THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT

Bay of Plenty Beacon, Volume 6, Issue 92, 23 July 1943, Page 4

THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT

THE home coming of so many of our boys from overseas has furnished town and district with an excellent opportunity for portraying their community spirit, 01. in the larger centres their sense of civic pride. To date we have seen excellent indications of this very fine attribute in practically all the country districts. Taneatua, Edgecumbe and Waimana have excelled themselves and only those who have attended can appreciate the warmth of the atmosphere and the open spirit of friendliness which has attended every one. Here we have an example of just how far our town lags behind in the dispensing of hospitality as compared with the county communities, and it requires actual experience at these socials to realise just how far the townspeople have drifted from the true interpretation of the word. We are not attempting an unjust or Karsh criticism of the efforts of those workers in Whakatane who have been responsible for what has already been done to welcome our boys, neither are we anticipating the result of the forthcoming 'ball,' but we feel that we are but echoing popular conviction when we point out that apart from the civic welcome, the 'boys' in Whakatane have had the longest wait of any in this district before the social side (which to many is the most important) has taken shape. If the country districts can organise rapidly and easily so as to capture the initial enthusiasm, there is no reason why we in the town cannot do likewise:, and in the same way if our farming friends can find time to promote not merely dances, but large scale 'dinners and socials' then it is a slur on the Whakatane businessmen if they cannot organise and do likewise.