Three decades of projects
Members, past members and friends of Business and Professional Women Kaita¯ia have celebrated 30 years of friendship, projects, sponsorship, enabling, educating and empowering girls and women in the Far North.
The function was attended by national BPW president Hellen Swales and executive secretary Christine Berridge, who spoke of her experiences as a member of the New Zealand delegation to the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women 62 earlier this year.
The club’s newest member, Leigh Bakker, lit the Lena Madison Phillips candle, while youngest member Anu Paulose cut the anniversary cake with president Donna MacMillan.
Other guests included deputy Mayor Tania McInnes, and past presidents of BPW Kaita¯ia Patsy Thornton, Jan McLean, Leslie Whitehorn, Cathy Johnstone, Leslie Whitehorn, Sandy White, Pam Dawson and Raewyn Pennell.
Other Kaita¯ia members Marie Berghan, Nancy Peterson, Natasha Dixon, Tina Dawson, Marlene O’Sullivan, Mary Dar and Erin Christensen were there too, along with BPW Doubtless Bay president Lyn Dow, as were former members, guest speakers and supporters Sarah Fountain, Karin Jones, Rowena Critchley-Jones, Michelle Hammond, Penny Brunker, Darlene Baldwin, Mary Williams, Sandy Myhre, Shirley Williams, Carol Collings, Jan Spinley, Terianne Catelow, Sari MacPherson, Michele Mitcalfe, Eileen Schluter and Pat Haines
More than 100 women have been part of the Kaita¯ia club over the last 30 years, the club also supporting 15 women and girls with education scholarships during that time.