Hoe-o-Tainui Tennis Club: Formed in 1928, The Hoe-o-Tainui Tennis club must rank as the district’s senior sporting and social club. It has been linked closely with the school ever since its inaugural meeting decided to lay two hard courts in the school grounds. Convenor of that first meeting on March 10 1928 was Mr a McHardy. His estimate of the cost was £56, of which £20 would be provided in subsidy by the Education Department. Foundation subscriptions were set at £2.2s. for men, to cover the first two playing seasons and 15 s per season for women. This gave sufficient funds to proceed with the project. It was agreed to lay concrete courts in the corner by the store and to level and re-grass the area behind them for a football field. The following works committee was appointed: President: Mr McHardy: Secretary: Mr C W Kendon: Committee: Messrs C G Stewart, A E Harrison, H N Reeve, S Griffiths, H C Williams. Other foundation members were – Messrs S A Carr, B L Orr, E B Elliott, L Mohring, C F Thompson, W Collins Mrs C F Thompson, Misses I Thompson and M D Morrison. Some hitches inevitably occurred and in September a letter from the Auckland Education Board said that because the average attendance of the school was fewer than 50, a subsidy could not be granted for a tennis court. However, favourable consideration would be given to an application for a £20 toward asphalting an assembly area. Undeterred, the tennis club pressed on with concreting one court. The first working bee was held on October 6, 1928, and continued daily as weather permitted. One month later, Mr McHardy reported to a combined meeting of the club and school committee that one concrete court was laid. The Education Board’s approval of a £20 subsidy prompted the decision to proceed immediately with a second court. Itemised costs for laying the courts are of interest. Nearly 7 ½ tons of cement cost £46.5s; six rolls of netting £5.5s; timber for fence and seats £5.8s.; to cart shingle from Mr Stewart’s pit £8; one drum of Laykold £3.12.6d The total expenditure in that first season was £71.17s.9d., the club finished with a debit balance of £4.8s.10d. At the second annual meeting held on February 15, 1929, life membership was conferred upon the foundation president, Mr McHardy, who continued in office until 1939. The only other life member of the club is Mrs Patricia Price (nee Pike), elected in 1964. At the 1929 meeting, Mr S Austin Carr was elected patron of the club, a position he held until 1951. His name is perpetuated in the Austin Carr Cup, contested annually by clubs in the Mangawhara Tennis Association. The courts were resurfaced in 1932. These were depression days and J J Craig Ltd had to wait until the end of the season to be paid for a second barrel of Laykold. Subscriptions were reduced to 10s for men and 5s for women and the club operated on a very tight budget. The balance sheet of 1934 showed a loss of 2s.3d. but the secretary explained to the annual meeting that the club had been put to big expense in ploughing and levelling the school paddock. Cost of the work was £3.15s. Through the thirties the tennis club continued as a point of social contact for many district residents. The first full year of war saw no play on the Hoe-o-Tainui courts, but in 1941 the club was reopened. Popular dances augmented the funds through the forties and early fifties, enabling the club to make donations toward building the Hoe-o-Tainui hall and to the school. In 1951, cups were presented for the men’s and women’s championships by Mr V Laurent and Mrs N Roberts, respectively. The Miedema Cup replaced the Laurent Cup in 1964, but the Roberts Cup is still at stake. Other trophies contested by club members are the Toru Puna Cup presented by Mr and Mrs J Hedley for handicap singles; the Hapuakohe Cup presented by Mr and Mrs J Clarke for junior singles; and the Pike Cup presented by Mr E Pike for the junior handicap event. The courts had a facelift in the 1957-58 season, when they were resealed, and in the 1959-60 season the netting and posts were renewed. A concrete volley board and a new umpire’s stand were added in 1965. Disaster struck the following year in the form of a major flood that lifted the sealed surface and wrecked the road fence. Members finished the season by playing out the championships on he Tahuna courts. After much negotiation with the South Auckland Education Board and the school committee, the courts were resealed in January 1967. The tennis club, assisted by a board subsidy, replaced the road fence with a permanent