Elected chairman Clive Londt receives the chain-
of-office from past chairman Brian Lowther
(Courtesy Newsletter).
short-sleeved shirts and occasionally,
shorts. “His only concern was that now
he would have to wear trousers, long-
sleeved shirts and a tie, when he attended
conferences.”
Interestingly, Bryan has never missed
a conference and at this year’s AGM was
acknowledged for his unstinting service
and dedication to the Institute. He served
as chairman in 1997-1998.
“Brian Lowther, probably the longest-
serving Institute member, and a past
chairman, always gave me balanced
feedback on the success of a conference,”
Lynne says. “I eventually came to depend
on him as a weather gauge, and if he said
it was a good function, then I knew that
it was.”
Both Lynne and Monty have made
many firm friends over the years at the
IQSA, both locally and internationally, and
through the scope of their work now as an
accredited training provider, are dealing
with a wide variety people in the broader
mining industry.
Talking further about Xtract Training
Services, which has trained and is involved
in training many of our members, she
explains that the MQA is the SETA for the
mining and minerals industry in South
Africa, with Xtract being an accredited
training provider with the MQA since
2005. “We have close ties with the MQA
and have been involved in its develop-
ment since inception. We provide training
and skills development in line with the
MQA requirements, in close cooperation
with the DMR.”
Originally focusing on surface mining
and quarrying, Xtract Training Services
has extended its scope to include rock
engineering and strata control. “This
allows us to offer training in the under-
ground hard rock and coal areas while
continuing to offer our services to the
surface extractive industries.”
In conclusion, Lynne says the fact that
the Institute is celebrating its 45
th
anniver-
sary next year, is a significant milestone in
today’s somewhat shallow and disposable
society.“I am proud to have served as sec-
retary for two decades of its growth, and
FACE TO FACE WITH
LYNNE MONTGOMERY
proud to have been associated with the
Institute over these many years.”
Report and photos by Dale Kelly
