75th Jubilee Conference & 76th National Council Meeting
The 75th Jubilee Conference and 76th National Council Meeting were held at the Brentwood Hotel, Wellington, during the weekend 8-10 April 2022.
Friday Evening – Official Opening
Ken Te Tau (Greater Wellington Society) addressed the meeting with a Mihi Whakatau, followed by a Waiata Poi by Mary and Dave Humphreys. Paula Tesoriero, Disability Rights Commissioner, formally opened the conference and spoke about her visions and goals for the future, including her close links with the amputee community. Paula then spoke about Lorraine Peacock, who was retiring from the Federation, and acknowledged her work and commitment as National Coordinator for the last 36 years. A gift was presented to Lorraine, along with a pounamu. Lorraine introduced “Moving Forward”, a book she had written covering the last 25 years, and wished the Federation well for the future. Mingle and Greet with supper concluded the evening.
Saturday
The day began with the 76th National Council Meeting, at which the following were elected:
- President – Korrin Barrett;
- Vice President – Graeme Sayer;
- Coordinator – Alesha Kelly;
- Treasurer – Justine Mangan-Woods;
- Committee – Matthew Bryson, Katrina Bungard, Mary Humphreys, Andrea Thompson; Solicitor – Lindsay Trotman.
Changes were made to the Federation’s rules and a recommendation made to Societies that their rules be updated to allow for members to participate at Annual Meetings by audio, audio and visual, or electronic communication.
On Saturday afternoon, Danyel Degenhardt gave a talk and demonstration on Rethinking Phantom Pain, and this was followed by Ian Walker’s address Be Resilient Having Faced Adversity.
Approximately 80 enjoyed the Jubilee dinner in the evening and a 75th Jubilee Cake was cut by Lorraine Peacock and Mary Humphreys.
Sunday
An inspirational talk by Korrin Barrett on How to Live Life Unlimited was followed by the Give it a Go group sharing their experiences from the previous day. These included white water rafting on the Otaki River and trying their skills at axe throwing.
