Letters to the Editor

Disgust at sponsor treatment

As a past member of Mangawhai Volunteer Fire Brigade (MVFB) with over 15 years of service and position of DCFO for four years, along with other recently resigned members (which also includes Senior Station Officer with 14 years service) we are very disappointed and totally disgusted to learn that the MVFB brigade has shown total disrespect for the main sponsors of the annual MVFB One Club One Putter event. 

The previous sponsors have given 12 years of support and sponsorship for this event and to find out through the Mangawhai Memo that their services were no longer required is disappointing.

What makes this more disrespectful is that the previous sponsors are also honoree members of the MVFB. 

The new sponsor for the One Club One Putter 2012, like the previous sponsors, gave around $1000 for this fundraiser and there was only one acknowledgement of this sponsorship mentioned in a generic ad for the event done by the brigade to show who the new sponsor was. The new sponsors were not even invited or informed that they should attend the prizegiving. 

If this is the way the OIC and the executive are running the MVFB, through lack of leadership and responsibility, then it seems to be time for them to step aside and let the new generation take over. They should take full responsibility for this and not only apologise to the previous sponsor personally but also to the new sponsors and the Mangawhai community for its total lack of respect. If this is the manner in which the brigade is going to operate then they don’t deserve the respect, support or sponsorship from the community. 

We would also like to ask the brigade what has happened to their community spirit; it appears to be taken over by who can give money and how much.