PROPELLER DIVE TEAM
GIVES PRESENTATION AT THE
ROUNDTABLE DISCUSSION AT
2009 LAGO REUNION, ARUBA
June 24, 2009

THE LAGO REUNION MEETING

June 23 in Ballroom G, Westin Resort

Meeting synopsis and photos by Mr. Dufi Kock

The Lago Aruba Reunion meeting started at 10:00am and there were around fifty attendees, both our visitors and locals.  The introduction was done by Mr. Don Gray.  After welcoming everyone present, he introduced Mr. George Tielen, a pilot, author, and entrepreneur from Curacao, who lived in the Lago Colony.
Mr. Tielen spoke of his books titled: “Wings of Spirit – Pelican Revival” and "Trojan Triangle”; and also spoke of a treasure in the Lago Colony.  
Next Mr. Don Gray asked Dufi to introduce the team of divers.  Dufi briefly went over their biographies, starting with Mr. Percy Sweetnam, Andre Loonstra, Dick de Bruin, and Toine van der Klooster.  Not present was Mr. Paulus Martijn but Dufi briefly read part of his biography, also Mr. Rigo Hoencamp’s who went back to Holland.

Then the video on the recovery of the propeller was shown and Mrs. Many de Boer operated the video machines.  A beautiful video presentation which told the story from the beginning to the present.  It was made by Mr. Dick de Bruin.  Mr. de Bruin also decorated the room with framed newspaper clippings, drawings of the SS Oranjestad dives.  At the end there were some questions raised and the dive team answered them spontaneously.

At the end of the program, Dick de Bruin announced that he had a big surprise for Mr. Percy Sweetnam.  He pulled a huge framed display of photos of the SS Oranjestad which he acquired from Ireland which were not that easy and cheap to get.  The total price for the eight photos was $140.00.  This was a big but happy surprise because for some time now all of us have been looking for a picture of the SS Oranjestad and we now have eight.

Present at the meeting were also, Mr. Isaac Chin who was a long-service Engineer at Lago, now a Writer, who came to sell some of his books which he so kindly donated to the SS Oranjestad Memorial Committee and the money would be his share as a donation.  Also present was Mr. Calixto de Palm, the 80-year old who was also present on the Saturday that the propeller was lifted on shore at Savaneta.  He was brought to the meeting by his second cousin, Lourdes Emerenciana.  There were also some local ex-Lago employees present and several members of the press.
The meeting adjourned at 12:30pm.
ATTENDANCE IS GOOD AT THE MEETING.
THE GROUP BEGINS TO ASSEMBLE
CONFERENCE MODERATOR, DON GRAY ON LEFT, THE DIVE TEAM AND DUFI KOCK, RIGHT.
DICK DE BRUIN ANNOUNCES A SURPRISE FOR PERCY SWEETNAM
DICK HELPS PERCY UNWRAP THE SURPRISE. 
THE TWO BOARDS SEEN ABOVE ARE CROPPED BELOW.
NEWSPAPER REPORTS OF THE PROPELLER RECOVERY FROM ARUBA PAPERS.
OTHER BOARD WITH OTHER NEWSPAPER REPORTS ABOUT THE PROPELLER.
DICK HOLDS PHOTOS OF THE SS ESSO ORANJESTAD WHILE PERCY LOOKS IT OVER.
CLOSE UP OF BOARD OF PHOTOS PRESENTED TO PERCY BY THE DIVE TEAM.
THE ORANJESTAD UNDER CONSTRUCTION IN BELFAST, IRELAND AND UNDERWAY.
THE DIVE TEAM & DUFI KOCK HOLD THE SURPRISE.
MR. CALIXTO de PALM, WHO LOST HIS BROTHER WHEN SS ORANJESTAD WAS TORPEDOED,
AND HIS SECOND COUSIN, LOURDES EMERENCIANA.
CHECKING ON BOOKS FOR SALE AT THE MEETING.
CLOSE UP OF DON GRAY, FAR LEFT AND DIVE TEAM;  
ANDRE LOONSTRA; TOINE van der KLOOSTER; DICK de BRUIN
& PERCY SWEETNAM, TEAM LEADER.  PAULUS MARTIJN WAS NOT PRESENT.
THE LADY SPEAKING IS L. G. SMITH'S DAUGHTER,  MARJORIE SMITH FINCHER, TELLING ABOUT THE ATTACK.
MR. GEORGE TIELEN ALSO GAVE A PRESENTATION AT THE MEETING.
HE SPOKE ABOUT HIS BOOKS, WINGS OF SPIRIT---PELICAN REVIVAL  AND TROJAN TRIANGLE.
THESE BOOKS WERE ALSO FOR SALE AT THE MEETING.
RETURN TO THE NEWSLETTER DIRECTORY
RETURN TO THE PROPELLER DIRECTORY