SERVICES RENDERED

Te Awamutu Courier, Volume 68, Issue 5931, 17 April 1944, Page 2

SERVICES RENDERED

PRESENTATION TO MR AND MRS WYNYARD LARGE GATHERING PAY TRIBUTES i A large and representative gathering! of town and country residents gathered in the Town Hall on Friday evening to pay tributes of recognition of the services rendered to Te Awamutu and district over a long period of years by Mr and Mrs J. GWynyard. The function took the form of a complimentary evening, and was a departure from the usual type of gathering generally associated with presentations. The Victory Revue Company, under Mr L. W. Spence, provided the entertainment, and the formal presentations were made at the half-time interval. Mr H. A. Swarbrick presided, and associated with him on the platform were the guests of honour, the Deputy Mayor, Mr F. Parsons, the President of the Farmers’ Union, Mr A. E. Bryant, and Mrs Boswell, President of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union. After the party had taken their seats on the platform little Miss Lynette Waters presented Mrs Wyn yard with a dainty posy. The chairman, Mr Swarbrick, said that while they were met to pay a compliment to Mr and Mrs Wynyard, he was glad to say they were not saying farewell for they were still going to live in the district, and he hoped they would still have the benefit of their advice. The function did not mean that Mr Wynyard was retiring from work as to take up the management of a farm could not be called that. He (the speaker) was happy to pay a tribute for words of gratiture were often left unsaid. When the function was being arranged it was decided that there should be only •three speakers. It would have been easy to have had 42 speakers, so that when the three spoke they wanted Mr and Mrs Wynyard to realise that they were speaking for all those others. He spoke on behalf of some institutions not named and those felt as deeply as any other bodies in regard to Mr Wynyard’s services. There was Mr Wynyard’s services to the Vestry of St. John’s Church over a period of 25 years, and during that time he had been a driving force as secretary. When the Diocese of Waikato was formed Mr Wynyard had been appointed Synodsman, and he had risen to the highest position that a layman could aspire to, that of a representative to the General Synod of New Zealand, which was a tribute to his churchmanship. He had been on all local bodies except the County Council. Other organisations had very wisely chosen him as their secretary, and they owed a great deal to him. When the war came and New Zealand was threatened with invasion the Home Guard was formed, and with the military tradition of the Wynyards behind him, Colonel Wynyard and the speaker were called on to form the Waipa Battalion. The Home Guard never got the credit or the encouragement from the Government that they should have got. The good standing of the Waipa Home Guard was due to the good foundations laid by Colonel Wynyard. Had the Japanese come that battalion would have given a good account of themselves. Mr Swarbrick then went on to recount the early experiences of the E.P.S., in which their guest had rendered excellent services. If he (the speaker) was asked what was one of the chief characteristics of Mr Wynyard he would say it was leadership. No quality was more needed to-day than that. Mr Wynyard had risen to the top, and they looked to him for guidance and a plan to take all forward. He felt that whatever work Mr Wynyard did in the future it would be as a leader again. (Applause.) The Deputy Mayor, Mr F. Parsons, after apologising for the unavoidable absence of the Mayor, Mr L. G. Armstrong, who was in Wellington, read the following letter from his Worship:

Would you kindly convey my apologies for my unavoidable absence. Mr Wynyard on his retirement leaves behind him a proud record of good citizenship and community endeavour. He sat on the Te. Awamutu Borough Council from 1921 onwards, and during that period rendered faithful and useful service. In those earlier years of the town’s history, there was no movement afoot which had in view the betterment and progress of the borough and surrounding district, with which Mr Wynyard was not closely associated and in which he always took an intelligent interest. We remember him best as a true gentleman and a sincere friend. It is some cause for gratification that he is not leaving the district, but in terminating his active participation in local affairs I wish, on behalf of the residents of the borough, to express to him our best wishes for his own and his family’s future welfare. In adding his personal tribute Mr Parsons said he had known Mr Wynyard over a long number of years, and he had found him true, honest, and a faithful gentleman. He endorsed the Mayor’s sentiments as well as the remarks of Mr Swarbrick, and he sincerely wished Mr and Mrs Wynyard and family well. (Applause.) Mr A. E. Bryant, President of the Te Awamutu branch of the Farmers’ Union, expressed it an honour to speak on behalf of the country interests. He paid a tribute to Mrs Wynyard, for men who went in for public life knew what they owed to their wives, and "much public work could not be done except for their wives at home. Mr Wynyard was the first President of the Farmers’ Union, and he had been very active in that body He must have had many disappointments therewith. The main objects of the Farmers’ Union was co-opera-tion between town and country, and there was too much drift between those interests, and they should be brought more together. Both had benefited by Mr Wynyard’s work. He had been the force in connection with the Light Horse Association, and in connection with the school committees had put a lot of thought into those bodies. He had been connected

