SAAWG Journal 20032003-EDITORIAL: The most important item on our agenda this year was the celebration of our Association’s 80th Anniversary. This was marked in various ways: all important milestones in our history.
The past three years were spent exploring our archival material, especially the copies of our annual journal, previously known as The Bluestocking. We uncovered many interesting facets of our existence, grew to ‘know’ our predecessors a little better and were inspired by the contribution they had made. Prior to our National AGM this year, our publication A Tinge of Blue was launched.
We discovered the link between the bequest of our founder, Bertha Stoneman, and the botany students at UCT. Her cottage, Stonemansion – a humble retirement cottage built for her in the Bain’s Kloof Pass, was bequeathed to the Huguenot University College in Wellington. She did not anticipate the closure of the college. The executrix of her will and a member of the Cape Town Branch, Lilly Daws, secured the legal right for this cottage to be given to the UCT Botany Department. Even today it is used for fieldwork purposes by students who must have wondered about the woman whose picture graces its walls. The Cape Town Branch paid tribute to Bertha Stoneman by holding its 2003 AGM at Stonemansion.
The wonderful Friendship Tour that took place in April this year was also designed to enjoy camaraderie with our affiliate members from beyond our borders. It was truly a celebration of SAAWG and South Africa, and some rather neat footwork (or should I say, keyboardwork) led to A Tinge of Blue being ready for delivery by the printer to our tourists before they moved out of the Western Cape. They too were able to share our past; our present.
BUT should the 80th Anniversary be the most important item on our agenda this year? We must not be complacent nor must we be content to merely laud the achievements of our predecessors. Papers presented at our National AGM this year brought home forcefully the fact that there are things urgently needing our attention. We must launch ourselves once again into the battle to empower the women and children of our country. Every member needs to become actively involved – whether we are old, are busy climbing the corporate ladder or have babies to care for! There is a contribution we can make to ensure this land becomes a better place, a safer place.
Take up the challenge. Become an activist TODAY. Be a suffragette of the 21st century.The work of this Association is not nearly done.
Presidential Address: 80 YEARS and still EDUCATIONALLY SPEAKING, Margaret Edwards
SAAWG CONFERENCE Saturday 31 May 2003 - Excerpts from addresses presented at the Conference
FRIENDSHIP TOUR APRIL 2003 : Report by Hazel Bowen
A TINGE OF BLUE : Report by Peggy Impson, Editor of SAAWG Annual Journal and Editor-in-chief of A Tinge of Blue
PILGRIM’S PROGRESS - A WOMAN SCIENTIST LOOKS BACK OVER FIVE DECADES : Dr Shirley Churms, Cape Town Branch
NON GOVERNMENT ORGANISATIONS AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 21ST CENTURY : Jocelyn Bell, President Johannesburg Branch
CAPE TOWN BRANCH REPORT ON MEETING WITH AMERICAN DELEGATION, WOMEN IN EDUCATION : Shirley Churms