The Dutch Burgher Union
114, Reid Avenue, Colombo 4.
Telephone Nos: 2584511, 5331661
Newsletter – March 2006
Important Notice
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – 2006
will now be held on TUESDAY 28TH MARCH @ 6.30 p.m.
Fellowship will follow soon after the meeting in the upstairs bar and lounge area.
Dear Member,
As we come to the last Newsletter of my tenure as President -July 2005 to March 2006- I look back on nine months of enthusiastic activity.
Thank you to my wonderful team – the office bearers, committee members and staff – for their enthusiasm, loyalty and support throughout the year.
It gives me great pleasure and a sense of satisfaction on all our achievements. One has only to visit the bar and lounge area to see the remarkable facelift that has taken place in such a short period of time. A big thank you to Dallas Martenstyn and his team! The rear veranda was renovated and extended which now enhances the aesthetic beauty of the DBU. A big thank you to Stephen LaBrooy!
Thanks must also go to the members of the DBU, for participating in all the activities and for the support to the less advantaged Burgher families.
Yours sincerely,
Ms Kem Martenstyn
Monthly News Letter
From July this year, a monthly Newsletter was introduced. News and Notices of Union events and activities and messages were for the first time communicated to members monthly and from the feed back received we are happy to learn that the Newsletter was well received by the general membership. The Newsletter was very informative and the President is to be congratulated on her initiative.
The Journal will be published once every year and we will discontinue the Bulletin as the cost is well beyond our budget
Fresh Lamprais
Available daily – between 11.00 a.m. and 2.00 p.m. Book early. Telephone: 2584511.
DBU Caps
Rs.200/=; Mugs with DBU Crest – Rs.300/= and Member’s Car Stickers – Rs.100/= are available at the Bar. Also a few copies of Volume 70 of the Journal are still available.
HUMOUR CORNER:
Dressing, up
The husband had just finished reading the book ‘Man of the House’. He stormed into the house and walked directly up to his wife. Pointing a finger in her face, he said. “From now on, I want you to know that I am the man of this house, and my word is law! I want you to prepare me a gourmet meal tonight, and when I’ve finished eating, I expect a sumptuous dessert. Then, after dinner, you’re going to draw me my bath so I can relax. And when I’ve finished with my bath, guess who’s going to dress me and comb my hair?” His wife calmly replied, “The funeral director.”
Broedher (Dough Cake)
During the last Christmas season, there was an unprecedented demand for Broedhers. In response to requests, we reproduce below a recipe that was (and still is) used in many Burgher homes for one of the favourites of Dutch delicacies:
Ingredients: 2 lbs dough, ½ lb soft sugar, 20 egg yolks, ½ lb butter, ½ lb sultanas, 1 tbspn milk, ½ tspn bicarbonate of soda, 2 tspns powdered nutmeg
Method: Sprinkle a few sultanas into a well greased broedher pan, (using a little less than ½ lb butter). Put the dough into a basin, add the egg yolks and knead well with the hand for about 20 minutes. Add the rest of the butter, about 2/3rd of the sultanas, nutmeg and sugar and then mix well. Dissolve the bicarbonate of soda in the milk and add it to batter, mixing well. Then pour the dough into the prepared pan, filling it ½ full, decorate with the balance sultanas and allow the mixture to rise, by keeping it in the sun for about 45 minutes.
Bake in a moderate oven for about 1 ¼ hours. When ready, turn the cake out of the pan onto a plate. Best served with butter, cheese and bananas.
Welcome
We cordially welcome the following members who joined us in January and February.
Members by Invitation: Mr Ronny Hatch, Ms Yolande Anne JordanHansen, Ms Tania Arnolda, and Ms Cheryl de Fonseka
Associate members: Mr Ranjit Dharmapala, Mr Romesh Ilangakoon, Ms . Leana Pieris and Mr Surendra K. Abeysundara
Overseas Associate members: Mr Clive Pereira (UK) and Mr Fred Randall.(Australia)
DBU JOURNAL VOLUME LXX (70)
The announcement in the February Newsletter brought in queries as to what its contents were. We therefore give below its contents:
1. Our New President, Ms Kem Martenstyn.
2. Editorial
3. Presidents of the Union
4. “Union Gives Strength” – (on the meaning and significance of the Union Motto)
5. Names of members (as at 31.8.05)
6. Social Welfare
7. 97th Annual General Meeting
8. The General Committee
9. Additions to the Joseph genealogy
10. Additions to the Loos genealogy
11. Corrections & Additions to the Ohlmus genealogy
12. Additions to the Schumacher genealogy
13. The DBU Constitution
14. Dutch Burghers – a triad
15. A Book review – “The People in between”
16. Founders of families
I7. VOC Servants
18 Excerpts of a speech by the late Hon Lakshman Kadirgamar
19. Correction – Armstrong family genealogy
20. In lighter vein – humour on the internet.
21. The Union and its possibilities
22. Desiderata – “with all its sham and drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.
A limited number of copies of this latest issue is available at the DBU Office.
Wg Cdr EH Ohlmus – Editor
KEITH POTGER
Internationally known KEITH POTGER the former leader of Australian group “THE SEEKERS” has left a limited number of copies of the latest CD ‘THE SECRETS OF THE HEART’ for sale to the members of the DBU. These are at a special price of Rs.800/= each. Please phone 2584511 and reserve your copy.
Add Fitness to your Daily Routine & smile
If you find you can’t devote enough time to getting in shape as you would like, there are still plenty of ways you can keep your body active while going about your normal routine. Try to use stairways instead of elevators whenever possible. If you can walk there or take a bike, let your body burn energy instead of taking your car. If you are driving, instead of wasting time looking for a good spot, park further away and walk a couple extra blocks. Turn your housework into a fitness challenge: sweep and mop using as much energy as possible, exaggerating your arm movements. Fold your clothes and do a couple sets of squats at the same time. Whatever you’re doing try and incorporate in some sort of routine that gets your muscles working and heart rate moving. And if you absolutely can’t miss your favorite show on TV, try doing some sit-ups and push-ups while you watch or during commercials.
Editor