has been teaching French at PHSG “since forever” she says. “Mlle. Verdier would probably have a fit.” Her son Anton is in his second year studying Journalism at Rhodes. Her contact details are mscholtz@phsg.org.za.

1973 MICHELE (BEGUIN) EDWARDS is living and working in Reading, UK. Michele runs the UK branch of the OGA and would love to hear from Old Girls there. Her contact details are on the first page of the newsletter.

1977 IRIS CUNNINGHAM has retired from the South African Sports Association for Physically Disabled (SASAPD) after 31 years (15 as a volunteer and 16 as an employee). email: iris.j.cunningham@gmail.com

INA (GROBLER) BOEGMAN is living in Pretoria. She has two daughters, Megan in matric at PHSG and Benita in her second year of ‘varsity.

IREEN TURPIN has regular contact with SHEILA ABRAHAMS who lives in Australia. Sheila is well and has just celebrated her 50th as have most other 77’s. IREEN’S sister MARY-ANNE (TURPIN) WHITFORD has

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the most precious little baby girl, Monique, who turned one in July. Her proud godmother, Ireen, is convinced she is the brightest, most beautiful baby in all the world – totally unbiased of course!

ALLISON (BURKE) LAMB is teaching at PHSG and is Head of School House. Her daughter Jemma is in grade 11. JENNIFER (ROBERTS) BURKE is living at Newlands Retirement Village.

1979 FIONA (THISTLEWHITE) BOGIAGES has two daughters, Irini and Katerina who are at PHSG and a son, Taki in grade 8 at PBHS. She enjoyed a wonderful Mothers and Daughters Tea at PHSG with guest speaker Anne van Zyl – her matric English teacher. Delightful!

1981 BEvERLEY (BURKE) DAvIES is teaching in Auckland, New Zealand.

NICKEY (GROBLER) ERASMUS, sister of INA BOEGMAN, is living in Pretoria. She has two daughters, Beatrix in grade 12 at PHSG and Vilma who is in her second year of ‘varsity. Nickey is sad that her daughter is leaving school soon as she has relived the “Girls’ High experience” for seven years.

SUE (MILLARD) HATTON, daughter of vIvIEN (HARvEY) WILLERS and granddaughter of JOYCE (TALBOT-JONES) HARvEY, is the mother of Amy Hatton which makes their family a 4th generation PHSG family. SUE lives in Pretoria and is enjoying being connected with Girls’ High, experiencing “wonderful strength and unity at the Mother and Daughter Tea held in the school hall in May”.

1983 CARON (BURKE) ENGELS is teaching in Kempton Park.

1984 SUE (RUSSELL) MEYER has a daughter, Jennifer, in grade 8 at PHSG and a son, Steven, in grade 6 at St Paulus. Her aunt, CAROL vERWAYEN, taught at the school and her sister, LIZ (RUSSELL) CORLETT, also lives in Pretoria.

1996GENEvIEvE (DAvIS) BOW is a TV producer and is involved in “Onthou”, a kykNET programme about South African tragedies.

MICHELLE vAN GELDER lives in Pretoria with her seven month old baby girl Adrienne. She is working for Varsity College as the Academic Development Co-ordinator.

1998 IRENE (vAN GELDER) GREEN is working as Senior Interior Architect for Famous Brands and living in Midrand with husband Trevor and their baby, James.

1999 DANELLE DRURY has emigrated to the USA to pursue her performing career after having worked in the SA performing arts industry for the last ten years. Her email is danelle@sunflower.com

2009 SARA-JANE JANSEN has started her first year at the University of the Free State doing a Baccalaureus in Social Work. sarajanemj@yahoo.com.

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Staff NewsMERLE NOONAN “feels like an Old Girl” because she was Hostel Secretary from 1973 to 2000 and she looks on PHSG as her second home and family. Merle’s wish is “may God bless PHSG and all present and Old Girls. It is wonderful to see traditions kept up.”

DENYSE BEGUIN feels like PHSG is a home-from-home for her although she is not an Old Girl but the mother of two Old Girls – one of whom is the present French mistress. She also worked as an admin assistant for three years. It is a joy for her to come back to the school occasionally and she is thankful for the warm welcome she always receives.

News from the Johannesburg Branch

1950 MYRA (BROOKS) MOORE It is with the utmost sadness that we heard of the death of Myra, one of our dearest Old Girls. Her association with Girls’ High was long – first as a pupil, then as a teacher, and then as a mother of two Old Girls. Myra also served as Chairlady of our Johannesburg OGA Branch for a number of years until ill-health forced her to retire. Our heartfelt sympathy goes to her family – and to the many people whose lives she touched.

