General Interest
Arthur Troop Scholarship 2011
IPC Chairman Stephen Crockard has asked Sections please to publicise the Arthur Troop Scholarship for 2011. All applications must be made through the Sections and must be received at the IAC before the closing date of 30th September 2010.
- In order to support professional education and to complement advanced training, ten ‘Arthur Troop Scholarships’ may be awarded annually by the PEB, preferably including at least one from each continent.
- Each Scholarship shall consist of a bursary of not more than 3,000 Swiss Francs that is to be used for a seminar at the International Conference Centre ‘IBZ Schloss Gimborn’, or comparable institution, and shall include travel expenses.
- The study Scholarship shall be awarded to IPA members in police service, but is predominantly targeted at the younger, lower ranking member , who is not generally in the position to avail police service funded courses. The member must submit a completed application, together with a supporting document giving reasons why IPA should grant the Scholarship:
(a) The application must be processed through their National Section, who shall forward it to the International Secretary General (IAC).
(b) The National Section shall submit a supporting statement with the application.
4. The applicant must have been a member of the IPA for a least one year.
5. The Scholarship must be taken between the 1st January and the 31st December, of the year following the grant of the Scholarship. The IPC Chairman will submit up to ten (10) suggestions to the PEB. Extensions will only be granted under exceptional circumstances.”
NB. Interested parties can get application forms from IPA Head office.
VISIT TO GERMANY - Jo Huysamen
On a marvelous evening in late September we boarded a KLM flight to Stuttgart in Germany to begin our European adventure. We would be gone for 4 weeks, exploring the German, Swiss, Austrian and Danish countryside and all this was only possible due to the help and generosity of our German IPA friends!
In Stuttgart, our hosts Eugen & Sabine (regular visitors to Cape Town and Timour Hall Villa), assisted us in securing reasonably priced accommodation where no IPA houses were located. They also took us to stay in the Bavarian Alps for 4 days at the beginning of our trip and it was here that we got to visit Konigssee Lake and Hitler's Eagles Nest. Back in Stuttgart, we were able to attend the official opening of the 164th Canstatt Volksfest - the 2nd largest and oldest beerfest in the world behind the Munich Oktoberfest, which was an awesome experience.
We visited the Rhine Falls in Switzerland and spent a further 2 days in Switzerland being hosted by another friend before returning to Germany to collect our car and begin our epic "trek" of some 2000 km's through Germany. From Stuttgart, we headed to the small, beautifully historic, town of Ober Walluf where we were to spend 4 days in the IPA house. The Region is Rhinegau and they are very near to Rudesheim, from where you can catch a Rhine tour boat or visit the Germania Monument on the mountain. It is also home to the famous Drosselgasse - a street which dates back to the 1400's!!
The IPA house is more than 600 years old and was originally the Rathaus of the town. It was such a wonderful experience and we cannot thank our IPA friends in that Region enough for all their help and for the delightful (and comfortably furnished) accommodation.
From here, we travelled to Munster and from there to Helmstedt to visit with IPA friends who spend 3 months in Cape Town each year. It was so wonderful to be able to experience their area and we toured much of the countryside. They really put a lot of effort into making sure that we had the best possible visit and each night, we had our own "mini Oktoberfest", which was the highlight of our stay with them. Our host, born in 1933, was able to offer some fantastic insights into the war years, what came after and what it was really like to be in a country literally divided by a wall. A visit to Checkpoint Alpha and a wall memorial was particularly poignant.
From Helmstedt, we travelled to Berlin, where we were again fortunate enough to stay in the IPA flat. The flat is comfy and very nicely situated for shops, restaurants and transport. Barely a 3 minute walk from the station, it is a 20 min train trip to the Brandenburg Tor stop and from there, the city opens itself up beautifully for a walking or sight-seeing bus tour. We started with the bus, to orientate ourselves in the city, before walking to the points of interest where we wanted to spend more time. The site of Hitler's bunker is now a parking lot, but Checkpoint Charlie was as moving as we had imagined. Throughout the city, a double line of cobblestones has been worked into the roads, pavements and - in some cases - into building receptions, to show where the Berlin Wall had once stood. It's a sobering reminder of how easily we were moving from East to West and back again. 2009 marked the 20th Anniversary of the fall of the wall and it was wonderful to be a part of all the celebrating and reminiscing.
A week in Denmark with a former guest of Timour Hall Villa followed. Although not an IPA member, she had had such a memorable experience here in South Africa, that she went out of her way to show us around Copenhagen and then her own hometown of Ejsberg. All too soon, it was time to return to Stuttgart to prepare for the trip home.
A HUGE thankyou to all the IPA friends who hosted or helped us and to all the members of IPA Germany who answered endless email queries for months before our trip. There sure is no better way to travel than as part of an international family!
