Everyone came away from the Meeanee Hall near Napier praising the Hawke’s Bay Orchid Society for a well-run seminar, particularly the catering which was superb. Saturday night was, as usual, the time to get together socially and a chance to present the major 2021 awards and to make some presentations to long-serving Orchid Council members.
In her absence, Svitlana Parsons (Waitakere Orchid Club) received a hearty round of applause for winning the Cultural Award of the Year 2021.
The two outgoing members of the OCNZ executive committee were honoured for their many years of work with special presentations. Margaret Lomas (Whangarei Orchid Society) has spent 18 years with the OCNZ, and was immediate past president at the time of this year’s AGM. She had spent 2 years on the committee, 5 years as a vice-president and 3 years as president and for the same 11 years was the chair of the Committee on Awards (COA), stepping down last year. In making the award, new OCNZ patron Roy Neale noted that Margaret’s involvement dated back even further, thanks to the support she gave her late husband Wally when he was on the OCNZ executive.
Joy Hopson, who already has an Award of Honour, received a Distinguished Service Award for her 32 years of involvement with OCNZ. She was first elected in 1990 and immediately became secretary, a role that she performed for 10 years. Joy has also served as a committee member, treasurer, vice-president, president and immediate past president. She was Yearbook editor for 15 years (and still helps out with the annual publication) and has been on the COA for more than 10 years.
Election of Officers for 2022-23:
President: Glenys MacRae; vice-president 1: Allan Rae; vice-president 2: vacant; secretary: Bryan Sutherland; treasurer: Chris Hubbert. Executive: Gillian Lyster, Keith Smart, Sandra Simpson, Penny Moore, Toby Marris.