Eight medal haul for local wrestlers

The wrestling season came to a competitive end with the National Championships held in Tauranga in early October. The Featherston Club team of Duncan Allen-Alloway, Nate George, Wairangi Sargent, Tommy Read & Angus Read came home with four gold and four silvers, an excellent result as the wrestlers competed in multiple age groups and weight categories.

The club enjoyed a dinner at the end of season wind-up, presenting cups to our junior class with Taine Sargent, Archer Coulson, Mania SInclair, Charlie-Marie Sargent and Ashlyn Sargent all recognised for their contribution over the season.

We also lauded Duncan Allen-Alloway who won the BNZ Trophy for Outstanding Sporting Achievement in Senior Sport at Kuranui College.

Lastly we congratulate Angus Read for winning the Greytown Rotary Youth Award for providing inspiration and contribution to his community and Wairangi and Charlie-Marie Sargent who are finalists in the Wairarapa Maori Sports Awards. 

It’s very humbling to see our tamariki recognised by their communities for the hard work they put in and our gratitude as always to our trainers Jeremy Sargent, Randall Hancock & Chris Sargent.  Wishing you all a happy summer sports season and see you back on the mat in mid-March for the 2024 Wrestling season.

Marty Rugby Club winners and grinners

The club doesn’t forget to say a Big Thanks to all its sponsors and supporters of the 2023 season. We look forward to seeing you all in 2024.

Premiers – winners Lane Penn Cup & Hodder Steffert Cups

Reserves – finalists Presidents Cup

Congratulations to all the recipients of our 2023 Awards.

CLUB AWARDS

Taffy Rowlands Memorial Cup (Most Valuable Club Person) –Ana-May Gudsell

Presidents Award –Hatarei Brown

Mac Murray Memorial Cup – Black Mac Marty Hard – Jared Hawkins & Nikau Love

PREMIER AWARDS

Best Forward – Jared Hawkins

Most Improved Forward – Tiawharangi Aranui & Tom Woelders

Mita & Milly Aporo Memorial Cup – Best Back – Shane Colton

Most Improved Back – Michael Buick

Challenge Trophy (Most Enthusiastic Player) – Ty Kahurangi Waight

Wayne Bonis Memorial Cup – Most Points – Tipi Haira

Moose Shield (Most Conscientious Player) – Jonathan Hartnell

Bruce/Brown Cup (Rookie of the Year) – Joseph Gillies

Sandy Chapman Memorial Cup (Most Enthusiastic Junior Player) – Michael Buick & Samuel Twigley

Players Player – Jared Hawkins

RESERVE AWARDS … Continue Reading

Dogs have a short day at the beach

The popular Ngawi campsite has been chosen as the only one of five South Wairarapa beach campsites where dog owners can take their dogs through the coming summer until Easter.

After years of bans on all dogs on its campsites, the South Wairarapa District Council is to open Ngawi Reserve as an experiment.  

At the end of the “open dog door” period, animal control officials will submit a formal report on the impacts, costs and benefits of the trial.

As the council has only two dog control officers, with a large stretch of territory to patrol and police, council officials warned they have insufficient resources to stretch to Ngawi Reserve _ some 63 kilometers from Martinborough, and 136 km from Wellington.

Two local councillors noted their concerns about potential dog attacks at the remote site, but councillors formaly agreed to the five month trial. 

The decision came as part of SWDC adopting a new dog control policy and marked the only significant change.

News from First Church

Hands up all those who will admit to dozing off in the middle of a turgid sermon. Or if not actually snoring in the pew, found their mind wandering about what might be served up for lunch later.

No such aberrant behaviour has been observed at First Church, primarily because of the unrelenting quality of Jim Veitch’s services. And of course the lusty singing.

This month, to further bolster the congregation’s enthusiasm we had the benefit of a lecture from visiting religious academic Professor Joan Taylor. She happens to be a kiwi but has spent much of her distinguished career in the hallowed halls of Harvard Divinity School Kings College London’s Department of Theology and Religious Studies. And more latterly Victoria University and the Australian Catholic University of Melbourne. 

She was therefore eminently suited to talk about her topic and book “Women Remembered – Jesus’ Female Disciples.” 

This sounded as if it could be an equivocal topic to misogynists who might think the role of women as encapsulated in the Bible is limited to a handful of stalwarts like Mary Magdalene, Mary, Martha, Sarah etc. Wrong.

A careful re appraisal of the evidence – biblical texts – especially the archaeological art of depicting  many women undertaking the full range of biblical functions – leads to the conclusion that their role has been gravely understated.

Joan’s supposition is that this minimisation was partly deliberate suppression due to male domination which was the social mores of the day. Emperor Constantine was one of the villains. These fascinating topics of stellar interest to both academics and church goers are under ongoing inspection and revision. 

Last word however goes to Bertie Shooster when he observed, “If the facts change I change my story”. Another Bertie ((Bertrand Russell) said that every grown-up needs to travel sceptically. And finally, if in doubt, try an alternative view of events from Mr D. Trump.

Meantime we applaud the stamina and erudition of Joan Taylor for shining a light on her entirely plausible version of the truth.

Kirk Fair – 25 and 26 November 2023   10 a.m. to 2.p.m. Town Hall, Waihinga Centre

The next item of ecclesiastical excitement is the Kirk Fair, which covers the usual excellent range of cakes, jams and preserves, produce, plants, men’s, and women’s high-end clothing and superior bric a brac, of course. Any donations are most welcome. Please contact Graham Howie 0274474082 or Ronnie Hawkins 06 3069277.