Second nomination for Board member: Thomas Tawhiri

Posted on by

Hoe Tonga has received a second nomination for one of the two vacant elected Board member positions: Thomas Tawhiri

Thomas would bring the following skills to the Board:

  • Cultural – I am a speaker of Te Reo Māori and connected to my marae and Iwi.
  • Leadership –  to me communication is the key to achieving a good vision and working well with others is a natural consequence of this.
  • Innovation and Creative Thinking – Ability to generate creative and practical ideas, and solutions to problems.
  • Business Acumen – A solid understanding of commercial issues and a general proficiency for business.
  • Empowering others – Being able to create and maintain an environment in which individuals can participate, make choices and take responsibility for their actions.
  • Quality Focus – experience in achieving and maintaining quality standards through review and evaluation identifying strengths and improvements to support development.
  • Influencing – experience in gaining support from stakeholders for an idea or proposal.
  • Change Advocate – ability to implement new programmes of work for cultural and strategic change; treat change with optimism and use opportunity for producing both personal and organisational learning/growth.
  • Motivated to continue even when things get difficult.

 Profile:

Nei ra te mihi atu ki a tatou katoa i runga i ngā āhuatanga o te wā. He tukuna tēnei mō te tūranga kua wātea mai i te takiwā o Hoe Tonga.

He uri whakaheke au nō Te Whakatōhea, ko Mātaatua me Nukutere ngā waka. Tae atu hoki ki ngā iwi o Ngāi Tai me Ngāti Raukawa ki Wharepuhunga, ko Tainui te waka. Nā reira tēna koutou ko Thomas Tawhiri ahau.

I am passionate about waka ama and have paddled competitively for many years. I have been a member of Toa Waka Ama for 8 years, and have paddled with different clubs throughout New Zealand. I have recently been coaching secondary school paddlers, and novice adults.

I have played representative and premier rugby for Ories in Wellington, played rugby league and I am a Manukura in martial arts through Rangataua o Aotearoa. I am passionate about te reo Māori, tikanga and Māori performing arts having performed at national level with Pukeahu Māori club.

My professional background is in education, as a teacher, evaluator and manager. I am currently working for the New Zealand Qualifications Authority as a school relationship manager. My role is to work with wharekura throughout the north island on NCEA assessment and moderation.

My governance experience includes sitting on education, whanau trusts, hapū and Iwi groups, with specific roles of strategic direction, development and implementation.

I am currently on the Toa Waka Ama Club executive committee, with a goal to support paddlers not only Toa paddlers but all paddlers in the Hoe Tonga region. I am also a member of the Whakatohea pre-settlement trust advisory for Te Reo Māori and education. The members role on this group is to provide advice to the pre-settlement trustees on the post-settlement governance structure specifically for Te Reo Māori and education.

Board member nomination: Paul Marshall

Posted on by

Hoe Tonga has received one nomination for the upcoming Board member elections at the AGM: Paul Marshall.

The AGM will take place after the Race 4 of the Hoe Tonga Paddla Series (this Saturday), but before the prize giving for the Series.

Paul would bring the following skills to Hoe Tonga’s Board:

  • Leadership
  • Marketing & Communications
  • Ability to understand and relate to stakeholders
  • Strong local and regional community connection, credibility and networks
  • Ability to establish quality relationships
  • A knowledge of Tikanga Maori
  • Strategic Thinking
  • Good understanding of the principles of Governance and Management

Paul’s profile:

Ko Taiarahia te maunga

Ko Ohinemataroa te awa

Ko Mataatua te waka

Ko Ngāi Tūhoe te Iwi

Recently introduced to the sport of waka over the past 4 years through my kids at the Porirua Canoe and Kayak Club (PCKC), now our whole whānau is giving it a go.

In my professional life I am the national lead for sport industry at Skills Active.  My previous roles include project management, cultural advisor and community development in the health sector. I also trained as a personal trainer and have worked in community recreation developing and managing community sports programmes. I have also had experience in governance positions sitting on governance groups for community organisations including the Wellington Division of the Cancer Society.

My sporting background is mostly in martial arts, representing New Zealand in Taekwondo, moving onto kickboxing with Rangataua o Aotearoa and now training Brazilian jiu-Jitsu at the Combat Room in Wellington.

 

Trophies at final Race 4 of the 2017 HT Paddla Series

Posted on by

img_2954-e1505812977668.jpgIn addition to two paddles and various other spot prizes, including a Team Aotearoa Race Shirt from Long Distance Worlds 2017, to give away, the prize giving for this year’s series will also feature a number of team trophies (senior, junior and novice, for the team with the most points in those three categories) and a new trophy “He Taonga Kotahitanga”.

