Central Taranaki District Rose Society | Taranaki News | Local News in Taranaki

HAVING wound-up last year, members of the former Central Taranaki District Rose Society gathered for one last time to donate money to Lake Rotokare.
At a special ceremony held on Wednesday, March 3, the society donated money to the Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust for the purchase of a new bench at the lakeside – one of the society’s very last acts to disperse the last of its assets.
At the society’s AGM on October 12, 2009 Rose Society members voted to wind up the Society after 47 years.
A committee of four was elected: chairperson Lucy Beattie, secretary Shirley Miller, treasurer Joe Pattinson and Julia Craig were given the task of winding up the society by way of disposing of all assets and society funds. Brian Jeffares was co-opted on to give advice as needed.
Hawera Horticulture Society and Egmont A&P Association were given most of the equipment, which included trestles, timber, vases and black cloths, and it is expected these groups will share this equipment between themselves. Hopefully, they will also make it available to other like-minded groups.
Some of the vases were given to rest homes around Stratford, while white pedestal stands were given to the Percy Thomson Gallery and a Stratford floral art group.
A photocopier purchased with funding from the Taranaki Electricity Trust was donated to the Central and South Taranaki Youth Council who help youth at risk.
Trophies were given back to those who donated them, but a number were given to the Hawera Horticulture Society and Egmont A&P Association to use at their shows.
With regard to society funds, all members had been given tickets to the 2009 Rhododendron Festival; a total of $880 was used for this purpose.
$500 was given to the Senior Citizens Hall, which had served as the society’s base for meetings and shows. This donation also acknowledged how the hall had served as storage space for many years, free of charge to the society.
Stratford High School’s horticulture department received $3000 for repairs to their work area and the purchase of more garden tools.
The Rotokare Scenic Reserve Trust and the Stratford District Council received money so that they could purchase bench seats. Both of these seats will carry a plaque stating that the Rose Society donated them.
The committee hope that past members are happy with the decisions made by this committee. There were a number of restrictions and obligations with regard to where things went and what was done with society funds, and decisions were made according to the society’s winding-up rules.