KORARI MAORI WOMEN'S WELFARE LEAGUE MASTERTON

Te Ao Hou, September 1960, Page 53

Prize-winners with their trophies won at the Masterton A. & P. Show, 1960. The Korari Branch was successful this year in winning all the trophies available for competition. (Geo. A. Nikolaison Photograph). KORARI MAORI WOMEN'S WELFARE LEAGUE MASTERTON Korari, a branch-league of the Wairarapa Maori Women's Welfare League District Council, is a very active body of women. They have held 12 monthly meetings at members' homes in Masterton. At the beginning of the year there were only 8 financial members but a drive was made to increase membership which was most successful, and now we have 16 fully paid members. Our activities have covered a wide field of work and all members are extremely keen. Each month two ladies visit the hospital and take comforts for the patients. We concentrate on the T.B. patients. Special attention is given to Maori patients in all wards and we take books, flowers, fruit, sweets and cooking; occasionally we include special treats such as paua fritters, pork bones, and puha and sweet corn. We are always ready to help needy families with food and clothes, and members often do children's sewing for needy cases. Just recently members rallied to a call from the hospital for clothes for a two-year-old who was going to the Health Camp. The response was so good that a surplus is being held for a future case if it is needed. Other local Clubs also help us, and at Christmas the Lions Club donated a large box of toys to be distributed among the children whose parents would be finding it hard to get toys at Christmas. Korari League in conjunction with other Leagues, also gave assistance to the Jaycees in their Community Week held last April. Members also helped with the Nagatanewaru Meeting House scheme by a street day appeal, a gala and sports day and other activities. Over the 12 monthly meetings members work steadily towards entering the competitions of the Masterton A. & P. Show held in February of each year. There are five courts, one for each League and one for the District Council, and competition among each league and its members is very keen. This year for the first time Korari has won all of the trophies with a total points count of 202. It was an extremely good effort on Korari's part and it showed how the members have worked. As our financial position was very healthy we decided to give donations to two local charities just before Christmas, one to the local branch of the Crippled Children Society and the other to the Maserton Hospital Community Chapel Appeal. Earlier in the year we had helped with a donation to the St John Ambulance Appeal. Korari's work over the years has been varied and all members feel their efforts have been appreciated by those we have endeavoured to help.