Briewe / Letters

Dankie, Hennie Boshoff

Ten laaste is daar iemand van die bo-dorp wat reguit kan praat oor sake, wat nie huiwer om te sê dat die koning sonder klere is nie.

Mnr Boshoff se brief praat oor sake waarvan ons almalwat in Noord-Einde bly, weet, maar waarvan die meeste van die res van die dorp nie wil weet nie. Die lewe is swaar vir ons. Ons word gebruik en misbruik.

Ek werk by een van die gastehuise, so moet asb nie my naam gebruik nie.Ek moet ongelukkig anoniem bly, anders is ek sonder werk.

Anoniem

(Die skrywer se identiteit is aan die Vriend bekend.)

Tongue in cheek

I would like to thank Hennie Boshoff for quoting the 11th Century Sufi mystic El Bakr when he said, “Generosity is when you give me more than you have.”

Thanks to the taxman it is with great confidence that I can say I have been generous.

But now that I am retired I have a confession to make – I dream of cappuccinos and apple pie.

George Coutouvidis

History and heritage do matter

Hennie Boschoff finds little good in Prince Albert. is always the way: revolutionaries and champagne socialists who, in the lap of luxury, dressed in designer clothes, black of course, having a chauffeur-driven prestige German car, telling us what we are doing wrong.

I am in fact proud of my Victorian heritage. Victorians knew about things like respect, manners, family values. Look at the state of the world today - drug addicts and prostitutes who have taken over our cities, teenage pregnancies, homosexual marriages. Does progression and advancement have to come at such a high price? We are devoid of culture without our history, so one must ask if our current revolutions are creating sufficient history for our future generations to inherit!

Is it Mr Boschoff’s intention that we all put strange sculptures in our gardens and the grotesque paintings, featured on the front page of The Friend, on our walls?
Surely not!

Anonymous

(The identity of the writer is known to the Friend. As a courtesy we sent Mr Boshoff a copy of this letter. He told us that there was no need to respond.)

Verlaat Prince Albert na 40 Jaar

As inboorling van Prince Albert het dit vir my tyd geword om te groet. Met baie trane maar tog met `n lied in my hart neem ek afskeid.

`n Opregte dankie aan al my vriende. Dankie vir al jul liefde en ondersteuning die afgelope jare. In my tye van hartseer het ek my ware vriende en “ware vrien-de” leer ken, dankie dat jul daar was vir my.

Aan my mede-kollegas by Home Based Care en die Advieskantoor, dankie, ons het lekker saamgewerk die afgelope drie jaar as “ONE BIG FAMILY”, en so ook aan die hospitaal en kliniek.

Aan my Hemelse Vader, dankie dat Hy my elke dag gedra het; sonder Hom was dit onmoontlik. Met Sy hulp en krag kan ek my kop elke dag hoog hou en voortleef.

Ek gaan jul mis, maar daar wag `n nuwe lewe op my.

Ronél Fourie

Chrisna Smit groet Prince Albert

Dit is met groot hartseer dat ek afskeid neem van Prince Albert. Na 12 jaar in hierdie pragtige dorpie met sy baie spesiale mense, is dit baie swaar om tot siens te sê.

Ek wil graag almal bedank wat ‘n inset in my lewe gehad het in hierdie afgelope 12 jaar. Dit is onmoontlik om almal by die naam te noem, maar weet dat ek alles opreg waardeer en dat ek almal baie gaan mis.

Ek wil ook dankie sê aan almal wat gedurende die laaste, moeilike tyd aan ons gedink het in hul gebede. Prince Albert sal altyd ‘n spesiale plek in my hart hê.

Chrisna Smit

Think first of our children

I would like to comment on the school issue that has been going on for some time now.

As it is in any small town, everyone has a say, which in some ways is not positive because sometimes what is said is uninformed, but on the other hand it shows that our community really cares.

When there are issues in any organisation, they need to be raised. And the fact that these issues are in the newspaper shows that they have not been sorted out internally. This is serious, but notpoint of my letter.

Our school has always felt great appreciation for the support it gets from the community. But what with recent goings on, I feel that people might be losing the focus of what the school is all about, namely the children.

I would like to ask people to continue to give of their positive energy, and to show their support, if only for the sake of nearly 370 young learners!

Imke Maeyer

Tortoise already qualifies to join the Thursday Group!

In the article “Give the tortoise a drink” in the Friend (February), the writer states that the tortoise could possibly at a later stage of its life join the Thursday Group, an age of 75 years being suggested.

The Thursday Group, some being old, some really old and some younger, welcome the tortoise irrespective of age, as a member.

We recall the story of the race between the tortoise and the hare. The hare, albeit swift, did not win the race.

We, as members, run the race irrespective of obstacles, age being one and try to achieve what we plan to do, and like the tortoise in the tale, come out as WINNERS thanks to help from so many people.

Our thanks to the writer of the article for remembering the Thursday Group.

A salute to the Prince Albert Police

Two linked cases of housebreaking and theft were investigated and solved within two days by the Prince Albert SAPS, assisted by the forensic team from Beaufort West.

I wish to applaud the investigating team for their speedy response and in particular, Constable Arries, for his meticulous attention to detail and absolute professionalism throughout.

We, as Prince Albert residents, are fortunate to have such a committed police team and we should all make every effort to support them in their unenviable task.

