Welcome to the OGHT September Newsletter

Click here for a printable PDF version.

Crazy times we live in. Hope you are all hanging in there! Bit of a bugger trying to organise gatherings with such uncertainty hanging over us but I guess we just have to get on and do what we can. Hope for the best but plan for a variety of possibilities!

With that in mind we have options for our AGM and field weekend coming up and Cavalcade next year.

Please be aware, any options we propose now are open to change if the government changes the current rules around lockdown levels.

Currently, in Level 2D we can still hold our AGM with a limit of 50 people. This shouldn’t be a problem as we typically get about 40 at an AGM. We will need to follow indoor group guidelines though, mask wearing and have you all spread around the meeting room with 2m between your bubble and the next folks bubble.

The Cavalcade in this Level 2-D is more difficult but still doable for the week in the hills. The main bug-bear will be the 50 person limit inside a venue. Meal times may have to be staggered or hope for good weather so we can all eat ‘el fresco!’

Fingers crossed we will be in Level 1 and then back to ‘normal’ well before next February!

Cavalcade registrations open for members on the 1st of October! All current financial members will be sent a link or posted a hard copy form to register for the 2022 Cavalcade to Millers Flat on 1st October. (OGHT Membership runs from 1st May until 30th April annually.) Go to www.goldfieldstrust.org.nz to update your membership or give us a call in the office 03 4450111.

It’s going to be our 30th Cavalcade and Millers Flat are going all-out! There will be 11 trails to choose from again for the week’s adventure. There are already over 50 stalls lined up for the celebration day markets and the Topp Twins are booked for the opening act of the hoe down!

Non members will be able to register for the Cavalcade from the 1st November. (Some of the more popular trails may well be full before November comes around)

Have you seen this? Yep this is us. Thanks very much to new boy on the committee John Wekking who is driving this. All details on our website or ring the office if you have questions.

Another big and exciting gathering the OGHT are progressing towards is an application to host the 2026 International Gold Panning World Championships. This is the brainchild of Stu Ide, a keen gold panner, member of the OGHT committee, NZ National Gold Panning Champs sub committee and previous winner, along with his daughter Megan, of the World Champs team category.  Bringing ‘the Worlds’ here will be a serious undertaking and have massive tourism benefits for the region. Hundreds of international gold panners, plus their families and supporters in the region for a full week of competitions plus a bit of sightseeing either end!

Our gold dredge field weekend we had planned for winter is currently on hold as we need to time this field weekend just right to get the best possible view of the underwater dredges. Water levels and water clarity are important, we will be in touch as soon as we have a date. We love field weekends so if you have a suggestion for a location you would like us to visit please get in touch. 

Buying our ‘Old Church’ offices. We have had a wonderful ‘peppercorn’ rental agreement with the NZ Methodist Church since Helen Clark opened the OGHT-revamped building back in 2006. No money has yet changed hands but agreements have been made and cunning plans are afoot! 

The OGHT 2021 AGM is planned for the evening of 16th October in Queenstown after a day of guided touring of interesting sites ‘up the Skippers’ by local girl Winky Hohneck. We will come back to Queenstown for dinner meeting at the Holiday Inn at 5.30pm. The AGM will be held after we have eaten. Sunday morning will see the Queenstown and Districts Historical Society give talks in the bowling club rooms about local identities from back in the day, before taking a walk around the CBD to see some of the original buildings. The OGHT field weekend and AGM is open to all members of the public. However everyone intending to come must register here https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/TX76THK so we know numbers and have contact tracing details. Cheers!

Feel free to email terry@cavalcade.co.nz or ring the office on 03 4450 111 if you would like more information. 

Amendment of the Constitution

It is proposed to amend the OGHT Constitution section regarding Financial Members. The proposal is to remove the last sentence of Paragraph 52.

The sentence reads:

“Members who have paid their subscription for one year shall be deemed to still be financial up to the date of the Annual General Meeting for that year.”

Justification for proposed removal:

The sentence was relevant at a time when the OGHT’s financial year and Annual General Meeting were held within a few weeks of each other. That is no longer the case, thus effectively allowing past members to vote on OGHT matters up to six months after their membership has expired. Removal of the sentence restores normal membership requirements for voting matters.

Do you know anyone who would make a good president for the OGHT? Rex has completed his 3 year stint as President and has other exciting projects to keep him busy. We are going to need someone new to run our meetings! Here is a description of the President’s role:

The President of the Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust (OGHT) is elected by members at a General Meeting and may serve in that role for a maximum of three years. The President is supported by elected committee members including a Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer and a number of Committee members. The roles of Secretary and Treasurer are filled by paid contractors, all other roles are voluntary.

The President chairs the OGHT monthly committee meeting which progresses or approves topics or finances as required. Meetings are typically held at the OGHT head office (the old Methodist Church on the corner of Erris and Donegal streets, Cromwell) or at Central Stories in Alexandra. Meetings are normally held on the second Tuesday each month between 1pm-4pm.

The President typically has a close relationship with Terry Davis and Odette Hopgood-Bride who are the OGHT’s employed Secretary and Treasurer. In those roles they provide event and project management and coordination. Terry and Odette communicate with the President regularly to ensure management of activities is in keeping with and guided by the elected head of the OGHT. The President may also be requested, from time to time, to write or sign submissions to council or letters to other heritage groups and interested parties.

For more information call Terry on 034450111 Odette on 021949306 or Rex Johnson (the current President) 02102488922.

That will just about do for now. Thanks very much for reading all the way to the bottom!

We look forward to things getting back to normal ASAP and see you out in the hills somewhere!

Terry Davis

Secretary

Otago Goldfields Heritage Trust.