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FEATURE Have you heard about.... The WAIKATO COMMERCE CLUB 197 COLLINGWOOD STREET, <strong>HAMILTON</strong>. PHONE: 839 0501 www.waikatocommerceclub.co.nz - A HIDDEN GEM IN THE HEART OF THE CITY - BAR/BISTRO/POKIES/POOL TABLES AND… MORE CAR PARKS THAN YOU CAN IMAGINE! OUR REMARKABLE HISTORY In 1866 a small group of commercial travellers in Adelaide, South Australia, joined together to redress for grievances that they had about the state of roads and hotel accommodation - they became the ‘Commercial Travellers Association’. The group’s efforts were apparently successful, they disbanded in early 1873, and accumulated funds were donated to the Adelaide Benevolent and Strangers Association. The group reformed the following year (1874) and became the “South Australian Commercial Travellers and Warehousemen’s Association’. That was the genesis of today’s “Commercial Travellers’ or ‘Commerce’ Clubs, many of which still exist throughout Australia and New Zealand. The first NZ Commercial Travellers and Warehousemen’s Club (CTWC) was established in Dunedin, opening in 1885. In 1937 the Hamilton ‘Commercial Travellers and Warehousemen’s Club’ was formed. At that time the Hamilton CTWC was just a branch of the Auckland CTW Club. WWII saw the club close in 1940, reopening in 1947 after the war ended. The Hamilton CTWC moved to its new premises in Collingwood Street in 1960 and extended those premises significantly in 1972. The Hamilton CTWC changed its name to the ‘Waikato Commerce Club’ in 1991, and retains that name today. YOU’RE CELEBRATION FUNCTION. The Waikato Commerce Club held function on the 30th of April to celebrate 25 years since our name change. With local band ‘Whos Asking’ providing musical entertainment for the night, there were raffles, prize draws and giveaways – plus an evening ‘gold coin donation’ barbecue. MEMBERSHIP If you’re not a Member of the Waikato Commerce Cub – what’s stopping you? Membership is only $30 per annum and it entitles you to use our facilities (and use of our meeting rooms is free to our Members) and to join our Sports groups. With some of the best prices in town available over our bar, and a fantastic bistro that you can even bring the whole family along to, we’d love to welcome you to the Club! WEDNESDAY NIGHTS Members Draw – Every Wednesday night around 7 p.m. one of our Members membership numbers is drawn. If that Member is present, they will take home the jackpot. Starting at $500 and jackpotting by $100 every week that it’s not claimed, our pool stands at $1300 this coming Wednesday the 20th of April. If the jackpot reaches $1800 it MUST be won (we keep drawing numbers until we draw that of a lucky Member who is present that night)! There is also a cash prize for the Member with the number ‘closest to’ the number initially drawn. SPORTS GROUPS The Club supports our Sports Groups; Golf, Snooker, Pool, Petanque, Fishing, and Bowls. These groups play socially and also represent the Waikato Commerce Club in Tournaments, playing against other NZ ‘CT/Commerce’ Clubs. Each of these groups hold raffles on various Wednesday nights, the proceeds of which go toward the travel required to attend some of the ‘away’ competitions. They are always looking for new members, so keep that in mind if you’re involved in one of these sports and want to join our teams. SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS Waikato Commerce Club is keen to hear from anyone wishing to set up a new group, whether it be dancing, bridge, chess, cards, travel etc. If you’re thinking of becoming a Member and you have a special interest, we’d be happy to help you initiate a ‘group’ and get other Members involved. A recent initiative has been to get a ‘business network’ going, where our Members can promote their businesses as ‘preferred suppliers’ to our Members, and at times offer exclusive deals to Members. It’s worth noting that we offer plenty of free publicity to any business that becomes involved in our Members Business Network. WHY DON’T YOU COME ALONG AND CHECK US OUT.. WE’D LOVE TO SEE YOU AT THE CLUB! Alwyn Graves who has been a member of the Commerce Club for the past 50 years is still a regular at the Club these days, but few who see him there know of his interesting history of involvement with the Club. Alwyn was Club President from 1972 to 1975 and again from1992 to 1994. Alwyn recalls: The Hamilton Commerce Club (The Waikato Commercial Travellers and
Warehousemens Association) was first located in Tristram Street, in an old house opposite the Founders Theatre. In those days the Theatre wasn’t there, it was all parkland – ‘Boyes Park”. In its early days the Club had two types of Members; Commercial Travellers (called ‘Association Members’ - travelling salesmen and other salesmen who qualified with the Associations criteria) and ‘Club’ Members’ (those who did not meet the criteria of being ‘Commercial Travellers’). The President and other Club Officials could only be chosen from the former (Association Members), the latter (Club Members) could not be elected to those roles. It was a ‘men only’ association, however they held a very popular ‘Ladies Night’ once a month. It wasn’t until the late 1970’s that the club allowed Women to join. Back then standard closing time was 6 p.m., however the Club had applied for a special license which allowed them to stay open until 11 p.m. on Fridays. Thursdays and Fridays were the busiest days at the Club. Thursday was when most of the commercial travellers came back