In Focus your community magazine – Dainfern Nature Association June 2023
DNA Newsletter
Dear Residents,
On behalf of the Dainfern Nature Association, it is with sadness that we share the news that one of our long-term Nature Committee members, André Marx has passed away.
André was one of the first members of the committee and gave over 20 years of his time to assist with what the DNA stands for:
André with his passion and knowledge, played a huge part to us succeeding in these goals. André led the Bird Walks in Dainfern, his knowledge was absolutely amazing. Just hearing a bird call he would stop the group and describe the species in detail, its features and way of life. He was unbelievably gifted. His excitement in seeing a bird that is rarely seen in Dainfern was contagious and all shared in his excitement
at that moment.
In 2022 André received one of Birdlife’s South Africa Owl Awards, which he never wanted praise for, but was so proud to receive. With over 40 years of experience, André was an incredible talented birder and he had time for everyone and especially novices. He got excited for those who were just starting out in bird watching!
However, Andre’s amazing knowledge extended beyond just birdlife, he was the sounding board to any decisions regarding the estates natural environment and assisted in creating new trails. He was always the person too, who measured and kept us updated on rainfall patterns.
André even presented at the DNA AGMS. One, which we will never forget, he described in detail the changing birdlife and animal life due to the environmental changes in Dainfern from the early days to current. He had everyone glued to the presentation and no-one left. He received a standing ovation, which one rarely gets at an AGM.
André was a humble gentleman. His passion for nature and his great knowledge thereof deserved to be honoured, which is why the Dainfern Nature Association have decided to name the DNA trophy the ANDRÉ MARX TROPHY.
The trophy, depicting a Paradise Flycatcher, is presented to any Dainfern Estate resident who has done something extraordinary for nature within the estate. It is on display in a glass cabinet at the entrance to the Clubhouse for all to see. There will also be a photo of André on display in the cabinet. His memory will live on in Dainfern forever.
A while back Olivia Denny, our landscaper, came up with the idea of creating another nature trail. André was very excited about her vision. They agreed to keep the new trail as natural as possible. This trail was coincidently called Bird Walk, but will now be renamed to André Marx’s Bird Walk.
Olivia and her team will start work on the trail in the near future. A bench, in honour of André, will be placed where one can ponder and have fond memories of our colleague, mentor and friend, André!
Rest in peace André!
Operational Report
Ladies Club Champs
16 and 17 May 2023
Our ladies enjoyed two wonderful days of Club Championships. We were faced with all adversities of weather – from pouring rain to sunshine with a definite chill in the air!!
This did not deter any of the ladies and there was amazing comradery throughout both days of the Championship, culminating with our very special prize-giving and a wonderful lunch at SIX33 afterward.
The winners of each division were: –
Congratulations to all our winners and to everyone who took part in our 2023 Club Championships.
Thank you to the residents that supported our blood drive on Saturday 6 May.
We received 15 donations on the day for the South African National Blood Service.
Mother’s Day
We celebrated Mother’s Day with a very special menu at SIX33, including live music and clamber club joined us on the day to ensure our little ones were also looked after. It was certainly enjoyed by everyone.
Cricket Nets
Our DHA Maintenance Team have been hard at work putting in cricket nets at the Hertford Village playpark and we are thrilled to have this facility for our children. We had some unfortunate delays in completion due to the rain, uncommon for this time of the year. But progress has been made and we are near completion. Watch this space!
In the gradual evolution from autumn to winter, nature showcases its resilience and beauty. It is a time to gather with loved ones, to share stories and laughter, and to find joy in the simple pleasures of life.
By Peet Trollip – Operations Manager
In Focus your community magazine – Dainfern Nature Association May 2023
Operational Report
Easter Painting Event
We had a very successful Easter Painting event at the Clubhouse on Saturday 1 April. Kids of all ages had a huge amount of fun with painting their very own easter picture and would you believe, the Easter bunny popped in too to share some Easter Eggs. Lots of smiles were shared!
