About a year ago, community members gathered at the Lucas Meijer Museum to discuss the future of the 1884 Raadsaal in Landdrost Street. A committee was elected on the day.
Supported by Director of Community Services Mr TS Mthembu, André van Ellinckhuyzen and the rest of the elected committee, the members plunged without hesitation into the challenge of renovating and restoring the 1884 Raadsaal. Symbolic of the very first meeting on June 1, 1885 – which was held by President Lucas Meijer – André van Ellinckhuyzen also addressed the first annual meeting in the same manner on Wednesday last week. Sitting at the head of the round table resulted in an historical moment, as the past bridged over to the present.
Over the past year, the Raadsaal was transformed into a proper, fully functional museum where visitors and tour groups can relive the past. Even though there is still a lot of work that needs to be done, the visible improvement, as well as the daily running of the Raadsaal, shows the ability of a community when they join hands to make a difference. During the meeting, Van Ellinckhuyzen complimented the committee on their commitment and furthermore thanked the community, as well as the director of community services, for all the support. He mentioned that all donations are welcome, even in the form of artifacts – but most importantly, the Raadsaal committee is in dire need of financial assistance to continue with the renovations. The renovations, as well as conservation of the Raadsaal, will result in future generations being able to ‘walk the road’ of their forefathers…

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The news provided to you in this link comes to you from the editorial staff of the Vryheid Herald, a sold newspaper distributed in the Vryheid area.