Vetnuus | January 2025 33 During their terms of office, Gareth Bath as Chairman and Susan Marsh as Secretary and Treasurer oversaw the conversion of the History Committee of the South African Veterinary Association (SAVA), which was established by Basil Pappin in 1995, to the Veterinary History Society of South Africa in 2019. Documents to manage the conversion were compiled and included a Memoranda of Incorporation, Service Delivery Agreements, Finances, Audits, Policy Guidelines and a Constitution. During the tenure of Prof Bath as Chairman, the Veterinary History Society (VHS) maintained good relationships with SAVA, the Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute (ARC-OVR) and the Faculty, as well as with the World Association for the History of Veterinary Medicine (WAHVM). Over the past 5 years, the VHS organised the 44th Congress of the World Association for the History of Veterinary Medicine at the Farm Inn in Pretoria in February 2020, a session at the 2022 SAVA Congress and a session at the 2024 World Veterinary Association Congress in Cape Town, as well as webinars on the history of veterinary medicine in South Africa. Apart from these events, the VHS improved the existing archives and databases and incorporated new additions to the historic material. A start was made to the digitisation of about 200 reels of historic 16mm acetate film material. See pages 34 to 35 of the VetNews of December 2024 for more information on this valuable collection. The submission of CVs and biographies of South African veterinarians was encouraged and the publication of obituaries and eulogies were published in VetNews wherever possible. Several Open Days at the South African National Veterinary Museum at Onderstepoort were arranged. See https://vethistorysa.co.za/south-african-national-veterinary-museum/ Another noteworthy milestone by the outgoing team during the past five years of the VHS was the implementation of the HH Curson Award for lifetime service and the Rudolph Bigalke Merit Award for exceptional contributions to veterinary history in South Africa. The new team of Dr Livio Heath (Chair), Prof Ivan Lwanga-Iga (Vice Chair) and Ms Annette Boshoff (Secretary and Treasurer) have been appointed for the period 2025-2029. v VETERINARY HISTORY SOCIETY: 2019-2024 Gareth Bath and Susan Marsh on the bench of Sir Arnold Theiler in the Jotello Soga Library of the Faculty of Veterinary Science Events I Gebeure
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