Community Centre for Te Kuiti

Te Ao Hou, April 1955, Page 54

Community Centre for Te Kuiti The Te Kuiti Maori Centre (Te Huinga) is rapidly becoming a community centre in the true sense of the word. It has become the venue for Maori Women's Welfare League, Temperance Union and various other types of meeting, is organizing classes in Maori culture (taniko to be taught by Mrs Tumohe, carving by Mr Eketone Tane), and provides a restroom and dining room for Maoris from the country visiting Te Kuiti. People can make their own cup of tea and the doors are always open. Until 1952, the Hall was owned by the Salvation Army which had dedicated it ‘to the Glory of God’. The Army would only sell it for a religious purpose, and disposed of it to the Methodist Church, which made it into a social, cultural and spiritual centre for the Maori people of Te Kuiti. A deaconess, Sister Grace Clement, lives there and looks after it. A committee which is half Maori and half Pakeha, manages it, under the benevolent chairmanship of Mr Gabriel Elliott. The Centre is, nevertheless, conducted without regard to denomination. Some of the furniture has been donated by the local M.W.W.L. Mr Elliott told Te Ao Hou that although the centre is often left open and unattended, there had never been trouble or wanton breakages.