N E W S & V I E W S • S E P T E M B E R 2 0 2 4 11 Keeping with tradition we concluded the meeting with celebrating the dedication of our members and their timber supply through NCT. This included eight members who have been journeying with NCT for the last 75 years. We celebrated our Tree Farmer of the Year recipients, Khethazakhe Nkosingiphile Zulu who received the award in the Small-scale Grower category and Delft Forestry (Pty) Ltd in the Commercial Grower category. Their operations are exceptional and a great example of sustainable forestry. After the formal meeting, NCT members were addressed by Pierre du Plessis who shared his thoughts on why “Chaos can be a Gift”. He gave some practical tools on how to break anxiety: Draw three columns on a piece of paper: Column 1. Write down the disaster, fear or event that might happen. Column 2. Write down what you can do to prevent it from happening. Colum 3. Write down what you will do if it does happen. Then file your plan and let the paper do the worrying for you. Following the AGM, the Board of directors reappointed Mr Schefermann as Chairman and Mr Day as Vice-Chairman. We bade farewell to Mrs Juanita Mason who stepped down as director, and welcomed Mr Ben Seele who was co-opted to serve on the Board. In 75 years, we have much to be grateful for and if this year has taught us one thing, it is this, the more things change, the more they stay the same. NCT has faced plenty of adversity and tragedies in the last 75 years but, through cooperation, creativity, and a bit of luck NCT can only grow stronger. NCT Chairman Vernon Schefermann during the cake-cutting ceremony Guest speaker Pierre du Plessis delivering his inspirational talk – “Chaos is a gift” NCT 75th anniversary celebrations
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