Greater Hastings Annual Meeting Minutes 1970

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF GREATER HASTINGS INC. HELD IN THE COUNCIL CHAMBERS HASTINGS AT 8.00 p.m. ON WEDNESDAY 12TH AUGUST 1970.
(ORIGINAL MEETING SCHEDULED FOR 29TH JULY 1970   ABANDONED FOR LACK OF QUORUM).

PRESENT   –   THIRTY-THREE members, His Worship The Mayor of Hastings and the Secretary were in attendance.

APOLOGIES   –   Were received from Messrs. Pinfold, Agnew, G. Scott, D. McKay, Lindstrom and Mrs. R. Galbraith – sustained (Christieson/King)

WELCOME TO HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR – The President warmly welcomed Mr. Giorgi to the meeting.

MINUTES OF THE PREVIOUS MEETING – Were read by the Secretary and confirmed as an accurate record   –  (Robertson/Hannon)

MATTERS ARISING   –   No discussion.

PRESIDENTS REPORT   –   The President’s report was as follows:

In presenting the 20th Annual Report of the Greater Hastings Inc., it would reasonably appear that the past year has seen our organisation ‘Turning the corner’ into a period of rejuvenation.

After an immense and successful year in 1968/9 when staffing problems created a most difficult situation for all involved in Greater Hastings, the need for a full-time Secretary/Organiser became evident and to this end an appointment was made in November, 1969.

It is with pleasure I have to report that we feel fortunate in having appointed Mr. Dick Crack to take over the duties of Secretary/Organiser and look forward to a very pleasant association with him in the years to come.

In terms of finance, the year now concluding was most satisfactory. Whilst the overall profit was only slightly lower than the year preceding, it has been possible to put the Society’s financial activity on to an even keel, and the provision of an interest bearing Investment account is a small beginning towards solvency for the future. With the realisation that Greater Hastings has been fundamentally involved with two Annual promotions, each extremely dependent on weather for complete success, and that this state of affairs allowed no flexibility within the Organisation to offer further worth-while promotions, regular income was a matter of mere chance.

Therefore, your Executive has been looking to their implication in some business venture which could provide the ‘bread and butter’ for its very existence, thereby removing to some extent at least, the utter dependence on the vagaries of the weather.

Other fundamental changes in procedure have also been considered, and whilst no definite proposals have been yet accepted it would seem possible that we could translate our basic ideals to ‘make Hastings Greater’, by looking at a situation where we retain our Highland Games and thereafter involve ourselves in more numerous promotions which could include a modified and perhaps simplified form of Blossom Festival. By this means it could be possible to provide a far wider series of activities throughout each year, but independent of a complete reliance on good weather for our total income.

For the present, it seems that confidence in Greater Hastings is becoming most apparent, from all sections of our community, and thus despite some differences of opinion recently aired, we anticipate a growth of enthusiasm and an increasing degree of co-operation from all sectors of our community.

BLOSSOM FESTIVAL, 1969

A complete change of format of the 1968 Festival was continued in 1969 with great success. The H.B. Science Fair this year has almost twice as many exhibits as in the previous year which created a much greater interest to the public generally, our thanks go to all concerned for its success. The Arts and Crafts Fair was a very popular

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innovation together with the primary schools Art Exhibition. The Ballroom Dancing Championships proved most successful both financially and socially thanks to the many helpers for their untiring work.

An “Evening in Fantasy” staged by the teachers and pupils of the Hastings dancing schools was a very enjoyable and profitable evening. The proceeds were donated to the Fantasyland Development Trust and I would like to thank all who participated, for its success. The Mystery Envelope Raffle was a little disappointing – this was due to the lack of sellers as most of our personnel were taken up with other duties of the Blossom Festival itself.

The Flower Girl contest once again was most successful and I would like to thank all those girls who participated and in particular the people of Hastings for their loyal support. The profits from this contest enabled us to donate 2 television sets to the Hastings Memorial Hospital. I would like to congratulate our Blossom Queen Miss Jeanette Tinney and her two Princesses who have carried out their duties so willingly at all times and in particular to Jeanette and Sue Harvey, our 1968 Blossom Queen, who travelled both within New Zealand and overseas, and who ably represented Hastings wherever they went.

We are sincerely grateful for a substantial sponsorship towards Miss Sue Harvey’s trip to Japan and to those who sponsored towards Jeanette Tinney’s trip to Australia.

The Festival overall was a financial success which was due to those civic-minded citizens who either assisted us financially or gave their time so readily. I would like to thank everyone concerned for the financial assistance once again offered for the street decorations, and to all those who decorated their business premises, the firms who sponsored the decoration of the street arches, also those who decorated floats and supplied vehicles for the procession. To Mrs. Galbraith and her ladies for the untiring work on decorations and last but by no means least our special thanks to the City Council, to departmental heads and staff, the Police and Transport Department for their willingness to assist at all times.

HIGHLAND GAMES 1970

There is little doubt that in terms of attendance at least, these games were as good if not better than any earlier attempted.

Highland Games as an Easter attraction is undoubtedly now nationally accepted, and from past lessons learned, and from stream-lining systems employed, has become a fairly standardised promotion which will stand little change in future years, beyond a maintenance of past standards and the inclusion of varying spectator entertainments from year to year.

There is no question that the interest and co-operation shown by those sporting bodies allied to Greater Hastings at Easter is of vital importance to the success of our Games. Without the truly magnificent organisation of our co-operating sports bodies most of our efforts would be in vain. Further through the active generosity of our sponsors, it was possible to supplement our Games in 1970 with new material now appearing destined to become part of our heritage for years to come. Not least among these was our venture into caber-tossing, made possible by out-of-town sponsors, and the visit of Arthur Rowe, the reigning World Champion in this sport.

