IN THE NEWS

Te Ao Hou, July 1955, Page 61

IN THE NEWS Two scholarships are available this year to Maori boys and girls to enable them to take advantage of American Field Service International Scholarships for study in the United States. The scholarships are open to Maori boys and girls who will be over 16 and under 18 on September 1, 1955. The Ngarimu Scholarship Fund Board is donating one scholarship, and the Hereheretau Soldiers' Fund the other. The scholarships are sufficient to cover the cost of fares to and from the United States, and also clothing and pocket money there. The American Field Service scholarships cover the cost of a year's secondary school education in the United States, and board and lodging. * * * The part that Maori students are playing in the sporting life of the three North Island Teachers' Training Colleges was much in evidence at the colleges' triangular sports tournament held in Wellington late in March. Maoris were particularly prominent in the softball events; and in the successful Wellington college's women's softball team two-thirds of the members were Maoris. The team, captained by E. Hauraki, beat Ardmore 30–7 to give the Wellington college its biggest win of the tournament. Community development was the subject of a largely attended meeting held at Nuhukau (near Taupo) last April. Mr T. T. Ropiha and numerous other officials were present as was the Mayor of Taupo, Mr J. E. Story and a number of social welfare workers. The meeting discussed various improvement schemes: the adoption of a village plan; the subdivision and individualisation of titles to make new building possible; the construction of Maori Housing Scheme homes; power and water supply installation and so forth. Many speakers also discussed moral and spiritual topics. * * * It is rumoured that a party of thirty Tahitians may be visiting New Zealand to study what Maoris are doing in agriculture. The progress made by Maori farmers might provide an inspiration to the islanders. * * * Mr Roi Te Punga, M.A., Dip. Soc. Sc., has been appointed Auckland regional probation officer, where he will be in charge of all probation work in the Auckland metropolitan district. * * * A meeting of the Kati-Otautahi Maori Youth Club of Christchurch was attended by more than three hundred people. Maori items were performed and money raised for the ultimate aim of building a marae in Christchurch.