 
### A Small Qango

An Account of The Home Budgeting Advisory Committee of the Minister of Social Welfare 1978—1988

Dave Mullan

e-Book edition, Smashwords 2015

ISBN **978-1-877357-17-6**

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A Qango?

Originally dedicated to the memory of Yvonne Hughes and her spirit of selfless service to the community, this book was published in 1991 as a record of those who worked with the Home Budgeting Advisory Committee over its lifetime. Only a few dozen copies were printed and all of those recipients knew only too well that a qango was a quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation which was granted government funding to achieve a purpose that was not directly related to government activities. One famous qango was something to do with tax appeals for pig marketers and had allegedly been living "high on the hog" on the state purse with nothing much to show for it. Soon after the 1984 Labour Government swept into power Deputy Prime Minister Geoffrey Palmer declared war on qangos. The HBAC was a short term survivor and was not decommissioned before it had accomplished its primary objectives.

The Committee's logo of a family home morphed into a money box was dreamed up by some imaginative but now, alas, nameless person in the Department of Social Welfare. For the ebook, it was scanned from an old letterhead.

Limited numbers of the print edition are still available.

Geoffrey Palmer goes after the qangos (NZ Herald)

# Table of Contents

Foreword

1 Notice of Meeting

2 Background to the Business

3 Correspondence

4 Matters Arising

5 Two Reports

6 The Consultants Re-entered a second time... 8.17 OK

7 The Auckland Affair

8 More Routine Business

9 The Budgeting Services Support Programme

10 Money Management and Budgeting Support

11 The Auckland Management Committee

12 Review of the Committee OK

13 Busy Times

14 Closure of the Meeting

15 Epilogue

About the Author

# Foreword

Contributed by Raewyn Fox, Chief Executive Officer,

New Zealand Federation of Family Budgeting Services (Inc.)

It is vitally important for our organisation to remember and acknowledge our founding roots and to appreciate the efforts of all who came before us.

Without the tireless and usually voluntary efforts of all those mentioned in this book we would not have the strong basis and support for what we are achieving here today.

It is fascinating to look back and see that although we have come a long way and the amounts of money and names are different, many of the struggles and issues are exactly the same. By understanding where we have come from and what has gone before, we have a much stronger base of experience and impetus to move forward into the future.

The only sad thing to acknowledge is the fact that we are still a service that is as desperately needed now as when the story in this book began.

Grateful thanks from all at NZFFBS to everyone mentioned in this book and special thanks to Dave for his efforts in helping us all to remember.

Raewyn Fox

Wellington

2015

# Author's Foreword

I continue to be surprised and delighted at the amount of public funding that is now available for family budgeting organisations in this country.

As one of the "steam budgeters" who guided hapless families out of debt and into good money management in the 1960s I know only too well the out of pocket cost of that immense voluntary work.

In those days governments were very reluctant to fund private agencies. The state contributed to chaplaincies in the forces, prisons and hospitals, of course. It funded some qangos whose interests usually lay in the private sector, indeed, often also in commercial activities. And it was beginning to provide financial assistance for authorised people working for the courts and marriage counselling.

But the concept of giving direct funding to volunteer organisations was, at that time, a completely unfamiliar one. To be a part of the movement to shift the tide of the then government reluctance to directly fund voluntary bodies was a great privilege. But also a huge challenge.

This is the story of a small qango of only four or five people who accepted the challenge and—before they were unceremoniously sacked by the "qango-killers" ten years later—held nearly 120 meetings, conducted dozens of educational events, assisted the formation of the national federation of family budgeters, won the hearts and minds of the government bean-counters and initiated the transformation of voluntary budgeting in this country.

In 2015 the NZ Federation of Family Budgeting Services is managing $407 million in personal and family debts as well as promoting a range of budgeting materials and advice. The huge team involved in this massive programme, both paid workers and volunteers, should occasionally give a nod to the HBAC.

# 1

# Notice of Meeting

On 10th March 1978 the then Minister of Social Welfare, Hon H J Walker, signed four instruments of appointment.

In covering letters to J W Grant, R J S Burns, D F Macdonald and D S Mullan he indicated that he was pleased to appoint them to the Home Budgeting Advisory Committee. There would be no salary or fees payable but expenses would be met and the initial appointment would be for two years. The first meeting would soon be called by John Grant who was appointed to the chair.

John was Assistant Director General of the Department of Social Welfare with a background in the former Social Security Department, a "benefits and pensions" man. Ray Burns had been nominated by the Society of Accountants and had some modest experience with voluntary budgeting work. Duncan Macdonald's name had been put forward by the Citizens' Advice Bureaux of New Zealand and he had been much involved in budget advice with a group of volunteer accountants in Lower Hutt. Dave Mullan—though he didn't know it at the time—had been suggested by the fledgling Federation of Family Budgeting Services. He had been heavily involved in the Dunedin Budget Advisory Service and in co-initiating the federation.

The members were all more or less strangers and brought a variety of viewpoints to the terms of reference that were spelled out at the committee's appointment. They were at one, however, in their commitment to voluntary family budgeting and finding ways to develop it throughout the country.

From the first, this modest little qango (quasi autonomous non-governmental organisation) grabbed hold of its mandate and ran with it. By the time the first meeting was held on 1st May in the second floor conference room of the Charles Fergusson Annexe in Bowen St at least two members had very clear expectations of the committee's role. In only 75 minutes the members were introduced to each other, considered the terms of reference in some detail, agreed that the secretariat would immediately write to every known budgeting service in the country and planned to meet again in a little over three weeks. This vigour was to characterise the committee's style for most of the ten years of its life.

In that time the face of family budgeting work would change beyond recognition. Substantial resources would come to be poured into the work. Adequate recognition would be being given to the thousands of people who gave of their time and skills to help people who need only a little assistance to be able to help themselves. The Home Budgeting Advisory Committee would achieve notable success.

# 2

# Background to the Business

It is not the place of this record to tell the story of family budgeting itself. That is another book that deserves to be written.

Only in New Zealand has there developed such a comprehensive budgeting service on an entirely free and voluntary basis. The happy inspiration of Gray Vuglar and Dr M Nathan Paewai in the far north in the early 1960s was to become a model in one form or another for every part of the country within twenty years.

The very success of many services was almost their undoing. Centres from Otara to Christchurch could tell of co-ordinators who broke down under the stress of the sheer volume of the need. The Auckland region saw some outstanding services flourish for a short time and then disappear when the guiding spirit behind each became exhausted and moved out. Small centres developed services that reflected all the personal idioscyncracies of their organisers. Who in family budgeting had not heard of Bill Thodey of Putaruru or Jim Low of Queen St CAB or the redoubtable Keith Wills of Hamilton. Hamilton? No, the entire Waikato was Keith's territory and he managed it with a contagious enthusiasm that built up the largest service in the country.

Departmental Involvement

Keith Wills and Ron Rossiter—in Rotorua—were anomalies among the largely voluntary services that flourished in many places in the late 1960s. They were both taken over from the former Maori Affairs Division in the 1971 amalgamation of Child Welfare Division and Social Security Department to form the new Social Welfare Department. These appointments had originally been made within Maori Affairs to give some co-ordination to the voluntary family budgeting that had begun under Paewai and Vuglar. The new Social Welfare Department, having been given a clear mandate for supporting budgeting services, continued their role. It would not, however, extend or develop it to any great extent.

Typical Services

If some services saw the department as its answer, others certainly looked to central Government funding for some assistance. Foremost among them was Christchurch where a salaried (the word refers simply to money received and fails to do justice to the modesty of the amount concerned) co-ordinator performed wonders with direct face-to-face budgeting of walk-in clients.

This kind of service obviously had a much more critical need for finance than a Wanganui model where a carefully monitored "two tier" system of senior advisors in charge of less qualified volunteers managed a very large case load on a shoestring budget. Such a service could not support applications for funding assistance.

In the smaller centres around 1970 the service at Taumarunui was typical of the sounder groups. Anyone in town knew that if you were in trouble you could call on the local postmaster. Bert vetted applications and brought them before a small committee which consisted of one representative each from Welfare, Law, Accountancy, Clergy and one or two other groups. Each of these people had access to three to five volunteers and one would agree to accept the client. The members of the committee thus gave general oversight to each case but the details were handled by the assistants. A caseload of about 30—40 families was handled in a town of 6,000 and, by and large, it met the need until the range of people involved narrowed and the willing few could no longer shoulder the load.

Family Budgeting was late in starting south of Christchurch but benefited from the experience of other centres. By 1973 the Methodist Central Mission in Dunedin was providing a referral service around which up to 100 voluntary advisors worked with individuals in their own homes. Later it would make good use of Temporary Employment Programmes to provide a better service and increase the numbers of volunteers. But this would increase its dependence on paid staff and cessation of special employment schemes would put it under considerable strain to continue the service.

Need for Assistance

By 1972 some strong submissions had been made to government by various groups but with no apparent results. Christchurch Household Budget Advisory Service had made a considerable impression upon Bert Walker, a local member who was a Cabinet Minister but the defeat of his party at that year's election seemed also a defeat for family budgeting. The new Labour Government made sympathetic noises but within a year or two let it be known that it would be more motivated to assist a national organisation than individual services around the country.

A national organisation? Nothing could be further from reality—from dreams, even. If there were fifty services around the country it seemed that no two of them would agree as to how to work. Some believed that budgeting should be in the homes of the clients, others reckoned if the clients were keen enough they would come to an office in work time; some insisted on holding the client chequebook and others swore that this was demeaning; some required that the advisor must sign every cheque and others said that was patronising; some believed that payment of a co-ordinator was necessary but still others considered that to pay anyone to be involved in a voluntary exercise was tantamount to fiddling the till. Well-intentioned individualists all, their commitment to their clients and their communities was exceeded only by their suspicion of anyone who wanted to suggest that their outfit could join hands with anyone else's.

National Meeting—November 1974

With these thoughts in mind Alan Mayell of Christchurch and Dave Mullan of Dunedin nevertheless attempted to sponsor a national conference of anyone who was willing and could find the fare to come. It seemed a shaky venture but after a lot of correspondence there was some willing support and about 28 people met for a day in Wellington in November 1974. Most of the main centres were represented and there were interested observers including, very significantly, John Grant of the newly established Social Welfare Department. He intimated formally that the department had a mandate to promote family budgeting work and said it would be very interested in developments.

In a stimulating day's work the participants achieved surprising unanimity to take some small but significant steps. The Auckland representatives were already developing a constitution for a regional organisation which would be an incorporated society and they seemed to know what they were talking about. With Keith Wills of Hamilton they were authorised to form a New Zealand organisation and invite affiliation of every known service around the country. There would be no affiliation fees, no requirements, no special standards, no accreditation, indeed nothing to which anyone could possibly take offence. Nor, of course, would there be much in the way of benefits. But it was a beginning and the Federation of Family Budgeting Services was under way.

In the two or three years that followed each service went its own way. For many this was into oblivion. Indeed it seems likely that more budgeting had been done ten years earlier than was happening in the late 1970s.

On a celebrated occasion Christchurch went on national television in prime time pleading for more advisors—but one result was that some services found themselves swamped with new clients. The great range of suburban budgeting groups that had characterised Auckland a few years earlier was struggling to pull together a constitution for its regional dream while the same individuals were pluckily also attempting to shape up a national identity. Theo Loof, "Buck" Pound and Dick Kouwenhoven gave liberally of their time to the cause.

Recognition

In 1976 the NZ Council of Social Services published a discussion document Family Incomes—Can We Do Better? It was widely distributed and invited comments. The Dunedin service weighed in with a heavy criticism that in 116 pages of discussion of ways of augmenting family income it dismissed budget advice in about six lines. It seemed to the Dunedin people that budgeting advice was a very significant way of increasing the spending power of individuals without actually putting massive demands on the public purse. The federation also made a major submission along similar lines as did other individuals and services.

The council's review of responses relating to family budgeting ran to six pages and was an excellent summary of the situation at that time. They included specific recommendations about the appointment of a national co-ordinator and an advisory committee as well as provision for some finance. In short order the Department of Social Welfare obtained Cabinet approval for the formation of the Home Budgeting Advisory Committee. The federation executive in Auckland, the NZ Accountants' Society and the NZ Citizens' Advice Bureaux were all invited to suggest names.

These were duly approached and approved and the committee held its first meeting shortly afterwards on 1st May 1978.

# 3

# Correspondence

The HBAC plunged into its business with more enthusiasm than competence but it did not get easily distracted from what it saw to be the business in hand.

Acknowledging that the $50,000 grant was a "one-off" and should not be used for projects that would encourage repeated calls for finance it adopted a very protective stance. An early decision was that the money would be in an account in the committee's own name and not in a departmental account. This would avoid the usual government necessity of exhausting an allocation before the end of the financial year. Arrangements were made to invest most of it long term; over the years the yield enabled the fund to spend well over the original allocation.

Dave Mullan tabled an informal paper entitled How to Use $50,000 Before Inflation Kills It and many of its suggestions were acknowledged as being of importance. Here were sown the seeds of later programmes that were adopted: information leaflets and training materials, loose-leaf handbook, audiovisual publicity programmes, and small disbursements to each service based on strictly defined criteria.

Data Collection

The committee resolved at its first meeting to write to all known services and seek information from them as to their size, style, workload and so on. Maria McKinlay was seconded from the department to be the committee's secretary and put a great deal of energy into its work. The federation was urged to write as well, supporting the committee's enquiries and encouraging its affiliates to respond. In a few weeks some 35 centres had returned the questionnaire, representing by far the great bulk of the 40 or so services on the federation's mailing list at that time. It was an encouraging start and prompted a major conference in Wellington.

First National Conference 1978

This would be a one day seminar in the capital for every service which wished to be present. As the indefatigable secretary Maria McKinley became immersed in booking air travel and making all kinds of domestic arrangements there were heard the first background grumblings around head office that this sort of thing wasn't what advisory committees were supposed to do. But the facilities in the departmental conference room on the top floor of the Fergusson Building were outstanding and the arrangements smooth and the weather favoured on-time flights.

Nearly 60 people listened attentively as members introduced the HBAC and its terms of reference and then expounded the two primary issues: how best to strengthen the services and whether or not a national co-ordinating body should be encouraged. Each topic was discussed thoroughly in workshop groups and a final session enabled the federation to conduct its first national assembly since the initial meeting set it up four years earlier.

Not without differences of opinion but largely without rancour the noisy conference authorised the preparation of a constitution and affirmed a small executive to work with president Keith Wills in the Auckland region. It was a very satisfying day. It would be talked about for years to come as a turning point for the services. For the first time they sensed that somewhere there was some official support for what they were doing. They saw that they were not to be forced into a straitjacket but that an attempt was being made to get some resources to where they would do some good and they recognised that some kind of federation was necessary to achieve their objectives.

Plans

The HBAC met the day after the conference and immediately authorised $2,000 for the production of a handbook to be completed within three months and started work on a leaflet for recruiting volunteers. The next meeting would be within the same month.

While these major projects were proceding Maria embarked on a mounting correspondence with services and individuals who were only just beginning to hear about the committee's existence. By dint of a lot of feverish letter-writing the new enquirers were grafted onto the lists of the HBAC and the federation.

As the initial questionnaire forms came in they were summarised and discussed. They did not always tally with other sets of data. Auckland had variously claimed 500 and 1500 and 3000 current budgeting cases depending on which particular returns one viewed. But the HBAC figures tended to be up to date; a picture was emerging and it was full of detailed information.

