Te Hahi Tuhauwiri
Encyclopedia
The Yearly Meeting of Aotearoa
/New Zealand
(Te Hāhi Tūhauwiri) is the umbrella body and Yearly Meeting
of the Religious Society of Friends
in New Zealand
.
Quakers have a long history of involvement in New Zealand. The Quaker Sydney Parkinson
was on James Cook
's first voyage ; other Quakers visited or settled before the first regular Meeting for Worship in Nelson
in 1843. New Zealand Friends formed a Yearly Meeting, independent of London Yearly Meeting, in 1964.
Early concerns of Friends there included running adult education classes, running a hostel
in Wellington (1907 to 1945) to enable rural children to attend secondary schools, and, since the Defence Act 1909, opposing conscription
and acts of war. The Society was active in setting up Corso, originally the Council of Organisations for Relief Service Overseas, in 1944. It was one of the original constituent bodies of the National Council of Churches, now known as the Conference of Churches in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Monthly Meetings under the care of the Yearly Meeting in New Zealand include Waitemata North, Bay of Plenty/Auckland, Waikato/Hauraki, Palmerston North, Whanganui and Taranaki, Kapiti, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. In 2005 there were approximately 590 Friends in New Zealand, but about 1500 people, including children, are associated with the Society.
An event possibly unique to Friends in New Zealand is the nine-day-long residential Summer Gathering, held early each year (New Zealand midsummer), usually in a camping environment outside a city, for Friends and friends of Friends of all ages to get to know each other and have fun. Opportunities are provided for serious discussion and study, often with guest speakers, as well as for light-hearted activities (such as bonfires, concerts and fancy-dress parties), and for plenty of informal relaxation. Summer Gathering is valued as an informal way for New Zealand's small and scattered Quaker community to retain its cohesion.
In 1920 a co-educational Friends' Primary School, offering non-militaristic education, was opened in Whanganui
. It was closed in 1969 and sold, but seven adjacent hectares of farmland were retained as the site of the Friends Educational Settlement, nicknamed "Quaker Acres". The Settlement consists of 16 separate homes, with 20 adults and 8 children who maintain the facilities in a voluntary capacity. The community is working to become more sustainable,growing an increasing proportion of their own food, and continuing planting of trees. A conference centre with sleeping capacity for up to 40 is used by Quakers, and available for outside bookings. Many Friends see this as a Quaker "marae
". The community is outward-looking and active in local affairs. Weekend seminars are run on themes such as mediation, Quaker spirituality, social justice, sustainability, parenting, sharing of faith, men's and women's weekends, and more. For details go to www.quaker.org.nz
The Māori
name "Te Hāhi Tūhauwiri" was given to the Yearly Meeting in 1994 by the Maori Language Commission
. Its elements are: hāhi = "church"; tū = "stand"; hau = "breath/wind/spirit" and wiri = "tremble". It has been translated as "The people who are moved by the winds of the Spirit" or ""The faith community that stands shaking in the wind of the Spirit." Previously, the expression "Ngā Hoa Tapu" (the sacred/religious friends) was in use.
Aotearoa
Aotearoa is the most widely known and accepted Māori name for New Zealand. It is used by both Māori and non-Māori, and is becoming increasingly widespread in the bilingual names of national organisations, such as the National Library of New Zealand / Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa.-Translation:The...
/New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
(Te Hāhi Tūhauwiri) is the umbrella body and Yearly Meeting
Yearly Meeting
Yearly Meeting is a term used by members of the Religious Society of Friends, or Quakers, to refer to an organization composed of a collection of smaller, more frequent constituent meetings within a geographical area. These constituent meetings go by various names such as Quarterly Meetings, which...
of the Religious Society of Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
in New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
.
Quakers have a long history of involvement in New Zealand. The Quaker Sydney Parkinson
Sydney Parkinson
Sydney Parkinson was a Scottish Quaker, botanical illustrator and natural history artist.Parkinson was employed by Joseph Banks to travel with him on James Cook's first voyage to the Pacific in 1768. Parkinson made nearly a thousand drawings of plants and animals collected by Banks and Daniel...
was on James Cook
James Cook
Captain James Cook, FRS, RN was a British explorer, navigator and cartographer who ultimately rose to the rank of captain in the Royal Navy...
