End of an era - CCNZ to close

Well, we knew it was on the books at some stage. After nearly 50 years of operation Church College of New Zealand will close its doors as the Church's private high school in New Zealand in 2009.

The school, built along with the temple and Temple View village area was build by labour missionaries in the 1950's. While the village itself will still be there of course, the college will close. While not a CCNZ alumni myself, I do admit that it is a sad peice of news.

Then again, I'm not all that sad. CCNZ has had questionable leadership of recent years, a sports focus mentality and some lacking academic focuses. There have been its problems that any high school shares. CCNZ is not unique in that form.

I will recall an experience involving family members where this individual was one of five who did violate the school rules. There was no question relating to the violation. The problem arose when the school saw fit to expell her from school while suspending the others. In doing my own investigations relating to this I found that the other four were members of either cultural squads or sports teams. There was a big defensive stance from the school when I raised this. My only point was that for a first violation of this nature that the punishment was not fitting the crime.

This was just one example of if your not a part of the 'CCNZ Crowd' then your on the lower caste. Thats perhaps my biggest criticism of CCNZ. The Old Boys Club.

So yes, I am sad its happening. But Elder W Rolfe Kerr spoke about the education system in New Zealand being very good. (FAR from perfect) but it is good. But when you think that of the near 10000 college aged LDS youth in New Zealand 700 attend CCNZ and maybe 100-200 of those reside in the dorms on the college grounds. Maybe there was enough reason to consider applying the church funds elsewhere.

Maybe it could have run for longer. But there is potential for growth. I am sad in one writers comments in the Waikato Times last night. "Marvin Boyce said: "I am totally shocked, for a church that makes nearly $US10 billion ($NZ16 billion) a year worldwide cannot even afford to maintain one school for Australia and New Zealand." Obviously he has no idea. Building over 350 new church buildings a year, supporting its missionary efforts including 13 missionary training centers around the world, high welfare & humanitarian programmes, the existing Church Colleges and universities, temple building programmes, broadcasting & printing facilities and also the many thousands of Church paid employees...(including its educators)...there is more to than the cash flow.

CCNZ has a proud history...and has much to be proud of. It will be missed, but has left a legacy.

Best of all...its a good one.

Dumb Drivers

You know, as I drove into Hamilton City I saw some really DUMB driving. For example. A bus driver running a red light, drivers trying to get through lights to a point that when the light we went through was red, they were half sticking out through the intersection thus not allowing the others the ability to move.

Its just dumb. Seeing a car take off from a main intersection within 10 metres of a large truck and trailer unit and essentially force the truck to swerve, it could have easilly gone further out of control and caused some serious damage.

So...you have to wait a few more minutes. You might save a life. Save yourself some stupidity worthy publicity.

What an experience!!!

Last week as Sunny and I went on our anniversary travels down to Rotorua we had an experience that was unlike any others we have shared. As a part of our tour to Rainbow Springs, we went to the Kiwi Encounter just over the road.

There were with Sunny and I four spanish tourists and one excited guide. While we were in the room being talked to about the incubation room, we noticed cracks starting to appear in one of the eggs. Our guide had mentioned that one of the two eggs being incubated at the time was near hatching, it was at this time this young Kiwi decided to make his grand appearance.

Fighting his way out of his 'little' shell this young bird was certainly having a rough go. Kicking and rocking, he finally got his feet out of the shell and there he was. Covered in shell, and feathers looking more like wet fur, a brand new Kiwi, bread off of the captive pair. Number 109 hatched this season. A wonderful achievement considering that just over 10 years ago, only 5 chicks were hatched in captivity.

We mulled over some names for the rest of the tour, but one name stuck. You see, they will not know this little birds gender until his adult feathers are developed and they send samples away for DNA testing. We named him Kaitiaki, (or Guardian). For he is, a guardian of his species.

For the ladies. Think about this. The Kiwi egg when laid is about a third of the overall size of the entire kiwi body.

This programme which Kiwi Encounter are a part of called Operation Nest Egg (O.N.E) is helping bring our national iconic bird back from the brink of the extinction that we introduced it too. It was our own people coming from over seas to settle here that brought the predators that call the Kiwi food or even just kill because they are there. Settlers introduced the Stote to control the Rabbits. Then the Stotes ate the Kiwi too, then the Possims, and the pig hunting dogs do their share of damage.

Some of the Kiwi's that call Kiwi Encounter home will return to the wild. Others will remain there and become parents to future generations of the national bird.

It was a wonderful thing we watched as we saw Kiwi, without glass barriers foraging for food, digging and just simply currled up sleeping. Made me proud of our little flightless fluffball we call our national icon. Yeah it runs funny, looks weird and in some situations has a nasty temerment, but hey, thats what it is being a Kiwi!!! :)

Grow strong Kaitiaki, we will visit you now and again to see how you are going. And thank you for sharing with us that special moment.

For more information on Operation Nest Egg check out the link below.
http://www.savethekiwi.org.nz/BNZKiwiRecovery/OperationNestEgg/