Several young Te Awamutu dancers competing at the Te Kūiti Winter Show national dancing competitions met with considerable success.
Elaine North had a series of triumphs, including first for Highland dance and tap dance under 11 years; second for tap dance under 9 years; second for Highland fling, sword dance and Irish jig, all under 11 years.
Elaine had secured 100 placings, made up of 46 firsts, 34 seconds and 20 thirds – a very fine achievement. Elaine was in splendid form at the competitions, and there was loud applause when she reached such prominence.
Elaine North 1938
A successful gypsy dance was held in the Te Rore Hall, which was beautifully decorated with multicoloured streamers, the supper room tables being arranged charmingly with vases of daphne and freesias.
The judges had great difficulty in judging the dazzling array of costumes consisting of lacquered taffetas, embossed satins, suede’s, velvets and sequins. Excellent music was supplied by Leckie’s orchestra, and extras were played by Mrs Nicholson and Mr Allen.
When Kihikihi School was destroyed by fire there were many scholars who expressed the hope that their holidays would commence much earlier than usual. They were doomed to disappointment as arrangements were made to resume school, most of the children being accommodated in the Town Hall, and others taken by bus to Te Awamutu District High School. The Kihikihi Town Board made the hall available on five days each week for school purposes as an emergency measure and the Board of Education sent equipment. After school holidays, three marquees were erected in the school grounds to accommodate all the classes until consolidation of the Te Awamutu and Intermediate schools could be made.
An unusually heavy fall of snowcapped Mt Pirongia, the snow level reaching a point about half-way up the hills. The snowfall was heavier than had been seen for several seasons. Motorists travelling between the Waikato and Kawhia were thrilled at the unusual spectacle of snow lying about the roadsides and several stopped and set about building snowmen.
A very interesting demonstration of the ideal dairy cow was given at Mr Ryburn’s farm, ‘The Oaks,’ Paterangi, especially for the education of the Paterangi School’s senior scholars.
The president of Te Awamutu Jersey Cattle Club delivered a short but informative address, and Mr Ryburn, a show-ring judge, demonstrated the good and bad points of several animals paraded. Quite a number of questions were asked and answered. The scholars were given an outline of the aims of calf clubs that were functioning in other districts, and they expressed a desire to form a similar club in Paterangi. The headmaster, Mr Oram, thanked Messrs Allen and Ryburn for their interesting information, and they were accorded hearty applause.
A rare budgerigar was bred and reared by Mr Henderson, of Puniu Road. The progeny of two green-split blues, it was what was called a fallow and declared by authorities to be the first of its kind ever bred in New Zealand. Its principal markings were white head, pink eyes, yellow beak, sky-blue suffusion body, cinnamon wings, and blue and cinnamon tail. Mr Henderson showed the bird to several breeders and members of the Budgerigar Society and all agreed that the bird was unique.
