Civic Honours Award Recipients 2009
People who make a difference in our community were honoured at the Civic Honours Award Ceremony held by Horowhenua District Council on 25 November 2009.
Since its inception in 1995, many citizens of the Horowhenua have been duly acknowledged for their long and meritorious services through the Horowhenua District Council’s Civic Honours Award system.
Volunteers make up a large part of the District’s workforce, working tirelessly in the many fields of community service - making the Horowhenua a great place in which to live. To service a community of 31,000 people we rely heavily on our volunteers. The awards are a way of saying thank you to these people who enrich our communities.
Here, we share with you some of the outstanding achievements of those who received Civic Honours Awards in 2009.
Tony Hunt has been closely linked to community and social affairs over many many years in the Horowhenua and equally well known and respected for his own contribution to the wider Foxton Community in a variety of roles and activities.
His background is as a teacher and he has a deep interest and extensive knowledge of local history which he delights in sharing.
Mr Hunt has authored six books on historical research he has carried out including a 2001 book “All Saints Church Foxton 1876-2001”, a brief but comprehensive account of this Church’s place in Foxton History.
Other books all had a Foxton theme, and included “The First 100 years – Foxton 1888-1988” reflecting on the history of Foxton Borough since its inception, “Foxton School 1881-1999”, “Foxton Rugby Club 1880-1980”, “The History of Foxton Little Theatre” and “The History of Foxton Golf Club”.
Mr Hunt is involved in various community groups and organisations, Keep Foxton Beautiful, Foxton History Society, Foxton Little Theatre, Save Our River Trust, Foxton Tourism & Development Association, Flax Stripper Museum, Awahou Board Walk, Museum of Foxton History, and historical points of interest signs in and around Foxton.
He was a member of the Foxton Community Board from 1992 to 2004 following his father’s local body involvement with the previous Foxton Borough Council.
His involvement in the community is quite comprehensive and truly reflects his deep community participation, fully supported by his wife Judith.
Alan Smith is the chap who is always in a cheery mood, stopping to chat and share his time with people. He has served the district both practically and in beneficial ways using his vast experience and knowledge of dealing with and working with people since his retirement as a deputy principal in 1996.
He has a deep love of books, since 1998 had been an active member of the Friends of the Library Group until serving on the Horowhenua Library Trust from 2004 to this day.
His public side is as “Levin’s Master of Ceremonies” where he willingly makes himself available to numerous groups and organisations, schools and service clubs, providing humour, song and non-stop repartee to entertain and inform.
Mr Smith makes regular appearances on stage at the Levin Little Theatre, or singing and entertaining residents at the Horowhenua Masonic Village.
He is a Rotarian, a board member to the Horowhenua Learning Centre, and other activities include wedding celebrant, roles locally and nationally with Victim Support since 1998, funeral celebrant, and involvement with the Horowhenua College Past Pupils Association.
Mr Smith is a modest and unassuming person and draws strength and encouragement from his wife Val.
John Williams’ name has been closely linked to sport and community affairs for over 40 years within his home town of Shannon. He is a “Shannon Boy” who has shown his pride and commitment to serving his community to the best of his ability through sport, community work and faith.
He has a passion for Shannon Rugby, as a player in their junior then senior sides, then in various roles for the club including committee member, club captain, secretary/president, manager, coach, and union delegate. It is said the variety of roles equally matched his number of on-field playing positions.
Mr Williams served as chairman for the Horowhenua-Kapiti Rugby Union and was also dedicated to grass roots club rugby, running Saturday morning primary school rugby for years.
As well as rugby, he gave almost 20 years to Shannon Amateur Athletics, as president for six years, and organising club nights, ribbon days and providing support and encouragement to squads travelling to district and national events. His involvement continued long after his children had left the club.
His commitment and dedication to the sporting community and the Shannon community stem from his deep faith as a lifetime Anglican and as a member of Venerable Bede Anglican Church in the township. He has been classified as a “dedicated Christian with a common touch”, volunteering as a lay preacher at services in Shannon and Foxton, doing home visits, weddings and funerals, and other required activities.
Mr Williams is a prominent farmer in the Shannon District working his voluntary work around his farming commitments.
Eileen Bolitho typifies the title volunteer, having worked in a voluntary capacity for many years with a diverse range of community affairs and services.
She has been a current member of the St Johns Choir for the past 35 years and the Concordia Choir for the past 26 years, and spent 28 years as a Justice of the Peace and Marriage Celebrant.
Mrs Bolitho was a Parish Steward for St John’s Church and has also been involved or served with Girls Brigade, Probus, Horowhenua College PTA, Horowhenua Research Centre, Levin Brass Band, Save the Children, Kimberley Hospital, and the Levin Music Society.
While undertaking these volunteer roles, she has also been a Councillor on the Levin Borough and Horowhenua District Councils.
Mrs Bolitho is both a wife and mother and has had to balance her voluntary work whilst supporting her husband Doug, a busy Medical Practitioner in Levin, and her motivation seems to be a desire to serve and make a difference in our community.
Ray Mathewson’s name has been closely linked to community affairs across our District for his solid contribution as a volunteer since his retirement in the early 1990s, after more than twenty years as Registrar of the Levin District Court.
His vast knowledge and experience was an asset to this District both in his paid position and the latter voluntary contributions made to our community. He earned loyalty both from staff and the legal fraternity and his experience naturally led him into the role of a Justice of the Peace which he has carried out for about 17 years, reaching higher judicial roles within his duties.
His hobbies of photography and New Zealand and American railroads have seen him assist others, lending his wide knowledge and skills to the modelling fraternity. Mr Mathewson has been a marriage celebrant, past member of the Levin Rotary Club and has worked in his own quiet, yet positive manner for the benefit of our community, ably supported by his wife Audrey.
Marcia Proctor has been closely associated with social and community affairs within the Horowhenua District spanning more than three decades.
Until recently she was a regular visitor to Linton Prison, visiting prisoners as a member of the Horowhenua Branch of the New Zealand Prisoners Aid and Rehabilitation Society (PARS).
Mrs Proctor spent more than 30 years involved with Girl Guiding, as a leader of Pippins and Brownies in Shannon, continuing her support after her own family members had passed through the service. During that time she also served the local Plunket Committee as well as being a volunteer helper with Meals on Wheels.