Community Board Conference

WOW!  That’s what I felt the whole time at this years national community board conference. Meeting lots of lovely people who are doing wonderful things for their communities, devoting their time and energy. Sure we get paid but it barely pays for our petrol, one lady from Auckland reckons she wouldn’t do it for what we get paid. I said “who does it for the money?”

The main topics this year was “YOUTH” but it wasn’t
supposed to be, it evolved. Sam Johnson, the Christchurch Earthquake Student army shovel boy spoke first. He talked about being on his community board for the last three years and how he puts a totally different aspect on things through his eyes.

And lots of energy. Meetings and local politics are boring to him (and a lot of us) so they get him to be there only when he has to, and there is a job to do. Then he’s off to social media organise it all.  He says he’s good at delegating but his father, a local farmer, calls it lazy.

Trevor Johnston, a retired CEO from Riverlands, says he was ‘too thick’ for varsity, and not enough brains to be a surgeon so he went into the meat works. He started as an office boy and worked his way up. He said that we could learn a lot from our older retired people.

He says a lot of these people would just love to be asked. But not for money, for their time, knowledge and expertise. Looking around Martinborough, we have such interesting, diverse people living here, and all for the same reason, the friendly, helpful village atmosphere.

He has helped with a lot of squash then golf clubs. The first thing he asked them is “how many juniors on your committee?” They looked blank and asked “Why do we want youngsters, what do they know about being on a committee?” Well, younger members attract other youths to clubs, which as we all know, are all having trouble with keeping up memberships.

So if you know of any youngster keen to be involved in our community or just have wonderful ideas, please phone or email me ADI MCMASTER 3069,064 or 027 4822 220 E-mail pakohe@infogen.net,nz