Needs

What were the needs of those who bothered to fill in their forms? Not salaries, generally, but $100 for unspecified expenses (Dargaville), $600 for telephones, stationery and advertising (Christchurch—by now they knew better than to ask for money for salaries), $9,000 (Wellington City Mission—they hadn't got that particular message), nothing at all (Kawerau—"... seems little need to expand our service and we need only $30 a year").

Only three services were working with more than 100 client families and fifteen were assisting fewer than 25. Three services each received staff support from the department, local bodies and churches respectively. Most were individuals or autonomous bodies or directly linked with such bodies, e.g. CABx. They were meeting their own expenses and keeping a fairly low profile on the basis that those who really needed them found them and publicity they could do without.

Money for volunteers' travelling expenses was a recurring theme. On an inspired suggestion from the secretariat the committee wrote to the Federation of Voluntary Welfare Organisations to see if that body could contribute out of funds that were given to it for that purpose. It later transpired that the entire amount given to that federation, if directed towards known expenses of only family budgeting volunteers would yield each of them about 68 cents a year. But it was worth a try and the HBAC was nothing if not a trier. The upshot was that some thirty services wrote to the FVWO who forwarded their requests back to the HBAC with a one-off cheque for $1,000 suggesting that the amount be divided up as best it could.

At the next meeting the committee made a general disbursement to every group that had responded. Most were $100 or $200 but Auckland, Hamilton and Manawatu were to get $1500, $750 and $750 respectively until these generous amounts were revised downwards at the next meeting. Strict guidelines were given for the expenditure of the grants. At the same meeting the draft of the leaflet was authorised for final editing, artwork and printing. The extravagant total of 200,000 copies was ordered—they seemed a bargain price at such a large volume. The leaflet was so well designed and written that it could be understood by a person with a reading age of 12 and was still being distributed to groups five years later.

Auckland and Hamilton

In mid-winter the committee went on safari. In Hamilton they met with several district Directors of Social Welfare and the two budgeting co-ordinators employed by the department, Keith Wills of Hamilton and Ron Rossiter of Rotorua.

The report also tells of a visit to Huntly to meet a typical budgeting group first hand: it speaks of a modest group of people managed—perhaps ruled—by a competent and enthusiastic Mrs Fry. But it passes lightly over the memorable supper that completely covered a groaning table to which all turned when the formalities were concluded. When the members retired to their Hamilton motel in the late evening they had plenty to think about but not too much capacity for doing it.

Next day, in Auckland, the team met with members of the federation's new executive. Genial conversations resulted in a commitment from the federation to expand their membership by active recruitment among unaffiliated services, a request for a grant of $500 for federation administrative expenses ($200 was granted), and acceptance of the HBAC's request for the federation to prepare a draft of an agreed handbook before the end of November.

In the afternoon a visit to South Auckland enabled the committee to meet a large group of people interested in budgeting in the region. Dick Kouwenhoven of the Social Services Division of Manukau City Council took members to meet Rex Bennett who without assistance was budgeting a large number of families in the Manurewa area.

Most people acknowledged that availability of resources such as leaflets, a handbook and audiovisual aids would be of assistance.

Outcomes

At the meeting on 5th October the HBAC decided to seek more information from the federation as to its membership. Dave Mullan and Duncan Macdonald were asked to commence work on some kind of training programme with a self-training kitset. The committee noted that the formation of new groups could be encouraged by sending a competent representative to speak to local people and advise on the setting up of a service; Dave Mullan had already done such a visit to Nelson. It was reported that the department could meet some of these costs. The seed of an idea was planted and Dave and Duncan both went home thinking about it.

Paid Budget Advice

A significant item of business about this time was prompted by a one-page expose in a Wellington paper about a commercial family budgeting service at Porirua where some 600 clients were allegedly enrolled. Most were of Pacific islands origin and were recruited by word of mouth. They paid quite substantial fees. Furthermore, loans on insurance premiums collected by the same company were a feature of the debt reduction system. At a later meeting the proprietor gave a very frank explanation of his company's activities and HBAC was able to conclude only that the principles on which that service operated did not conform to those generally accepted by voluntary groups. This was not the only such commercial operation to bring voluntary family budgeting into disrepute but, as long as the law was not being broken, there was little to protect people against exploitation of this kind.

By the November meeting in 1978 there were no less than 15 items on the agenda. Dave Mullan reported that the federation had engaged him to produce the handbook and the first draft had been approved at a special meeting in Auckland.

At the last meeting for the year, the twelfth in only seven months, the committee dealt with one or two bread and butter matters. The Electricity Supply Association would be contacted to see if better arrangements for arrears of electricity accounts could be secured. Porirua service would be asked if they needed any special assistance to promote their work as an alternative to the commercial service that was flourishing in their area.

In response to a direct request the HBAC agreed to sponsor a further national get-together in Wellington to permit the federation to recast its constitution in a more workable form. Provisions relating to both membership and the executive were recognised as needing amendment. The approach was not as direct as the minutes suggest: in many matters that came from the federation, Dave's style was to check out with the HBAC what requests were likely to be considered reasonable before raising any hopes with the federation executive.

Duncan Macdonald's proposal for the HBAC to sponsor a series of regional conferences was also given general approval and he was asked to prepare preliminary material for dissemination throughout the regions concerned. The Travelling Road Show was conceived; next winter would see it in action.

# 4

# Matters Arising

The first meeting of 1979 was not held until the beginning of March but in the preceding months there had been steady activity all round the country.

In DSW head office Maria McKinlay was ever more vigorously engaged in communication with services and had put out a "News Flash" to every organisation on her mailing list. The regional seminars were notified for Auckland, Hamilton, Palmerston North, Christchurch and Dunedin and would include a "training" component.

A nervous response from Christchurch immediately enquired as to the meaning of the proposed training:

...we have...many advisors who are doing a perfectly good job and we are concerned somewhat that perhaps the training sessions may cloud their minds."

How would it suit, they enquired, if they sent only their Secretary and chairman to the seminar? The HBAC was not enthusiastic about the prospect of running a seminar for only two people but decided to go to Christchurch to meet them to see what could be done.

In Dunedin, Dave Mullan had been granted extravagant time off his work with the Methodist Mission. Their generosity in making him available for up to 15 hours a week in normal times and now full-time for several weeks should be placed on record. He had now negotiated his way through several drafts of the handbook. There had been two delicate meetings with the federation executive to find acceptable wording especially in the key areas to do with principles and procedures.

He was now seeking quotations for the printing. It was agreed there was no need to use the government printer whose delivery time for casual work ran into several months. The contract was let to an Otago printer at the March meeting.

Dave had also forwarded to all members a draft script for a 36 slide presentation, based on a format he had been using for about four years in the lower South Island.

Christchurch

The full HBAC went on tour a second time in response to the Christchurch invitation. They fronted up to the Christchurch committee's chairman Frank Rogers and Co-ordinator Jim Maguire on Friday 30th March 1979. The format of the proposed regional conference was discussed and it was agreed that it would go ahead.

This public relations exercise was to have some important consequences. For both men it was the beginning of a significant relationship with the HBAC. In later years Frank was appointed to the committee itself and Jim joined the Department of Social Welfare as the second national budgeting co-ordinator and executive officer to the HBAC.

The April 1979 meeting viewed the slide set and gave approval for its production. Twenty sets were distributed around the country for promotion and recruitment work. The committee finalised the outline for the regional seminars and asked Duncan and Dave to continue to work on a suitable training programme and policy matters relating to debt and the courts. Three weeks later they were in Hastings and were introduced to the very effective local service.

Family Budgeting here was generously supported by a very enlightened City Council. A remarkable combination of public funding and volunteer activity had been achieved. Marion Struthers was the energetic co-ordinator.

The two members spent some time preparing a full report on the matters referred from the HBAC. In particular they worked carefully over a detailed agenda for the regional seminars; it was recognised that these expensive exercises must have exactly the right balance of input and discussion within the parameters of a 10am to 3pm working Saturday. Each would require a whole range of chores in Wellington or the region concerned and these were listed and allocated.

The Travelling Road Show

The regional seminars commenced on Dave's home turf on 12th May 1979. The Dunedin offices of Television One made available their excellent cafeteria and there was a very good and enthusiastic attendance from all around Dunedin and representation from the scattered Otago and Southland districts. Some enthusiasts even turned up from centres where no service yet existed. It was an auspicious beginning to a demanding six week period.

The Format

The programme was the same from event to event: John Grant or Ray Burns usually opened proceedings and offered some background to the formation of the HBAC. A diagram of the flow of developments was printed on worksheets for participants.

Two local people—under threat of profound castigation if they exceeded their allotted time of ten minutes each—gave thumbnail sketches of representative services. The threat was unavailing in one or two cases but the contributions were, by and large, very competently done and even quite entertaining. They were a most valuable element of these events.

Participants then formed discussion groups to answer the question "What do you do as a budget adviser?" Brief verbal reports were shared in plenary. It was astounding how often so many knew so little about what was already happening in their own area.

After a catered finger lunch there were two more local presentations followed by optional group discussions in which participants were asked to identify concerns on

* Structure and operation of a budgeting service

* Comment and criticism of the handbook which had just been distributed by Dunedin volunteers

* Principles of Family Budgeting—the fundamental Section C of the handbook needed to be widely understood and accepted if it were to commend itself.

* Training Needs and Resources—there were still widely divergent ideas as to what training was needed and the HBAC hoped for some clarification.

The findings of these discussions were recorded by DSW staff who were assigned to each event. A detailed report was produced on the full proceedings of each seminar and forwarded shortly afterwards to every participant.

If these sessions did not always throw much new light on community family budgeting they certainly were very good public relations efforts. They helped people to see that the committee took their contributions seriously and was determined to find solutions and put practical resources into the field. For those who had been beating on the doors of councils and governments and retail industry for years these seminars were a breath of fresh air.

The seminars concluded with a screening of the audiovisual programme. People reacted to it as they did to everything else. Where it said what they wanted to hear they liked it; where it didn't many were kind enough to remain fairly quiet but sometimes there was one who paraded destructive criticism as though it were one of the cardinal virtues.

Each event left the committee members exhausted, sometimes with an inconvenient series of flights home on Saturday night. This punishing schedule continued for five out of six consecutive weekends. Each group of local participants came fresh and enthusiastic; whatever their views on what was being offered they invariably thought it would be a great idea to have more of these events. It was not quite the same for the committee members. But for everyone, family budgeting was becoming fleshed out in people and places and programmes.

South Auckland

A week after the opening at Dunedin a very lively group met in the cafeteria of the Manukau City Council. There was not much time or inclination to appreciate the fine views from this rooftop venue. Enthusiastic groups from all round the South Auckland region devoured the programme and heaped suggestions and requests upon the committee. Like others, they warned against too much "centralisation".

Waikato

The University of Waikato provided excellent facilities—once they were located by the unfamiliar latecomers—but the tenor of the discussions was now somewhat different. Blessed with Keith Wills, the region needed little else, they felt. The simple solution for family budgeting was to put someone on salary in every region of the country and all would be well. Was there not already a precedent for DSW to meet such salary commitments? Why could they not do so in other places?

An unspoken corollary was: "If the department would not provide this service in other places might they attempt to close it down in Hamilton?" It was a little hard for Keith's team which had a cadre of volunteers in almost every country town in the region and yet based on his Hamilton office, to acknowledge that an accident of history had brought them such good fortune. This experience provided the HBAC with dramatic evidence of what could be done with a limited amount of salaried input and maximum involvement of volunteers. At the time Keith's office was supervising several hundred ongoing cases.

Canterbury

The committee rested on Queen's Birthday weekend but the following Saturday met again at Christchurch. The former Child Welfare home, Kingslea, offered a very pleasant venue for the seminar that had promised originally to be most uncomfortable.

In the event there was a good attendance but almost entirely from the Christchurch service. Discussions again hinged on the only model with which they were familiar. It was another case of a salaried co-ordinator conducting all the initial interviews and only allocating volunteer advisers once the budgeting procedure was under way. But there was a dramatic difference: the Christchurch co-ordinator was not paid by any outside organisation, the service itself had to find the funds.

And find them they did, for several years. A master of graftmanship (his own word), Frank Rogers had kept the service financially viable long after anyone else would have given up. But always there was the nightmare that one day there would not be enough money to pay the wages. Christchurch had high expectations of the HBAC but most of them could be met with a small piece of paper with large figures on it. Each year.

Manawatu

Seven days later most of the members assembled again, this time in Palmerston North. Here again there was discovered a very vigorous and centralised service, operating out of rooms provided by and adjacent to a local accountancy practice. It quickly became evident that some aspects of the service's procedures were at odds with general practice. They handled most of their $250,000 worth of client debts through summary instalment orders.

For most family budgeters, resorting to the courts was the ultimate acknowledgement of defeat, but for Manawatu it was the key to providing their service. For the court paid management fees for people handling SIOs. It would later be revealed that in one year half of all the SIOs handed out in the entire country would be centred on Palmerston North. Even the Justice Department commented on this, but for the Manawatu service it was all grist to their idiosyncratic mill.

Wanganui was less than wildly supportive. This centre was the probable founder of what came to be called the "two tier system" by which cases were initially handled by a senior adviser and then allocated to a less experienced volunteer for routine budgeting visits. But their ingenuity was not matched by their confidence in the team from "head office". They were afraid that a giant organisation was going to swallow up what they considered to be a very satisfactory service. They were able to evoke both by their contributions and their silence a kind of opposition that the committee did not wish to have to deal with.

However, the rostered HBAC members bravely introduced the themes of nationally accepted standards, the handbook, and possible future resources in the face of a less than complimentary audience and a few people from outlying towns heard them gladly. One or two people who would have something significant to contribute as time went on were identified. Masterton would need some tactful assistance to develop a new service to replace the existing one which was failing to meet the need but did not recognise it.

But the big problem of the region was actually Palmerston North. As the committee members separated that night they realised they would hear more from the Manawatu in years to come.

Evaluation

The "travelling road show" had been at once an exhilarating and thoroughly exhausting exercise for all involved. It needs to be remembered that the HBAC members were volunteers, the same as just about everyone else. Five weekend commitments, with the inevitable travelling, put considerable demands on their jobs and families and personal lives. Some attended all five events.

Departmental staff from both head office and the local offices were at every event and made a great contribution to domestic arrangements and discussion group reporting and so on. Their availability was crucial to the effective functioning of the seminar programme. Their only reward was the dubious privilege of taking an equivalent day off at some other time, usually if they could fit it into their normal work schedule. Several of them were to later on become directly involved in aspects of family budgeting as the department assumed more and more responsibility for supporting the work.

Achievement

The aims of the regional seminar programme were bountifully achieved. Duncan and Dave gained detailed insights into the functioning of budgeting throughout the country. John, Ray and the head office staffers, none of whom had been involved in budgeting at the workface, obtained a very comprehensive overview of how it actually took place. All benefited greatly from the programmes. Furthermore the work they would do over the years to come would be based on the immediate knowledge gained from these events.

At the same time, the benefits were by no means one-sided. Even when the participants were not very enthusiastic about what they heard there was a very general appreciation of the willingness of the HBAC members to come and sit down with them for the best part of a day. Time and again people found out for almost the first time what was happening in their own regions.

The first regional seminars helped to promote the concept of a sense of national co-operation and provided ample opportunities to commend the proposed national conference in July. The seminars sowed seeds which sprouted and grew month by month as the number of services affiliated to the federation began to climb.

The total cost of modest travelling expenses for the participants and expenses for catering and venues was less than $1500, about half of what had been estimated.

# 5

# ITEM: Two Reports

Because of their very success, the 1979 Seminars generated a great deal of new work for both committee members and the secretariat. Meeting by meeting new agenda items appeared, not the least of which was the uncomfortable necessity to provide a report for the Minister of Social Welfare. The committee had been set up to advise him: it still seemed to some head office people to have spent far too much time junketing around the country and writing letters and news flashes. Soon it would certainly have to put its pen to paper.

