COMMUNITY LIFE

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LX, Issue 18068, 20 April 1933, Page 11

COMMUNITY LIFE

HOST OF ORGANISATIONS NEARLY 200 IN GISBORNE Tho average human being seems to have a mania for forming boards, associations and clubs, electing chairmen and committees, and compiling by-laws and rules to control all his affairs and pastimes. The result is a host of clubs and bodies which go in for the reading of minutes and all the rest of the formality with which English-speaking people invest even the most trivial meetings. One to every 75 of the population is roughly the proportion of organisations of a public, semi-public, sporting, religious and social nature in a 'Community even as small as that of this district An organisation of some sort caters for the interests and amusement of almost every individual, and probably there is not one member of the community who can say that he or she does not belong to something or other. There are so many organisations in the different spheres of activity that it is almost impossible to give a cbmplete list, but the total must approximate 200, excluding business companies and mushroom associations and clubs which flourish for a season or two and then become defunct.

For example, there are between 35 and 40 bodies of a semi-public nature with headquarters in Gisborne. These can be divided into several groups—the school boards and committees, farmers’ organisations, charitable institutions, councils and associations controlling the affairs of the native population, and others such as the Returned Soldiers’ Association, the New Zealand League, unemployment and relief committees, the Legion of Frontiersmen, Competitions Society, Women’s Institute, St. John Ambulance, the Navy League, and a variety of social welfare organisations. Public bodies number nine, comprising the Borough Council, Cook County Council, Harbor Board, Power Board, Hospital Board, High School Board, River Board, Domain Board, and Rabbit Board.

In the realm of sport there are about 30 controlling bodies, "but with many of tlieso there are upwards of a dozen clubs affiliated, so that it could safely be said that there are at last 90 organisations coming under the heading of sport. Twelve teams are affiliated with the Rugby Union, for feXample, and the Football Association, Basketball Association, Cricket Association, Hockey Association, and other controlling bodies arc similarly situated. Then there are poultry and pigeon clubs, the Rowing Association, Lawn Tennis Association, Rifle Club, Dog Trial Association, Aero Club, referees’ and umpires associations, amateur and professional athletic clubs, tho Y.M.C.A., Rowing Association, Kennel Club, Health Club, Automobile Association agency, swimming clubs, bowling clubs, and many others. In the political world there are tho Labor Party, Unemployed Workers’ Movement, Reform League, New Zealand Alliance, United Association, and L. V. Association, while in tho town also religious denominations and organisations such as the Ministers’ Association and St. Vincent de Paul Society make up about a score. Social organisations include the Poverty Bay, Gisborne, and Cosmopolitan clubs, the various lodge fraternities, Women’s Club, women’s guilds, Mothers’ Union, Chess Club, South African Veterans’ Association, Scottish Society, and various social clubs attached to the churches, a grand total df About 20.

Under a seventh heading of trades and professions may be mentioned the British Medical Association, Law Society, Architects’ Institute, Accountants’ Association, Opticians’ Institute, Pharmacy Institute, various trades and employees’ unions, Employers’ Association, Grocers’ Association, Retailers Association, and Motor Merchants’ Assdclationf. ", „ ‘