Dates to Diarise
We look forward to our next Blood Drive on Saturday 6 May as well as our Ladies Club Champs that are scheduled for 16 and 17 May 2023.
Stella Artois Players Championship
We hosted another incredible Stella Artois Players Championship for the fifth year in a row. The golf course was magnificent, and the weather was perfect. Congratulations to the 2023 Champion, Kyle Barker. Casey Jarvis shot an incredible round of 59 which equalled the Sunshine Tour record. Daniel van Tonder scored a hole-in-one. We thank everyone who assisted to make this tournament possible and look forward to hosting again next year and making this event even bigger and better.
Dainfern Passion Rose
Don’t forget to order your Dainfern Passion Roses – ALL the details are in our weekly newsletter, The Dainfern Digest.
Kindly email [email protected] with the details below and the amount will be added to your next levy statement (no cash or credit card payments will be accepted).
Autumn is fully upon us, and it is lovely to see the changing landscape as the seasons change. Our Estate is truly beautiful, no matter the season.
By Peet Trollip – Operations Manager
In Focus your community magazine – Dainfern Nature Association April 2023
Operational Report
Finance SGM
We are very pleased that we had a successful Finance SGM on Thursday 9 March 2023. Our budget for 2023/2024 was approved as well as two Directors appointed to fill the vacant positions on our Board. We congratulate Mr Craig Bishop and Mr Brandon Sacks on their appointment as Directors. We look forward to working with you.
Stella Artois Players Championship
We look forward to hosting the Stella Artois Players Championship once again and working closely with The Sunshine Tour on this major event. It will be held during the week of 10-16 April 2023. It is an incredible event, and we invite you to enjoy spectacular golf right
here on your doorstep. Further details around the event will be shared with residents closer to the time.
Dainfern Passion Rose
We received the first Dainfern Passion roses from Ludwig’s Roses and these were delivered to the residents who had pre-ordered and paid for their roses. The next delivery is scheduled to take place in July 2023. Should you still wish to order, kindly email [email protected] with the details below and the amount will be added to your next levy statement (no cash or credit card payments will be accepted).
We would like to wish all our residents a very happy Easter and for those going away during the Easter holidays, please travel safely.
By Peet Trollip – Operations Manager
In Focus your community magazine – Dainfern Nature Association March 2023
Operational Report
Our Dainfern Passion rose is finally ready, having been propagated by Ludwig’s Roses. We will be receiving the first roses shortly and will then deliver them to those residents who preordered and paid in advance. We will slowly be planting these throughout the Estate too – so keep an eye out for this stunning addition to our beautiful Estate.
Rain Fall
We have had an incredible amount of rain this year – 271mm (at the time of writing this report), causing the closure of the golf course on certain days, as well as the massive amount of rubbish that gets washed up by the river daily – especially when there is excessive rain. We thank the Turfnet, Nature Association and Maintenance teams for all pulling together to clean up daily to ensure our Estate is kept tidy.
Generators
Loadshedding and generators are still issues that we attend to daily. We ask for your patience as we all navigate these speedbumps
and sort out queries as quickly as possible.
Men’s Club Champs
We hosted our exciting Men’s Club Champs on 25 and 26 February and we congratulate Oliver Goldhill on being the winner for 2023. We look forward to the Ladies Club Champs in May this year.
Clubhouse Events
There have been several events hosted at the Clubhouse including a blood drive, two bird walks, Dainfern Toastmasters, Dainfern KnitWits and the
Epilepsy Indaba.
Lifestyle Survey
We had an overwhelming response to our Lifestyle Survey, and we thank those who did participate. Our Management and Board are taking the feedback into consideration in their planning and budgeting going forward. We can’t keep everyone happy all the time – although it certainly does guide us in the right direction.