A rather testy complaint from West Auckland CAB picked up a point that many people wished to make, that the committee should take a more active role in advising Government about matters of policy for small-income families. The committee did not see this as its role (it was in this context that Duncan re-told the story of the good Samaritan who was a social worker and said to the beaten and bleeding victim on the side of the road "Who did this to you? He obviously needs my help").

The CAB point was well taken, of course, but the committee agreed with the FBS stance that if family budgeting was to commend itself for funding and goodwill it should concentrate on doing what it did that no one else did. (The same judgment was later to be made when it was proposed that the committee become an advocate on behalf of consumers; it was an interesting, if minor, anomaly that in the final years the Minister added a representative of Consumer's Institute to its membership).

The ensuing discussion about the role of the committee now stimulated it to begin to develop what it would say to the Minister. It also took pleasure in congratulating Keith Wills on the bestowal of an MBE for services to the community: nobody needed to ask what kind of services. At the June meeting the committee was also determined to press ahead with the one day conference proposed for July, later re-scheduled for September and finally held in November.

Report to Minister

In July a first draft of the committee's report was considered. In four pages it reviewed the HBAC's appointment, terms of reference and told of the work done in just over a year. The learnings from the regional seminar were noted. Some material drafted by Duncan on the future thrust of the committee's work was included. The report spoke of a need for a "modest injection of funds" to assist recruitment and training, provide co-ordination and promotion, and some cash grants for administration. It included reference to the general condition of family incomes in society at large.

Eventually the report ran to eight pages with appendices, one of which showed that total expenditure of some $20,000 had been made or was firmly committed.

At this time John Grant reported that the Social Welfare Department would reconstruct its Hamilton budgeting service with a representative committee to bring it into line with other voluntary services. This was particularly helpful as Keith Wills was president of the federation and some regarded the style of the departmental operation with some reservations. During the same month head office distributed the bulk of the information leaflet ordered earlier and distributed another newsletter to everyone on the mailing list.

Joint Consultation 1979

In August Keith Wills, Ray Tout, Tony Finnigan and Buck Pound of the federation executive were in attendance. There was ready agreement that the national organisation should set standards, provide communications between budgeting groups, and offer an independent voice to Government. The visitors stressed that funding would be necessary and that they were planning to have an executive based in a single centre for inexpensive regular management. The next national meeting of representatives would consider amendments to the constitution to permit this to happen. The HBAC was asked to sponsor another conference, conduct the opening sessions, and then give the federation time for a short business session to present their revised constitution.

Just nine days later the HBAC met for the 14th time in as many months. The national conference programme was agreed and plans were made to offer concentrated support to three or four centres where the budgeting presence needed to be commenced or encouraged. Of these the Gisborne operation was the most successful; a model service was initiated by Duncan Macdonald and spearheaded by John Walker who gave considerable regional leadership over the next few years.

Germination

Both Dave and Duncan had considerable experience in visiting new centres to encourage the support of languishing services or the development of new ones. They now applied the principles to a draft proposal for later consideration by the committee.

Meanwhile a supplementary handbook for senior advisors had been published and distributed, Duncan was working with Justice Department officials on the issue of handling of debt in society, there was a brief skirmish with the news media which ended with a statement being made to Radio NZ (Television was not included in the news release because the committee was aware that publicity on TV tended to stimulate a rush of needy clients; National Radio was more likely to capture the interest of prospective volunteers) and the various contributors to the November conference were drafting their papers and forwarding them for approval.

Computer Budgeting

Central among these was the paper of WL Buck Pound. A "steam budgeter" from way back, Buck had been the brains behind the famous A B C Budget leaflet published by Auckland in the days when its work was in good shape. This excellent leaflet had been unapologetically cribbed by services all over the country. It was even copied word for word in one professionally published book without so much as an acknowledgement. Shortly to retire early to set up a computer family budgeting programme using BNZ facilities Buck had always been an enthusiast well ahead of his time. When this account was being published in 1992 he still was.

1979 National Conference

The conference gathered in the same venue as before but there was a larger attendance. This in spite of the fact that only one representative from each centre was entitled to travelling expenses.

While they were assembling the HBAC paraded dutifully before the Minister at Parliament Buildings. Their report was graciously received and warmly commended and support for their continued work was promised. Then it was time to walk up the road to the conference. There they got a rather different reception.

After the conference was opened by Hon George Gair committee members presented two brief reports on progress made, summarising the information gained, the programmes set up and the assistance offered to date. They indicated future plans and reminded everyone that suggestions were welcome.

Buck Pound's paper was then introduced. With brilliant graphic illustrations and Buck's lively presentation his theme of "budgeting by exception" prompted an uproar. Vigorous discussion in small groups was followed by an even more vigorous plenary session. The usual stirrers had a field day and even solid sympathisers of the committee's cause found themselves expressing anxious reservations. To imagine that a computer could take over the role of a budgeting adviser! But Buck had been asked to speak a little provocatively on "The Challenge of the Future" and there was no doubt that he had got the juices flowing.

After lunch Ray Burns highlighted the need for a strong national organisation for family budgeting services. What might have been a controversial topic now seemed a very innocuous proposal but it was presented firmly. When it was time for HBAC and DSW participants to withdraw and leave the representatives of the affiliated services to their business no one could be in any doubt as to the intentions of the HBAC. A proper national body was needed. It must show it had the fullest possible support from all parts of the country. And with everybody having had a free ride to get together, the moment to adopt a constitution which would enable this to happen was now.

In the event the meeting did the right thing, willingly and well. The amended constitution was approved so the incoming president would have a small but representative executive to manage the day to day affairs of the federation. As an incorporated body the latter could give shape and co-ordination where these were needed but would also leave maximum autonomy with the member services. Dave Mullan was elected president.

It was a tribute to the careful work of the outgoing executive—which worked under such difficult conditions—that the amendments were adopted with relatively little difficulty in a gathering that was anything but cohesive. While there was the knowledge that if the revamped federation did not get off the ground budgeting could not count on much support from central Government there was nevertheless also a commitment to find solutions and this was what was achieved that day.

The HBAC had the closing word of congratulations and good wishes.

# 6

# ITEM: The Consultants

The committee's first meeting of 1980 began with a report of the national conference. It was considered to be most successful and "well received by everyone". By now there were some 54 affiliated member services and a further 23 addresses on a general mailing list.

Travelling Expenses

It was agreed to give $1500 to the federation to enable it to budget for a meeting of its district representatives early in 1980. Wairarapa was to be told there was no money for local advisers' travelling costs in the course of their voluntary work. This was becoming an increasingly sore point since the department's own volunteers were paid a modest travelling allowance (later extravagantly upgraded to full public service Scale rates). It was noted that some of the DSW volunteers were, in fact, doing family budgeting and Theo Loof of Auckland promptly wrote in suggesting that all budget advisers be accredited by the DSW so they could qualify for the allowances. The committee noncommittally referred this to the FFBS for their consideration; as might have been expected, the general paranoia about the department's involvement in family budgeting over-rode any enthusiasm for the idea. But the need remained and it was recognised that any form of assistance for volunteers' travelling would be a most relevant form of support for their work. It would come, but not yet.

This meeting was attended by a Mr I Miller from the Justice Department; Duncan's work on debt collection was bearing some fruit, but was never to be carried through.

The committee agreed to allocate several hundred dollars more for a necessary reprint of the handbook, stock of which was already exhausted. And it was decided to have three more regional conferences and possibly a training event of some kind. The membership of the committee would be reviewed by the chairman.

Birth of the Consultancy Scheme

Sonja Banks was now executive secretary and although having no background in family budgeting was taking a vigorous lead in initiating matters raised in committee meetings. Both Dave and Duncan had made calls on several services and individuals to offer advice and were becoming enthusiastic about the committee engaging specialists on a fees basis to do that kind of promotional and advisory work. They brought to the April meeting a draft of a programme for a special training meeting to which selected people would be invited. After some careful adjustment, the consultancy scheme was given general approval.

Consultants would be chosen and trained to an acceptable standard and would be expected to visit specific services or centres when asked to do so by the committee. They, or their employers, would be paid a fixed fee for a half day or an overnight visit and full expenses would be met. It was hoped the scheme would go some way towards meeting the oft-repeated call for "paid co-ordinators" without the expense of full-time salaries and office support.

First Consultants' Training Conference 1980

It was recognised that an immediate way of using the new consultants after their first training session was in the next series of regional conferences of local groups. So, when the first 16 trainee consultants met at Kohitere they had some specific agenda to work on.

Those who attended recall this event with warmth. The attendance list shows Keith Wills, Marion Struthers, Jim Maguire, Darien Kirken, John Walker, Ron Rossiter, Tony Finnigan, Barbara Smith, Dick Kouwenhoven and Sonja Banks who volunteered to come so she would be more use to the committee. Duncan and Dave were responsible for the programme. The participants were by no means of one mind as to how to go about family budgeting but the committee's objectives were clear: some things were of no account, others were negotiable, but some were strictly required.

The leaders concentrated on the things shared in common as they launched into a general philosophy of family budgeting advice. The handbook was explored at some depth, the proposed reprinting having been held up to enable this group to look at the wording more carefully. They worked hard at drafting programmes for regional seminars to which they would contribute themselves. Issues in family budgeting were dealt with in short talks and a panel discussion in front of the video camera. While the results were not able to be developed in that medium, the experience was good for people.

In lighter moments over meals and at a certain Levin hostelry the unique fellowship of the HBAC consultancy scheme was initiated. It was a special group of special people. In this, as in all matters, the committee ensured that everyone present had a full report and this one ran to 12 detailed pages even with significant omissions of certain extracurricular activities.

Co-operation

The committee paid full expenses for these consultants' training events. The department provided outstanding accommodation. All participants gave their time, and the resulting amalgam provided an outstanding boost to the morale of family budgeting as well as a sound, economical, relevant style of assistance in the field. In a day when obtaining money for full-time salaried appointments was impossible, this scheme filled a most important gap. In this, as in other areas, the committee found ways of matching some financial and administrative assistance from the public purse with the goodwill of the voluntary system. Apart from Marriage Guidance this was new for most government departments at that time.

Some of the first consultants were used almost immediately as regional seminars were prepared for three more centres. Arrangements for these took much time during the mid-1980 meetings but there were also letters about the financial survival of the Christchurch service whose co-ordinator had attended the consultancy training event and now had some ideas that were new to his committee.

The HBAC wrote to municipal electricity suppliers and commended the "Dunedin" scheme for handling arrears of family budgeting clients while still continuing supply. Most power suppliers insisted on being paid arrears in full before reconnecting the mains but this actually meant that they had to be "preferred" over other creditors a rather unacceptable procedure for debt recovery. It was also, if the pun may be forgiven, an "abuse of power".

Dunedin City Council isolated arrears on a separate account and permitted clients of the local budgeting service to reduce it on a pro rata basis while keeping the current account up to date. It was a generous and imaginative solution to an awkward problem.

Radio NZ asked the HBAC to contribute to a programme tentatively called "Economics for Idiots" but the committee felt that their choice of interim title for the programme said it all and kept some distance from what ultimately went to air. It was very sophisticated stuff of little relevance to the typical budgeting client.

Dave was authorised to finalise the latest revision of the handbook; it would be printed for $4,800 plus $200 for covers.

Manawatu

In July there was a letter from the head office of Maori Affairs pleading for reconsideration of a grant that the committee had refused to make to the Manawatu service. It was resolved to receive a delegation from the Justice Department.

Rotorua 1980

The Bay of Plenty regional seminar opened in Waiariki College on the last Saturday in July. A good attendance of 28 people included three who elected to come from as far away as New Plymouth. Dave Mullan spoke in his new capacity as president of the federation and made doleful predictions about the deteriorating economy and the effect this would have on family budgeting. He rallied the troops with what Ray Burns later called evangelistic fervour. Local consultant Ron Rossiter followed up with a review of work in the region and a plea for more guidance from the federation and the committee. Small groups identified the attributes of the ideal budgeter and training needs. John Walker reported on the establishment of the Gisborne service as a model for developing new work and the Consultancy scheme was explained.

The HBAC was getting into its stride. Almost from the beginning the committee met over a "working" lunch which was originally interpreted to mean a sandwich and a cup of tea but came to reflect the dietary interest of a wide range of departmental shoppers. Knives and forks were never actually required but came close. Some occasions produced a feast that prompted requests for cutting down but the committee was always generously catered. It was never really confirmed that this was because the leftovers found their way to the general office's afternoon tea trolley.

The August 1980 meeting was the 24th and there were 29 items listed in the minutes but the noon meeting was still finished before 2.30pm.

A set of six simple green posters would be printed for consultants and others to use. Upper Hutt could have a consultant for half a day. Details for the Lower Hutt and Whangarei regional conferences were thrashed out. There was more about the Christchurch service after dramatic publicity in the local papers. The Auckland CAB and the federation officers and Duncan Macdonald would get together in Auckland; this was an important sign of things to come up there. Duncan would be overseas for six months but the committee did not wish to have him replaced for that period. A position paper would be written on the future of the committee; some talked of winding it down and handing all matters over to the federation and/or the department. The paper offered five alternatives from closing the committee down to a kind of advisory role modelled on the new Marriage Guidance regime. Members elected to continue along the existing lines but to keep the position under review.

At the end of September the Whangarei regional event was held. John and Duncan represented the committee and Keith Wills, in his capacity as consultant, spoke about developing a local service. Thirty-five people attended. A couple of weeks later the Lower Hutt conference saw about 40 present with new consultants Tony Finnigan and Barbara Smith assisting with a vigorous group discussion programme. There was some energetic difference of opinion, reflecting a variety of existing budgeting services and not too much local reliance on the approved model.

Shady Doings at Manawatu

The November meeting saw a detailed report from a departmental senior advisory officer who had been to Palmerston North to look at the Manawatu service's situation. What was now revealed gave more concern than ever to the committee. They were not so much surprised at the style of the operation but its scope. It was staffed by Temporary Employment Programme people and took fees from its clients. This was cause for some concern, but there was more: all its clients' funds were held in a single account on which a generous amount of interest accrued to the benefit of the service. It was considered that perhaps 600 actions for debt in the region were forestalled each year by the service's willingness to undertake Summary Instalment Order clients.

The HBAC explained the limitations upon its work but offered to give support to any review of the SIO and general debt collecting legislation.

To Auckland?

In December the long-awaited Auckland public meeting was to be held. The HBAC would hold one its regular meetings in Auckland so all members could be present. Invitations had gone to a large number of people on a list compiled by the Auckland CAB. One might have thought that the Auckland Family Budgeting Services Inc would be the group to do this but over recent years they had somehow wrested a complete lack of initiative out of the situation.

The committee, however, could not adjudicate as to the niceties of the order of events. By now Whangarei DSW was enquiring about a return visit, Christchurch was urgently asking to be taken notice of, a group in Blenheim was seeking the services of a consultant, Balclutha needed some assistance and Dave Mullan had told them to ask the HBAC instead of his Dunedin service (in the end he was appointed to go but at least his employers got a consultant's fee and expenses for it), Greymouth was being officially visited by Jim Maguire, and the Wellington District Maori Council wished to have a speaker. Although the HBAC had decided a replacement was unnecessary while Duncan was overseas, the NZCAB was insisting on nominating Yvonne Hughes to stand in for him.

It seemed everything was happening at once—and the committee hadn't even opened up the Auckland can of worms.

# 7

# ITEM: The Auckland Affair

December 1980 saw the HBAC in Auckland.

