GRAAFF-REINET NEWS - At the 20th annual general meeting of the Graaff-Reinet Bird Club held at the Karoo Community Church hall on Wednesday 18 May, it was decided to dissolve the organisation.
In an interesting and thought-provoking address, the chairman, Cas Labuschagne, outlined the decline and closure of clubs of various kinds in the past years.
The Graaff-Reinet Garden Club, the Lions Club, the Rotary Club and Round Table, to name some of them, are no more.
The SPCA has a continuous battle to keep its doors open and Graaff-Reinet Hospice keeps afloat with extensive fund-raising efforts.
He posed the question: “What makes people join clubs, societies and associations?”
The Graaff-Reinet Bird Club began in 2001 when Joan Collett, an enthusiastic and knowledgeable birder, organised an evening at the Union where two members of the Avian Demography Unit from the University of Cape Town gave a stimulating talk and showed slides giving a brief overview of the research done by the organisation.
Forty people attended and it was decided that there was enough interest to establish a bird club.
For the past 21 years, except for the past two years due to Covid restrictions, the club has held monthly morning outings on Saturdays to farms in the Graaff-Reinet district. These have allowed members to increase their knowledge of the Karoo birds and get to know the farms, the farmers, and their wives.
Tim Hobson, Alan Collett and Leonie Fouche have been guides and shared their extensive knowledge with less experienced birders on these very pleasant outings.
Dwindling membership, ageing of the original members, school and other activities among the younger generation have led to few members attending outings which have prompted the committee to propose the dissolution of the club.
This was agreed by the members at the AGM. It was also decided that the club’s funds should be donated to Granaat (Friends of the Camdeboo National Park) to contribute to the building of a simple bird hide and pool behind the ablution facility at the Valley of Desolation.
It is hoped that this will encourage visitors to take the time to watch and learn more about the birds of the Karoo.
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