Christelike Jongeliedenvereniging

Christelike Jongeliedenvereniging (CJV) ("Christian Young People's Society")

Populalry known by its acronym, which is also written C.J.V..

An initiative of the Nederduits Gereformeerde Kerk or NG Kerk (usually referred to as the Dutch Reformed Church in English), this Christian youth organisation was founded in Pretoria in 1883, and gradually expanded to have branches throughout the country in the late 19th century and early 20th century. They held meetings at which they inter alia played music, sang, read verse, held mock trials, and performed plays. The organisation became especially important in the promotion of Afrikaans language and culture in the rural areas of South Africa after the Boer War.

In October 1904 the various regional organisations were united nationwide by the establishment of De Christelijke Jongelieden Vereeniging Unie. From 1917, the CJV stood under the patronage of the Helpmekaar-Vereniging, and continued to stage Afrikaans productions regularly.

The model society was the CJV of the Nieuwe Kerk, Cape Town, which performed its plays in the Wicht Hall and did a number of J.H.H. de Waal's first Afrikaans plays in the period 1893-4, whci he had written specifically for them. ??** . Similarly, the CJV's of the George-Oudtshoorn district played an important part in C.J. Langenhoven's language campaign and growth as theatre practitioner. For the more outstanding and/or prolific individual CJV societies, see below under CJV (followed by the name of the town or city - e.g. CJV (Warmwater) (See Binge, 1969; Du Toit, 1988) [TH, JH]

C.J.V. (De Nieuwe Kerk, Cape Town)

The model society of its kind, it performed in the Wicht Hall and did a number of J.H.H. de Waal's first Afrikaans plays in the period 1893-4, plays written specifically for them. ??**

(See Binge, 1969; Du Toit, 1988) [TH, JH]

C.J.V. (Nooitgedacht-Suid

They performed an Afrikaans farce called Tandpyn ("toothache") in 1914. This was possibly an Afrikaans translation/adaptation of Melt Brink's Dutch-Afrikaans play By die Tande Dokter (1905).

C.J.V. (PRETORIA)

The first CJV to be founded in 1883 ***

C.J.V. (WARMWATER)

One of the busiest organisations in the Oudtwhoorn district, dominated by the Meiring family, they performed a number of plays in Afrikaans and English. These include adaptations such as My nooi se naam is Sarie Takhaar ("My girlfriend's name is Sarie Backvelder" - 1907) by AV, Die Haarlintjie ("The Hair Ribbon"), The Selfish Schoolteacher (1914) by J.H.H. de Waal (?), and original plays such as Grootpratery ("Boasting") by Jacob van Rooyen, Een Paar Broeivogels ("A pair of breeding fowls") by "Hendrik" (H.A. Joynt?), and (possibly) Geschiedenisrykkunde by Michel and Gritha Meiring. (Binge, 1969, 43) [TH]

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