Manawatu District Community Honours Awards

MANAWATU District Mayor, Ian McKelvie, presented five Manawatu District
Community Honours Awards, including one joint award, at a ceremony in
Feilding last night (Thursday, December 17).

The annual council-sponsored awards recognise significant contributions to
the community by individuals or groups, and nominees must have carried out
meritorious service in the fields of community service, welfare, sport,
culture, the arts, recreation or education.

The awards were initiated in 1991 and 62 district residents have now been
honoured.

This year's recipients are Mervyn Craw, Ngaire Hancock, Jacqueline Sayers,
Esmae and David Stroud and Christopher Wall.

Mervyn Craw, JP

Few people will have given up so much of their own personal life for their
community as Mervyn Craw, with commitment, leadership and a business
approach indicative of his tireless service to those around him.

Mervyn's community connections began in 1967 when he was elected to the Glen
Oroua School Committee, serving 14 years as its secretary, and then later
becoming the enthusiastic chairman of the school's Centenary Celebrations
Committee. He has also been a long-standing chairman of the Glen Oroua Hall
Committee.

In 1998, when moves were first made to establish a major community building
in Rongotea, Mervyn was one of those instrumental in promoting the idea of
the Te Kawau Recreation Centre. After the Manawatu District Council agreed
to the concept, he canvassed the community to ensure the local funding
target was met and still remains on the building's management committee.

Mervyn is probably best known for his 33 years' service to Local Government,
starting in 1974 with his election to the Manawatu County Council, which
later amalgamated with the Kairanga County Council. He remained a councillor
when the Manawatu District Council was formed in 1989, serving as Deputy
Mayor and as chairman of the Strategic Planning and Policy Committee for
nine years.

His fierce protection of the democratic process has also been evident in
other areas, with the National Party, Federated Farmers and dairy industry
all benefiting from Mervyn's sound debate and judgment. For many years he
has served as a Justice of the Peace, willingly undertaking those duties and
making himself available at all times.

Mervyn Craw's contribution to Glen Oroua, the wider Rongotea community and
Manawatu is impeccable and he thoroughly deserves such honourable
recognition.

Ngaire Hancock

Affectionately dubbed Rangiwahia's "Matriarch", Ngaire Hancock has lived all
of her 80 years in the district, and there would not be one organisation
that hasn't benefited from her knowledge, skill and charisma.

Ngaire's involvement in community affairs began at an early age when she
joined the Girl Guides and became a teenage leader. At age 17 she was a
founding member of the local branch of the Women's Division of Federated
Farmers, later becoming its president and treasurer, and still remains a
keen supporter.

She was also a founding member of the Rangiwahia Garden Club and for the
last 40 years has been actively involved in all its activities, as well as
serving as convenor and treasurer. Ngaire was a member of Plunket for 50
years, an active member of the Methodist Guild, president and joint patron
(with husband Alan) of the Rangiwahia Sports Club, and on the Rangiwahia
Centennial Committee in 1986.

Her contributions are both wide-ranging and varied - a school bus driver for
more than 30 years, chief cook at the Ruahine-Rangiwahia Dog Trials (and
minder of the crockery), a long-term member of the Rangiwahia Hall and
Community Committees (with a particular interest in beautifying the Domain),
an enthusiastic Rangiwahia Reveller and an associate member of the RSA.

Ngaire's passion for the outdoors and gardening is reflected in a 25-year
membership of the Taihape Horticultural Society and as a foundation member,
with Alan, of the Middle Districts Farm Forestry Association. Her knowledge
of plants and their origins has allowed her to develop and enhance Ruapuna
Park, her beautiful five-acre garden and museum that is a unique and
valuable tourist attraction.

Ngaire Hancock continues to involve herself in the community when and where
she can and her wisdom, expertise and presence remain invaluable.







Jacqueline (Jackie) Sayers

A dedicated 40-year service in numerous voluntary activities has enabled
Jackie Sayers to make a substantial contribution to the greater wellbeing of
the Manawatu District.

For more than 10 years Jackie has been an active member of the Social Issues
Network Council of Social Services, as chairperson and its representative to
Safer Manawatu, Strengthening Families, UCOL's Community Education Advisory
Committee and the Welfare Advisory Group. She also served on the organising
committee for the Social Services Expo and in the opening and 10th
anniversary of Community House.

After the 2004 floods, Jackie set up the Manawatu District Community
Response Network, offering advice and assistance where needed, and was
involved with the Feilding and District Advisory Group handling hardship
applications stemming from the storm event.

Jackie has offered a number of counselling courses at the Community Learning
Centre and is a cultural ambassador for Feilding and Manawatu and a
certified ESOL Home Tutor. She regularly visits new migrants in their homes
to assist with their English language and integration into the community.

