New Plymouth West Rotary Club had a very special evening with the handing over of the Presidency of the club from John Ritchie to Ian Smiley and the Past District Governor Marion Johnstone handing over the chain to incoming District Governor John Mohi.
Rev Albie Martin told the story of the Taupiripiri (the speaker’s cane) and presented it to John Mohi.
Taupiripiri is the cane of the Chief Spokesman and recognises the qualities of leadership and authority inherited or vested in them.
The name in simple terms means ‘walking arm-in-arm, togetherness’ - it embraces all those things that give people dignity and worth, symbolising creation, family, community and society.
Taupiripiri was originally presented to Don Martin by the Maori of the East Coast as a mark of respect for his work for his church and as patron of the hospital, prior to his relocating with his family to Taranaki. Don was made President of the Rotary Club of New Plymouth West in 1982 and to mark, in a special way, his term as President he decided that Taupiripiri would be presented to the then District Governor Stuart Frame.The significance of the presentation was that Taupiripiri would provide a Maori dimension to the office and role of the Governor of Rotary District 9940 by providing a recognition that the holder of that office has the status of being the principal spokesperson for the District Rotary community.
Taupiripiri remains the taonga (or property) of the Rotary Club of New Plymouth West and each year it is presented to the current District Governor during the official club visit.
Taupiripiri has 5 sections:
• The grip with the bird’s head and closed beak symbolises listening, observing, being informed so as to speak authoritatively for or against, but always with the objective of regulating order. (A speaker of authority in the Maori world is referred to as “He Manu korero” – to talk like a bird in full song).
• The second section symbolises the creation - man and woman- the environment.
• The third section symbolises the formation and development of people.
• The fourth section symbolises the evening of our lives.
• The fifth section, which is not carved, represents the unknown, the tomorrows and the after-life.
Taupiripiri represents all the ideals of Rotary. Its name will remain for us as a reminder to walk arm and arm, to strive for all things together. The cane is the work of a Ngati Porou carver who was apprenticed to a Ngapuhi master carver of the old tradition, and this was the first test by which he would be judged.