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Pauline Monk was the first woman president elected by Orewa Lions, and it was with reluctance that she stepped into that position. Despite being nervous of public speaking, Pauline led the predominantly male organisation for a year. She says her true vocation is working with the elderly – something she ceased only because of ill health. A keen sailer and gardener, Pauline is also a skilled caterer – a job she says put her off chocolate cakes for life, but inspired her son to become a chef. She talked with Terry Moore about the buzz of helping others.
I’d only been in Orewa Lions a few months and they talked me into being secretary. I had never done any public speaking or anything like that before and the first time I was secretary at a meeting my knees were shaking. The only reason I joined Lions, in 2000, was because my husband Roy and I were new to the Hibiscus Coast and Roy was keen to join as a way of getting involved with the community. At first I didn’t think it was really my type of thing, but I found I enjoyed working on fundraising projects such as the Big Dig, painting people’s houses and doing beach clean ups. It was satisfying to be able to donate money to some very good causes such as the fire brigade, Starship Hospital, Hospice and hearing dogs. In 2005 I was talked into being president by the late Noel Crawley. Noel was principal of Orewa College at the time and very active in Lions – a lovely man. I really respected him and because he asked me to take on that role, I felt honoured and accepted. It meant standing up often to give speeches, which makes me very nervous, but I gradually got used to that.
The night I was elected President I put forward a programme that included things such as donating to Hospice, putting a float in the Orewa Santa Parade and having regular barbecues in Silverdale to raise funds. I had 200 percent backup for all those things, but the fact is a lot of our members are elderly and involved in many community activities, so it wasn’t always easy to get projects happening. Despite this, we worked really hard. During my year as President Roy and I hardly ever had a weekend free to ourselves, and had to plan all our family get togethers and time for hobbies such as gardening around Lions activities. One of the first things I did as President was make sure we got involved with Camp Quality, an international organisation that helps children living with cancer. We arranged for Whangaparaoa Lions to host them down at Shakespear Regional Park for lunch, then we took them to a barbecue at Waiwera Hot Pools. There were around 200 in the group, including the young people and their buddies. They were beautiful children and it was a real buzz to be able to help them. I said to another Lion at the time that I more proud of that than anything else I’d done. Their smiles were wonderful, despite all the trauma and treatments they were going through.
I was born in Southampton in Hampshire, England 62 years ago and came to New Zealand 40 years ago with my first husband and two little boys. We lived in Auckland and then the South Island where I did my first voluntary work, with Plunket in Dunedin. My marriage broke up and not long after that I met Roy. That was 22 years ago.
I spent many years working in catering, and when Roy and I moved to Orewa 11 years ago, partly so we could be close to our four grandchildren, I got a job at Pinehaven Rest Home making breakfasts, morning tea and lunch. It was there I discovered that my true vocation was to work with the elderly. However, I wanted to help them in their homes as in rest homes you are often faced with residents dying. Although you get used to it, I didn’t want to continue on like that because each death made me so sad. I went on to work with Hibiscus Coast Home Help for eight years, going into people’s homes doing their shopping or housework, changing colostomy bags, caring for cancer patients, doing bed baths and showering people. I loved it, but eventually had to give up because of my own health. I have fibromyalgia and rheumatoid arthritis. It feels as though there are elastic bands in my hands and they are being pulled tight and snapped. My hands, arms, shoulders and neck are particularly affected. On a bad day I am on strong painkillers and steroids, but I prefer to go for walks or out in the garden and not dwell on it. I am a very positive person and I like to keep active. I have always been a keen gardener and these days I have to lie to my arthritis specialist about gardening: doctors say you are supposed to restrict it a bit, but there’s no way I’m prepared to do that.
I still work with Lions, and Roy was president until recently, but I’m not a member any more. There are no half measures with me and if I joined I would feel a strong commitment not to let them down and it can quickly take over your life. As it is, I help from the sidelines, so I don’t feel too bad if occasionally I can’t go. I sort paper at the Lions’ paper shed by the Youth Centre once a week and take the workers home baking. On Tuesdays I make cards at the Community Hall; it can be difficult with my hands, but I use tweezers to pick things up. Even opening things like milk bottles can be hard – I get so angry and frustrated. In my younger days I did quite a bit of sailing and, although I was always the smallest one on board at 4’11”, I was fit and I could take on everything – including winching and putting up sails. I like physical challenges and I never imagined I would be incapacitated in this way.
Because I’m at home a lot these days I take calls for Lions and I find it hard to say no. Recently we were asked to get a big group of people together to help measure the stability of a boat in Gulf Harbour. The boat was going to be used for charters, and the owner had to ensure it was stable with around 50 people aboard. We managed to round up 52 people and we all got on board and crowded onto one side of the boat, then the other. It was fun and we got $1000, which we donated to Starship Hospital. I also help with catering for the Dog Show in Orewa twice a year and show the new people the ropes if they haven’t catered for the show before. I see a lot of my grandchildren and I keep in touch with many of the ladies I visited when working with Hibiscus Coast Home Help. There are a lot of lonely people out there and there are so many things that need doing in the community – I only wish I could do more.
