Raetihi reunion repeated

Ruapehu Bulletin, Volume 15, Issue 693, 1 July 1997, Page 5

Raetihi reunion repeated

Following the successful Raetihi Primary School centennial last year, a class reunion based on Standard Six in 1951 was held recently in Hamilton. "Having left Raetihi school 46 years ago it was heartening to- locate all the living ex-pupils of our class and to get ev'ery one of them to respond," said organiser Rob Bowater, now in Waihi in the Bay of Plenty. Mr Bowater, along with Billy Hussey of Hamilton, both attended the centennial last year and felt that in 25 years' hence many of their former-classmates, most of whom went through the primary classes together, may not be around. A year-long search by Mr Bowater ended successfully finding all but one pupil, Terry Goodey, who returned to England after his school days. "I even found our teacher, Mr Ray Martin, now 88 years old and living in Palmerston North. Also our headm'aster and part-year teacher Mr Tom Amadio, now 92, was contacted in Wanganui. Unfortunately both could not attend the reunion but Billy Hussey was able to make a video of Mr Martin which was screened at our get-together," Mr Bowater adds. Centennial chairman and class pupil, Keith Haitana of Raetihi, acted as the reunion chairman at the motel reunion venue. The weekend included ringing the school bell, a roll call, photographs, screening of old Raetihi videos, a jukebox Saturday night, a dinner, and culminated in a trip on the Waipa Delta paddle steamer on the Waikato River. Communications from those who could not attend, class photographs and several historic photos were displayed. On the Saturday evening former Raetihi residents Alf Morris, Jenny and Maurice Duggan and June and Jim McNie joined the gathering. The ex-pupils who attended were Jane Langford (nee Edmonds) her husband Bob (a former Raetihi school teacher in the sixties) of Kaitaia; Fay Hanright (nee Fredericksen) and husband Jim of Tauranga; Althea Kopeke (nee Haitana) of Taumarunui; Keith and Margaret Haitana of Raetihi; Billy Hussey of Hamilton; Marion Derby (nee Kayser) of Te Kuiti; Don Moffitt and his wife Shirley of Auckland; Stella Tahere (nee Mokonui) of Napier; Fay Hammer (nee Morris) and husband Bill of Auckland; Maurice Oliver of Wellington; Eleanor Trow (nee Pritchard) and husband Rex of Napier; Nancy Conegian (nee Rawiri) of Auckland; Beverley Hennecker (nee Smith) of Hamilton; Adele Skerritt and husband Ted Fredericksen of Whangarei; Annie Marumaru (nee Te Hore) of Auckland; Jack Timmo of Te Awamutu; Lester Tuaine of Wanganui and Vivian Willoughby and wife Margaret of Orewa. Three ex-pupils, dux Lorraine MacLeod, Sylvia Garmonsway and Francis Ward live in Australia and could not attend. Having experienced the reunion all felt there was a great bond between them and are wondering when the next one will be held, hopefully in four years time.