Honouring our Milestone Members!

We are delighted to have so many loyal members who have achieved long-service milestone memberships during 2019!

We are also extremely privileged to spend time with some of these members when they opt to attend our local AGM's and have their long-service certificates presented to them by the Branch Committee.

One such member, Peter Hays ACIS, sent a reflective email to chief executive, Linda Noble, following his attendance at the Auckland AGM where he was presented with his 60-year membership certificate.

AGM Reflections

Dear Linda

I was very impressed at the Institute’s recent Auckland Branch Annual General Meeting with the Milestone Members who were recognised there, for all of their range of interests, their valuable contributions to both business and the community, and the significant achievements in their careers. It was a pleasure to share in the evening.

In the days following the AGM I got to thinking back to when I was first admitted to the Institute as a member, which was in 1959, and I thought that you might be interested in some of my then involvements with the then NZ Division of the Chartered Institute of Secretaries.

At that time the Auckland Branch was setting up a debating team, to enter the Auckland Debating Association’s competitions, and I became a member of the team. We had an enjoyable time preparing together, and we built long-lasting relationships between us. Even more, we enjoyed sufficient successes in our debates to reach the newcomers’ finals. Our opposing team for the finals proved to be a team of inmates from Auckland Prison, where the finals were held before an enthusiastic audience. The moot was “That fear rules our lives”. We had the affirmative. We lost!

That same year I attended the Institute’s National Conference held at Waiwera. As the youngest there I found myself on a members’ panel, in the course of which I recall I needed to defend “Bodgies and Widgies” who were the youth phenomenon of the time. This was an Australasian youth sub-culture where the masculine and feminine roles seemed to be reversed, largely as a display of independence from their elders – the young men grew their hair long and tended to wear satin shirts (with draped trousers); while the young women cut their hair short and wore jeans (horror).

Later I travelled to England on my “OE” and was glad to be able to transfer my membership to the Institute’s UK Division. That was quite an advantage. For example, I recall attending an address by Professor C Northcote Parkinson (of “Parkinson’s Law” fame) in which he kept a large professional audience well entertained while elaborating on several of his other “Laws”. And very much imprinted in my memory are my attendances at the Institute’s Annual Dinners held in the magnificence of the Guildhall in the City of London.

Over many subsequent years I’ve benefited from attending Institute events in Auckland; and nowadays I particular appreciate the effort that goes into producing your weekly “News Brief”, which enables me to keep up-to-date through providing links to many articles of interest.

Regards
Peter

View photo gallery of members who opted to receive their certificates at their local AGM...

Our 2019 milestone members