I always enjoy scrolling through old photos. It helps me recapture special moments spent with people and in places I love.
Ketchikan, Alaska. Photo: Timon Cornelissen
Recently, I came across photos I took in Ketchikan, a small town in Alaska. They show a magnificent totem pole outside the town’s museum. It grabbed my attention so completely that I took a photo of the plaque beside it. This said that the totem was not one of the heritage totems, for which Ketchikan is famous, but one specially carved to honour those who had the vision of a local museum and gave time and money to see that it became a reality.
Christine Bryant, Lay Minister, St John’s.
The museum is largely given over to telling the stories and showcasing the way of life of the Tlingit people who inhabited the area for centuries before the arrival of the first Europeans. It’s very much like the Te Awamutu Museum focuses on local history. Without the generosity of the people commemorated by the totem, those stories may well have been lost.
Amongst the members of St John, two mighty totara have fallen this year – Alan Empson and Keith Storey. Between them, these two faithful men gave countless hours not only to their church family but also to the community of Te Awamutu. As members of Lions, Rotary and church, despite being busy farmers, serving others was at the very core of their lives.
I remember an article written when the rose gardens were being reshaped to provide for the new playground which recalled that Keith used to drive the tractor into town after his day’s work on the farm to help dig those first rose beds.
Te Awamutu Rose Garden
A long-time resident of Te Awamutu told me that Alan and Keith were two of the visionaries behind the Events Centre. Whether organising working bees or fundraising, they always led from the front, encouraging others to give of their best and refusing all recognition of their own pivotal role.
This reminds me of the parable of the Good Samaritan. True, this story is not about a community good; it is about seeing a need and responding fully to it. In this case, a man was beaten and left for dead by the roadside, ignored by the respectable men of the town. It took a generous Samaritan to pick the man up, find a place where he could be cared for and pay for his treatment until he was back on his feet. (Luke 10:25-37)
Every week in the Te Awamutu News there are stories of people who continue the work of the Alans and Keiths who built up this town and made it the community with all the facilities it now has. Some may be remunerated as councillors or board members, but they surely give much more than they receive. Much of what they contribute is out of a generosity of spirit and a desire to leave the community in a better space than before.
Keith asked for “Fide Fortis”, Strong in Faith, on his headstone. To Keith, Alan and all those who have contributed whether by faith or community spirit, we honour you.