They had a routine meeting at Waipuna Lodge during the day and found themselves waited on at the Arney Rd Resource Centre that night by no less than 61 people with about as many different agendas. The committee did its usual stuff: John explained how it was set up and what it was supposed to do and Dave commended the federation and pointed out the benefits of affiliation. The audience listened politely, with hardly any show of impatience. But all they wanted to hear was what Auckland would get.

Eight small discussion groups asked themselves how could family budgeting best be served in the Auckland region. It soon became apparent that the effective suburban budgeting organisations of the late 1960s had largely disappeared. Successive re-organisations into regional bodies had not produced any more budgeting at the workface. The demand was enormous but structures to meet it were fragile and ever-changing. Volunteers were battle-weary and replacements slow to come forward. A major injection of organisation and enthusiasm was needed.

Surprise! Surprise!

John listened to the group reports and summed up the consensus for paid help and a new co-ordinating structure. He then casually announced that $15,000 would be available to fund a regional co-ordinator for family budgeting. Even the HBAC members hadn't heard of this until earlier the same day. This new funding commitment from the department had the desired dramatic effect. Many went home well satisfied that night; Santa had called.

A Watershed

Certainly, although nobody could realise it at the time, the proposed employment of a co-ordinator for the Auckland region was the beginning of a trend that would culminate in a team of Budgeting Liaison Officers on a full-time basis in several departmental offices by the mid-1980s.

But in some hard-line budgeters that night in 1980, the conviction remained that appointment of salaried officers to promote family budgeting, never mind to actually carry it out, was the beginning of the end of the volunteer operation. From a purely practical view, committee members wondered to themselves what this announcement would say to Christchurch, where an existing and effective service that urgently required funding to keep a current employee above the breadline had consistently been told there was no policy for salaried co-ordinators.

This was another occasion when the committee appeared to be doing some lateral thinking but it was not the members who should take the credit on this occasion. The department acted quite unilaterally. The traditional tension between volunteers and paid workers in family budgeting had finally and dramatically come to a head and a decision had been made.

Family Budgeting would never be quite the same again.

New Member

Rather than debate the niceties of the procedures for Ministerial appointments procedures, the department and the committee now welcomed Duncan's temporary replacement and the Minister subsequently accepted Yvonne Hughes as the permanent nominee of the CABx. She came to the HBAC with some special skills. She was practised at walking the tightrope between voluntary and statutory agencies and she brought a sense of political realism to her role. Her later decline in health and eventual death were a great loss to the cause.

What Kind of Structure?

Soon after the Auckland meeting Yvonne and Dave drafted some notes on the Auckland situation and the way in which the proposed appointment might be administered. They were concerned that a seemingly haphazard decision to provide some paid co-ordination in Auckland after successive policy papers had declared against this could have a domino effect. Yet the sheer size of the Auckland region and the vital inertia that seemed to be nourished by so much of its social and community life meant that a special solution had to be found.

And quickly. An immediate start was called for if the committee's integrity was to be maintained in such a cynical climate. An adequate institutional base would be needed and could not be dredged out of nowhere at short notice. To use either the existing Auckland FBS or the CAB would be inappropriate. To put such an appointment under the national FFBS which was scarcely established seemed also to be most undesirable. Nor did it seem appropriate to create another role for the department itself. While individual officers like Wilf Canning had given enormous support to family budgeting over the years the DSW did not really have the confidence of the varied groups who were involved in budgeting in the region.

Difference of Opinion

So Yvonne and Dave opted for a new ad hoc Auckland committee as an interim measure. Their suggestion was countered by a paper from Ray Burns who argued firmly for leaving all responsibility for appointment, funding and accountability to the local people. A third unsigned and unsolicited opinion was also offered to the HBAC, apparently from someone within DSW in head office or Auckland, proposing a similar strategy.

In the event the committee, at a second December meeting in 1980, resolved to retain this first appointment within the shadow of its own wing. An interim steering committee, representing the various districts and interests in family budgeting was given responsibility for preparing guidelines for setting up an appropriate structure.

By February 1981 Yvonne was able to report that the Auckland Steering Committee had met twice, drawn up a job description for a full-time paid co-ordinator and would call a public meeting in March or April. Its work was endorsed in principle and the committee decided to meet additional expenses so that Auckland would receive the full $15,000 promised.

The members resolved to go to Christchurch in April 1980—a public relations move. They would also try an approach to the Welfare Services Distribution Committee for $70,000 from the Golden Kiwi proceeds. The idea came from the WSDC itself which wrote asking about family budgeting in the Manawatu where the local service had asked them for a grant.

The HBAC could not be too enthusiastic about that application but figured it might as well have a try on behalf of the national scene. This was quickly turned down but Manawatu was given $300. The committee also expressed some interest in having a page or two in Know How, the substantial book given free to school leavers. The publishers were enthusiastic but wanted $1250 a page; the committee lost interest.

To Christchurch

Christchurch's Auto Lodge was the scene of the April Meeting. There was some high drama before the meeting began when it was heard that the Auckland Steering Committee had not merely made a recommendation for a co-ordinator but had actually told the person that she had the job. Furthermore, enquiries revealed that she had something of a reputation as a DSW "stirrer", having been more than ordinarily active as an advocate for beneficiaries. The appointment was confirmed, but not without some anxiety. The committee need not have worried: Julie Maddison set about an extraordinarily difficult task with confidence and professionalism and eventually found herself employed within the department itself and later become a Regional Training Officer.

At lunch the committee met with members of the Household Budget and Advisory Service Inc of Christchurch. Needless to say, a major item on the agenda involved the "continuation of the organiser's salary in Christchurch".

That night 30 people gathered in the conference room of the Housing Corporation building in Cathedral Square. Like the Auckland group a few months earlier, they knew what they wanted to hear. They dutifully listened to John and Dave as they opened proceedings with their by now well-rehearsed addresses. They raised vigorous questions in discussion groups. And at the end, when someone finally put The Question from the floor, John assured them that funding them for their organiser's salary would be guaranteed in the meantime.

After Auckland, he could do no less.

Back to Auckland

Barely two weeks later the HBAC met again. Dave's federation people had held a very satisfactory annual general meeting on April 24th and were proposing to divide the country into about 15 districts each of which would send just one representative to future national annual meetings. They were also revising the procedures for appointment of the executive, to consolidate this important group in one centre.

Buck Pound was invited for lunch. The traditional Auckland group which he represented was less than happy with developments there but as long as the new co-ordinating committee included the four new federation districts he felt that there would be co-operation. Then a meeting with the steering committee finalised a suitable structure for the Auckland Budgeting Co-ordinating Committee. The public meeting to put this in place was now set for June and a careful nominating procedure was set up.

Routine Business

By now the HBAC was handling a wide range of business in addition to its primary thrust of getting the Auckland project off the ground. The consultancy programme was gearing up fast. Several of the newly accredited consultants did deputations in Porirua, Cromwell, Alexandra, Waimate, Kapiti, Blenheim and other places. Some centres sought start-up grants. One Gwen Nash wanted the committee to finance a book to be called Stretch Your Money; it was mainly about cooking and the committee wished her well but declined to fund the project. Dave was asked to produce a new slide/cassette programme for general promotional work; but with notice of his impending transfer to Auckland it had to be abandoned.

Accidental Extravagance

The most comfortable meeting in the committee's experience took place on June 18th 1981 in a suite in the White Heron in Auckland. Someone in the department in Auckland had been left to arrange accommodation and each member finished up with a $120 suite—one was actually in his for only five and a half hours. There was a detailed session with the steering committee as it presented its final proposals for the evening's public event.

All four members of the committee addressed nearly 50 people in the Freeman's Bay community centre that night. Ray's role was to introduce the proposal and Wally Knewstubb and Buck Pound were smartly on their feet with the resolution that had been carefully prepared beforehand. Without discussion or dissension it was passed and nominations were called for. There were plenty of suggestions so a ballot was held but it was all handled with expediency and goodwill. John announced that Dick Kouwenhoven would be the committee's nominee, congratulated all concerned and closed the meeting.

By the July 1981 meeting the HBAC was still handing out a good deal of fairly firm advice to the Auckland committee. They shouldn't co-opt members; they shouldn't think about becoming an incorporated society; the name they already had was good enough. But their carefully written minutes were appreciated and—most important—the full amount of the grant would now be handed over to them. The Auckland co-ordinating committee and its new co-ordinator were under way.

# 8

# ITEM: More Routine Business

Minutes of the meetings during the second half of 1981 show that the HBAC now had time to turn its attention to other issues.

Wellington budgeting was in bad shape; perhaps another major HBAC thrust was needed. The secretary would write again to all groups advising them of the various printed resources that were now available for the asking. Messrs Burns and Grant would make an approach to the trading banks to seek funds for educational publicity of some kind not yet actually conceived. It was an idea that would be spectacularly developed, but not with any funds from the trading banks and not before some frustrating delays.

V O T P

About this time the Voluntary Organisation Training Programme came into being as a department of the Project Employment Programme. The HBAC should take some of the credit for this. In a couple of earlier meetings it had discussed the need for PEP workers to be allocated to organisations like family budgeting where those affected by the economic conditions could serve others in the same situation. By the time PEP workers were trained to be useful they were obliged to move on because of the six month limit. It seemed appropriate that workers in the helping sector should be able to continue for longer periods to provide a greater benefit for such organisations. John supported the concept in a Cabinet committee and the VOTP was the result; 1,000 positions were created, several of them being taken up by family budgeting groups.

Dunedin Initiative

In August the Dunedin service initiated a regional seminar involving some 16 people from as far away as Invercargill. On a Saturday morning, it had a similar format to the Auckland and Christchurch events but with more emphasis on education and sharing of information than the specific agendas for those centres. It was a very successful occasion and, and as a direct result, the HBAC decided to make consultants available for similar events in other places. They also decided to pick up the tab for costs.

Duncan Macdonald was welcomed back from overseas and farewelled from the committee at the same time. His had been a most significant contribution and if his work on the committee did not always have the total confidence of the CABx who originally nominated him, his commitment, leadership and educational skills and unfailing good humour advanced the cause of family budgeting much more than was appreciated by his sponsors.

Towards the end of 1981 the heavy hand of bureaucracy reached into the lives of the committee members with a formal letter to the effect that taxis were to be used only in exceptional cases. Nobody had actually ever mentioned this before, and it seemed a bit petty considering that three members gave all their time on the committee's work without payment of any kind. "Sorry to have to send you this," said a note from Sonja, the ever-sensitive secretary. So members became careful about taxis but were grateful for the occasional use of the Director General's car, complete with driver, to get to the airport on time after a late meeting.

Meeting the Need?

In Masterton a small private budgeting service was seeking the support of the department in extending to Carterton. The committee found itself unable to give support and instead offered its resources to strengthen and broaden the scope of the existing service. They weren't particularly keen to be helped, actually, believing that they were doing very well; but Social Welfare staff didn't share their confident estimate of their usefulness to the community. The consultant who was appointed to visit the Wairarapa would have a delicate task.

Financial Problems

In October the HBAC became aware that its ongoing commitments were outstripping its foreseeable budget. It would be necessary to limit Consultancy activities in the coming year and some firm arrangements for ongoing finance must be made. The executive officer of the trading banks had initially responded warmly to a tentative approach for funding assistance but their official meeting refused to be involved. The Trustees Savings Banks were also being tried but nothing was to come of that, either, apart from a commitment to be supportive at the local level.

Tiromoana Seminar

In the face of need to be careful with its funds the committee wondered about cancelling the forthcoming training event for some new candidates for consultancy positions but decided to proceed. Although there was only a small group involved they represented areas where their skills would make a significant contribution. This was the first such event where a committee member was not present. Barbara Smith, Darien Kirken and Duncan Macdonald ran it, but not without some difficulty; they had to cope with one individual who simply repudiated the basic principles of the handbook and others who had little in common with each other in budgeting matters.

Peter Methven of Central Otago was one who came with no budgeting experience at all. An educationalist in the Rural Education Activities Programme, he had a creative style that contributed to every event he attended. He went on to establish well-founded services in his region.

After lumbering a group of volunteers with the leaders of this somewhat taxing weekend the committee agreed that there were now enough consultants available to cover the country adequately.

Contract for service

For some time the chairperson had been flying a kite about the possibility that budgeting services could provide themselves with some funding by accepting some clients from the department on a "fee for service" basis. This would neatly solve the problem of the number of DSW clients who required budgeting but would not be accepted by a local service if they were sent by the DSW (it was a basic principle of family budgeting that clients should not approach "under duress"). The Marriage Guidance Council model seemed to be an appropriate precedent. The concept would be written into the next report for the Minister, together with an accounting for the original grant and subsequent grants totalling $45,000, brief reports on the establishment of the federation, the consultancy programme and co-ordination work in Auckland and Christchurch.

End of the Year

At the last two meetings for 1981 it was noted that the Auckland Co-ordinator was introducing formal training programmes for budgeting volunteers at both Carrington and Manukau Polytechnic colleges. A thorough survey of budgeting services in that region had been prepared and a PEP worker engaged to conduct the research. Dunedin would be offered a full HBAC regional seminar early in 1982, and consultants' fees were fixed at $30 between midnight and noon (i.e. "overnight"), $25 between noon and 6 pm and $25 for any period between 6pm and midnight.

1982 began with the 41st meeting on 18th February. A regional get-together was authorised for Gisborne: consultant John Walker would arrange it and the HBAC would pick up nominal expenses. Plans were confirmed for a comprehensive visit to Dunedin with a meeting with the Dunedin Management Committee over lunch, the HBAC'S own regular meeting in the afternoon and the usual seminar in the evening. The three accredited consultants for the Otago region would be invited to attend.

Another of the committee's "occasional" newsletters was distributed to all the known services and contacts around the country. Instructional audiocassettes and all printed supplies of handbooks and other materials were moved to Christchurch where they would be administered by the co-ordinator on behalf of the FFBS.

Dunedin Seminar

The big event for March was the regional conference at Dunedin. This time there were 82 present—the largest regional gathering held under HBAC auspices. In his speech John advised that the volunteers throughout the country were handling $150,000,000 of yearly income. Good group discussions revealed most of the usual questions and such answers as were available. Peter Methven attended from Alexandra and made two significant contributions: information about his work as a Rural Activities Education Officer and this cartoon.

There was a stand-in secretary in April 1982 and she had quite a task. On the suggestion of Peter Methven an officer from the Education Department had been invited to inform the committee about the REA Programme. He listened to an account of the work of the consultants and suggested that REAP officers could well assist.

The committee continued exploring possible sources of sponsored funding for a special project. It was now considering approaches to the Retailers' Association, Finance Houses of NZ and NZ Creditmen's Association. Yvonne reported on the Auckland committee's work, indicating that they had organised a very good seminar attended by 37. Training courses were continuing and progress was being made towards a constitution. The original grant was used up.

The sponsors of Know How enquired again and were told this time that the HBAC would prepare material for them to insert if they wished but would not pay $1350 for a page. The matter rested there.

A more promising development was a final draft of the Guidelines for Consultants: four pages set out the qualifications for accreditation, their roles and the role of the HBAC, the basis for remuneration and a draft of a three phase support programme for a new region.

A DIY Seminar

The redoubtable John Walker had now organised the Hawkes Bay—Poverty Bay regional seminar in Wairoa.

Their after-dinner guest speaker from Maori Affairs, however, failed to show up. The hastily found replacement got off the subject and on to issues his listeners thought to be quite irrelevant. He also alluded to Mr Muldoon paying for the dinner when, in fact, the participants had paid for this meal themselves. Also, the Napier service was entirely absent due to the departmental organiser not advising anyone about it because he couldn't attend himself. John's official report touched on these matters formally expressing "disappointment" but a personal letter to the committee was more characteristic:

...there would be many other words that more correctly describe the situation but these are unprintable.