A founding member of the Feilding and Districts Youth Board, Jackie's
diligence and perceptiveness ensures the organisation remains focused on its
primary objectives. She also spent several years on the grievance panel at
the lower North Island Youth Justice Centre.

Jackie is a Literacy Feilding board member, an active member of the Manawatu
Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers for more than 20 years
(and life member of the national organisation) and formerly on the Wananga O
Aotearoa Advisory Committee for Social Work Programmes. Four years ago she
published a book on the establishment of the Highbury Whanau Centre in
Palmerston North.

She recently joined the Feilding Probus Club and is attending University of
Third Age meetings - so Jackie Sayers is showing no signs of slowing down,
with her pro-active interest and contribution to community activities
expected to blossom even further.





Esmae and David Stroud

Numerous individuals and organisations throughout the Manawatu District have
benefited over many years from the commitment and enthusiastic support
freely given by two outstanding regional "ambassadors", Esmae and David
Stroud.

Loyal Halcombe residents for 40 years, Esmae and David were foundation
members of the town's playcentre, as well as supporting numerous activities
at the local school. David also served 27 years with the Halcombe Volunteer
Fire Brigade (seven as Chief Fire Officer), earning good conduct and long
service medals from the New Zealand Fire Service, and was involved in the
founding of the Halcombe Polocrosse Club and remaining an active participant
for 16 years.



Esmae and David have been with Feilding Promotion since its inception in
1993 and linked to virtually every project since then, starting with the
Great Home Giveaway 15 years' ago. They have willingly become involved in
events such as Rural Day, Settler's Day, Christmas Carnival and the
Fireworks Spectacular, and remain key figures in the Manawatu Garden
Festival, where Esmae has created some of the best landscape design sites.

David, a Manawatu District Councillor for six years, is the main tour guide
for the Feilding Saleyards' tours every Friday and a valuable member and
guide at The Coach House Museum. He also took on the challenging role of
chairing the successful Millennium project - the Feilding Clock Tower.

A member of the Rotary Club of Feilding for 23 years, David's widespread
participation, including a year as president, was recognised by Rotary
International who appointed him a Paul Harris Fellow in appreciation of his
"tangible and significant assistance" to the organisation. A prime mover for
the establishment of the Feilding Civic Centre Trust, David has been a board
member since its inception in 2004.

Feilding Little Theatre has also benefited from the Stroud's wholehearted
input - with Esmae head of properties and wardrobe and David featuring as
performer, set builder and back stage assistant.

Esmae is a former president and active committee member of the Inner Wheel
Club of Feilding, often providing her home and gardens as a venue for
special club occasions, as well as clocking up many years' service with the
Feilding & District Rose Society Inc. and the Feilding & District Floral Art
Group.

This unique joint award to Esmae and David Stroud provides due recognition
to a couple who have dedicated so much of their lives and given so much of
their time for the benefit of the Manawatu community.





Christopher (Chris) Wall

A 50-year plus association with the Kairanga community by Chris Wall has
realised far-reaching benefits that have extended across the Manawatu
District and touched many clubs and organisations.

Chris began his community service in the 1950s with the Kairanga Young
Farmers' Club, serving a term as president, and then later joined the
Manawatu/Rangitikei Federated Farmers as the Kairanga representative. He
remains on the committee after serving as vice president, president and
treasurer and establishing the Don Scott Memorial Trust which provides
tertiary education funding for individuals and groups in the local area.

He is one of the original trustees of the Rural Family Support Trust set up
in the 1980s through Federated Farmers and has given unstintingly of his
time to help where needed. Over the years he has visited stressed families,
helped with accounts and debt restructuring, negotiated with banks to keep
businesses viable and kept liaisons going for weeks, months and years until
people were able to re-establish themselves.

In 1977, Chris joined the Manawatu and West Coast A & P Association, and
became chief beef steward 10 years' later. He has served as vice president
and president, is the current treasurer, and was honoured with Life
Membership last year.

A founding member of the Rotary Club of Takaro, Chris became president in
1976 and has been the recipient of Rotary International's highest award, the
Paul Harris Fellowship. He has been a leading figure in the club's
successful Christmas Tree and Rhododendron fund-raising projects. The latter
entailed the propagation of rhododendrons called "Nepal" after he liaised
with Sir Edmund Hillary, who was delighted to endorse the initiative.

Other community groups to benefit from Chris's wise counsel have been the
Kairanga School and Hall Committees, the Boys' and Girls' Agricultural Club,
Palmerston North Showgrounds Board of Control and the Murray Grey Cattle and
Dorset Down Studs.

Chris Wall's devoted community service is even more remarkable when it is
considered that he also faces day-to-day challenges in running his own large
beef, sheep and cropping unit.