Dan Greening, one of the skilled carvers of the group, is looking at a completed panel. Behind him are the plans for the new meeting house. (photo: john ashton). the erection of the Nuhaka War Memorial Meeting House. Twenty students were assigned to the woodcarving. Timber was bought in Taumarunui, through the help of Mr Pei Jones. We learnt the proper use of the different chisels, and the right ones for the various cuts. We learnt to handle the adze, quite an ordeal at first, but with a casual reminder on stance, swing and balance, this art was also mastered. The need for razor-sharp tools became obvious to us. Mr Toka gave lessons on design drawing and pointed out that one has to be an accomplished artist to draw the various curvilinear patterns. He taught the moulding or ‘opening up’ of the slab of totara which in time would form a figure. He explained the human anatomy depicted on the hewn log, dividing the figure into head, body and leg sections. We also learnt much about the symbolism of carving: for instance we were told that a figure which had a koukou (a knob located on the forehead of the figure) always referred to a male. Finally, surface decoration and body ornamentation had to be learnt. The most common