into town, and they always got together for a drink and a yarn at the Club. Hamilton did not have a large number of ‘drinking holes’ then, a few pubs and clubs were scattered around the city and the clubs were a popular place to go and relax after work. These are Alwyns own writings, below: Just to clarify the name changes. The CY Clubs started in NZ in Dunedin as a branch of Adelaide in Australia in 1874. I believe that the Club in Dunedin still operate in their original building. The original Club name was Hamilton Commercial Travellers and Warehousemens Assn. This name was frequently abbreviated to Hamilton CT & W Assn.In 1991 a notice of motion to be considered at the AGM “The Club change its name to Hamilton Commerce Club”. After some discussion at the AGM an amendment was moved and carried that the new name be Waikato Commerce Club. The amendment became the motion was voted on and carried thus resulting in the new name Waikato Commerce Club. BLAST FROM THE PAST. Back in 1972 it was decided that the Club needed to extend the existing building and to start the ball rolling it was decide to hold a major raffle involving all club members to raise some money towards this project. The prize for the raffle was a racehorse distantly related to a Melbourne Cup winner. Every member was posted a book of 10 ticket at $1 each, 400 members, $4000. The Club also ran a small add each week in the Best Bets along the lines buy a book of tickets get 1 ticket free. Each week we would sell between 10 and 30 extra books. The end result was a net profit of $8000. By the way I don’t think that racehorse ever won a race. Since the success of this raffle the following year we decide to run another raffle along similar lines the prize being a top colour TV set. Our ads in the Best Bets stated we would deliver to the winner anywhere in NZ. Would you believe the winner lived on Gt. Barrier Island. This had me stumped for a wee while until I remembered that of our members owned his own light plane. Arrangements were made for a Saturday morning delivery to an airstrip on Gt. Barrier Island. As proof on the delivery Ivan the aircraft owner took a photo of me handing over the TV set. Soon after takeoff on the return trip Ivan announced he was going to have sleep and to awake him on the outskirts of Hamilton. This I duly did but I am not sure whether Ivan new I had never flown a plane before. The Club made $6000 profit from this raffle and it cost me a couple of beers for Ivan. As a follow up from the previous article, the Club now considered themselves to be in the position of adding extensions to the building. One of the members drew up plans for the extensions and obtained a quote from a building contractor. This was presented to the Hamilton City Council for approval and a building permit. This was rejected even after an appearance at their Court on the grounds that the Club didn’t own sufficient land to service vehicle parking. At that stage the Club only owned the land on which the building stood. The parking at that stage was the section where the WINTEC accommodation now stands. So it was back to the building board with our “Thinking Caps” firmly in place. Approaches were made to the Hamilton Technical College the owners of the section being used for parking and the Manager of the Farmers Trading Co. the owners of the section of our current car park. We drew a blank in both cases, however the manager of the FTC told us the FTC policy was the non sale of assets but we could use the section for parking the rental being the HCC rates each year. Another appearance in Court by Yours Truly still did not convince the HCC. About this time one the houses behind the Club came on the market for sale, we came up with plan of owning 2 houses with a parking building. The Club eventually owned both house, back to HCC with drawings of our proposed parking building with entrances from Thackeray St and the Club. Twelve months down the track we had our building permit Proud to be an official supplier of quality meats to The Waikato Commerce Club. HAPPY BIRTHDAY! Chef Ready Meats is Hamilton’s leading meat wholesaler/distributor meat specialist. Established in 2002 the Company’s reputation for quality fresh product grew quickly and this core fundamental value still exists today; customers know that when they receive products from Chef Ready Meats they are receiving the highest quality. P:07 850 1592 F:07 850 1593 M: 027 431 4424 Graeme@chefreadymeats.co.nz M: 027 291 1697 Warren@chefreadymeats.co.nz 8 Simsey Place, Te Rapa, Hamilton www.chefreadymeats.co.nz A friendly, efficient legal team providing professional advice for all your legal requirements: Employment Law Relationship Property Trust and Estate Planning Residential Property Commercial and Business Law 221 Collingwood Street, Hamilton Phone 07 838 3144 www.bogers.co.nz
Page 1 and 2: ISSUE 1 HAMILTON The publication fo
Page 3 and 4: NEW COUNCIL BLOOD BRINGS FRESH OPTI
Page 5 and 6: MODERN OFFICE Commercial Furniture
Page 7 and 8: THE FRIENDLY POSITIVE GYM WHERE WE
Page 9 and 10: Waikato Wardrobes have over 20 year
Page 11: million. “We’re just not in the
Page 15 and 16: PROUDLY SUPPORTS THE WAIKATO COMMER
Page 17 and 18: IRD Contract Still Not Signed By Sa
Page 20 and 21: TAINUI DEVELOPMENT TGH Welcomes Res
Page 22 and 23: Hamilton Launches Online Marketplac
Page 24 and 25: WANT MORE $ COMING IN? THEN YOU NEE
Page 26 and 27: WAIKATO COMMERCE CLUB Reasons you s
Page 28: RYAN HAMILTON 4 HAMILTON EAST

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