Union Weekend at Riversdale

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UNION WEEKFND AT RIVERSDALE. On Friday, Sept. 29th., twenty odd stalwarts left for Masterton. Having accompiished a rat ther foggy journey over the Rimutakas we were greeted with refreshments by our old comrades in iniquity, The Masterton Y.M.C.A. We were billeted in the gym. of same that night, most comfortably on gym. mattresses and sofa cushions. We must be getting soft in our old age!

We set forth early next morning, reinforced by the Wairarapa contingent, for Riversdale, which is on the coast about 30 miles to the North East of Masterton, through pleasant sheep country with occasional sharp peaks and broken by steep gullies filled with kowhai trees in full blossom. A stop was made at that famous old oasis, Blair Logie, where members wet their whistles in view of the prospect of a weekendrgdrought (?!) At Riversdale the Y.M.C.A. have an acre of land on Anderson's sheep station which was our headquarters. This was a conpletely laissez-faire weekend and operations became scattered over a wide arca = so scattered that your correspondent could not hope to get a very comprehensive view, but these were some of the activitics noted:some shot rabbits, some netted crayfish, some listened to the Ranfurly Shieid natch, others wandered along the beach and sand hills whilst others played a somewhat dangerous game of cricket with an empty tin and then a large pine cone. People tended to set up camp in widely scattered groups. On Saturday evening a few attended to the very serious business of cooking and eating crayfish but most gathered 1ound a camp fire and attended to more frivolous matters. We came to the conclusion that trampers are an oppressed, overworked and neglected section of the community. Lock how hard the poor things work, and how dirty they get - no dirt money, no overtine, no nothing. So, to protect ourselves, we inaugurated the Tramper's Union to look after the bodily and spiritual comforts of tranpers. Our Chief Guide was unanimously elected Chief Agitator. In a style which would have put the wharfies to shame two momentous and far-reaching resolutions were passed. 1. There should be more correspondence in the Club. Important evidence taken on that point was that a prominent menber of the Masterton Club has a new Dodge. This should be a guide to posterity. 2. All tracks should go downhill. Before any further progress could be made, Ted Esler walked in and lifted the discussion onto the more elevated planes of the Tuatara Lizard and evolution. Saturday was a bleak and windy day, but Sunday was beautifully sunny and summer-like, Several people sampled the sad sea waves, and the party tended to scatter over an even wider area. It looked a most enchanting place with the sparkling blue sea, the rolling surf, the long stretches of sand = broken occasionally by interesting rock formations in the pools of which lurked crayfish. To the North we could see the striking, fortress like rock formation of Castlepoint. We were nost reluctant to leave but duty called. On the way back we caused a sensation at Masterton Hospital by swarming over the grounds to say hello to Arnold Esler who had broken his leg in an accident a few weeks previously.

Everyone voted it a most enjoyable weekend, fully in accord with the aims and objects of the Tramper's Union. Esther-Mary Riggo o