Deerstalker Maureen honoured with life membership

Wayne Bennett (left), Jock Spinks, Maureen, Mike Deane, Gordon Clark, George Avery, and TVDA club patron and MC for the evening Basil Morrison.

Thames Valley Deerstalkers Association (TVDA) honoured Maureen Coleman for more than a quarter of a century of service to the association, by making her a life member in a special event in their Paeroa clubrooms on November 27.

Maureen joined the association in 1995 after coming to a club night. She said she was “as green as grass” when she joined, being the sole woman in the club.“I’d never been in the bush until I was 30. The guys just treated me as someone that wanted to hunt.”

The next meeting Maureen came to was the club’s AGM and, because the secretary wasn`t in attendance, “Maureen ended up taking the minutes for the meeting. It was then suggested by [fellow life member] Mike Deane that since there was nothing to the job, Maureen may as well take the secretary`s job and was duly voted in”.

In 2006, Maureen became president of the club, with 50 members on its books; the TVDA now boasts some 500 members across the district. During her time as president, Maureen raised hundreds of thousands of dollars for the club by way of grants and sponsorships — $100,000 was raised for the purchase of 33 automatic clay bird traps, as were thousands of dollars for the purchase of bowhunters targets and extensions to the TVDA clubrooms incorporating a kitchen and bar. The money played for the materials, but all the labour was supplied voluntarily by club members.

Maureen has organised the club’s major fundraiser to Panekiri Station for lamb docking since its inception seven years ago and has attended every year, involving 10 days away annually. Maureen has also received two Sports Waikato Awards for Administrator of the Year. While under her watch, TVDA has received two Sports Waikato Awards for Club of the Year for organising and running one World Claybird Championship and one Oceania Claybird Championship over the 2005-07 period. The club has also hosted two National Claybird Championships.

Maureen also organised a National Claybird Shooting Coaching Programme bringing out a professional coach, Graham Brown, from Britain. Maureen was keen to stress she wasn`t alone doing all this work and that she has had tremendous support from a loyal bunch of members.

The evening doubled as a successful reunion of many of the club’s past and present members, family and friends of Maureen and her husband Tony, described by TVDA members as her “Wingman”.

TVDA club patron and MC for the evening Basil Morrison provided an enlightening review of Maureen’s involvement and contribution to the club over many years. Gordon Clark, who is the sole surviving foundation member, provided the audience with an interesting address of the club’s history before presenting Maureen with her life membership award.

Club volunteers provided a generous supply of fine finger food throughout the evening, which was a great occasion for everyone to enjoy and catch up.