New Plymouth Women's Section

	Long term members of the Women's Section from the left: Margaret Hall, Muriel Henderson (Treasurer-Secretary), and Gwenda Parker current President of the Women's Section.

With over one hundred active members, most of whom are in their 70s and 80s, the Women’s Section of the New Plymouth & Districts Memorial RSA (Inc) can probably claim to be one of the busiest Women’s Sections of the RSAs in the lower half of the North Island.

Every month the ladies gather at the RSA, where over a meal they review current activities, plan new ventures, and listen to a guest speaker. In August this year, the local Women’s Section will celebrate sixty-five years of existence.

For this special dinner, and their annual Christmas one, the men of the RSA will provide the catering and waiters, a role reversal for the women who are always ready to give their time to this traditional role, supporting the many community activities of the RSA.

As a measure of their direct support to the RSA, the ladies have raised more than $5,000 towards a new carpet for the clubrooms, $400.00 for a new stereo, and $545.00 for community assistance.

They also help with the many welfare activities, visiting elderly members of the RSA in the local hospitals and Rest Homes, support the “Over 60s” club which meets at the RSA, organise bus trips for the senior members, and every year are deeply involved in Poppy Days and the annual ANZAC Day commemorations.

For one member of the Women’s Section, Margaret Hall, there is a special place in the local RSA, as she was the first women to say the ode, the special recital given at every RSA in the country each week. Margaret is a past President of the Women’s Section and has been a committee member of the Section for over thirteen years.