The committee had been a bit loose in the terms of John's engagement and now found itself hit up for over $200—somewhat in excess of the usual cost of hall hire and a light lunch. But it had to be agreed that the keen fifteen who came from as far away as Whakatane and stayed at their own expense for a night so they could work for two full days needed some encouragement so the account was paid.

Accounts

The statement to the end of March 1982 showed that nearly $20,000 of the original grant was still unallocated. The Welfare Services Distribution Committee, distributor of public largesse from the profits of the Golden Kiwi Lottery, had supported Auckland and Christchurch with $15,000 each.

Auckland

The May meeting was held at Auckland so that the HBAC could meet with the Auckland Co-ordinating Committee. The latter believed there were now some 27 services functioning with 153 volunteers. Committee members were working hard and it was felt that much had been achieved for the first year. John assured the meeting that as long as the purpose for the co-ordinating committee existed, funds would be made available. This was a clear sign of availability of departmental funding since continuing assistance from Lottery proceeds was never to be counted on.

The HBAC's own business was as varied as ever: a positive response had been received from the Post Office Savings Bank; they would fund a budgeting education project with $9,000 over three years.

The federation was a little edgy about the continuing confusion between them and the HBAC and now suggested that only one organisation should send out the newsletters. HBAC agreed that the federation should be funded to publish a leaflet describing the various relationships. A further year's grant was made to Auckland. Taumarunui now had a renewed budget advice service—but run through the DSW Volunteers scheme. The committee decided to ask Keith Wills to visit and commend the community-based model as an alternative. Dave was asked to sketch something out for education in schools; he had done some work with a budgeting programme for teenagers which had been well received at seminars and conferences.

June 1982

Keith Wills was in attendance and reported on his visit to Taumarunui. He also offered a 24 page report carried out by the Waikato University on the budgeting operation in the province. The Education Department had expressed some interest in preparation of an education programme for use in schools and Dave would visit them. There were the usual reports on Auckland and Christchurch.

POSB Jackpot

A deputation from the committee met with officers of the POSB to discuss the sponsored education programme. While they were there a staff member came in with a large tool: it seemed the Director had received a complaint that the new 24 hrs a day money machine just installed at the Post Office in the Manukau City Centre was actually locked up at night so the Director proposed to send the person a letter of apology and his own personal tool to solve the problem: it was a large crowbar.

Encouraged by the human face of the department, the committee presented its comprehensive checklist of things to be discussed. The outcome was very satisfactory: the POSB funding could be quite flexible and much internal work could be done without being a charge on the grant. This generous response would result in some 100,000 full colour booklets being available at Post Offices in the country.

Overture

A lengthy letter from the federation required some time: among other things it sought an indication from the HBAC as to if and when more responsibility might be handed over. It was agreed that a draft working paper should be initiated to define relationships and clarify lines of communication.

Another "Away" Meeting

The 46th Meeting was again in Auckland, timed to coincide with the annual meeting of the Auckland co-ordinating committee. The HBAC had now been re-appointed for a further two years and had a large agenda. Frank Rogers of Christchurch had forwarded a "spider web" concept for organising budgeting. That it looked suspiciously like the "two tier system" was not nearly as important as that it marked a significant change in philosophy on the part of the Christchurch service. It was warmly commended.

Jim Low's urgent request for finance for the Queen St CAB service he had run for twenty years or more had been responded to by the ABCC in an overly modest way so he had applied directly to the HBAC. The committee, however, resolved to do nothing more. It would not be an acceptable response, of course, but the ABCC, not its parent committee, had to make decisions for Auckland.

Consultancy Work

Barbara Smith would make one more consultancy visit to Porirua although other duties forced her resignation from the scheme. All the others were re-accredited for another year and a training event was planned for late in the year. Ten consultants and two staff would attend. Members of the committee would meet with a group of teachers from the Education Department to discuss the possibility of some input into schools work. John Walker's proposal for a seminar in Whakatane on Women and Money was agreed to but only after the committee resolved to draw his attention to the guidelines regarding "committal and authorisation of funds and HBAC prerogative to deploy consultants". The committee had been unspecific once with John and were not going to have the bite put on them again.

Another Auckland Meeting

Members attended the annual meeting of the Auckland Budgeting Co-ordinating Committee that night. It was a good occasion and although there were several changes of membership the ABCC was set on its way for another year. A spirit of real optimism was abroad, a tribute to the patient work of Julie Maddison and the many who worked with her. If some of the 1960s-style budgeters did not feel that the operation was in the traditional mould the fact was that there was an organisation in place, training was being provided, new services were starting up and family budgeting was working reasonably well.

An Extra Meeting

Left over from the committee's agenda that day was an intended discussion on the planned material on relationships between the various bodies. This was delayed to a special adjourned meeting a few days later. As usual the issues were clearly listed by the careful departmental staff.

The federation, it was argued, should be the primary point of reference for the budgeting services but the department seemed to be taking on a more central role. The FFBS lacked constitutional structure to handle paid staff and had not necessarily demonstrated that it had the confidence of the whole budgeting community. Auckland, for instance, had tended to find its federation strength among the traditional budgeters but the new developments were being initiated through the new budgeting volunteers brought in by the ABCC.

A Future for the Federation?

Traditional budget advice, for good or ill, had primarily been done by men. The new groups now coming forward, especially around Auckland, could fairly be said to be composed primarily of women. Thus Auckland resisted the time-honoured sponsorship of Rotary and Lions Clubs and recruitment from their ranks. But the old brigade—the "Old Boys' Club" even—did not lie down and die decently and it was the main sponsor of the national federation.

The new groups were not particularly enamoured of the federation and who could blame them: everything that supported them—and particularly the generous funding—came from the HBAC.

It was a difficult period for the federation and its executive. On the one hand they could not pick up the budgeting ball and run with it because they did not enjoy the fullest confidence of everyone at the workface. On the other they would continue to have difficulty establishing themselves as long as the HBAC continued to woo the services with funding, education and resources.

There was a generally acknowledged benefit to be obtained by having some paid co-ordinators available in the budgeting sector, but the federation could scarcely be expected to be able to offer continuity of employment and the department was still seen as having mixed motives in offering to fund and deploy co-ordinators. Having a foot in both camps, the author found himself under considerable stress and was highly motivated to be a part of finding a solution.

Now the committee was faced with yet another request for "clarification of relationships". It responded by throwing down the gauntlet in the face of the federation once more. Would they like to make some suggestions?

This reply to the federation was precisely worded, phrase by phrase. So that Dave was not put into the position of having to be the sole interpreter of the mind of each body to the other, the letter included an invitation to the federation's executive to come to Wellington to meet with the committee to discuss the matter.

It would be a creative and timely break-through.

# 9

# The Budgeting Services Support Programme

The September meeting in 1982 was a triumph of diplomacy on all sides.

The federation executive met as soon as they arrived in the capital at around 9.30am. Then they met with the committee at noon over lunch. Both meetings then continued separately, with Dave first in one and then in the other. The outcome was not immediate but general agreement was achieved about a strategy for support for Family budgeting. There were trade-offs for both parties, but there was at least a result.

The federation representatives had not come empty-handed. In spite of the difficulties of distance (Frank Ball was from Gisborne, Frank Rogers from Christchurch, Brian Falck from Dunedin and Dave Mullan was by now living in Auckland) they had drafted a proposal that, if accepted, would open the way to an entirely new approach to the funding and support of budgeting services. On paper it appears daring, almost cheeky. But its general principles had been tested out before the meetings and had received some qualified encouragement from chairperson John Grant, who was now Director-General of the department.

At noon the HBAC did its routine business. It planned the next training event for its consultants, reviewed Barbara Smith's Porirua visit which had been a very significant occasion in a district where help was really needed, decided to produce budgeting education leaflets for mass distribution with the POSB grant and facilities, and noted Buck Pound's computer budgeting operation was developing at the Bank of New Zealand.

Without doubt, however, the main agenda that day was consideration of a new policy for supporting budgeting services. What the federation offered the general meeting was a resolution that affirmed that—

* each DSW District should be required to maintain some responsibility for assisting family budgeting services through one nominated officer along the lines of the existing Liaison workers now in Hamilton, Rotorua, and Auckland (plus the assisted appointment in Christchurch)

* DSW should appoint a national officer for co-ordinating support to family budgeting services

* local services should be properly authorised and accredited and would then be entitled to specific assistance such as stationery, copying, routine clerical work, and travelling allowances for their volunteers

* ongoing support should be given for the federation to maintain the voluntary side of family budgeting

* The HBAC should continue to confirm policy and act as mediator between the state and voluntary sectors.

John Grant questioned the FFBS representatives carefully; all recognised that there would be a substantial public relations task in selling the scheme to many local services. But all present could see that the scheme, if acceptable to the department, held promise. John suggested that the department would be willing to bring three more full-time appointments on stream and that this seemed a satisfactory basis for so doing.

In principle the basic issues were acceptable to the department and the HBAC; the details would be looked at later on. It was a good day.

The next meeting was held at Kohitere where the consultants' refresher course was being held. Here the suggested policy for future support was introduced. Some who were linked to the federation were naturally a bit uneasy but in general the proposals received some very encouraging comments. It would be a different challenge to put the project before the full meeting of the FFBS district representatives in October.

Role "Playing"

Highlight of this particular training event at Kohitere was the use of video for interviews. As usual, the programme was fairly full and the evenings were designed to be rather low key. In the event, the after-dinner video exercise was taken with such deficiency of seriousness that "low" became the operative word. In role-playing of specific interview situations in front of the camera members threw themselves into the exercise with more imagination than care for good budgeting principles.

It was an uproarious session and none present will forget Ron Rossiter's deadpan delivery of suggestive patter to Julie Maddison's role as a helpless but very good-looking beneficiary. Sonja Rathgen was being brow-beaten by an over-enthusiastic advisor who was also a bit suggestive in remarks that were supposed to increase her confidence. With a flourish he showed her how her budget balanced and all her problems were solved, and Sonja remembered her role: bring up something else that hasn't been covered so far. "Ooh," she said, bursting into tears, "What about my poor pussy?"

Apart from these Saturday night lapses in concentration and diligence, the consultants worked hard and built up good rapport with each other. These events contributed greatly to the goodwill and camaraderie that was now developing around the country.

Surprise

At the October 1982 meeting, Brian Tyler was introduced. An audit accountant in the public service, he had been transferred from Inland Revenue to succeed John Grant as Assistant Director, Benefits and Pensions and would chair the committee from the next meeting.

Nobody should have been surprised; that's how it works in the public service. John had come to the committee from the same appointment, with a background in the old Social Security Department; most of his knowledge of direct community social service had accumulated in the last ten or so years, four of them on the committee. Dave, Duncan and lately, Yvonne actually figured that they'd done a good job on him in matters of racial and feminist sensitivities and other areas.

In John's time as Director-General the department made great strides in bicultural awareness, setting an example to the public service and the wider community with its 1986 publication Puao-te-Ata-tu and all that flowed from that enlightened material. But just at this time some committee members figured they hadn't actually finished with him and the prospect of breaking in another departmental career whiz, let alone one with an audit accounting background, was not anticipated with enthusiasm.

Their anxieties did not surface to the extent of eliciting even a note in the minutes and Brian being introduced, John continued with the business. The federation had enjoyed a comfortable and creative meeting at Taranaki House in Auckland, courtesy of the department. District representatives were beginning to feel their way into their roles and some good education and policy work had been done. Of greatest importance, however, was their generally favourable reaction to their executive's proposals about the support programme and closer relationships with DSW.

Representatives at the federation's meeting had stressed again that clients should come to budgeting services only through encouragement and persuasion but conceded for the first time that in any partnership arrangement there might have to be some referrals from the department. They believed that some financial contribution towards budgeting volunteers' travelling costs would be desirable (volunteers within the department were receiving a generous travelling allowance by this time: it continued to be a matter of tension that departmental volunteers could be reimbursed for expenses while voluntary budgeters usually received nothing). However, it was conceded that to pay every volunteer even a modest allowance for distance actually covered would be a budget item of hundreds of thousands of dollars a year. There were other priorities.

They also considered that the federation should not employ staff; it would be better for there to be some staff support in every district office of the DSW. And they were determined that the creative developmental role of the HBAC should be maintained whatever happened.

As his parting gift to the HBAC John stated that it was his view that there should be a person in head office who was primarily responsible for the budgeting support programme; this person could attend HBAC meetings.

The meeting went on to discuss more routine business; the POSB-sponsored Money Management Programme was to occupy a central part of the stage in coming months. A study unit for secondary schools was also shaping up. But for the moment, the willingness of the federation to co-operate in some kind of joint relationship with the department was something of a break-through.

High School Curriculum

November 1982 saw Dave and Yvonne attending a meeting with curriculum experts in the Education Department, exploring the possibilities of developing the proposed curriculum unit. Rather than attempting to model an "adult" style of budgeting for family life they advocated something approximating to the Teenage Budgeting Programme, the visuals/audiocassette programme offered from Dunedin for use of young people in their mid-teens. The principles advocated were new to the teachers but were warmly received. The HBAC was not much further involved but heard that a pilot course (Budget Today for Fun Tomorrow) was run in several dozen schools later in the year.

The 1983 programme for the committee was roughed out with a reduction in the number of meetings but several major seminars and promotional presentations. The department was seeking advice about locations for two further Budgeting Liaison Workers (for a short time they were called Budgeting Liaison Officers but the acronym BLO wasn't very appealing so the title was changed) after Auckland and Christchurch and there seemed to be further appointments in the pipeline. Detailed attention was given to a budget for 1983; the auditing background of the new chairperson was being felt.

In the midst of a busy period the committee was putting together a promotional programme which would be largely funded by the POSB. Dave's employers again received a fee for him to develop a small booklet for mass distribution. Modelled on a very successful handout from the Department of University Extension in Otago (Valda Muller had done some excellent work in this area over several years and was also a volunteer and committee member with the Dunedin service) the final publication was to concentrate simply on the mechanics of preparing the budget and making it work. The idea had been received warmly by the consultants at Kohitere and the committee was also pleased with progress and planned to try to make it available in other languages.

Now there was a lengthy gap in the meeting schedule for the first time. But at the end of January 1983 there was a summons for Dave to meet the new chairperson to discuss the relationships between the HBAC and the Department. Obviously it would be desirable to do away with an unnecessary organisation but it was recognised that the HBAC held a vital intermediary role and should remain in place for the time being. Dave also did a "promo" for 100 POSB staff at a national training conference; the publicity slide set was completely revised to 120 slides on two projectors and a dissolve unit. An attentive audience received it well. Among the savings officers present that day was Moira Crum who later transferred to DSW to take up the first budgeting liaison appointment in the Otago region.

The fiftieth meeting was held as the fifth year came to a close. Ray Burns had thrown out some fairly clear hints that a bottle of Blue Nun wouldn't go too badly for the jubilee meeting but the new chairperson didn't seem to hear them. Funny, that.

# 10

# ITEM: Money Management and Budgeting Support

The year 1983 began with a delayed meeting and a massive agenda. The HBAC was now developing a number of major policy matters and yet also keeping a handful of work projects alive with its own energy and resources. Sonja was obviously working almost full-time for the committee and was not able to attend to her other departmental roles so a secretary was drawn in and Sonja was freed to act in an executive capacity. Even so, both did a large amount of basic legwork for a committee that was not content merely to make policy and offer advice.

