Leisure
h3>Leisure
Papakura Lapidary Club late 1969 and 1970. I became interested in geography and wanting to know why hills and valleys formed where they did. I heard about this club so Joan and I joined up. Found they were more interested in cutting up stones then polishing the stones to enhance the natural colours. Quite interesting and a lot of their activity involved field trips to find the stones. Also a friendly group so we stayed on.
After the first year or so, they talked me into becoming club president. I tried hard to make a go at that, organising guest speaker for most club nights and a fossicking trip most months.
A little after becoming president we found we were to lose the use of the building where we had club nights. Council wanted the land for some other project and without the present building.
After a lot of discussion, the club members decided they wanted their own club building. The Papakura Council offered us enough land at a nominal rent on another site. This we accepted and planning began. Having a carpenter and builder as club president was very useful, So over the next two years I spent more time on planning and building the club house than I did on Lapidary.
During the time I was president, I had a lot of help from the club secretary. He was not very popular as he had a very flat and uninteresting voice. He also had a considerable knowledge about lapidary and gemmology, which he would expound upon. Most found it rather boring. But his work behind scenes was invaluable. Later there was a very unpleasant row with him and he left the club.
But finally it was finished and officially opened. I was club president for four years then handed over to others. They had their own ideas about the club. Most of the foundation members were becoming older people and many didn’t want to go out evenings so were pushing for a Sunday afternoon club day, which clashed with the younger people who much preferred to be outdoors; and other who played other sports. Also they got lax about organising guest speakers and even fossicking trips. Thus the club drifted and I faded out of it.
During my time as president, the club organised three or four “gem show”. Great to get a lot of people enthusiastic, but a lot of hard work which needed an energetic leader. The club used to hire the main hall in Papakura for three days. We set up lots of stands with showcases upon them in which individuals or groups could set out a display. And some very fine displays were presented. This also ended. The council wanted to increase the hall rent, which meant out income faded from reasonable to barely breaking even. Also the people who used the hall the most, a fitness club decided they wanted the hall cleared by 6pm Sunday for their basketball practice. As we wanted to be open at least until 4.30 this made one hell of a rush at the end of a tiring weekend. Another good idea ruined.