's first voyage ; other Quakers visited or settled before the first regular Meeting for Worship in Nelson
Nelson, New Zealand
Nelson is a city on the eastern shores of Tasman Bay, and is the economic and cultural centre of the Nelson-Tasman region. Established in 1841, it is the second oldest settled city in New Zealand and the oldest in the South Island....
in 1843. New Zealand Friends formed a Yearly Meeting, independent of London Yearly Meeting, in 1964.
Early concerns of Friends there included running adult education classes, running a hostel
Hostel
Hostels provide budget oriented, sociable accommodation where guests can rent a bed, usually a bunk bed, in a dormitory and share a bathroom, lounge and sometimes a kitchen. Rooms can be mixed or single-sex, although private rooms may also be available...
in Wellington (1907 to 1945) to enable rural children to attend secondary schools, and, since the Defence Act 1909, opposing conscription
Conscription
Conscription is the compulsory enlistment of people in some sort of national service, most often military service. Conscription dates back to antiquity and continues in some countries to the present day under various names...
and acts of war. The Society was active in setting up Corso, originally the Council of Organisations for Relief Service Overseas, in 1944. It was one of the original constituent bodies of the National Council of Churches, now known as the Conference of Churches in Aotearoa/New Zealand.
Monthly Meetings under the care of the Yearly Meeting in New Zealand include Waitemata North, Bay of Plenty/Auckland, Waikato/Hauraki, Palmerston North, Whanganui and Taranaki, Kapiti, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin. In 2005 there were approximately 590 Friends in New Zealand, but about 1500 people, including children, are associated with the Society.
An event possibly unique to Friends in New Zealand is the nine-day-long residential Summer Gathering, held early each year (New Zealand midsummer), usually in a camping environment outside a city, for Friends and friends of Friends of all ages to get to know each other and have fun. Opportunities are provided for serious discussion and study, often with guest speakers, as well as for light-hearted activities (such as bonfires, concerts and fancy-dress parties), and for plenty of informal relaxation. Summer Gathering is valued as an informal way for New Zealand's small and scattered Quaker community to retain its cohesion.
In 1920 a co-educational Friends' Primary School, offering non-militaristic education, was opened in Whanganui
Wanganui
Whanganui , also spelled Wanganui, is an urban area and district on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is part of the Manawatu-Wanganui region....
. It was closed in 1969 and sold, but seven adjacent hectares of farmland were retained as the site of the Friends Educational Settlement, nicknamed "Quaker Acres". The Settlement consists of 16 separate homes, with 20 adults and 8 children who maintain the facilities in a voluntary capacity. The community is working to become more sustainable,growing an increasing proportion of their own food, and continuing planting of trees. A conference centre with sleeping capacity for up to 40 is used by Quakers, and available for outside bookings. Many Friends see this as a Quaker "marae
Marae
A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...
". The community is outward-looking and active in local affairs. Weekend seminars are run on themes such as mediation, Quaker spirituality, social justice, sustainability, parenting, sharing of faith, men's and women's weekends, and more. For details go to www.quaker.org.nz
The Māori
Maori language
Māori or te reo Māori , commonly te reo , is the language of the indigenous population of New Zealand, the Māori. It has the status of an official language in New Zealand...
name "Te Hāhi Tūhauwiri" was given to the Yearly Meeting in 1994 by the Maori Language Commission
Maori Language Commission
New Zealand's Māori Language Commission is an autonomous crown entity set up under the Māori Language Act 1987 with the following functions:...
. Its elements are: hāhi = "church"; tū = "stand"; hau = "breath/wind/spirit" and wiri = "tremble". It has been translated as "The people who are moved by the winds of the Spirit" or ""The faith community that stands shaking in the wind of the Spirit." Previously, the expression "Ngā Hoa Tapu" (the sacred/religious friends) was in use.