pipe and netting fence and also prepared the courts for sealing. Six days after the courts were officially reopened another flood hit the Hoe-o-Tainui district, again rendering the courts unfit for play. Fortunately, the damage was less severe and after a big clean up the courts were dressed with fine sealing chips to restore the playing surface. His season, to coincide with the school’s Jubilee, the tennis club is replacing the three old post and netting fences with permanent materials at a cost of approximately $475. Throughout its 47 years, the tennis club has enjoyed a happy relationship with the school committee and the original siting of the courts in the school grounds has proved of benefit to school and club and to the district as a whole. Mrs I J Clarke Hoe-o-Tainui Hall On March 8, 1934, a meeting was held in the Hoe-o-Tainui school under the Chairmanship of Mr J Laing, at which it was proposed that a Public Hall be built in Hoe-o-Tainui. A committee was formed comprising: Chairman: J E Laing; Secretary: W J Collins Committee: Messrs L Mohring, W Moss, C E Kendon, F McKeon, and R G Crocombe. It was estimated that the cost of material for a hall 50’ X 25’, including a small kitchen and cloakroom, no stage and no lining, dancing area 40’ X 20’, be approximately £165.0.0. Various activities to raise money were carried out until 1936 when activities apparently lapsed. July 24, 1945 and activities were once more set in motion with the object of building a hall, and proceedings were started to purchase from Mr Robinson the ¼ acre section on which the hall now stands and meetings lapsed in 1948. In 1952 a hall committee comprising: Chairman: J E Laing; Secretary: S Remnant: Committee: Messrs A Dixon, M Mitchell, A G Smith, B Tamati, D Pike, T Proctor and R Dally was elected and it was decided to canvass the district for funds on the basis of dairy farmers 5/- per cow, sheep farmers 6d. per head for sheep – voluntary donation. A meeting was held on the hall site on Saturday April 5 1952, to discuss entrances and culverts and fencing of the hall site. As a result of their activities, the Hoe-o-Tainui Hall was opened on Wednesday 26 November 1952, debt free. From that time on, the hall has been in constant use for district activities. The Table Tennis Club and Indoor Bowling Club were later established and they have flourished. The hall is now incorporated in the Piako County and landholders are rated for the upkeep of this essential district amenity. Alterations and renovations have been carried out and the district now has a hall in which all residents can take pride and which provides the district with a clean, convenient, well-maintained amenity for any local function. Women’s Division -
W.D.F.F. On Tuesday 30 May 1961, a public meeting was held in the Hoe-o-Tainui Hall at 1.00 p.m. to discuss the possibility of forming a branch of the Women’s Division of Federated Farmers in Hoe-o-Tainui. The meeting was convened by Mrs A Clarke and Mrs G Johansen. This resulted in a Branch being formed and the officers elected at the first meeting were: President: Mrs A Clarke; Secretary: Mrs I N Kurtovich; Treasurer: Mrs M A Southee. There were 33 foundation members. Although there is possibly not quite such a “need” for W.D.F.F. in the district, it is still well supported and a lot is done for the district and residents by its members.
School Committee Chairmen and Secretaries. Local Managers 1924 - H M Clothier, 1925 - A E Harrison. Secretary: 1926 - -A McHardy, 1927 – L File 1928 - Chairman: A E Harrison, Secretary: 1931 – E B Elliot, 1933 – R G Crocombe, 1934 – Chairman: A McHardy 1934 – Chairman: W J Collins, Secretary: S G Griffiths, 1936 – R G Crocombe, Secretary 1941 – G F England, 1941 – Chairman: G Anderson, Secretary 1943 – E L Wightman, 1944 – Chairman: D Pike Secretary 1947 – P S Parker, Secretary 1948 – W T Clarke, 1950 – Chairman: E L Wightman 1953 – Chairman: C Honeybun, Secretary: E L Wightman 1955 – Chairman: E T Smith, Secretary: A A Cooper, 1957 – Chairman: A Orr, Secretary: E L Wightman (Deceased 1958) Secretary: 1958 – L T Southee 1959 – Chairman: A B Orr, Secretary: L T Southee 1962 – Chairman: G Hunt, Secretary: S Harris 1964 – Chairman: J N Harris, Secretary: S G Harris 1965 – Chairman: M A Southee, Secretary: S G Harris 1967 – Chairman: W R Harrison, Secretary: S G Harris 1969 – Chairman: W R Harrison, Secretary: D S Clarke 1971 – Chairman: W R Harrison, Secretary: D S Clarke 1973 – Chairman: L W McCabe, Secretary: D S Clarke
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