But the pressure was on and the sheer volume of activity meant that some things were falling through the cracks. The secretary of the federation executive wrote complaining that the lack of final decision and announcement about the support programme was causing anxiety; if some services found out about it through unofficial leaks there would be repercussions for those who had negotiated in good faith. In Auckland, another redoubtable pioneer of family budgeting, Jim Low, was complaining that he was going broke running the central Auckland service which had failed to join the growing new organisation there. Dave had to make a very difficult visit and prepare a carefully-worded report on the situation that was developing; there was really no solution possible.

Five more BLW appointments were likely to be opened up: how would the volunteer budgeters who were still screaming for assistance regard the investment of large amounts of taxpayers' money in the department?

Another Boost

On the credit side, Broadlands Finance was willing to add $5,000 towards the POSB promotion and the draft of the booklet was submitted for approval. Maori translation would be undertaken by that department.

HO Appointment

In April there was firm word that a national budgeting co-ordinator would be appointed to head office. The final draft of the schools programme was given approval. Assistance to various groups was decided; as a result of the promotional work undertaken by the committee there was now a steady stream of requests coming in. There was an eight page report on the regional seminar held in New Plymouth and others were planned for Wellington and Hawkes' Bay. Sonja presented a careful paper on computerised banking systems that might be of interest to the family budgeting enterprise; it was just one of many thoroughly researched papers presented during her time with the HBAC.

Dave applied for leave from May to Sept while overseas and the meeting agreed to send copies of minutes to Frank Rogers of Christchurch; he was to be nominated as president of the FFBS later in the year, and would be acting during Dave's absence.

The committee didn't meet again until June. Another large agenda and eight pages of minutes resulted. Stephen Barron, of the Wellington Branch of the NZ Society of Accountants briefed members on the Porirua situation; this and other areas were to be given priority in the department's appointment of the new BLWs.

Progress

The Money Management Programme seemed to be proceeding well. Post Office Savings Bank and Broadlands Finance would pay for the printing of 100,000 booklets which would be available free from every Post Office in the country. When they were in position Television New Zealand would screen commercials advertising their availability. The advertising agency for the POSB would give some advice about economical preparation of the TV campaign.

A problem was that the extensive resources generously made available by POSB and Broadbank would not be sufficient to print copies in other languages. The committee decided that it should provide for this itself at some $5,000 extra cost. A simplified production was devised and the production eventually went out in some six languages.

A myriad of minor matters continues to pervade minutes of this period. Buck Pound's new computerised budget service needed to be appraised: the committee resolved to pay 50% of the BNZ's $20-00 fee for any family budgeting clients going onto the system but nobody took them up on it. Might the NZ Family Trust might be worth a touch for proceeds from the telethon? "No," said certain people in head office, "We'll organise a co-ordinated approach". The committee heard nothing more from them. It was not uncommon for ideas to get floated out into the rest of the department, never to return.

But the committee's own head office staff were diligent beyond the call of duty. Arrangements had to be made for every meeting and conference and seminar: venues, refreshments, invitations, speakers and so on all needed personal attention. They were kept busy with all sorts of mundane tasks as part of the department's commitment to the committee. Many of them over the years did far more than could reasonably be expected of civil servants, joining in training and social events with equal enthusiasm.

Life on a Small Qango

But the volunteer members of the HBAC were also very active weekend after weekend in various parts of the country, in small groups and large meetings, approving job descriptions for new BLWs, doing small messages in their local areas, writing reports, sending memos and making generous use of the department's toll budget. Indeed, one or two had got to hear of the DSW "free" direct line from Auckland to Wellington and made use of it on not a few occasions. But they were still very careful about taxis.

In a year or two the famous qango hunts would be started. The quasi-autonomous non-governmental organisation had been a favourite tool of NZ society and there were eventually too many of them that had free rides into Wellington, comfortable and pleasant meetings discussing next to nothing and not too much else to do. It was appropriate that some of these over-consultative nonsenses should be wound down. But the HBAC, like some other qangos, was a vigorous active committee for the whole of its short life. And no more so than in this its sixth year.

Oops!

The careful eye of the auditor-chairperson in the August 1983 meeting picked up an error in the previous minutes. The amount offered to subsidise the BNZ Computer banking system fee was $10, he suggested, not $10,000. He was right, of course, and the correction was duly minuted. It was as well that the response had been so poor to the committee's invitation; two or three applications and a slight lack of attention in head office and the entire budget could have been wiped out.

Announcement

Ron McInteer acted in the chair for the next meeting in the absence of Brian Tyler. Frank Rogers was invited to be present for the announcement of the major support programme.

It is only half a page in the minutes but it was a dramatic moment for family budgeting. Not only would the department provide expenses and training allowances, it would also pay a travelling allowance for budgeters. The federation had been given everything it had requested. Implementation date would be 1st October.

The TV Commercial to promote the POSB Managing Your Money booklets had been finished. The committee was told that it showed a family arguing about money and broadcaster David Beatson (who donated his time) telling viewers where to pick up the free booklet. It seemed all was proceeding well but nobody thought to ask to see it before it was screened. There were plenty of other items requiring time and thought.

By the October Meeting, Ron McInteer was permanently in the chair as the department's representative and the full committee went off for one of its infrequent meetings with the Minister of Social Welfare. This went off smoothly and the committee was able to share its work on the money management programme, recruitment of volunteers, and the new budgeting services support programme. Mr Young agreed to sign letters of thanks to all who helped with Managing Your Money.

Now there was a showing of the TV commercial. It had cost only $1,000 for a director's fee as TVNZ had done the production on a gratis basis; but one VHS copy to show the committee at this meeting cost an additional $50 for the 30 seconds! Worse, there were five errors in the superimposed wording. However, the availability of free slots for these "community service" commercials was not as great as had been expected and, eventually, the item was only shown about 15 times. And it served its purpose well enough.

Much time was spent in finalising arrangements for the Auckland and Christchurch BLWs who were still employed by their local committees. In Christchurch, Jim Maguire would transfer to the department and the HBAC would buy up some back superannuation for him. In Auckland, Julie Maddison preferred to stay with her own committee for the time being and this was accepted.

Managing Your Money would cost still more than was thought. In spite of the outside gifts the HBAC would now have to find $11,000 of its own money. And most of the original 100,000 booklets had been uplifted from Post Offices in a month, some centres exhausting their supplies in a matter of days. The very success of the project was a financial embarrassment but the HBAC resolved to consider a further reprint. Meanwhile the POSB was reallocating stocks to maintain as much continuity of supply as it could.

Paper War

At this meeting there were matters relating to Dannevirke, Hawkes Bay, Waipukurau, Manawatu, Waiau/Culverden, Central Otago and Inglewood. Auckland matters included written reports on accrediting of volunteers (an important issue in Auckland's eclectic budgeting atmosphere), minutes of a meeting and guidelines for the same topic, minutes of meetings of supervisors and co-ordinators at Grey Lynn and Ponsonby and minutes of the Auckland committee itself. If the sheer volume of minutes was a legitimate criterion of success then Auckland was certainly working well at last.

But they weren't alone in report writing. No less than 14 separate presentations were offered to this meeting, not including letters and routine items. There were several head office drafts on various matters, including an article for the accountants' journal. That was to be the pattern for some time as the committee's activities broadened and involved ever-expanding areas of DSW involvement.

By November only 600 copies of Managing Your Money appeared to be left in stock. The usually matter-of-fact minutes state: "Letters of praise and support for the booklet have been received constantly since its release." The POSB would be willing to continue distribution but funds would have to be sought elsewhere to pay for them. The DSW itself might pay for some and the BNZ and Broadbank would also be approached. Happily, the Welfare Services Distribution Committee had come to the party with a handsome $13,000 for printing the non-English versions.

Consultants' Refresher Seminar

In November 1983 all the accredited consultants were again brought to a refresher event at Kohitere. There was a very good attendance and some 23 very experienced people were able to share notes and assist each other with aspects of their work. Many of these gave specific leadership in the programme. Opportunity was taken to brief them thoroughly on current developments. Buck Pound did his usual competent presentation on the BNZ computer budgeting system. Frank Rogers was welcomed as newly elected FFBS president. The very detailed report presented later ran to nine pages.

The HBAC and the family budgeting cause generally got very good value from these people and these educational events were a vital part of their continuing success. The consultancy scheme had made a remarkable contribution in a time when funds had been limited and experts thin on the ground.

But already the writing was on the wall. There were now paid Liaison Workers in many parts of the country and the federation had fifteen district representatives who could also do some promotional and support work. The role of the consultants was on the wane, their best contribution already made. Nevertheless the event was a valuable one, providing many opportunities for learning and promoting goodwill and understanding among people with a variety of different backgrounds.

Time for a Change

The November Meeting appreciated that with the establishment of the Budgeting Services Support Programme the Auckland Co-ordinating committee would be no longer required. Sonja offered a background paper which suggested the need for a small group to co-ordinate the departmental resource and the volunteer effort in the Auckland region.

Setting this in place and monitoring its work would be an important role for the HBAC in the future months.

# 11

# ITEM: The Auckland Management Committee

As 1983 drew to an end it was clear that the BLW programme in Auckland was dependent on a good liaison between the various groups involved. It was a complex situation.

The budgeting services in the region were more or less linked by the four federation districts but not so much by the co-ordinating committee which had held things together for a year or so. The department was not directly involved in family budgeting, with two liaison workers appointed and a third to be taken onto their establishment; but its organisation in Auckland was spread across four autonomous district offices. DSW also had a growing commitment to direct delivery of family budgeting by some of their social workers, both paid and voluntary. The HBAC was responsible for one budgeting liaison worker in the Auckland region and also had an interest in co-ordination.

It was decided that the HBAC was best fitted to provide the new kind of co-ordinating role that was required. Thus the Auckland Management Committee was conceived as a sub-committee of the HBAC. It would consist of the Regional Director of DSW and Yvonne and Dave from the HBAC. A departmental secretary was to be present at each meeting. An early step would be to encourage Julie to apply for the new position that would be advertised in Auckland.

Reporting Back

1984 began with the 56th meeting, in February. A host of minor housekeeping matters needed attention and several fund-raising thrusts from the NZ Lions to Telethon were being tentatively moved along. There was some discussion about the role of the bodies who nominated members for the meeting and for the first time it was decided that HBAC minutes would be sent to the federation as the group with the greatest interest in the committee's work.

There were quite varied procedures operating here: Dave Mullan told the federation only what he was specifically asked to tell them, Ray Burns told the Society of Accountants more or less nothing, and Yvonne Hughes usually told the CABx more or less everything. Technically, the members were appointed by the Minister as individuals and the bodies concerned merely made nominations but the new procedure recognised some desirability for formal reporting back of appropriate committee deliberations.

The programme for 1984 indicated seven committee meetings and four regional events. Broadbank would not come to the party with another grant to reprint Managing Your Money but the DSW would finance another 20,000 copies out of its own resources.

Pending the proper establishment of the proposed Auckland Management Committee the co-ordinator, Julie Madison, was to work closely with Yvonne Hughes as the HBAC representative. The treasurer of the Auckland Budgeting Co-ordinating Committee was asked to continue to look after the books and pay the bills and the grant for a half year was forwarded to him.

Staff Negotiations

There was a great deal of material to study in relationship to the position of the Christchurch Co-ordinator, Jim Maguire. If he were willing to come onto the department payroll what would be the position about superannuation? The HBAC deliberated for some time to find a way to achieve some reasonable basis for handling an equivalent for back superannuation. The negotiations in respect of both Jim and Julie were made more difficult by the wage freeze that was currently in force and it was some time before an equitable arrangement could be found and all the BLWs brought neatly into the official salary scale.

At this meeting the HBAC received the report of the 1983 training seminar at Kohitere: it included this contribution from Peter Methven:

Once budgeting was done for love

And we were all unpaid;

But fifty thousand from above

Allowed us to upgrade.

These days professional budgeters

Abound on every hand;

They're paid by DSW

And others round the land.

About this lovely largesse

A warning I must croak:

Our clients are all solvent

But the country's going broke.

Peter was not the only one to offer wry comments on the vast resources that now seemed to be able to be poured into family budgeting. But most people welcomed the DSW's practical commitment to the cause.

Another Try?

Around this time Kevin Mills of Auckland forwarded a comprehensive paper on budgeting by computer. As Buck Pound had also been demonstrating the BNZ "Autoplan" the committee asked the federation to do some work on a background paper on the theme. It seemed likely that computers would have something to offer the budgeting volunteers. Lost in other priorities, the paper never materialised.

The March 1984 meeting coincided with the first meeting for training of the department's budgeting liaison workers. It was a good opportunity for committee members to meet some of the eight people who were now in place because of the their work over the years.

People

At this meeting the committee received the Minister's confirmation of members' appointments for a further term of two years. Frank Rogers was now nominated by the FFBS and the Minister had increased the membership to five, adding Dave Mullan as an additional member on the nomination of the Director-General of Social Welfare.

Sonja Banks was firmly established as national budgeting co-ordinator with the bulk of her time available for budgeting matters. She attended all meetings with a secretary to assist her.

Lunch at the Top

The first two meetings of the Auckland Management Committee had been held. They were brisk lunch-hour affairs in the very comfortable 13th Floor office of the Regional Director over a lunch that seemed to be ordered with about twelve hungry office workers in mind. These meetings drew together the interests of the BLWs, the department and the voluntary services and for three years or so performed this vital function well enough to avoid any significant confrontation. Julie was not able to be brought onto DSW establishment but two new positions were being opened up in Manukau and there would be one in West Auckland before long.

When the AMC opened its own bank account Brian Beynon of the now defunct Auckland committee was invited to continue as treasurer. Job descriptions for BLWs were drafted and recommended to the HBAC.

Nelson

In April a regional seminar in Nelson attracted a lively and interested audience. The basic thrust of the event was in the hands of the new BLW, Steve King. As with every group the directions of the questions and the discussion were quite spontaneous and the evaluations were quite frank: they did not report that one of the speakers was less than gripping—they said "boring". But they came from all over the region at some inconvenience and they were clearly grateful for what was being done for the cause.

In May the HBAC saw some posters sketched by the Porirua BLW Liz Stretton and decided to have them printed in two colours.

More Funding

The federation was asked how it would use a grant of $12,500 for "maintenance" of services. This was the first move to get routine funding away from the HBAC itself and closer to the voluntary users and spenders. $4000 was set aside to upgrade the slide-tape programme.

The committee noted that 40,000 more copies of Managing Your Money were being printed and was planning to provide a training module and a development of the Teenage Budgeting Programme. This latter was a set of bound visuals with a cassette commentary designed to be used by parents and a 15 year old to plan a budget based on a full allowance for all the young person's expenses. It was very well received when piloted by the Dunedin service and a few dozen copies were distributed nationally in response to specific requests. Other priorities intervened and major production of this particular resource came to nothing.

Future Policy

The question for July would be about future policy. One or two members were unsure that the HBAC was still needed now that the department was up and running with BLWs in most regions and the federation was concentrating on servicing the voluntary sphere of work. Was there anything left for the HBAC to do?

The complex structural diagram shown here had been widely disseminated in special information kits including overhead projector transparencies and instructions. The HBAC was depicted as having a vital intermediary communications role.

Yet the original members had always felt that the committee should self-destruct when its work was done. The problem was to identify the right moment to initiate this creative act.

# 12

# ITEM: Review of the committee

Thus it came about that in mid-1984 the HBAC proposed a careful review of its own life and work. It would set out a formal policy to guide it into the future. Dave Mullan and Sonja Banks were responsible for the 11 page draft that now appeared, together with a projects budget that, for the first time linked the proposed expenditure with some policy guidelines. Analysing the changes that had taken place since the committee was first appointed, it was a helpful document. It was discussed and refined at various points and became a benchmark for the committee's work over the next couple of years.

