4. 27 th August 2007 To: Bro Gary Porter / Secretary to the Presiding Bishop Fr: Ra Puriri / 435-817-6555 Re: Church College of New Zealand Dear Bro Porter, Introduction I am requesting the opportunity to meet with a member of the Presiding Bishopric in regards to the future use of the Church College of New Zealand. The announcement offers a positive opportunity to explore options, that may not have come to the surface without the decision to close the school. My intent is not to waste one breath on debating or questioning the decision, but to focus on the future. I am a former student. I was born in Temple View in 1958. My grandfather Rakaipaka Puriri was a close friend of Mathew Cowley and built a room on his home for Mathew Cowley to keep his clothes and other belongings for his trips to New Zealand. My Great Grandfather Ahmu donated the land in Samoa for the construction of the Temple and other Church facilities. I reside in St George, Utah. Its history, location, proximity to the Temple and the community that has developed around the school makes The Church College of New Zealand a unique facility unlike any other in the world.
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6. History and Dedicatory Prayer When my father was 14 he was sitting in my Grandmothers kitchen in Bridge Pa, New Zealand. The Church Architect had just come from visiting the old MAC College that had been demolished by a powerful earthquake. He told everyone in the room that his #1 priority was to design the school and Temple so that they would stand far beyond the life span of everyone in the room. “ We dedicate the grounds, not only on which these buildings stand, but those surrounding – Father, protect them, take them into thy care, protect them from destructive elements, the lightning or earthquakes ; may they always stand safe and render the mission and purpose of which kind hands have built them”. (excerpt from the Dedicatory Prayer, 1958) Our only recourse then is to embrace the information that we are aware of such as the conversation in my Grandmothers kitchen, the 1958 Dedicatory Prayer and recollections of those who built the buildings, like my father, who say it was built like Fort Knox.
7. Superior faith based education The New Zealand Public Education system is plagued by the very same secular challenges and the consuming relative moral ideologies that have parents removing their children from the public school system in Utah and placing them in Charter and Private Schools by the thousands. CES has done an outstanding job finding the balance between the secular and spiritual environments. This is clearly established by three reports dated 2000, 2003 and 2006 from the Education Review Office in New Zealand, which finds that the school is providing a statistically superior level of education, even mentioning the focus on "Godly Character" as being very positive.
8. Oct 2000 & 2006 / New Zealand Education Review Office Report / Excerpts “ A high proportion of students go on to study at tertiary level and about seventy percent graduate from a tertiary institution. This success reflects the school's continuing focus on seeking improved academic standards for all students. Staff are dedicated to providing students with challenge and support”. “ The values of the church are an integral part of the educational experiences provided , as is the belief that attendance at Church College is a privilege with attendant responsibilities.” “ Over 95% of Maori students leaving Church College gained either a national qualification or more than twelve credits towards a national certificate. This is almost 30% higher than the results achieved by other similar schools. It is clear that Church College is making a substantial difference to the achievement of its students.”
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10. Supports the development of Godly character “ Church College of New Zealand is efficient in terms of Section 35a of the Education Act, 1989. Under the guidance of the church the principal and administration team have established and implemented a suitable curriculum, premises, equipment, standard of tuition and staffing to meet their declared intention to provided students with a quality religious and secular education that supports the development of Godly character in every child.”
11. First Security Building will not be demolished The decision not to demolish the historic First Security Bank building shows a willingness to consider the opinions of others and new information that comes to the surface as time moves forward.
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13. Field of mediocrity The Charter / Private School Proposal follow the same model that is flourishing here in Utah. It maintains a superior institution of learning in which Maoris and Polynesians excel, at times +40% in some categories beyond comparable schools. Students will not have to return to a statistically documented, by the Board of Education, field of mediocrity. Not better, not the same but inferior. The outstanding fruits of success from the labors of the CES and school employees will be swallowed by the dragon of “status quo”. The Private School proposal will prevent a significant reduction in all spiritually related areas such as temple marriages, missionary service and the preparing of future church leaders etc. The difference as we all know, is the immersion of the secular learning process into the waters of the gospel. There is no release time for seminary in New Zealand. There is in Utah and Charter Schools are still flourishing.