Budget Workshops
We held two successful budget workshops in early February which raised healthy debate amongst residents. Mrs Geraldine Harris, our Fincom Chair, has worked hard with all involved to get the new budget ready for the SGM planned for 9th March. We encourage your attendance and support.
By Peet Trollip – Operations Manager
In Focus your community magazine – Dainfern Nature Association February 2023
Operational Report
We celebrated a wonderful festive season with beautiful Christmas decorations around the Estate. We thank Willie Malherbe for his sponsorship of the decorations at the circle closest to Broadacres Drive gate. Thank you to our maintenance team for all their assistance in beautifying our Estate. We were overwhelmed with compliments from happy residents.
Security Feedback
From a security point of view, we had no security breaches and thank the Fidelity team for their vigilant attention over this period.
Sewage Issues
We welcomed in the new year with loadshedding still upon us, as well as multiple sewage issues due to the extensive structural damage to the Greater Fourways Sewerage Line. We eagerly await the major repairs and bio-clean-up to be done by JoBurg Water.
Generators
We have shared several communications regarding generators and abiding by the rules we have for ownership of them. Please speak to Jill or Janet if you are considering this as an option going forward.
Green Solutions
The DHA encourage all homeowners and residents to consider transitioning to “green solutions” as opposed to purchasing noisy and environment unfriendly generators, because it appears loadshedding is going to be with us for a long time, probably years.
Valentine’s Day
14 February at SIX33
Celebrate this special day with family and friends. Bookings: [email protected] or 011 875 0442.
Fantastic Fridaze
Make your way down to the Clubhouse for the first Fantastic Fridaze of the year. Book your table at SIX33 for 24 February – Enjoy a meal or a drink – prizes to be won! You may be the lucky winner of the cash draw!
MEN’S CLUB CHAMPS
25-26 February 202
Contact: [email protected]
We look forward to another exciting year in our beautiful Estate.
By Peet Trollip – Operations Manager
In Focus your community magazine – Dainfern Nature Association December 2022 – January 2023
General Manager’s Report
A month of celebrating our 30th birthday – and what a month it has been!
AGM
We held an exceptionally successful AGM on Tuesday 15 November. We had an expo with all our service providers beforehand for them to showcase their services so our residents could see what is on offer on the Estate including:
- Fidelity Security Services
- Turfnet
- SLA
- FireOps
- Ludwig’s Roses
- Golf Data
- Global Golf
- Dainfern Nature Association
- Tennis Inc
- Spirits & Bubbles
- Trafalgar
- Padel
It was a wonderfully festive atmosphere, and we thank everyone who joined us before the AGM started.
Board of Directors
We congratulate Ms Geraldine Harris on her successful appointment to the Board.
The ORDER OF DAINFERN Award
We were thrilled to make the very first Order of Dainfern Award
Our Board rigorously discussed the proposed candidates and then agreed on the very
worthy recipients – the MaDD Team (Making a Difference in Dainfern). This dynamic team has been very busy raising funds for charity and getting the community support they need to be successful.
Award Criteria
The Criteria for the Order of Dainfern Award is as follows: An Annual Award Recognising:
- An individual or group.
- Resident in Dainfern Golf Estate.
- Volunteering and actively contributing to the community in or around the Estate.
- Without due recognition.
- By addressing life, societal, and cultural needs or shortcomings.
- Thereby improving or fulfilling, improving, or changing their needs for the better.
DAINFERN PASSION
Our own rose
We are very proud to announce a rose for Dainfern that is exclusively ours – Dainfern Passion. This was unveiled at the AGM and there was huge excitement all around.The Rose is being propagated by Ludwig’s Roses and will be available from February 2023. We aim to plant this stunning rose all around the Estate and will have them on sale for residents to purchase too!
We had the honour of having Ludwig and his son Halmar present at the unveiling.
By Mr Riaan van Rooyen
KUMON MATHS
Kumon Maths
Kathryn Warmback
082 857 5319
For more information, contact the service provider.
