Plays Softball for New Zealand

Darcy Rikihana doesn't want anything to do with this pitch during a game at Wellington on 10 February between a ‘New Zealand’ team and the visiting San Antonians softball team from Texas. U.S.A.

The visitors won this game 4–1 but Darcy won a place in the full New Zealand team that played the tourists at Auckland on February 18.

A member of a prominent sporting family in the Manawatu, Darcy Rikihana is one of the many Maori stalwarts of the Huia Chiefs club that has dominated local softball for years. The club has several times won its way into inter-provincial finals for the national club championship. It is noted for ousting fancied teams from Wellington and Hutt Valley. Among its scalps are the well known Broadway club, that has won the national championships six times.

Chosen Miss Canterbury

When 19-year-old Aroha Manawatu won the “Miss Canterbury” title, she was the happiest and most surprised girl in town for her name was a last-minute entry. As a provincial winner she is automatically a candidate for the ‘Miss New Zealand 1968’ contest which will be held in Dunedin during Queen's Birthday weekend.

From the time she left school, Aroha has been keenly interested in modelling, particularly fashion work, but apart from being chosen ‘Model of the Month’ in a local competition last year, she had never taken part

in a beauty or personality parade prior to the ‘Miss Canterbury’ show.

Aroha, one of the family of six girls and two boys, is a direct descendant of two Maori chiefs, Tuahuriri and Te Maiharoa. She is a great-grandchild of Erihapiti Manawatu Te Ra.

Special Prize

Bertha Te Ua Ua received a special prize at Wellington's Trade Trainee Graduation ceremony on 16 November, 1967, from Mrs Roberts, wife of the Assistant District Officer.

She was top student in the Department of Maori Affairs' scheme which each year trains a small number of Maori girls from rural areas as shorthand typists. After only a year's tuition Bertha sat both the Junior and Senior Government shorthand examinations, the first trainee to sit both at once.

Bertha, whose ambition is to be a private secretary, was a pupil at Opotiki College, where she sat and passed University Entrance.

To Nurse in Vietnam

In February Miss Whaiatua Hapi, daughter of Waaka and Peggy Hapi and a member of the Tuwharetoa tribe left her job as senior theatre sister at Rotorua Hospital to spend a year as theatre sister at Qui Nhon Hospital in Vietnam.

After leaving Queen Victoria Girls' College. Miss Hapi trained at Rotorua Public Hospital, graduated in 1963 and became a theatre sister.

For a few months in 1967 she was Assistant Matron at a Jewish Home for the Aged, and from May to November attended the Waikato

Hospital Board's Theatre Post-Certificate School, receiving training in all fields of surgery, theatre administration, teaching and supervising student nurses.

Success at Tauranga

The Junior section of the National Maori Cultural Championships held at the Memorial Hall. Tauranga, on 21 October, 1967, was won by the Ruatokia Primary School Group, pictured below with their trophy. Tokoroa Inter-

mediate School was placed second and the Ohau Maori Youth Club was third.

The Senior section was won by Ngati Poneke, Wellington, with the Ruatoki group of Taneatua and the Waioeka group of Opotiki second and third.

Mr C. Williams, director of the Publicity Division of the Tourist and Publicity Department was lavish in his praise of what he heard in the junior contest and said that the performances of the senior groups were the finest he had ever seen.

Won Three Times

Mr Tamati Te Patu, M.M., kaumatua of the Mawai-Hakona Maori Association which meets every Sunday evening at Silversteam Hall. Upper Hutt, holds the Kingi Tahiwi Memorial Challenge Cup.

The trophy, competed for annually at the Wellington Competition Society's Festival, is for the best original action song and has been held by Mawai-Hakona for the last three years.

St Joseph's Centennial

At right is Agnes Morunga, head girl of St. Joseph's Maori Girls' College, Greenmeadows, welcoming guests at the centennial celebrations last October, and below are some of the present pupils performing the double long poiduring the entertainment provided for the visitors.

The celebrations began on Saturday, 21 October with a welcome to Bishop O. N. Sneddon of Wellington who celebrated a Mass of thanksgiving and unveiled a statute depicting St. Joseph as a Maori.

A banquet and ball, a monster hangi and entertainment by the pupils were included in the programme.