Donated by Te Ringa Miti Tai Heke Waka Ama Club, this new trophy, carved from Totara and Rimu, is a representation of us as a people who have journeyed the many oceans and rivers by waka, whether be that for gathering food, battle, racing or to seek new horizons. Alternately, being one to achieve a common goal – Kotahitanga.

Reminder: Waka workshop in Whanganui, on 23 September

Posted on by

“The asymmetry of V1 paddling and preparing for long distance races”. By Jörn Scherzer. 23 September, after Race 4 of the HT Paddla Series, about 2-4pm. $20pp

The workshop will cover V1 paddling (forward stroke, steering strokes, turning) and long distance racing more generally, including race preparation, race strategies and tactics, as well as a brief look back on Long Distance Worlds 2017.

Book your place, as numbers are limited, and a minimum number of attendees is required for it to go ahead. To book, please text your name to 021-1250997.

Find out more on facebook.

 

Results for Race 3 of the HT Paddla Series 2017

Posted on by

Another good turn out today, with 11 teams competing on the short course, and 10 teams on the long course.

Some challenging conditions out there today, with a cool 20-25knot Southerly whipping up the course. Going to and from Titahi Bay made it more challenging for the junior and novice teams, but far more interesting than just slogging it out in the tidal flats. Coming back from Titahi Bay, there were some nice little runners to practice those surfing skills.

Click here to download today’s results (2nd correction was made on 10 Sep).

Teams from Otaikokako and Otaki are in the top positions for the most points in their divisions (senior, novice, junior) but it’s not quite decided yet.

Some videos and photos will be posted on the hoe tonga facebook page. A big thank you again to our sponsors: Naomi Brookings from One Agency, Compass Health, and Tai Paddles, and the numerous volunteers making the day possible, including but not limited to the support boat drivers, canoe checkers, registration desk officials, finish and startline officials, and cake bakers.

See you at the final event in Whanganui in three weeks time.

Site map for Race 3 of the Hoe Tonga Series, on 2 September

Posted on by

Preparations are in full swing for Race 3 next Saturday.

Click here to download a couple of maps to show you where to go (before you get to the bridge at Paremata, turn off SH1 into Pascoe Ave to get to Ngati Toa Domain), and a detailed map of the site.

Please set up all W6 on the grass area, with the bows of canoes facing the channel. Please keep them reasonably tight so that there is enough room for all.

Please store trailer toward the northern part of the grass area.

Note that the launching ramp at Ngati Toa is currently not usable as a storm has washed away a part of the beach. Therefore, please leave room for support boats to be launched toward the southern part of the grass area.

Also, a friendly reminder to bring skirts. For the senior race, if conditions allow, we will go out to either Titahi Bay or “the Point”. Therefore, skirts may be mandatory.

Links for the live racing will be posted separately on Thursday before the race.

Are you interested in becoming a Hoe Tonga Board member?

Posted on by

Two vacancies for elected Board member positions will arise at our upcoming AGM on 23 September. This is due to Hoe Tonga’s constitutional requirements, whereby two Board Members shall retire from the Board at every second AGM.

Hoe Tonga would like to acknowledge the efforts of Board Member Denise Hapeta, who has signaled her intention to resign at the upcoming AGM.

In addition, Tane Cassidy has offered his resignation in line with constitutional requirements, but has expressed his willingness to be reappointed (for one of the two appointed positions available on our Board). Our Board intends to take him up on that offer, an update will occur later next month.

As a result of the vacancies for two elected positions, Hoe Tonga is calling for nominations for two new elected Board members.

The process is as follows:

  • Nominations can be made by Member Clubs. You can nominate any individual. Nominees do not need be a member/paddler of your club or region.
  • We are seeking Board members who will take an active involvement in the sport’s governance body and in the best interests of its membership as a whole. All nominees must be honest, reliable, trustworthy and comfortable to ‘walk and talk’, particularly in relation to the values of our sport (as outlined in our Strategic Plan).
  • Clubs and nominees must fill in the nomination form. They must be received, complete with relevant nominee profile by 11 September  2017, at hoetonga@gmail.com. The list of nominees, along with their profiles, will be posted on the Hoe Tonga website.
  • The election of  the new member(s) will take place at the Hoe Tonga AGM on 23 September 2017 in Whanganui (following the final race of the Hoe Tonga Paddla Series)
  • Click here to download the nomination form.
  • Our AGM on 23 September will have two key agenda items: (1) Presentation of the annual report , including financial report, and questions and answers from Board members, and (2) Election of two new Board members by affiliated clubs.