MAORI RECEPTION WILL LONG BE REMEMBERED

Chronicle (Levin), 8 June 1948, Page 4

MAORI RECEPTION WILL LONG BE REMEMBERED

The weather fayoured the Levin Wanderers Football Club on Sunday, when the Golden Jubilee celebrations were - continued with - a reception and Maori memorial service at the Winiata homestead, Hokio Beach. The beautiful sunny day and the crovVds of Maoris and Pakehas who gathered at the ancient marae, where the - two Maori meeting houses overlook the waters of the Horowhenua Lake, were instru- ■ mental in making the function an outstanding success. Long before the ceremony was timcd to commence crowds had gathered, and many greetings and reminiseences were exchanged as friend greeted friend, player greeted player and Maori greeted Pakeha, Members and ex-members of the club were present from all over New Zealand," from the Wairau rapa, Wellington, Hawke's Bay and Sout'h Island, Shortly after 11 a.m. a dignified ceremony took place. Conducted almost entirely in Maori, it was opened by Mr. T. Winiata, Senr., who explained to the gathering that this was the Maori custom and sook tne form of a greeting and invitation for any present to reply. This opportunity was availed oi' by several Maoris, among them great chiefs and leaders, who spohe to the gatnering in Maori, emphasismg their words with gesticulations, wnich made the sneech an enjoyable one for even Pakehas to listen to. The memorial service was con'ducted by the Rey. Pao.ra Temuera, of the Rangiatea Maori Church, Otaki, which . is soon to celebrute its 100th anpiversary. A quiet but forcefui speaker with a well modulated voiee, Mr. Temuera delivered a most appropriate sermon. He chose as his subject the great game of life. "Every good sportsman knows that to be a successful athlete he must bring the whole of his being under rigid control," he said, "otherwise, all the training and exercise given to make him fit and efficient for the rigorpus strain in any kind ■ of sport is wasted. Every part of the man must cooperate in bringing about this most important and necessary part of a sportsman's bodily equipment — fitness, coolness, and clearness of mind, with fairness and humility m victory or defeat. I don'fc care how Samson-like a man is, if he iacks any one of these virtues, he is not worth a position in the team. •Play the game/ we are reminded oy the great old aqage, 'Yea, play 1 the game.5 " i Mr. Temuera went on to give a ' comparison with. Life", which he said was the greatest. game ,of all. "Life is the climax of all games in the world, of sport. All others are only - sfcepping stones as it were, even soldiering at war. They are the training ground for the game of life." The service was interspersed with prayer ancf hymns, the music being supplied by the Levin Municipal Band. At the conclusion, five wreaths were laid at the dcor of the meeting house to the memory of the five Winiata boys who fell in the struggles for world peace. While the band played "Bon of My Soul," the five men taking part in the ceremony stood in silence for a moment with bowed heads. The wreaths were dedicated to the memory of Pat, Pataka, Walter, Neyille and Martin Winiata. The ceremony took nearly two hours to complete and shortly after its conclusion those present were invited to partake of luncheon. Cooked in Maori fashion, an amazing array and 'selection of delicious food was set before the visitors. The two large meeting houses v/ere crammed to capacity, and so large was the crowd that a seeond sitting had to be arranged. However, the amount of food was so great that twice as many people could have been fed and, aecording to Maori custom, four times as many would have been fed had they been present. "After the feasting then to the .joymaking," and so it was. Impromptu speech.es were made, the band played, Maori dances were presented and items and stories of the football days of the past were recounted time and again. Throughout the afternoon until the sun had set the crowd thronged the property, listening to this speech, referrihg to such and such a game or applauding an item by one or other of the performers. The ceremony and celebrations will go down in the history of fche Leyin Wanderers Football Club as one of the greatest of all functions which made up the Golden Jubilee.