December 2012 Newsletter



Message from the Chair

Firstly I would like to offer festive greetings to you and your whānau during this up-coming holiday break. For all of us here in Ōtautahi it has been a long and tiring year, so some rest and recuperation will be very welcome.

In our first year as the new Trust Board at Rehua Marae there have been many changes. Three board members have left us, Whare Tamanui, Mita (Ted) Te Hae and Chris Ford. Three new Trustees have joined the Board, Ruawhitu Pokaia, Catherine Stuart and David Ormsby. The Operations team has said goodbye to Maria Tait and welcomed on board Raylee Price and Elena Gapper.

We are also saddened at this time, to farewell Chris Thomson and Rihira ‘Dolly’ Pitama who have worked tirelessly and with great professionalism to manaaki our manuhiri with magnificent kai. We wish both Chris and Dolly all the best with their future endeavours.

Thank you to everyone who came to our Rehua Marae stand at the Ngāi Tahu Hui-a-Iwi, we have been able to add lots more names to our contact list and also to continue to build reciprocal relationships with our other marae in our rohe.

It is also heartening to be able to report that Rehua Marae along with the Māori Wardens were nominated to receive Christchurch Earthquake Awards to recognise the important role they played in supporting the community after the February 22 quake. Terry Ryan accepted the award on behalf of Rehua.

On behalf of the Trustees and staff of Rehua Marae I wish you all a safe and peaceful holiday season.

Meri Kirihimete
Dora Langsbury
Chair

New Board members

Catherine Stuart

Ko Ngāti Wheke te hapū
Ko Ngāi Tahu te Iwi
Ko Catherine Te Kiato Stuart toku ingoa

I currently work for Te Kohanga Reo National Trust as District Manager of Te Wai Pounamu and are a member of the Board of Matauraka Mahaanui, (the Waitaha Advisory Board). I feel very privileged to have been selected as a Trustee to Te Whatumanawa Māoritanga o Rehua Trust Board. I have been involved with Rehua all my life and have strong whānau links to the marae since its inception through my grandparents and great grandparents and my mother Kath Stuart, nee Couch, who was a past chairperson. I look forward to working with the Trust Board as we move forward for the betterment of the Marae and its community. Nei ra te mihi ki a koutou katoa.

David Ormsby

Waikato, Maniapoto, Ngāti Pikiao and Tūwharetoa

My wife Toni (Ngāi Tahu, Arowhenua) and I have three children.
I am totally committed to whānau, hāpu and Māori development aspirations. I spend a lot of my spare time supporting my children in sport and education, but also enjoy quiet opportunities to go fishing.

I am the Regional Director for Te Puni Kōkiri, Te Waipounamu, a role I’ve held since April 2003. I have a background in education having worked for Te Tapuae o Rehua – the Ngāi Tahu tertiary education company and also within the Ministry of Education.

It is an honour to join Te Whatu Manawa Māoritanga o Rehua Board as a trustee and I look forward to being able to make a contribution to the Rehua community.

Rehua Award

On behalf of Rehua Marae Terry Ryan accepted a 2012 Christchurch Earthquake Award for service to the community.

Each year the Christchurch City Council honours outstanding citizens with a Christchurch City Council Civic Award recognizing service and contribution to the city. This year the Civic Awards have been amended so the many acts of kindness, service and heroism carried out as a result of the Canterbury earthquakes can be acknowledged.

Terry, accompanied by Maria Tait and Ruawhitu Pokaia, accepted the award on Wednesday 18 January at a ceremony at the Christ College auditorium.

The award recognises the extraordinary efforts of the previous Rehua Trustees, Bob Tai (chair), Terry Ryan, Marlene Kamo, Te Mairiki Williams, Jacky Te Wani and Garry Te Wani to keep the marae open and available during the earthquake response period. It was through the manaaki and aroha ki te tangata for all the volunteers, agencies and services that the name and mana of Rehua Marae was upheld and strengthened during this vital period of emergency assistance and aid.

The current Trustees would like to take this opportunity to also thank and acknowledge the former trustees, the Rehua community and all those people from far and wide that worked together during this time.

Kahui Kaumātua

Rehua Marae has reinstated the concept of the Kahui Kaumātua council, which Uncle Wera Couch instigated before the building of the Wharenui in 1957. They meet regularly and endeavour to guide the Trustees on tikanga and cultural issues.

Māori electial option

Rehua Marae has successfully tendered for the contract to assist with the promotion of the Māori Electoral Option Campaign. The Māori Electoral Option occurs approximately every 5 years and provides eligible voters of Māori descent the opportunity to either register on the Māori Roll or the General Electoral Roll, or alternatively registered voters of Māori descent can choose to change the roll they are currently on.

This Māori Electoral Option campaign commences 6 February 2013 and the option to is available from 25 March – 24 July 2013.
As part of the campaign Rehua Marae will present public information and education material to whānau attending hui at Rehua Marae.

Calendar – what’s coming up!

Waiata, Tikanga and Taonga Puoro Hui

Will recommence in January 2013.

Venue: Rehua Marae
Date: Every last Sunday of the month
Time: 12pm – 1.30pm
Contact: For further information contact Whare Tamanui: Whare.Tamanui@barnardos.org.nz or hereoma@gmail.com

 

Ratana Church Service

Venue: Rehua Marae wharenui
Date: Every third Sunday of the month
Contact: For further information contact Whare Tamanui: Whare.Tamanui@barnardos.org.nz or hereoma@gmail.com

What’s been happening at Rehua Marae

 

 

Christmas and New Year Office Hours

Rehua Marae will close of Friday 21 December, 2012 and reopen Monday 7 January 2013.

Kaumātua Services will close Friday 21 December and reopen Monday 14 January, 2013.

For any after-hours emergencies or enquiries about tangihanga please contact Marae Manager Raylee Price on 027 245 5475.

Marae Bookings

Rehua Marae is the perfect venue for wānanga, hui, weddings, birthdays and celebrations for whānau, community or corporate events.

For all bookings and enquiries contact the marae or call in to the office:
Phone: 03 355 5615
Fax: 03 355 4964
Email: rprice@rehuamarae.org.nz

Rehua old boys, girls and whānau

Rehua is building a database of names and addresses and invites all old boys and girls and whānau to contact us with your details. Your information will remain confidential and will allow Rehua to stay in touch with you and let the community know what’s happening at the marae.

Please contact Elena Gapper:
Administration Manager
Te Whatu Manawa Māoritanga o Rehua
79 Springfield Road
St Albans
PO Box 21 260,
CHRISTCHURCH
egapper@rehuamarae.org.nz
Ph 03 355 5615, ext. 700 or
0272 2888204