The review identified five areas in which the committee had worked and pointed out how it should include and develop these in the future:

* Direct financial assistance to groups by ongoing funding, payment of some volunteer co-ordinators and development of new budgeting work

* Provision of resources by further reprinting the handbook, visual aids, standardised forms, posters and educational leaflets.

* Developing the federation, especially by funding to enable its newly constituted district representatives to meet on a regular basis

* Preventive Education by assisting existing organisations and taking initiatives in some areas, e.g publication of Managing Your Money.

* Training through further regional seminars, some local training events and a modified consultancy scheme.

In addition, the committee would work for the full assimilation of the Christchurch and Auckland BLWs into the department and it made plans for better procedures in the committee and in its servicing.

From this time on there would be a more detailed agenda presentation with much simpler and shorter minutes. This method would enable matters to be considered more fully prior to each meeting and was designed to simplify the hitherto "narrative" style minutes. The full system didn't last for long but some other items guided the committee for the remainder of its working life.

With the remnants of the original grant still being husbanded carefully and annual allocations from DSW now coming forward regularly the HBAC had over $85,000 available for 1984.

More Projects

In August 1984 the paper on future policy was tidied up and approved and proposals for three different audiovisual productions were considered. Applications for grants from outside organisations were still not getting significant response, but plans for production of standardised stationery for services and a number of position papers and routine matters fill the minutes. The school curriculum unit Budget Today for Fun Tomorrow was being well used in a number of pilot school classrooms around the country.

"Let Your Fingers do the Walking"

A new item appearing at this time concerns "accessibility" of budgeting services. An attempt was made to co-ordinate listings in the social services section of the yellow pages. A good regional event was held in Whangarei where the spirit of family budgeting had been quailing for a long time. And the Justice Department laid on the table a complicated enquiry about use of forms in budgeting.

In October 1984 Ron McInteer suffered a severe coronary and would be away for some months. He was replaced by Tom Ball for some meetings. Tom's gracious handling of the business of which he knew comparatively little enabled the frenetic pace of the committee's work to continue without a break. Although meetings were less frequent now and the office staff had authority to action a number of routine matters the meetings often ran from 10.30am until as late as 3pm.

Another proposal for a TV commercial appeared and eventually went to air with a dollar note being stretched. This contribution in the public media again drew some criticism. However, home-grown audiovisual work was proceeding apace, various leaflets and posters were now available from head office or BLWs or federation district representatives.

Future of HBAC

A short item indicates that the HBAC met the Minister and that "no particular issues were raised with her". In fact, Ray Burns circulated a paper indicating that he thought that the membership of the committee and indeed its very future were on the line. He lamented the loss of Ron McInteer and announced that the committee was about to lose Sonja Banks to a major Social Welfare Review section. This would be a serious loss and Ray's paper reflects the dependence of the committee on Sonja's outstanding service. Ray proposed that members take a strong line with the Minister about the future of the committee.

The Minister hosted the committee warmly over morning tea and apologised for not having enough time for this particular meeting. She indicated that she would see the committee again in December. Anyone who knew Anne Hercus would realise that she wouldn't be setting up an appointment merely to show off her furniture and share her fine scones once more. The committee returned to the DSW office not too encouraged and very thoughtful.

Minutes of the Auckland MC towards the end of 1984 show that there were by now three fulltime staff working around the region. Each reported to the meeting that she was "very happy" with the administrative arrangements made for her.

Meanwhile the HBAC was benefiting from having direct input from the new president of the federation and his local executive. As the "new boy" Frank Rogers had been making his presence felt. He now criticised the slide set heavily; it had been photographed ten years earlier and had some very unsatisfactory aspects. It was agreed to start off with a completely new script and to work in video if at all possible. The Trusteebanks' association would be asked to fund it.

More Staff Changes

Tom Ball was again in the chair for the December meeting and full appreciation was recorded of Sonja Rathgen's work for the HBAC. Successor Diana Amundsen was present although she had not yet taken up appointment; advisory officer Stuart Macdonald completed a total of three staffers apart from the chairperson that day. The department was obviously not going to let the committee flounder—not yet, anyway.

Auckland was in the news again when it was discovered that Julie Maddison had not applied for "her" BLW job in the department. This caused a bit of consternation but it was soon established that she simply hadn't seen the advertisement and nobody had thought to draw her attention to it. The formalities were duly observed and she was later appointed officially to the position to continue doing what she did very well.

Back to Parliament

At the December meeting everyone trooped down the hill for the adjourned meeting with the minister. She enquired what the committee wished to discuss. Seeing themselves as dutiful reporters rather than anxious petitioners the committee faltered in their response to that very straight-from-the-shoulder invitation. Hearing what she may have thought to be rather irrelevant generalities, the minister proceeded to interrogate them with some vigour on the percentage of advisers who were Maori/Polynesian, the statistical evidence that could prove that the committee was serving a need, what provision they were making for cultural needs and whether the members saw themselves as a co-ordinating body or an advisory group to the Minister.

Considering that the departmental chairperson was a stand-in and the rest of the committee none too forthcoming after having their role so unexpectedly reversed she could hardly have expected an answer to her last question. Members sensed some none too thinly veiled criticism of their work and were apprehensive. However, they accepted with almost indecent alacrity her invitation to report back to her on these and other matters in 1985.

Trying it on

The federation was coming under increasing strain as the active BLWs in the department promoted the family budgeting cause. Their very success created more work for the federation whose executive now made a bold attempt to seek some salary assistance for a part-time worker for their national office. They didn't get any encouragement and the matter rested uneasily in the air.

Another cheeky proposal came from a Social Welfare Director who proposed that under certain circumstances individuals receiving social welfare benefits should be compulsorily referred to a family budgeting organisation. In the same agenda was a formal letter from the ten BLWs, requesting that the matter of accreditation of FBS volunteers be firmed up. A commendable idea, but there was some head office vexation that departmental employees should write en bloc to a qango advisory committee.

More Reporting

The first meeting in 1985 saw the committee once more analysing its usefulness. It was agreed that this time the lay members of the committee would draft a position paper on its existing terms of reference, its name, and its membership. Diana Amundsen had vacated the position of national budgeting co-ordinator and the committee was thus without an executive officer until a departmental replacement was appointed.

This vacancy forced the postponement of a BLW Training event in April. The intending participants were so incensed about this that they obtained permission to arrange their own event in June. Julie Maddison was the indefatigable organiser and a very good programme was enjoyed by all.

Another Project Dropped

Dave was asked to go to Hastings to explain to Marion Struthers that the committee did not wish to proceed with the ambitious handbook and modular training project she was proposing. Her plans went somewhat beyond the commission that the HBAC had given her and Duncan Macdonald. Eventually the entire concept had to be abandoned. Naturally she was disappointed but, like many others who have found their contribution to be not quite what was sought, she accepted this and moved on.

The support programme appeared to be going well but it was clear that many advisers and services were not making all the claims to which they were entitled. On the strength of this it was felt that BLW Kate Abelson's suggestion that toll calls should also be reimbursed merited approval. The committee once more said "No thanks" to the invitation to contribute to Know How, the school leavers' publication. Half a dozen meetings would be held this year, a slight reduction on 1984.

By March 1985 the department reported that national budgeting co-ordinator's position had been advertised and some interviews had been held. Meanwhile Stuart Macdonald introduced Myra Conwell who was now to replace Lynley Smith-Pilling as secretary. Myra brought unobtrusive but genial and thorough attention to the final phase of the committee's life.

The departmental members withdrew for a short time while the others discussed their intended review. Work would be done on a formal draft for next meeting.

VOTP

The Voluntary Organisations Training Programme came in for some heavy discussion. It had been originally up to the Social Welfare office in each region to approve each proposed position as a bona fide community service task. Since this function had been taken over by the Labour Department there had been many complaints about varying requirements in different parts of the country and the HBAC had been asked for facts. It was agreed that specific reports would be made. Unhappily, the committee's efforts at improving the usefulness of the VOTP scheme were frustrated by its complete abandonment a year or two later; a creative concept in matching cause and effect in unemployment somehow just died a political death. It was a serious loss to many voluntary community services.

Northland

Dave had been asked to visit the BLW in Northland where budgeting work was very thin on the ground and Jan Wansbone's great energy and enthusiasm were meeting with a disappointing response. After two full days of driving and meeting people and groups there was not much to report. In an area of considerable social need, the specifics of day by day family budgeting seemed not to merit much attention by either volunteer workers or clients. It was a strange anomaly; family budgeting had been born in the far north.

However, there were a couple of useful outcomes: BLWs who complained that the departmental logo was too prominent on the cars used for community service work could be told that the logo was now to be replaced by an inconspicuous windscreen sticker. And Dave and some BLWs worked up a small leaflet to promote the availability of the support programme.

# 13

# ITEM: Busy Times

At the July Meeting in 1985 there was an apology from Yvonne Hughes. This was members' first indication that she was ill. The committee now had the benefit of Jim Maguire's vast experience in hands-on budgeting as co-ordinator of the Christchurch service. He had been successful in applying for the national co-ordinator's position and now would be the executive officer of the HBAC.

On All Fronts

Eighteen items dealt with weighty matters in the July agenda. Most of the actual work was being done by departmental staff who were springing up all round the country but HBAC members were still carrying a very full load. Their report to the Minister had gone forward, Frank's people were preparing submissions to the Minister of Consumer Affairs on credit matters and Dave was finalising with Marion Struthers a suitable insert for the new manual.

The BLWs had enjoyed a worthwhile training event. The volunteer travel allowance had been increased again. Most budgeting services were getting their phone numbers into the Yellow Pages at last. Translated versions of Managing Your Money were about to be distributed.

The committee found it had a budget of $80,000 available and noted that the department's budgeting services support programme was handling some $180,000 for the year. This was in addition to the cost of several staff members and their support services. Family budgeting as a project for state assistance had come a long way in six years.

Relief

In August 1985 a cursory entry indicates that the Minister of Social Welfare had acknowledged the committee's report and agreed to the revised terms of reference. Members expressed their "satisfaction" but the minutes might well have said "extreme relief" at the Minister's reply.

Now the name of Ray Heenan name appeared. Jim had been to see him after CONSUMER published an article on family budgeting without such benefit as might have accrued from consultations with the committee. Ray visited the committee and offered an assurance that any future articles would include input from the budgeting sector.

The Auckland Management Committee's review was finally considered and its work affirmed. The Auckland treasurer would be fairly firmly requested to finalise accounts and hand over any remaining funds to be held in trust for Auckland for two years and then passed into general funds of the federation.

Concern was expressed about the premature windup of the VOTP scheme and the uncertainty of the Community Organisations Grants Scheme which was supposed to replace it. However, by now, not many budgeting organisations were relying on VOTP and the committee was not in a strong position to make much of the issue.

The October meeting commenced with the usual rundown on the ever-expanding list of BLWs. It seemed that nothing could stop this enthusiastic tide which was spreading over the arid budgeting fields. Not all members were convinced that this level of support would actually make much difference to the measurable amount of budgeting at the workface but it made a great impression nevertheless.

Professional estimates for a short training video were presented; they ranged from $4,000 to $64,000. And there was now some doubt as to whether the Trusteebanks Association would pay for it so the committee began to make plans to provide the necessary funds itself should this be necessary. After all, it did now have quite large resources compared with a year or two ago. And some shortfall in travelling costs for the federation members to attend their annual meeting had been met with surplus funds from the BS support funds so there was no great pressure on the committee's own funds. There was, however, no reply from the former Auckland group concerning the winding up of their accounts.

The meeting considered the need for BLWs to have overhead projectors and the possibility of re-issuing the old publicity slide set in video format for easier presentation. The federation's handbook was to be reprinted with half a dozen special inserts from the committee and a further 20,000 copies of Managing Your Money would be printed with the department paying half the cost.

In December the committee heard that the slide set concept was considered to be worth putting onto video and the training video project was still being researched by Dave. The very attractive set of posters prepared by Liz Stretton was displayed and warmly approved. They still grace many a wall in Family Budgeting offices and Citizens' Advice Bureaux.

A very good booklet called Managing Your Energy Money was also presented and would be published at no cost to the committee. Jim would do some work on a policy paper about fee-charging budgeting agencies. "They can't be all dubious," said Ray Burns, expressing concern that the HBAC should not give the wrong impression in public statements about such agencies. Yvonne also tabled a very comprehensive budgeting manual prepared by Jean Hartley for use by the Foundation for the Blind.

Another No to Know How.

For a fourth time the committee declined the invitation to contribute to the pages—and the budget—of Know How. They were triers, those people, but the committee was not highly motivated to believe that family budgeting can be taught to school leavers by the printed word. It certainly did not wish to put budgeting resources into education at that level.

Eight meetings were planned for 1986, a fairly full schedule. In the event the February and March meetings in 1986 were run together, February becoming a casualty of too much for everyone to do at the wrong time of the year.

Audiovisual Projects

Dave now had samples of video work of four production organisations and the committee resolved to go ahead with the ten minute general promotional video ahead of the training project. It was also decided to revive Dollars and Sense, the worksheet and audiocassette concept originally the Teenage Budgeting Programme from Dunedin. It could perhaps be produced with overhead projector transparencies for use in large groups.

Community Organisations Grants Scheme

The news about COGS (already cynically labelled the "Crock Of Gold Scheme") was still slow in coming forward and the HBAC asked Dave and Yvonne to prepare some guidelines along which the priority for grants might be determined in the districts. There was concern that the proposed distribution committees needed to have some vision of social and community needs and the place of volunteers as they decided on grants applications. The committee also was uneasy that the beneficiary organisations would be handling the distribution among themselves although it was conceded that this introduced an element of responsibility into the decision-making process.

Julie Maddison had now left the Auckland BLW job to be a regional training officer with the department and a replacement was being sought for her. And new BLWs were coming on stream in Wanganui (it seemed pointless to create a position in Palmerston North where the budgeting business was continuing to boom but without the goodwill of the committee!) and Lower Hutt.

By this time meetings were frequently continuing until 3pm or even later, putting some pressure on those who had to travel from out of town. The earlier start time of 10am was decided upon although this didn't markedly improve the finishing time. The committee was covering a vast amount of work at each meeting and its collaborative informal style militated against rapid decision-making.

The Work and the Threat

Two newspaper headlines from this period offer an interesting commentary on life affecting the committee. One was "Voluntary Groups Facing Collapse", reporting the effects on countless organisations due to the peremptory scrapping of the VOTP. The other was "Qango Hunt Declared `On'" in which the Deputy Prime Minister announced that 1986 would be "the year of the great qango hunt". He told a meeting at Takaka that there were over 3400 quangos in 1985, including on his list—quaintly, some thought at the time—over 2,800 school committees. "There is much to be said for qangocide" he said, defining it as "an occasional but systematic massacre of quangos."

At the next meeting the HBAC discussed its future with more than usual interest. Given the vigour of the current government, it might well go to the slaughter at the qango freezing works with the Co-operative Pig Marketing Companies Income Tax Appeal Authority. But for the moment, it seemed, the HBAC was still in the holding yards.

The commitment of the department was now becoming evident in a vast range of comprehensive policy statements about budgeting: Guidelines for administration of the Support Programme (12 pages by now), Salaries for Co-ordinators, Fees for Service in the Voluntary Budgeting Sector, and so on.

Reprieve

By May the Minister's letters of re-appointment had come. The committee was still alive. Members were delighted to find that Ron McInteer was appointed again to the chair and surprised to find Ray Heenan had been added as representative of Consumer Inc.