1955 vAL (HEARN) TAYLOR Cannot believe I’m 70! Celebrated in style with a wonderful surprise party given by my daughters plus the party I’d planned! Had an excellent trip to Tanzania – went to Serengeti, Ngorogoro Crater, Lake Victoria, Manyara and Zanzibar. Still enjoy my bridge, bowls, birding, reading for Tape-Aids, sewing, and of course, having the grandchildren here!

1959 ROSEMARY (MORROW) HATTY Our big news is that Karen, husband Hein and their two girls, Cate (6) and Emilie (2) returned to South Africa from the UK last year (having been away since 1990) .We are kept busy running our Bush Lodge at Mapungubwe.

ESTELLE (TABACK) SHER I’m still much involved with music, teaching and lecturing in musical appreciation. I have been doing the pre-concert talks for the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra since 2006.

1961 MONICA (BLOCH) SPIRA I live in Johannesburg and have been married for close to 42 years to John. I have four children (all of whom were all very career-orientated and started their families in their mid- to late 30s) and four grandsons. I teach Maths to grades 11 & 12s on a part-time basis at Parktown Girls’ High School. I have been teaching since 1967 taking only a few years off when my children were born – 4 in 5½ years. I have been very involved in Matric Maths, having been a matric

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examiner, Gauteng Chief Marker and, in other ways, involved from 1981 to 2006. My older sister JULIA (BLOCH) KALLMEYER 1960 was very active in the Durban branch of the OGA. She and her husband have now emigrated to Toronto, Canada to be with their daughter and two sons. Julia has five grandchildren. My younger sister MINESSA (BLOCH) ROSMAN 1976 lives in Johannesburg and has two sons.

1963 ELAINE (LILIENFELD) FITZHENRY We retired to Somerset West in 2009 and I have joined the OGA of the Western Cape.

1965 JEANNE ZAIDEL-RUDOLPH My mom, EvELYN ZAIDEL 1933 celebrated her 91st birthday in January and still does cryptic crosswords and reads a great deal to keep herself mentally active. She still remembers hundreds of verses of poetry and even her Latin that she learnt in matric! I am Professor of Music at Wits and working hard on a commission by the University of Johannesburg (previously RAU) – a large choral work, Oratorio on YOUTH! The “publish or perish” dictum still holds true for working at a university, so I hope to publish three articles this year. I was invited to the Presidential Inauguration and attended President Zuma’s after-party which took the form of an exciting cultural evening at Montecasino.

1966 JANE (TOWNSEND) HOFMEYR I moved into a new cluster house in Rivonia in December 2006 which nearly finished me off during the building of it, but I am enjoying it now along with my small indigenous garden and my delightful miniature dachshund, Jet. This is my 10th year as the Executive Director of ISASA, the Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa, which now has more than 700 schools serving every type of cultural, religious and socio-economic community in the region.

1970 ROSE (ROUX) SWEMMER is National Director of the SA Girl Guide Association. Last year she was awarded the Silver Fish – the highest award in Guiding for exceptionally good service to the Guide Movement. 2008 was an amazing year for Guiding – we hosted the 33rd World Conference of the World Association of Girl Guides and Girl Scouts, attended by delegates from 130 countries. Guiding celebrates its centenary in 2010 and we are seeking all past Guides. Contact Rose on 082 458 0131

1971 BARBARA (TRIPP) NELL I am still walking. In June 2008 I raced in Naumburg, Germany and in Salem, Oregon in the USA. Matthew and I had a wonderful trip on the West Coast of the USA from California, through Oregon and Washington States and on to Victoria, Canada. I am more involved in coaching this year and still working with the Nelson Mandela Children’s Fund. Our son (24) is a struggling comic artist, our daughter (21) is on a three-month academic exchange programme from Wits School of the Arts to Arcada, a film school in Helsinki, Finland. Our younger son (19) is in his second year Mechanical Engineering at Wits.

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1980 BRENDA (FOURIE) SMITH My husband Rob, children, Ryan (17), Nicky (15) and I relocated to Sydney. As things turned out, we are already back in South Africa and living in Plettenberg Bay – all to do with the global crisis. We decided, at the end of the day, that being in an environment and market that Rob knows well was a better plan. So now we live in PARADISE! We wanted to get out of Johannesburg, and have achieved that by going all the way to Sydney and back – packing up a house twice in as many months.

