Kaipara Flats Ladies Guild: A walk down memory lane

By Anne Todd

Kaipara Flats Ladies’ Guild came from another era. It was a reminder of ‘how things used to be’.

I was privileged to belong to it in its last years, before all those who participated moved away from the village and the Guild became a cherished memory.
I still vividly remember being asked, soon after my husband Philip and I came to live in the Kaipara Hills, if, when I retired, I’d be interested in becoming a member. Without hesitation my reply was ‘Yes!’

So came that day, in the 1980s when Anne Todd was accepted into the Kaipara Flats Ladies’ Guild, thus becoming fully part of the village community.

I enjoyed every meeting. The atmosphere was immensely positive and friendly. We met in the little St Albans Church, which also served as a community meeting place. Proceedings started with a brief service before the gathering settled down to business. This consisted in deciding on the various that would benefit the village and Hills folk, such as making a roster of members to help anyone who was sick or who had just had a baby. We took turns in visiting, cooking and generally caring for our community.

I also learned that, in the past, the Guild had collected clothes, toys and household items for the City Mission, and had adopted a male patient ward in Oakley Mental Hospital. This involved visiting the patients with carefully prepared afternoon teas and spending two or three hours with them. The Guild wrote letters and sent Christmas cards to the men, thus ensuring that they had contact with the outside world.

However, the yearly highlight, which the Guild still worked earnestly towards, was Guild Day. This took place in the roomy Kaipara Flats Hall and all proceeds from our stalls went towards the support of various charities and the upkeep of the dearly loved village churches – the mowing of the grass surrounding them, painting and general maintenance and necessities such as a rail for the handicapped beside the St Albans entrance steps.

I am proud to be able to say that Philip and I, having recently indulged in a new lavatory, bequeathed our old one to St Albans. Once it was installed discreetly in a purpose built room at the rear, I was given the honour of cutting the ribbon for its first use!

For my initial Guild Day, I was instructed to ‘bring a plate’. And bring a plate I did, only to learn that it was supposed to have edibles on it. I consoled myself by telling my friends that this was not an English custom, and to make allowances for a ‘comer-in’. They were most understanding, albeit enjoying my ignorance. The afternoon tea was free, supplied by the Guild ladies, as the visitors’ money was all to be spent on purchases from various stalls.

We gathered together early on Guild Day to prepare for the event. We swept the floor, dusted, set up tables and arranged good on them and placed chairs around the hall.
Then we waited expectantly for the big crowd. No sooner were the doors open than people flocked in and moved purposefully towards the tables. No buying would take place until the minister had opened the proceedings with a suitable prayer and introduction. To be certain of getting the cake of their choice, the visitors would stand beside it with one hand resting lightly on top of it. As soon as the brief service was over, the selected cakes were firmly grabbed, the money paid and the beaming owners free to examine other offerings, such as vegetables, flowers, pottery and needlework.

At 3pm, Kaipara Flats School closed and the children erupted into the hall, gleefully surrounding the White Elephant stall. On occasion, a child would buy the very toy they had donated – much to their mother’s surprise.

And so the afternoon wore away, until two tables were cleared and laid with the afternoon tea provided by the Guild. Gradually visitors would depart until the hall was empty. Then the clearing up and money counting would begin. We never failed to be thrilled with the amount of money the afternoon had produced. We had the satisfaction of knowing our efforts had been worthwhile.

These happy days are just memories now. I shall always be grateful that I was part of the Kaipara Flats Ladies’ Guild. It was an experience not to be missed.

Ladies who attended the last meeting of the Kaipara Flats Guild in the Anglican Church were, from left, Beverly Thomson, Margaret Tillott, Clare Dill, Madeline Dashper, Margaret morison, Anne Todd and Tui Mason