WELCOMING ALL SAPPERS AS “FRIENDS OF THE SAPPERS MEMORIAL TRUST”

Dear Sappers,

Following formal notice to Members of the Sappers Foundation in terms of its Constitution, together with the Background and Main Considerations flowing from a Strategic Review performed by the Directors of the Board of the Sappers Foundation and the Trustees of the Sappers Memorial Trust, the following Motion for the Urgent Restructuring of the Foundation for Military Engineering Excellence in Southern Africa was tabled for consideration and approval by members present at the Sappers Foundation AGM which took place on the 4^th of June 2022 at Sappersrus, Skeerpoort:

• To close and deregister the Sappers Foundation and all its subsidiary Non-Profit Companies (NPC’s) with immediate effect.

• To incorporate all the Assets and Interests of the Sappers Foundation and its subsidiary Companies into the Sappers Memorial Trust as it’s “Successor in Title” to   hold in trust and manage such assets and interests towards honouring the Memory of our fallen Sapper Comrades and to entrench and empower the Sappers Memorial Trust as a “Historic Society” to preserve the Memorial (and where possible the Sapper History, Culture and Traditions) into perpetuity.

• To, by default, terminate all formal Membership to the Foundation and replace membership with registered “Friends of the Sappers Memorial Trust” who will not pay any membership fees and have no voting power but will, amongst others, serve as the source of future Trustees of the Sappers Memorial Trust, be involved in the activities of the Trust and be kept informed of the progress towards achieving its goals and objectives.

The abovementioned Motion was accepted and unanimously approved by the 10 members present at the AGM and all 58 members who voted by post. All members were notified of the motion to be tabled and were requested to exercise their vote by either being present at the AGM or to vote by postal vote and no member indicated any opposition to the acceptance and approval of the motion. As such the motion was approved and the Foundation for Military Engineering Excellence in South Africa is now officially closed.

All assets and interests of the Sappers Foundation and its subsidiary Companies are now incorporated into the Sappers Memorial Trust as it’s “Successor in Title” to hold in trust and manage such assets and interests towards honouring the Memory of our fallen Sapper Comrades and to entrench and empower the Sappers Memorial Trust as a “Historic Society” to preserve the Memorial (and where possible the Sapper History, Culture and Traditions) into perpetuity. 

All formal Membership to the Foundation now ceases to exist and is replaced forthwith by registered “Friends of the Sappers Memorial Trust” who will not pay any membership fees and have no voting power but will, amongst others, serve as the source of future Trustees of the Sappers Memorial Trust, be involved in the activities of the Trust and be kept informed of the progress towards achieving its goals and objectives.

The closure of the Foundation for Military Engineering Excellence in Southern Africa was a sad moment for the Organization but there is no doubt that the important strategic decision that had to  be made does not signify the “end” but rather a “new beginning”  where the Sappers Memorial Trust can continue to safeguard and maintain the Memorial, honour the Memory of our Fallen Comrades and manage the Sapper Assets into Perpetuity.

On behalf of the Sappers Memorial Trust I would like to welcome all Sapper Members as “Friends of the Sappers Memorial Trust”.

Whilst we assume that all members of the erstwhile Sappers Foundation would have no objection to now “by default” be registered as “Friends of the Sappers Memorial Trust” we would like to take the opportunity to update our records. As such we request that all previous Members of the Sappers Foundation who would like to register as “Friends of the Sappers Memorial Trust”, complete the attached Registration Form and to either send it, together with a copy of your ID, to  P O Box 5154, Walmer, 6065 by post or E-Mail a cell phone picture or scanned copy electronically to sappers@mweb.co.za.

As the Sappers Foundation now no longer exists it is currently foreseen that the Foundation AGM on the first Saturday of June of every year will be replaced with an Annual Feedback Meeting for Friends of the Sappers Memorial Trust and that the format of this Meeting will be similar to the current AGM (without the election of Directors to serve on the Board).

The Annual Feedback Meeting for Friends of the Sappers Memorial Trust will therefore be held on Saturday the 3^rd of June 2023.

The Annual Sappers Memorial Service on the first Sunday of June will continue unchanged and will therefore be held on Sunday the 4 ^th of June 2023.

Regards,

Sapper Braam Rossouw

CHAIRPERSON SAPPERS MEMORIAL TRUST