Jeremy Freemantle

Thanks to friends and family

Thank you to the Thursday Group and all who took part in making my 90th birthday party such a really happy time.

Bless you all.

Peggy Clow-Wilson

Verandering bring onsekerheid en stres

Die openbare polemiek en briefwisseling rondom Hoërskool Zwartberg getuig myns insiens grootliks van emosionele onvolwassenheid. Ek wil amper sê: “Word groot!”

Objektief beskou, spruit die hele kwessie uit onsekerheid a.g.v. te vinnige ver-andering: ‘n nuwe skoolhoof met sy eie bestuurstyl, demografiese verandering van leerders, veranderde onderwysbeleidsrigtings, asook die groeiende gebrek aan fondse.

Verandering is sekerlik een van die grootste faktore wat aanleiding gee tot depressie en uitgebrande sindroom. Dit het ook ‘n ingrypende invloed op die emosionele belewenis van mense.

In een van die briewe word vermeld dat personeel ‘afgeboek’ word weens stres.
Stres het baie oorsake, waarvan ver-andering maar een is. Daar is ook persoonlike probleme wat ’n rol speel: leë-nessindroom en kommer oor kinders op kosskool/universiteit, bestaansbehoeftes, gesondheidseise, aanpassing by die ver-anderde demografie en moontlik ook onvrede oor post-1994 Suid-Afrika.

Weerstand teen verandering is ‘n natuurlike menslike eienskap, gegrond op angs vir die onbekende. Dié vrees berus dikwels op wanopvattings en hoorsê. Mense klou aan die gevestigde wyse van doen, want dit bied sekuriteit. Waar daar ’n gebrek aan toekomsvisie is, is mense bang dat hulle hul werk sal verloor.

Om so ‘n negatiewe gesindheid te omskep in ‘n positiewe en trotse een, moet mense oortuig word dat verandering onafwendbaar is. Gevestigde ‘magsgroepe’ moet verskuif, professionele afguns moet hokgeslaan word en mense moet deur transformerende leierskap gelei word om nuut te dink oor ou probleme.

‘n Verligte toekomsvisie is slegs haalbaar as die personeel gewillig is om te ver-ander en saam te werk. Hierdeur word almal binne die organisasie bemagtig tot nuwe hoogtes, werksbevrediging en selfvervulling.

Transformerende leiers het ‘n sterk geloof in hulself, in hul personeel en die uitnemendheid van hul instelling. Vanuit die briefwisseling kom dit voor dat meneer McKnight wel die eienskappe van so ‘n leier toon. Dis net ‘n kwessie van groei. Daar is ‘n gesegde wat lui: “Goeie leiers word gemaak en nie gebore nie.”

Transformerende leiers is lewenslange leerders wat nie net nuwe kennis verwerf en toepas nie, maar ook leer uit eie foute. En, ondervinding het geleer dat ‘n leier eers sy voete in ‘n nuwe omgewing vind ná drie jaar!

Die anonieme briefskrywer se stelling dat die matriekslaagsyfer net te danke is aan toegewyde Gr-12 onderwysers, wil ek bevraagteken.’n Leerder word tog gevorm vanaf die grondslagfase – enige stewige gebou rus op ‘n goeie fondament.

En hoekom mag sy personeel hom nie as “meneer” aanspreek nie? Ek doen dit al die afgelope 52 jaar om my hoofde as meneer/mevrou/juffrou aan te spreek - al is hulle jare jonger as ek. En ek het dieselfde van die personeel onder my beheer verwag. As ek my hoof wil spreek, maak ek ‘n afspraak en spreek hom/haar in die kantoor. Sulke gesprekke hoort nie in die teekamer of terloops in die gange nie.

Moontlik moet die nuwe Beheerliggaam belê in professionele intervensie om die beste eienskappe van al die betrokke partye positief en tot voordeel van die grootmense van môre te ontwikkel. Dis ‘n saak wat veel verder strek as net HZ en Prince Albert. Dis die toekoms van mense; hierin het selfsug, skinderpraatjies en ondergrawery nie ‘n plek nie.

Ek sluit graag af op ’n positiewe noot: Die gedissiplineerdheid van die skoolkinders in HZ-skooldrag op straat, hul netheid en vriendelikheid, is opvallend die afgelope tyd. Is dit moontlik dat ‘n regte woord op die regte tyd gespreek word?

Lettie Breytenbach

Prince Albert, a balm to the mind and soul

I have got to know and love the magical Prince Albert over the past few years, and visit my children and delightful grandchildren 3 or 4 times a year. It is for me as it is for many visitors a change, escapism and certainly beautiful on the senses.

I must congratulate you on your editorship of the Friend. In your hands it has changed from a very parochial newsletter to a sophisticated newspaper. I make a point of reading it and enjoy its recent developments.

I noted with interest that Hennie Boshoff is now a contributor to the paper.

I have been a guest on his spectacular "Villa Kruger" tours twice now and found both his review of Elza Botha's exhibition and his letter, like his and Rossetta’s art in the gardens and house, very thought-provoking, challenging and interesting. They make a very interesting and captivating read.

It's the deep, rich tones and textures such as those that set one apart from the herd. Again, I am happy to say that Prince Albert is not only a great escapism for my body and soul, but the mind too!

Best wishes

Mrs S Fairbank
Newlands, Cape Town

Many thanks, our team works hard! [Ed]