VISIT TO HONG KONG - Brian Oberholster
Between 29 June and 1 July 2009 Miriam and I paid a short, but most enjoyable visit to Hong Kong on our way to Phuket in Thailand. Prior to leaving I made contact with the Hong Kong Section of the International Police Association (IPA) and on the evening of our arrival we were met by Wilson Man-lung Wong, the Travel Secretary.
We were taken to a typical Chinese restaurant where we were hosted to a 12 course meal by the Honorary President of the IPA a Dr. Banny Tam, the Chairman of Akei Holdings Company limited and Ms. Ewong Kwai, the President of the Hong Kong Wong Tai Sin Industry & Commerce Association . It was interesting to learn that the IPA was supported financially by local business and this was the reason for the presence of the above named.
Also in attendance were Ken Ho, the Assistant Treasurer of the IPA, Eddy Choy Wai Fu, Superintendent, Divisional Commander, Tai Po Division, Peter Ho, Chief Superintendent Auxiliary, New Territories North Region, Wilson Man-lung Wong, Travel Secretary, wives and husbands.
Whilst Akai Holdings is one of the leading manufacturers of blow moulding machine worldwide Dr. Tam also has interests in some 40 other companies including some familiar names to us in South Africa such as Unilver, Dettol, Avon, Colgate, Kraft, Nestle, Caltex, L'Oreal, Danone, Black and Decker, Castrol, Honda, Yahaha, Xerox and Brother.
No expense was spared with the meal and we were treated like "kings". Items on the menu included lobster, sucking roast pig, abalone, rice dishes, soup, pickles, fruit, dried fish, cookies, and the list goes on. All of this was washed down with jasmine tea, beer and French shiraz wine.
I was presented with a gift pack containing pens, keys rings, tie and an IPA banner which has been handed over to Timour Hall for display. In return, and in the absence of any suitable local IPA memorabilia, I presented them with a set of colour prints of the uniforms of the British South Africa Police.
The following day we embarked on a tour of the city and surrounds. What impressed us most was the cleanliness of the city, the extent of the public transport system and harbour. At the harbour an old Chinese man who must have been 80 + was seen on his hands and knees removing dirt from between the paving stones.
Stores open from 1 OhOO till 23hOO seven days a week and every where we went we saw smiling faces. Whilst shopping is rather expensive Miriam took the opportunity of buying some "specials" that were on sale.
This was our first visit to Hong Kong and we intend returning. The highlight of our visit was definitely the short time we spent with the IPA members and if ever there was a reason to be a member of the IPA, this was it. You never know you too could attend a dinner fit for "Kings".
VISIT TO SAPS DOG UNIT
We recently hosted a German IPA Member Eugen Kohler and his wife Sabine on a flying visit to Cape Town. Although Sabine is not a police officer, she has been training dogs for a number of years and she expressed an interest in paying a visit to the SAPS Dog Unit to see how their training methods compare to those in Germany.
We were fortunate enough to be able to arrange a visit for her and we spent a fantastic morning with the unit learning about their training methods and also the level of complexity of the work carried out by the unit. With 86 dog handlers and over 100 trained dogs, this particular unit is the largest one in South Africa (possibly in Africa).
Although training is only carried out in Pretoria, the visit was still extremely informative and they were able to answer all of Sabine's quiestions. It was interesting to hear that the animals are trained using the reward system. We also learned how donation animals are sorted for appropriate training based on how they respond to certain methods of play. Handlers are trained in classes of 6 and undergo a 120 day training programme.
After they graduate, they work with their dogs in various fields... some dogs are trained as tracker dogs, bio dogs (able to sniff out minute amounts of blood or semen), livestock and sheep dogs, search & rescue dogs and cadaver dogs.
After 4 hours and time well-spent with the extremely helpful team, Sabine headed back to Timour Hall Villa, tired, but extremely happy! A huge thanks goes out from us to the Dog Unit in Pinelands for all their time and efforts. It was much appreciated.
Sabine with Blue and her handler. The tracker dogs work in pairs.
Request for Karaoke Discs
In light of the popularity of our recently held Spit Braai & Karaoke Evening, we would like to appeal to members to please provide us with copies of karaoke discs as we plan to have many more such evenings. If you are able to assist us in any way, please contact Jo on admin@ipawc.co.za.
Volunteers for the Car Show 2010
As we begin the planning for the January show, we would like to make an appeal to members to volunteer to assist us over the weekend in a variety of positions. Please contact us for further information.
KEYRINGS & CAPS FOR SALE
There are branded IPA Keyrings and Caps for sale. These can be obtained from the office at Timour Hall Villa. (http://timourhall.com) | 