With National Selectors on hand, our fields in most sports included in the Games, saw our presentation of the majority of the Commonwealth Games team subsequently chosen to travel to Edinburgh.

To all the other sporting groups who attended and to our guests and visitors, go our sincere thanks for jobs well done and for such friendly responses to our invitations.

Last but by no means least, the weather was perfect and no doubt a vital contributing factor to our overall success this year.

CHRISTMAS ACTIVITIES

The small but dedicated band of volunteers who worked over the holiday period produced results in terms of enjoyment to many sections of our community and to holiday visitors.

Father Christmas and the Hastings Fire Brigade again travelled through town on Christmas Eve, and to the Hospital on Christmas morning. My personal thanks to all those stalwarts who made this possible.

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In Windsor Park we again staffed the Information Centre for several weeks and provided entertainment each night to the camp visitors. Fancy dress parades, concerts, dancing, bands and sports all had their place to make this Park a bumper holiday centre.

However, we question the validity of Greater Hastings’ implication in this Park for future years, on the grounds that perhaps our efforts could be put to better use for our own citizens rather than to visitors alone.

For this and future years we have in mind a much wider diversification of activities to be enjoyed by citizens and visitors alike, and we sincerely hope innovations we are considering will meet with approval of all.

CHRISTMAS CONCERT

In conjunction with many willing citizens, we were able to present a Concert with a dual theme of Christmas and Mankind, and the Save the Children Fund put a vast amount of work into a promotion which filled our Municipal Theatre.

Our grateful thanks for this wonderful effort.

FINANCE AND ADMINISTRATION

The profit this year shown in the income and expenditure account is a little lower than last year, brought about by the balance of the 1968 Queen’s trip to Japan of $700, which was paid in this financial year, and the spending of $400 on Blossom Festival promotion for 1970-71 year.

A drive will be conducted over the next few months to increase our membership to a more realistic figure, which will help to provide an assured income and thereby give greater financial stability to our Organisation.

THANKS

To all who have in any way large or small, helped us to help Hastings, may I offer my most sincere thanks.

If any particular reference should be made, it may be pertinent to thank the business houses, Organisations and Citizens of our City who through their generosity, effort and co-operation have made Greater Hastings look again into the face of its people with the resolve that, come what may, it will forge ahead for as long as it is physically able, and trust that the community will move with it to ever more spectacular achievements in years to come.

FINANCIAL REPORT   –   Treasurer Mr. R. King was called upon and duly outlined the Annual Financial Report for the year 1969-70. Questions were asked and answered by The Treasurer.
RESOLVED that the Annual Balance Sheet be adopted
(Long/Christieson)

NOMINATIONS FOR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 1970-71   –   As only the number of nominations as required by the Constitution were received, the following Officers were declared elected :

PRESIDENT   K. C. Hulena
VICE PRESIDENT   J. Lindstrom
EXECUTIVE    G.W. Kearns (Immediate Past President)
Mrs. P. Atkins
T. J. Baker
K. V. Christieson
R. Drieberg
I. Galbraith
G. Hannon
B. Lloyd
A.N. Muir

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NOTICES OF MOTION   –   1.   “That Greater Hastings Incorporated raise the Annual membership subscription in terms of the present day economic situation and rising costs”. (King/Lindstrom)
The motion was put, discussed and on a voice count, was CARRIED.
The Secretary advised that a recommendation of the Executive Committee sub-committee on subscriptions, from Minutes dated 8.7.70, was that “The Annual subscription be increased to $3.00.”
RESOLVED ‘That the Executive Committees recommendation of an increase in Annual subscription to $3.00 be accepted.’ (Hannon/Kearns)
2.   That section 8 (d) of the Constitution of Greater Hastings Inc. be deleted and the following sub-section be substituted therefore :
“That the annual subscription be determined from time to time by the Society in General Meeting”. (Hannon/Crack).
This motion was withdrawn, after discussion, with the approval of the proposer and seconder of the motion.

HIS WORSHIP THE MAYOR   In thanking the President for his welcome to this meeting, Mr. Giorgi offered congratulations to the Executive and members for a year well spent. He offered his apologies for his failure to due illness to call a meeting of Council Retailers and Greater Hastings to discuss co-operation, but affirmed that Hastings needed a greater degree of co-operation from the business and professional elements, from the fruit-growers and farmers, all of whom derived benefit from the efforts, over the years, of Greater Hastings. His Worship stated that some people held the view that they received no such benefit, but this view, said Mr. Giorgi, was untrue. He suggested that Greater Hastings should keep going, cracking hard and with a good year, and good weather, financial gain and increased impetus must be expected.

His Worship offered the thanks of the City Council for the efforts of Greater Hastings and promised their assistance to keep Greater Hastings ‘on the map’.

Mr. Giorgi then gave a brief resume of the history of Greater Hastings, the changes for good within the city and District since it was formed, and noted that thousands of people had been, as a result, brought into the District for the ultimate good of the people of Hastings generally. He offered a strong appeal for help to Greater Hastings from all, from individuals and from Groups – Co-operation, he said, was a necessity to enable all to pull together for our ultimate good.

PRESIDENT’S THANKS   –   The President offered his thanks to His Worship for his enthusiasm and co-operation towards Greater Hastings.

GENERAL BUSINESS   –   1.   The Secretary was called upon to elaborate on the Blossom Festival programme for 1970.
2.   Discussion ensued on an alleged ‘wet-weather complex’ appearing to be held by the Executive of Greater Hastings. This was answered by the President and by the Treasurer.

THANKS TO CITY COUNCIL   –   The President offered his thanks to the Council for the use of their chambers for this meeting.

CLOSURE   –   There being no further business the meeting closed at 9.35 p.m.