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15. Please do not extinguish this light For 50 years The Church College of New Zealand has been a garden with soil of very special and unique character. Nurtured by teachers and administrators who love the Lord, thousands of seeds have flourished in an environment that is in the world but not of it. The fruits of these labors is evident in every area of life, both spiritual and temporal, in New Zealand the South Pacific and around the world. (I went to school with Vernon Hepry who is now the Dean of Students at BYU, Provo) CCNZ alumni have and continue to be a Christ like influence and light of hope in governments, private industry, education, communities and in homes everywhere. Please do not extinguish this light. Respectfully Ra Puriri jr
23. Media Release - Tuesday 22 July 2008 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints today announced its intention to undertake a beautification project associated with the closure of the Church College of New Zealand at the end of 2009. This project will involve the dismantling of most Church College buildings and returning much of the land to natural pasture similar to the surrounding farm areas. According to Philip Hague, spokesperson for the Church in New Zealand , the project has as its principal purpose the enhancement of the approach along Tuhikaramea Road to the Hamilton New Zealand Temple . “By returning the land to pasture, the Church will retain its primary focus, both aesthetically and spiritually, on the New Zealand temple,” said Mr Hague. “We don't want an approach to the temple to be one of passing empty and derelict buildings on the former CCNZ campus. Nor do we want the buildings to be used for a purpose that was not conducive to our values.” In 2006, the Church announced its intention to close the Church College high school campus because of a need to reallocate its monetary and other resources to communities in greater need in other parts of the world. “ The continued growth of the Church internationally requires the Church to constantly re-assess how its resources are targeted,” said Mr Hague. “Given the ready access that Church members have to high quality government schooling throughout New Zealand , there is no longer a need for the Church to provide non-religious education to its young members. We can now concentrate our efforts in other areas, such as the Pacific Islands , where local communities can gain greater benefit from Church assistance.” Since the 2006 announcement, the Church has been considering possible uses for the grounds which best utilised the local resources of the Church. The consultation process has been wide and detailed with the final decision to return the school lands to pasture having come from the Latter-day Saints' First Presidency - the Church's international governing body. To complete the process, the Church will seek the necessary consents from relevant local government authorities. Latter-day Saints regard their temples to be their most sacred buildings in which important ceremonies take place that unite families together in the eternities. “Marriages performed within our temples are not just ‘until death do us part',” Mr Hague said. “The promise is that if a husband and wife live their lives according to gospel principles, they and their children can have the joy of a companionship that will never end.” Mr Hague said that the only place that such marriages could be performed in New Zealand was in the Hamilton temple. Hence, the Church had the greatest desire to preserve the sanctity and beauty of the area surrounding the temple so that Church members and others in the community could continue to enjoy it. For further information contact Shane Ta'ala on [email_address] or 021- 033-2885 OR Philip Hague on [email_address] or 021-206-6621
24. Q&A's What does ‘returning the land to pasture’ mean? The Church will ensure that the components of all CCNZ buildings designated to be dismantled will be removed, including foundations and other construction elements. No building materials will be left in place. The land will be beautified and grassed. Fencing on the street boundaries will be built to high standards. What buildings and structures will remain on the site? The Hamilton New Zealand Temple will remain and will continue to be the Church’s spiritual focal point in Temple View. It is proposed that two CCNZ buildings, the Kai Hall and George R. Biesinger Hall, be retained and incorporated into the temple precinct. If it is determined that these buildings need to be upgraded to reflect seismic or other building requirements, this will occur after consultation with the appropriate civil authorities. The Church is assessing if it is feasible for the sports field, terraced seating, changing rooms and the parking area to be retained for the use of the local community. A decision to retain the sporting facilities is not a certainty, however. What regulatory consents will be required for the Church to proceed with this proposal? The church is in the process of determining what consents will be required to proceed with its plans. As has always been the case, it values its close working relationship with the elected officers and staff of the Hamilton City Council and will consult carefully with the relevant personnel to ensure that all legislative requirements are fulfilled. What opportunities are there for creation of a local high school to replace Church College? This is a matter for local parents and community leaders to examine. We have been informed that some parties have been investigating a proposal for a high school to be built in association with the existing Koromatua Primary School. The Church is not a participant in these discussions except with reference to being a potential source of real estate. Has the Church considered other uses for the CCNZ buildings rather than having the buildings removed? The church has considered other uses for the buildings. However, because they were constructed specifically for a high school, it has made it difficult for them to be altered to any other purpose. It was more likely that the buildings would have remained empty and potentially in disrepair for a considerable period and therefore subject to vandalism. This would have had a detrimental impact on the temple and also on the community. The Church was also concerned to ensure that no activities would occur in the buildings that would have been inconsistent with its own values. Thus, the Church decided that it would have been inappropriate to turn the facility over to other community groups or educational agencies.
25. The Church was also concerned to ensure that no activities would occur in the buildings that would have been inconsistent with its own values. Thus, the Church decided that it would have been inappropriate to turn the facility over to other community groups or educational agencies.
