NEWS IN BRIEF

Te Ao Hou, December 1961, Page 8

NEWS IN BRIEF Mr N. P. K. Puriri, Assistant Controller of Maori Welfare, has been invited as one of ten New Zealand delegates to the Duke of Edinburgh's second study conference, to be held in Canada in mid-1962. The conference is to study the human consequences of the changing industrial environment in the Commonwealth and Empire and will be organized on much the same lines as the 1956 conference at Oxford. Mr Puriri is a direct descendant of the chief Kawiti, who commanded Ruapekapeka Pa in the Bay of Islands, and a grandson of Canon W. H. Keretene of Whangarei. He was born in Whangarei in 1924 and educated at Ngararatunua Primary School at Mt Albert Grammar School. He has spent his entire working life in the Department of Maori Affairs, first in Court and land titles work, later in the Maori Welfare Division. He has taken active part in Maori community activities both at Auckland and Whangarei. ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ A large youth club movement has sprung up in the South Hokianga under the inspiration of Mr George Sutherland of Kohukohu. Six youth clubs have been founded—namely at Motukaraka, Waimamaku, Whirinaki, Kohukohu, Rawene and Omanaia. The clubs get together from time to time to give full length concerts at which cups are awarded as prizes. At a gathering at Opononi last August there was a public of 600, the Kohukohu group (leader, Manu Sutherland) and Waimamaku group (leader, May Rollo) being awarded first and second prizes respectively. ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ Bill Tawhai, of Auckland university, made a notable success of the main role in Shakespeare's Othello, produced by Paul Day for the Auckland University Drama Society last August. The part is, of course, an extremely difficult one, but critics had much praise for his performance. Bill Tawhai, who comes from Omaio (Whanau a Apanui) is studying part-time for an Arts degree while teaching in Auckland city. Last year he won a Rotary overseas travel award and along with seven other New Zealanders made a few months' tour of India and Ceylon. ⋆ ⋆ ⋆ The annual convention of the Anglican Maori Mission in the Waikato was held at Ngaruawahia last August. Its theme, ‘Healing and the Church’, was of particularly deep interest to those who attended. Superintendent of the Waikato Mission is the Reverend Canon Wi Te Tau Huata.