JOAN (KATZ) WAINER Our two eldest children got married last year – two weddings in four and a half months was rather hectic! Our son (22) met a Johannesburg girl in Israel and they came home to get married and are now living in Jerusalem. Our daughter (21) is living in Johannesburg with her husband. We still have three children at home: a daughter of 20, a son of 17 who is writing matric and a son of 12 who is in grade 7. I help my husband in his business and do a bit of freelance journalism.

News from the Durban Branch

The branch AGM was held on 15 August 2009 at the home of LIZ (MOBBS) CLUvER 1972 in Kloof.

1939 PAT (PATTEN) WALKER-SPARKS and ALMA (ABRAHAM) HART 1941 both continue to keep in touch with branch members, but were not well and were unable to attend the meeting.

1943 PHYLLIS (BROAD) ABBOTT has moved to Hillcrest from Knysna. She has two children in Natal and a third in New Zealand.

1949 LESLEY (MOODIE) BANKS is living in Durban North and is married to Dennis, a retired Master Mariner. They are involved in Network Marketing – good way to keep young!

1954 JUNE (CATO) LEE will be moving to Johannesburg.

LIN (WILLIS) PEARCE is living at Helen Gibling Gardens in Durban. Her daughter and family have moved from England to Melbourne, Australia.

1956 ANN (CLEMENT) WATSON is still happily living in her simplex in Glenwood. Ann was delighted that her grandson graduated last year.

1958 ELIZABETH (NOORDENDORP) LANGFORD will be moving to Australia to be near her children.

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1961 CAROLE (GOLD) DOMMISSE is still very happy and healthy and living in Westville with her husband Jack. Jack is still practising as an architect and has no plans to retire yet.WENDY (CAMPBELL) WHITE has lived in the same house in Westville for 40 years and travels whenever possible to see her sons.

1965 JENNY (vERSFELDT) McKAY has been married to Chris for 36 years and has two sons.

1978 SIGRID (RINGELMANN) CRONJE is married to Andre and they have two daughters, Danielle and Michelle, and live in Westville.

News from the UK Branch 1938

SYBIL (FRASER) HEWITT writes from Staffordshire that she broke her thigh bone last year and still cannot walk without assistance which is an awful nuisance. Sybil is still in touch with THESLA (KRIGE) ANTEL who lives in Australia and also with her opposite number at DSG, Elizabeth Scholtz at The Brooklyn Botanical Gardens, New York. Sybil reminisces about the old times under her headmistress Miss McWilliam, and also about her years at Wits where she studied Social Anthropology and African Languages. Sybil and her husband Gordon have three sons. Two sons are married to Americans. Their eldest son is Director of the junior school at The Royal College of Music in London, their middle son makes large ceramic Ali Baba pots in North Carolina, and their youngest son is a consultant on the use and misuse of wood.

1947 DIANA (BETTY DUDDING) vON AHLEFELT lives in Estepona, Spain and visited South Africa during September and October in 2009 where she enjoyed seeing family and friends.

1952 MORAY (REYBURN) SAUNDERSON writes from Crawley, Sussex that she is still very busy teaching, playing chamber music, taking Italian lessons (and homework, too!) and volunteering for hospice and The National Trust. She also is a “lady who lunches” quite a lot with friends!

1962 WENDY (HUNTER) JONES writes from Tarragona, Spain, that she and her husband, Rob, have been in the process of downsizing – not easy when both she and Rob are not the best “throwers away of things”! They have also had quite a lengthy legal battle with the town council over a renovation and extension project which has proved rather expensive but character building on both their parts. As she says, at 66 and 75, she is not sure that their characters need any more building!

1964 SUE ALLEN has been living in Suffolk since 1964 and has only been back to South Africa once since leaving. She worked in the fashion

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industry for 25 years then had a change of career. She is now the chef of her local yacht club which she loves. Sue loves travelling and also has a house in the south of France. She also regularly visits Perth, Australia where she has family. Sue would love to hear from other Old Girls who were at the school from 1958 to 1964.

1970 MARIANNE (GREEN) PURDIE After working for large corporations for most of her life, Marianne became an entrepreneur and set up her own company two years ago – just before the global recession! Her company provides global market research services to the medical device and diagnostics sector. Marianne writes that the business has managed to survive in the economic climate and hopes that the near future will see a return to normal business practices. Marianne travels to South Africa regularly to see her mum and sister but avoided World Cup fever this year!

1973 MICHELE (BEGUIN) EDWARDS lives in Reading, UK. She enjoyed a three-week visit from her parents, Pierre and Denyse Beguin, in July 2009. The wet British summer did not stop Michele, her husband Robin and sons Pierre (27) and Grant (25), together with their girlfriends, from enjoying quality family time together.

