Author: Diane

35th AGM 24 August 2023

A very successful AGM was held at the Presbyterian Church Hall in Church St, with 50 folk attending and 15 apologies received!

It was great to have such a mix of members attend and even before the meeting was formally underway neighbours and passersby were commenting on the noise from the hall.

The usual AGM processes and topics were efficiently dealt to with the many highlights of the past year outlined in the Presidents report.

For everyone’s information the Officers and Committee were elected as follows

President Phil Keene
Vice President John Gardiner
Secretary/ Treasurer Jenni Wright
Communications Officer Ross Davies
Committee Jay Devlin, Jan Butcher, Karen McInnes, Pam Cocks, Barbara Shackell, Graeme Souter.

Jill Dodd has resigned from the committee as Past President and her contribution was highlighted in the Presidents report. Thanks again Jill for everything you have done and do for us.

The President outlined the approach taken by the Committee to confer life memberships on four members. The process outlined in the paragraph 4 (e) of the constitution was read, and then citations and presentations were read and made for Betty and Jim Finnie, Lester Harvey and Neil Morrison. It is worth recording these on our website, both for ‘history’ as well as allowing those members not present to share in the celebration.

Betty and Jim Finnie: Presented by Vice President John Gardiner

“I have the pleasure of presenting two Life Memberships at once. These two people are both icons of the club, individually and especially collectively. Like tramping boots and gators, woolly hats and gloves, they complement each other, and just go together. Betty and Jim joined the Taieri Recreational Tramping Club in 2011, and in the 12 years since, our members have enjoyed their company on well over 100 tramps and hikes. Often, they have led and organized outings, sometimes going to great lengths to enable members to enjoy themselves. For example, Jim purchased a new chain saw, and organized a scrub clearing day prior to a hike. On another occasion, Jim and Betty left a ladder for members to use crossing a fence, and after all crossed the fence, went back days later to collect it. I’m told they’ve collectively, of their own volition, done many exploratory recces for new hikes and tramps, even taking Jim’s home built electric bikes partway up Government Track! Always in support, Betty, a little bird told me, even irons Jim’s pyjamas, and I remember her on the North Taieri hike, complete with a jangly pack on her back, running downhill, when she heard Jim was struggling with a crook leg!

Ladies and gentlemen, please congratulate Jim and Betty.”

Lester Harvey: Presented by Past President Jill Dodd

”Lester Harvey is currently our oldest active member of the Taieri Recreational Tramping Club .He has been a member of the club for 15 years , on the committee 2014-18 along with being on the trip planning committee during that time .Lester is not so active at the moment as he is caring for his wife who is now wheel chair bound .That doesn’t stop this ingenious pair. Lester has adapted the wheelchair to carry the shopping bags on behind and a wooden addition between the back wheels to make negotiating foot path to road crossing a little easier saving jarring Daphne. They are often seen moving along the Mosgiel streets at a good pace and quite some distance from home! Lester is a dab hand in the kitchen often sharing his recipes with others. He opted to make his 90th birthday cake to be shared with the members in attendance at the Momona Hall a couple of years back .Lester is a local Taieri ‘lad’ so has many connections and knowledge of local walking trails which has been used to our advantage.

Once Lester retired, he didn’t just sit down so in 1996 he became the co-ordinator of the beautification of the rail corridor between Riccarton Rd along to Wingatui, 5kms. It had been very much an eyesore. 100s of man hours and 8 years later it was completed and known as Lester’s Pride- a plaque on the corner of Gladstone Rd South and Gordon Rd sits on the grass verge. Unfortunately the area from Gladstone Rd North is all that basically remains today. In recognition Lester was granted the 1st Fonterra Environmental award in 2008 for his labour of love.

Lester just doesn’t know how to stop; he still not only looks after his own garden but plants out neighbourhood gardens starting with the rotary hoeing stage. He stated just the other day he has 18 different vegetables either in the garden or freezer and the only vegetable he hasn’t given a go at growing in our more southern conditions is the Kumera. Bees have always been his passion and when taking off the honey a lot was given to the Taieri High (as it was known years ago) with the proceeds going to fund raisers for the school.

2010 saw Lester presented with the Queens Service Medal for community services. Lester has his faithful push bike that he is often seen biking around Mosgiel on. Even when he comes out hiking with us he arrives on the bike, leaving it unlocked for the day at the car park. Without any hesitation he swings a leg over the bar and away he bikes, no wobbling!

It is my pleasure to present Lester with his Life Membership of the
Taieri Recreation and Tramping Club 2023.”

Neil Morrison: Presented by President Phil Keene

“I have the pleasure of presenting a life membership award to Neil.

Neil joined the club in 2012 and as well as serving on the committee for four years Neil has organised a great many trips, many in the more challenging range, but as time moves on we see pictures of Neil in the write up for the trip 12 April 2023 proudly demonstrating his wonderful train network and collection when the walkers led by Carole, called in for morning tea and coffee, and I note that often the trip write ups were signed by Morrison and Morrison.

Neil has a presence that commands respect and his comment is always based on deep experience from someone who has done the hard yards and enjoys being in the wide-open spaces. He has a dry, often telling sense of humour.

Since joining the club Neil has in parallel been involved in the maintenance of walking tracks west of Flagstaff. We estimate that Neil has undertaken about 150 days of work, mostly with machines in his hands. His organisational and safety skills are to the fore, never more so when we have the flax clearing days. At times participants look to get a ride with him on his tray or quad, other times not!

This work enables the enjoyment of the tracks by the general public but also reflects positively back on the club and is recognised by the DCC, DOC and others.

I have invited comment on the award by Graeme Elliot from the Green Hut Track Group.

“The Green Hut Track Group is extremely pleased to be able to add support to the acknowledgement and Award of a Life Membership to Neil Morrison to the Taieri Recreational Tramping Club. The Green Hut Track Group first came across Neil, all on our hands and knees along with quite a number of like-minded people (both TRTC Club and Green Hut Track Group members), while trying to relocate the Whare Flat, Possum Busters Track, after the “Big Snow of June 2013”. Very fond memories!

Since that time, Neil and Arthur Heenan have been “commanders” of the Whare Flat Walking Track system. Neil has been my “main” contact for the past 10 years. It has always a pleasure to work with him. He is a superb person, he is stoic, he always has a huge smile on his face and just loves his involvement and fun with everything he does. The Green Hut Track Group is extremely proud to acknowledge Neil as a Member. Congratulations Neil the award is well deserved.

Best Wishes Graeme Elliot Coordinator Green Hut Track Group”

Ladies and gentlemen please congratulate Neil on this life membership award.”

In Neil’s absence Carole accepted the award on his behalf.

Halo Project: Jonah Kitto-Verhoef

Once we had the computers sorted Jonah the Operations Pest Manager provided an overview of the organisational structure that focuses on working with communities across 4 areas, predator free zones, forest habitat restoration, from source to sea and seabird habitat restoration. It soon was very clear that extensive skill sets and passion for the job was required! Jonah demonstrated the extensive concentration of trapping systems and methodologies with predator free zones surrounded by large buffer zones. Jonah demonstrated different trap types and when and how they are used to the best outcomes; he acknowledged there is a ‘dark side’ to the work. Much of what Jonah demonstrated is on the Halo Project website https://www.haloproject.org.nz/predator-free and this includes resource info sheets for groups and individuals. Clive Crossman thanked Jonah for his talk and presented a donation from the club for the Halo Project’s work.

Thank you again to everyone who contributed to a successful AGM and we look forward to another great years walking and talking and …….

Phil Keene

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