Te Awamutu Lions Club 60th anniversary cake. Photo / Supplied
Te Awamutu Lions Club 60th anniversary cake. Photo / Supplied
The Covid pandemic and lockdowns meant the Te Awamutu Lions Club was unable to celebrate its 60th anniversary in 2021.
However, on Sunday, June 25, a large group of local Lions club members, with partners and guests from supporting clubs, spent an enjoyable lunch and afternoon at Rosenvale reminiscing a proud history of over 60 years of service to the local community.
Te Awamutu gained its first Lions club, initially with 34 members, on August 5, 1961, when newly-elected club president Syd Hilditch was formally presented with the Lions Club Charter document by Lee Dunbar, president of the Hamilton Host Lions Club.
Ken Huberts (left), Te Awamutu Lions Club new member and Brendan Hand, Te Awamutu Lions Club president. Photo / Supplied
Early fundraising projects included such activities as Mystery Envelope competitions, walkathons, beard-growing competitions, and float parades. Soon the club quickly became involved in major construction projects throughout the area.
In the 1960s: The gates and building additions to the Te Awamutu Sports Stadium, school bus shelters, moving the Little Theatre Building to its current site.
In the 1970s: The original Te Awamutu Swimming Pool, on Anzac Green.
In the 1980s: The i-Site Centre Public Relations Office, Mahana Lane Reserve Playground, Centennial Park.
In the 1990s: Expansion of the i-Site Centre Public Relations Office.
Since 2000: Castleton Park Playground, John Berry Memorial Playground, Te Awamutu Community Health Shuttle Building.
Two of the largest and most ambitious projects undertaken by the club involved the construction of the Te Awamutu Eventide home, now known as Freeman Court, and the restoration of the Climax 1317 train.
In May 1967, Te Awamutu mayor at the time, Ned Freeman, promoted the plan to build an Eventide home in the town and decided to involve the Lions club. In turn, the town and surrounding rural district got behind the undertaking which culminated three years later with the opening of the Te Awamutu Eventide home.
At the time, the venture was believed to have been the biggest single project completed by any Lions club anywhere in the world and in recognition of this achievement, the club received an award from the Lions International president, W.R. Bryan, who travel to Te Awamutu to open the home.
Lions International president, W.R. Bryan (left) with Te Awamutu Club president Mr R. Mason after unveiling the plaque to commemorate the efforrs of the people and Lions Club of Te Awamutu. Photo / Supplied
Initially, the home opened with 25 beds. But demand for the type of accommodation offered resulted in the Lions club completing the Bryant wing, providing an additional 15 beds in 1975, then subsequent major additions in December 2001.
When Te Awamutu Lions Cub was approached by the Waipā District Council in 2003 to see if they were interested in restoring the Climax B number 1317 locomotive, they jumped at the chance.
After transporting logs from a Ngaroma Timber Mill and working in the Arohena area since the 1940s, the train was retired from service and sited in the Te Awamutu Memorial Park where it was used as a children’s play area until 2003.
Because of the deterioration of the train, it became no longer safe for children to climb on. The Te Awamutu Lions Club accepted the challenge of restoring it, so it could be placed on permanent display as a historical asset for our community.
The project, which has involved over 12,000 hours of work, $300,000 of grant money and donations; countless discounts and free use of tools and equipment provided by local businesses, is now complete.
On September 18, 2022, the restored locomotive was formally handed back to the Waipā District Council.
The Climax 1317 train after restoration and before it was returned to the Waipā District Council. Photo / Supplied
In the mid-1970s Te Awamutu Lions Club began their annual fundraising activity of selling barbecued food from a tent at the National Fieldays. By the end of the 1970s, the club had purchased a KaiKart caravan, which has been taken to each year’s National Fieldays at Mystery Creek.
Taking the KaiKart to Fieldays annually is the club’s major fundraising activity, with the nearly $1 million of funds raised over the past 40 years being used by the Te Awamutu Lions Club to support worthy community causes in the local area.
Te Awamutu Lions Club in the KaiKart serving food to people at the Fieldays in 1982. Photo / Supplied
While the menu may have changed slightly over the years, the staple lines are still hot dogs, chips, pies, toasted sandwiches and cold drinks. Each year nearly 1.25 tonnes of chips, 4000 hotdogs, 500 toasted sandwiches, and 500 hot pies are served, along with almost 3000 cold drinks. Of course, there are many litres of tomato sauce to go with the hotdogs and chips.
To achieve this output, a band of Te Awamutu Lions, assisted by members of other local Lions clubs, toiling tirelessly from 7am to 5pm each day of Fieldays.
Sometimes, especially around lunchtime, there are often two or three queues of up to 20 people waiting to be served and, during these periods, the heat is really on.
Having received its own Lions Club Charter in 1961, Te Awamutu Lions Club has been involved in “spreading the word” and supporting the establishment of other Lions clubs in the local area, such as:
Ohaupo-Ngahinapouri Lions Club - chartered April, 1977.
Mt Pirongia Lions Club - chartered November 1979.
Te Awamutu Pakeke Lions Club - chartered September 1981.
Te Awamutu Rosetown Lions Club - chartered June 1992.
The club is now continuing this trend by supporting the reactivation of a Lions club in the Kāwhia area.
The anniversary celebrations were combined with the Change of Officers function. Immediate Past District Governor Suez Reid confirmed the new officers (president Brendan Hand, vice president Robert Greenwood, secretary Alan Taylor and treasurer Chris Johnstone) for the new Lions year. New member Ken Huberts (transferring in from Gisborne Wainui Lions Club) was also formally welcomed to the club.
The focus at Te Awamutu Lions Club is service to the community, there is also a strong emphasis on fun and fellowship.
During the anniversary celebrations, a number of slideshow presentations were displayed about the club’s activities over the past 60 years, which showed that members have experienced plenty of fun activities, social occasions, light-hearted incidents and social times together with a great deal of pride in seeing the community benefits from the achievements of the Lions club.
The quote on the 1961 charter programme sums it up well - “he achieves success when he lives well, laughs often, and loves much!”