ISABELLE JAMBE is in Ath, Belgium and enjoyed her first visit back to South Africa in over 30 years when she visited REINE (JACKSON) MARAIS 1973 in Fish Hoek, Cape Town. Reine and Isy spent a wonder-ful time exploring the Western Cape.

1979 JULIE (BILLINGHAM) ROUSSEAU has had a great time working as a consultant on projects ranging from fisheries management to e-commerce. She regrets to report that she never got to work on communcation with dolphins, but that her husband – a philosopher of mind – proved to be an equivalent challenge!

1984 ALISON (PERKS) BUCHANAN lives in Surrey and, together with her husband, Tim, and their two children Mary (9) and James (6), enjoyed a three-week trip to South Africa in September 2009 where they had a family reunion in the Kruger National Park with Alison’s mother ANNA (WARREN) PERKS 1952. They also visited PHSG with Alison’s cousin, JANET (SANDILANDS) LOUBSER 1986 HEADGIRL where they remi-nisced in the school museum and also had a chat with headmistress, Mrs Penny McNair, who taught Alison biology. Alison is Exams Officer at St James Senior Girls School in London and also helps with the Duke of Edinburgh Award which sees her camping and walking with 14–18-year-old girls about five weekends a year. Alison has also just completed her Brownie Guide Leadership training.

1986 BRIGITTE (MOLLINK) HOUGHTON has been married to David for 16 years and has a daughter, Danielle. The family bought a house in Hertford in 2009. Brigitte wrote an essay about life in the UK and was granted indefinite leave to remain in the UK. She recently set up her own event management and public relations company, Houghton Communications.

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IN MEMORIAM 2009-10vALERIE (HILL) BLAUNFELDT 1936

MABEL (MABS) (FARRANT) ABERCROMBIE 1936vALERIE (HAUPTFLEISCH) COWIE 1940

HELENE (LANE) DOWNER 1941DOROTHEA (DODO) RIGSBY PITT 1942

YvONNE BLAMFRIED 1943NANETTE (NAN) (LOXTON) PHILLIPS 1946

PAMELA vAN BLOMMENSTEIN 1949MYRA (BROOKS) MOORE 1950

HOPE LATAKGOMO 2006GRAHAM WALTERS (ESTATE MANAGER 1991–2000)

NATALIE TOKALON 1980GILLIAN NICHOLAS

CLAIRE (LOvEDAY) JOHNSTONE NIRAKI RAMLALL 2010

Please inform the Secretary if you become aware of any names for the In Memoriam column as we may not have been informed and

apologise if any other names have been unwittingly omitted.

News from GermanyJANE MERKEL has been living near Frankfurt in Germany for 30 years. She enjoys working part-time as a controller – especially the part-time part! Jane and her husband travel regularly and her major interests are dancing and family history research.

News from BrisbaneALTHEA (vINCENT) MACDONALD and her family emigrated to Brisbane in November 2008. They are settled and enjoying life over there. She says it would be great to meet up with any Old Girls in her area.

News from PerthCARIN (WEINSTEIN) CHAZEN tells us that her mom, who recently turned 77, emigrated to Perth a year after Carin and her husband Colin did. Carin’s sister, Gigi, and her husband Paul Hefer, have lived in Perth for 25 years. Carin and Colin have been involved in various ventures in the past 20 years, including two restaurants. They sold La Tropicana Cafe in 2004 after a three-year stint which involved working seven full days a week. At full capacity they seated 250! In October last year they bought a Tint-a-Car Franchise. Initially Carin was only going to do the books as she was already working part-time in retail but has landed up working full-time in the business.

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Remembering DodoDOROTHEA (RIGSBY) PITT (7 MAY 1925 – 12 DECEMBER 2009)

Dorothea Pitt (known affectionately as Dodo) died in Johannesburg, aged 84. Dodo is an alumni of Pretoria High School for Girls (she was a boarder from 1939 to 1942). This is what she says about PHSG in her memoirs:

“Very happy four years on the whole. I’d always wanted to go to boarding school and was finally accepted in form ll at the age of 14. I was in North Lodge, we had single cubicles each with a window. For some reason senior girls had to iron Sunday dresses for the whole house. We were allowed out once a month on Sundays and for half-term weekend.

I enjoyed the company of others, and some are still friends. Several of their daughters (and later granddaughters) came to St. Mary’s. Prefects had ‘fags’ to carry books to the main building, to polish badges and fetch table napkins. No doubt a very outdated system, but not all bad, as we also took responsibility for their welfare.