with the Veterinary Association, the Jersey Cattle Club, and numerous other bodies. Though he had received remuneration from some, he had put the job first and the remuneration second. Mr Wynyard was keenly interested in the provision of a greatlyneeded Rest Room in the town, and he hoped it would be an established fact before long. He had been an active leader and if advice had been wanted they knew where to go to get it. He wished Mr and Mrs Wynyard all the best in the world. (Applause.) Mrs R. E. C. Boswell, President of the Women’s Division of the Farmers’ Union, considered it an honour to be asked to make a presentation to the guests. In asking them to accept what she termed a scrap of paper, Mrs Boswell trusted it wouhß bring a measure of comfort and hap-1 piness to them. She handed Mr Wyn-1 yard an envelope containing a cheque. (Applause.) On rising to reply Mr Wynyard was greeted with loud applause. He expressed appreciation of the high honour paid them. They had lived 31 years in the district, and during that time they had been closely associated, sharing with them the sorrows and joys of life. He had seen the town grow from a place without any amenities until to-day it was a flourishing town. He had seen the country emerge from its unbroken state until to-day it was a flourishing district, and further more into one of the best districts in New Zealand. He was proud to have been associated with it. If at the end of 30 years they had the goodwill of the people as the large attendance showed, then they had something that was very precious and something money could not buy. He had only attempted to do his duty as a man and as a citizen, and to have earned the high approval of those people among whom he had lived for 30 years was something of which he was very proud, and which he deeply appreciated. If he had done anything for the betterment of the town and district then that was sufficient thanks. Perhaps he had been fortunate in his upbringing and forbears, for among the cardinal virtues taught him in his young days were the two first duties—to serve God and honour the King. He had been taught, too, to always pay your debts, especially your gambling debts, said Mr Wynyard admist applause and laughter. Continuing, he said that he had been brought up to play to win, and always take a beating like a gentleman. In his early days whole families went to church, and in fact he had dim memories of family prayers. While some may ridicule the church the foundation of character was in the Christian religion and on the lessons tought in the prayer book. They would have to get back to that if they were going to build the brave new world aright. In referring to the speakers’ remarks* Mr Wynyard said he felt that they must be wrong for the good people died young. He felt that they had over-emphasised the good qualities of Mrs Wynyard and himself. He had been called the old man for some time, and not always in an affectionate sense.

After referring to the Farmers’ Union (reported in a seperate column) Mr Wynyard paid a high tribute to the Women’s Division of that organisation, and he advised the former to take a leaf out of theii* book. He instanced the cases of his mother and Mrs Harris, senr., as two examples of the pioneer women to whom they all owed so much. They should reverence and remember those pioneer women, and but for their fortitude they would not be in the position they were today.

In referring to the early days of the rabbit boards, Mr Wynyard said that one pair of rabbits in three years produced nine to ten million rabbits, and ten rabbits ate as much as one sheep, so ten million rabbits would eat as much as one million sheep. He shared in the recognition of the importance of rabbit boards.

In again referring to the Farmers’ Union, Mr Wynyard said that when the war was won they would have to win the peace, and the farmers would be called on to provide not only for their depleted Allies, but for the starving foreign countries. There was a big job and a big responsibility, and it would take a strong union to see that the farming community got a fair deal which they were not getting at the moment.

Mr Wynyard concluded by thanking them once again, and by thanking Mr Spence and his company for their splendid entertainment. Mr and Mrs Wynyard were then accorded musical honours and cheers.