SUE’S SNIPPET
Thank you to Donna for inviting six more of our Education Scholarship awardees to share their 2021 accomplishments and plans for 2022. They represented three schools - Vicki attended ACG Strathallan College, Tatiana and Jun attended Papakura High, Selina, Anita and Kate attended Rosehill College. Once again, they all not only excelled academically but were involved in school sport teams, co-curricular groups and community activities. Listening to their stories, I was struck by their passion, drive, determination and successes despite the disruptions Covid has had on their senior years at school and life in general. This meeting (and last week's) has been a great way to kick-start 2022 with positivity, enthusiasm and acknowledging our club's contribution to the future of youth in our community.
Vicki - Selina - Tatiana
Kate - Jun - Anita
(thank you Anne for the photos)
Hayley James
Hayley joined us on zoom prior to our AGM to update us on her 3rd year of study and her busy, productive life in Wellington. Thanks to the generosity of several club members, the Trust paid to Hayley James $3,150.00 last week towards her university tuition for 2022.
Steve & Karen's labour of love, restoring their 1956 Austin Healey
"We were thrilled when my son (Andre) advised us in mid-November that he & his lovely fiance (Amber) had decided that their wedding would be in six weeks hence - on Jan 8th. The excitement was quickly tempered by his request to use our 1956 Austin Healey as their wedding car. I offered other choices as the Healey, while going, hadn't been officially on the road for over 20 years, and I knew major work on the front suspension, steering and brakes would be needed. But he was insistent that the Healey was special for him (notably after an epic South Island road trip we did in it in 1996 (when he was 8) & I was left with no choice! From that point the heat was on! 
So up on the hoist and the first job was to dismantle everything needing repair - which increased alarmingly as the effects of 65 years of use, and some average repairs over the years, became evident. The worst was discovering a bent steering box/column and needing to fly a new one, and a lot of other parts, in from Australia. Fortunately most Healey parts are still available & shipping took about 3-5 days ex Melbourne. In short a lot of stripped bolts, tricky repairs, & reassembly work was successfully concluded, very hot days in the workshop endured, and the car was reassembled and ready for shipping to Tauranga, a whole 3 days before the wedding.
Pleasingly, it looked good, went well, and the bride was delivered in style to the "altar" (actually on her parents large back lawn). It still needs some work, but is now effectively back on the road. Karen also wasn't idle and apart from soothing me when things became challenging, she organised a very creditable array of wedding memorabilia & baking for the guests. So that became our Christmas holidays .... !
This week we have our first Committee meeting for 2022. Directors will be the following week.
Take care & see you Thursday, Sue