I also enjoyed the Sunday evenings when the ‘family’ teacher read plays to us, e.g. St. Joan. I was also in the choir and hockey team, which involved travelling by train to various matches. I worked hard, and got a bronze medal for lifesaving, and home reading and class prizes each year. However once the war started, we were given certificates only as the prize books had previously been bound in England.

School dances (the Matric Dance and Old Girls’ Dance) were for form V only. We had to introduce our partners to the housemistress when they fetched us (running the gauntlet of all younger boarders peering out the windows) and then to the Headmistress. I remember that Dorrit (a family friend) made both dresses, and I wore them both at Wits long after school.”

Dodo was born in Pretoria in 1925. Her father, Thomas Becklake, was a top-ranking British civil servant and head of the South African Mint. After matriculating from PHSG, Dodo went to WITS University where she majored in English. After the War, Dodo married a young WITS architectural student called Aubrey Pitt who had just been demobilised from War service. They lived in one room at Phineas Park in what could be described as “poverty with style”. The first two (twins) of their five children were born at Phineas Court.

Dodo had a long and highly successful teaching career. First at Chisipite School in Harare, and then as English teacher and Headmistress of St. Mary’s School, Waverley. She was highly regarded by colleagues and pupils, and in 1976 employed black teachers and admitted black pupils in defiance of apartheid laws. After St. Mary’s, she was invited to become the first Director of the Independent Examinations Board. Throughout her working life, Dodo was a staunch believer in the importance of an integrated and diverse education system to support the needs of all South Africans.

In retirement, she remained active, producing curriculum material and teaching, knitting and reading. She is survived by her sister, Margot, and five children – Jenny, Gill, John, Margy and Bridget – as well as twelve grandchildren. A memorial service for Dodo was held on the 12th of March 2010 at St. Mary’s School for Girls, Waverley, Johannesburg.

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EX-HEADMISTRESS ANNE vAN ZYL APPOINTED HEAD OF OPRAH WINFREY LEADERSHIP ACADEMY OF GIRLSTHE STAR (AUGUST 01, 2009)

The Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy for Girls has appointed Anne van Zyl as its new head.

The school’s board of directors said this week Van Zyl would take up the post in the new school year, starting in January.

She joins the academy from Bridge House School in Fransch - hoek, Western Cape, where she has served as head of the school since 2003.

Before that she served as execu tive head of Stanford Lake College in Haenertsburg and was the founder head of St Stithians Girls College, an independent school north of Joburg.

She began her career as an English teacher at Pretoria High School for Girls, holding positions of increasing responsibility and eventually becoming the school’s headmistress.

During her tenure, the school opened its doors to children of all races before apartheid ended.

“Anne has led a prominent and admirable career in education, with proven success in school management and academic development for girls. She also has long embraced the academy’s core values of service and leadership, and has been committed to instilling those values in young people,” said Oprah Winfrey.

Van Zyl said: “I believe Oprah’s vision to give girls from economically disadvantaged backgrounds the best possible education and preparation to become leaders, is exactly what South Africa needs.”

The [Oprah Winfrey Leadership Academy of Girls] has about 300 pupils in grades 7 to 10, from all nine provinces.

This is an extract from the original article.

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1945

REUNIONS 2009

1949

Old Girls came from all over the world to attend their reunions which were held in October 2009 in the school hall.

Top: Past headgirls and deputy headgirls present

at the 2009 reunions.

Left: JOAN (DRYSDALE) ROCHE 1945. School

leavers of 50+ years are welcome at the reunion

lunches every year.

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1969

1959

Right: The OGA committee with Headmistress, Penny McNair(far right).

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1999

1989

1979

REUNION CONvENORS 2010

CLOSING DATE FOR BOOKINGS FOR REUNION LUNCHES IS STRICTLY 15 SEPTEMBER 2010.

10 year (2000) YANNA FORTOUNAS 011 575 6564

CATHERINE IRONS email: catherineirons@gmail.com

20 year (1990) LOREN CLOW 083 306 1620 email: loren@westhouse.co.za

30 year (1980) GIGI ROUX (JANECE HOPE) 083 474 7460 012 345 3341

40 year (1970) GLYNIS vAN DER MERWE 083 291 8421 012 346 0031 email: gjavos@absamail.co.za

50 year (1960) MARGARET RUDOLPH 082 412 8665 012 809 0928 email: mj.rudolph@mweb.co.za

LORNA vAN WYK 073 289 4992 012 348 5919

60 year (1950) WILMA CLOETEor before 082 570 0837 email: wilma.cloete@timequantum.co.za