Video Decision

Rejecting a proposal from Frank that the $18,000 now budgeted for various video productions be directed to funding staff salaries for budgeting services, the committee decided that the promotional video would be produced by a Christchurch group who would work with Teachers' College equipment and students. They would prepare an entirely new script and deliver a completed video master of ten minutes for $4,000.

COGS Submission

The COGS guidelines paper was introduced by Yvonne and Dave and the committee was given an assurance that it was not too late for consideration. Members firmly supported the paper and offered to make themselves available to serve on steering committees or a short-term task force if appropriate. Although the department did receive the submissions its reply was by way of a stern silence and the principles proposed failed to surface in any part of the COGS guidelines that were disseminated later that year.

Large Grants

The HBAC now made several grants of $5000 each to services who were using paid co-ordinators, a further significant shift in general policy. This was with the fairly firm encouragement of the Minister and could hardly be protested, even if all members of the committee had wished to do so and this was unlikely.

In June 1986 there was nothing more to report from the producers of the promotional video. Ray Heenan presented a short video No Laws Today prepared for Consumer Inc and commented that its ten minutes had cost $30,000 in current dollars. The proposal to produce Dollars and Sense for overhead projector somehow moved sideways to give place to some very sophisticated—and expensive—overhead projector transparencies which could not do the same job at all. But they were very attractive so the committee found another purpose for them and went ahead. Dollars and Sense as originally conceived stayed in the budget as a separate item for a time but eventually disappeared without trace.

The committee declined to support a readymade proposal from the Wellington Community Law Centre to circulate a comic-strip style poster on the pitfalls of "easy money". Members were concerned that all the victims of the strip's loan shark were brown-skinned. This was felt to be racist.

GST on the Horizon

The coming advent of Goods and Services Tax was a concern for the committee and the federation but the implications could not yet be clarified. A proposal that the HBAC engage in consumer education was directed to the federation; the committee still did not wish to be diverted from what had been its primary area of concern.

By now the "action sheet" that accompanied each set of minutes contained only four ongoing items but one of these was a matter of some importance. In July next year the committee would conduct yet another review of its activities with a view to making a solid report at the end of the year to the Minister. This would precede ministerial consideration of the committee's future from 1st March 1988 when the existing warrants would expire.

In August 1986 the appearance of the minutes changed; the department was now using a word processor for their preparation. Yvonne Hughes was again absent due to illness soon after taking up a new position as Women's Advisory Officer to the Northern Region of DSW. She had cancer and it seemed that her long-term prognosis was not good. She nevertheless kept up active involvement in community service for some time, collaborating in a book of women's stories which was published just before her death.

The producers of the short video had made no progress and were not responding satisfactorily to enquiries so the HBAC, while Dave absented himself temporarily from the meeting, resolved that a volunteer group based on the St John's College community where he worked be invited to present a proposal.

The matter of GST remained unresolved but it was clear that the department would "top up" grants to include payable tax. The Auckland BLW position would be filled after a second round of advertising. Adoption of the annual accounts was delayed while the status of the committee as a non-profit making organisation was clarified. It was decided to bring its own internal review forward so that it could be prepared thoroughly in good time.

"The Home Budgeters"

It was hoped to complete the first video project on the agreed budget within three months. Members warmed to the style of the suggested script and would welcome a rough-cut in time for the BLW seminar in October.

At the September 1986 meeting four visitors attended. Russell Hendry, who specialised in hand-prepared overhead projector transparencies, obtained the committee's support for a pilot series on basic budgeting. Former secretary Sonja Rathgen from the DSW task force encouraged the FFBS to continue to press its case for salaries for co-ordinators. Phil Smith explained the situation with GST and the committee decided on an appropriate strategy for handling this. Michael Hawley ran the video camera while various people recorded short contributions for the video production.

Paid co-ordinators were likely to received better support with a $50,000 sum now made available from the Support Programme. The Easy Money poster would get $2,000 from the HBAC after all; it was deliberately intended to attract the attention of Polynesian people and the captions were to be printed in Pacific Islands languages.

In December the finished video was shown. The project had been carried through to schedule and within budget. College students, Auckland BLWs and budgeting volunteers and others had participated enthusiastically and with the addition of some professional graphics a telling little video was put together. Distribution of 45 copies to district representatives, budgeting liaison workers and offices around the country was approved.

The proposal for a series of short training videos was not yet dead; Dave's volunteer video makers were asked to prepare some script concepts and bring proposals to the February meeting.

More Devolution of Funding

In an effort to devolve some of the committee's responsibility, the federation would in future handle all disbursements for establishing and developing new budgeting services. It would have to account for a block grant but it would not have to seek approval for each item. The committee would also assist with ring binder covers for the new handbook. A very fine presentation was eventually produced.

An enlightening paper on "selected aspects of the punter's behaviour within the family setting" was distributed, reporting research carried out by Derek Sime of Wellington Polytechnic Institute.

Winding Down

The Auckland Management Committee was to be disbanded, its purposes having been superseded by the changing organisation in Auckland. The consultancy scheme would be wound up, all participants being thanked for their services. And the HBAC itself would need to think about its future in the context of Puao-te-ata-tu, Maori Perspectives, and the impact of the new departmental district executive committees on the federation and budgeting services.

# 14

# The Closure

February 1987 saw the HBAC hard at work but on a reducing agenda.

It was seeking further ways of passing on its authority to the federation. The overhead projector programme was finally put in shape and approved for payment. An ongoing payment to the federation for co-ordinators' salaries was assured; it would be only $30,000 but it would be available each September. In the light of satisfaction with the promotional video the Auckland volunteer videomakers were now formally commissioned to produce four scripts on topics planned for the first short training videos.

Uncertainty

But the review of the committee's own work was frustrated by complete ignorance of how the changing role of the department would affect budgeting work. This uncertainty prevailed during most of 1987. There were no meetings between February and September.

In this period the quango hunt continued but the HBAC escaped once more, probably because of the high regard in which it was held by the Director General. Most routine matters were being attended to by the department and the federation and probably nobody noticed that the committee was not active for much of the year.

However, some things were happening behind the scenes, notably an instruction from the federation for Dave's volunteer videomakers to stop work on the training videos project. The cancellation of the July meeting caused this particular uncertainty to drag out. A rather testy letter from Dave to the Director General protested about the second cancellation of a meeting at less than a day's notice.

The much-delayed meeting in September found itself with many changes. Ron McInteer had retired and was replaced by Helene Quilter who represented the department. Yvonne Hughes, now very ill, had resigned and had been replaced by Marilyn Petersen. In an "open election" (after pedantically stating that the election was "open" the minutes indicated "nominated by Mr Rogers, seconded Mr Heenan and supported by Mrs Petersen and Mr Burns [in absentia]—how "open" can an election get?) Dave was made chairperson, the only non-departmental employee to fill this post.

The impartiality of the chair was quickly put to the test when Frank proposed that the $14,000 budgeted for the series of training videos be immediately transferred to a "training reserve". It was carried without any dissentient opinion being expressed. No mention was made of the fact that the Auckland group had already been commissioned to produce four scripts.

More Devolution

A paper on further transfer of administrative and operating tasks to the federation was approved. $10,000 for further assistance to budgeting groups was also handed over. An additional grant of $2000 was made available for the handbook which had run somewhat over budget.

The HBAC budget still showed some $76,000 available for expenditure at this time but most of it was clearly committed to definite projects. The OHP transparencies programme was now listed at no less than $7,000. The committee itself actually had initiative in very few budget items. It had become primarily a clearing house for funding that would be spent by the federation and its member groups. The only item that appeared on the action sheet declared that the committee would monitor changing roles of BLWs—hardly an item that any member could actually do much about.

In December 1987 the committee managed to meet for the third time for the year. The transparencies were well received although there had been some criticism that they were pitched a little low for adults. Frank and Marilyn agreed to set up some guidelines for their proper use and review them in a year.

A Crucial Report

Dave and Marilyn had agreed to work together on a short formal report to the Minister. It was felt that a simple, conservative statement would be best at this rather difficult time and that it would be wise for the committee to prepare this and send it forward without waiting to be asked. It was duly approved for sending to the Minister and eight meeting dates were set up for 1988. There was confidence that the committee had survived another round of the Qango Hunters and that it would be business as usual.

At the first meeting for 1988 Peter Irvine replaced Helen Quilter as executive secretary. He indicated that the Minister had referred the committee's report to the cabinet's Social Equity Committee. This, members realised, was the nom-de-plume of the Quango Hunters. "The decision," said Peter, as if everyone knew perfectly well that there could be only one, "Would be made before 1 April 1988."

Members protested that they did not wish their modest report to be taken as a comprehensive review of the committee's responsibilities. It was not intended to be a polemic document but rather a simple statement of the current workload and policies. They resolved that Ray and Dave wait upon the Director-General to discuss the future of the committee and to take any steps that seemed necessary in the light of the discussion.

Frank brought a questionnaire that was to be sent to the FFBS district representatives asking searching questions about the performance of the local BLWs. The committee gave permission for the federation to send it out but they were less than enthusiastic about inviting criticism of departmental staff in this way. They were a little more keen to encourage Dave to prepare a paper for the district representatives' meeting in May on possible revision of the law on bankruptcy. It was still thought that changes to this "last resort of the indebted" could be made to the advantage of all concerned.

The End

The main item on the agenda received by members the day before the meeting on March 29 1988 was "Disbandment of the committee". At March 31st, a couple of days away, and exactly ten years since the Home Budgeting Advisory Committee was set up, it was to cease. This was all the answer the HBAC would get to their last report to the Minister.

At the final meeting in the departmental offices in Fergusson Annexe, committee members spent some time discussing the new role of the federation once the committee was no longer in place. They clarified that the federation could expect to receive the full grant of $50,000 currently made to the HBAC. The federation would also be accountable to the department and the Minister through head office.

Budgeting liaison workers would be no longer accountable to head office and so some redeployment of their time and work into general community development services might be expected. Arrangements would be made for future handling of stocks of pamphlets and other materials.

The committee's remaining current funds would be handed over to the federation and final accounts should be "handed into the custody of the Department of Social Welfare to be dealt with as thought necessary." A commitment in respect of the cancelled video script development work by the Video Connexion Volunteers was acknowledged and the federation was asked to pay this out of funds transferred.

Thanks

The chairperson thanked each person present for their attendance and their work. It was agreed that the secretary write to Duncan Macdonald and Yvonne Hughes advising them of the disbanding of the committee and expressing appreciation for their services.

A short time later Yvonne died. The HBAC was represented in the very large crowd at Purewa cemetery where fitting tributes were paid to her lively service in the community.

The last entry in the minutes reads "The final meeting of the Home Budgeting Advisory Committee was closed". The minutes went unconfirmed into history and with them the official record of a remarkable period of co-ordination of departmental and volunteer effort.

# Epilogue

There should be nothing more to be said. The two remaining original members, Ray Burns and Dave Mullan, had both come onto the committee in 1978 determined that it should not be a long-lived affair. At many points over the years members had expressed the opinion that the committee's work was virtually finished.

But again and again it demonstrated that its unique position between the government and the voluntary sector provided an opportunity to do what could not be done any other way. On many occasions it was able to mediate effectively because it was seen to have no particular axe to grind. Future clashes of opinion between the department and the budgeting volunteers may not be able to be so appropriately handled.

The problems are not just on one side. As the department is vast and threatening just by its very size and power, the federation had always been a fragile plant. When it lacked salaried staff it could easily have been blown away by the winds of an unfavourable annual meeting. With paid staff it may develop a new kind of life but is still subject to the fickle votes of a small group of people through the very democratic processes that occasionally fail to produce democratic results. For government to entrust large sums of ongoing finance to an organisation with so susceptible a structure may be an excuse for reduction of support in years to come. It has happened with other groups.

Also, the committee had some specific matters of unfinished business which may or may not be taken up by other bodies in years to come. The law on debt was still out of date when the committee was dissolved and from the beginning members had hoped to be have time to work in a relaxed yet vigorous manner on this sort of issue.. The imaginative Australian insolvency legislation failed to work because their society lacked a significant voluntary structure for administering it. Perhaps our society could have done better if the committee had been able to offer some proposals.

Consumer credit remains a matter of deep concern to society and all the issues are not necessarily covered by other existing organisations. There would have been some special contributions that the HBAC could have made once its focus was shifted from the day to day routine of running seminars and presiding over the development of the federation and the channelling of large amounts of public money through the department.

The computer budgeting programmes offered with so much enthusiasm by some people deserve much more thorough assessment and development than they have so far received. And this assessment should be done by people who have only one axe to grind: the absolute best welfare of the families at the bottom end of the family budgeting scale, who are not likely to own a computer nor have the skill to operate one if they did. The committee could have made a useful contribution here.

But these things were not to be. The HBAC gave ten years' service in a field that had been completely ignored for any kind of government funding. It ended its service having secured vast amounts of staff time and money in relation to the specific number of cases being served.

In a nation of do-it-yourselfers, the family budgeting movement stands out. In the new age of user-pays and market forces of the 1990s it could have been wiped out. For ten years the Home Budgeting Advisory Committee ensured that it received the means to continue.

Postscript—2015

More importantly, the HBAC enshrined in the Department of Social Welfare and its successors a firm commitment to realistic levels of financial assistance to the voluntary family budgeting sector. Undreamed-of levels of financial support have flowed to the greatly strengthened federation and its 160 affiliated groups and 1700 voluntary and paid advisors. The result is that in 2014 the sector received 55,000 client enquiries and gave ongoing management to 2100 client families whose total debts were $407million. The greater part of this vast operation has been made possible through the financial assistance first secured by the HBAC.

Today's volunteers who receive support through salary subsidy and out of pocket expenses may need to be reminded that this state generosity was not always present. It was hard won with tact, ingenuity and compromise.

# About the author

Retired Presbyter of Methodist Church of New Zealand. Second National President of the NZ Federation of Family Budgeting Services, Passionate pioneer in Local Shared Ministry, consultant in small churches, publisher of niche market books, producer of prosumer video, deviser of murder mystery dinners and former private pilot.

Dave trained for the Methodist Ministry at Trinity Theological College and eventually completed MA, Dip Ed as well. He and Bev married just before his first appointment in Ngatea where their two children arrived. They went on to Panmure and Taumarunui. Longer terms followed at Dunedin Central Mission and the Theological College. During this time he was also involved as co-founder and second national President of Family Budgeting Services and adviser to the (government) Minister of Social Welfare in Home Budgeting.

Dave's final four "working" years were part-time, developing the first Presbyterian or Methodist Local Shared Ministry unit in this country and promoting the concept overseas. Retirement has brought a whole lot more opportunities and challenges including publication of over 120 books of which he wrote about ten and a blog in which he tries to write fairly seriously on a range of topics.

An ongoing adventure with prostate cancer brought Bev and Dave to the Hibiscus Coast Residential Village near Auckland in 2014 but in early 2015 his prospects seem much improved.

**Contact Dave  
**colcom.press@clear.net.nz

davemullan35@gmail.com

**Visit Dave on**  
http://dave-mullan.blogspot.com  
http://www.colcompress.com

### Dave's other general books

**Attwood of Hepburn Creek**. Dave Mullan. The life of Thomas William Attwood, who settled in the Mahurangi 1907, initiated the NZ Fruitgrowers' Federation and represented NZ fruitgrowing interests in South America and UK 1923-1925 and then went on to found the NZ Alpine and Rock Garden Society. Lady Anne Allum of Auckland was his daughter. A5. 134p. ISBN 1-877357-01-4

**In and Out of Sync.** Dave's life story up to 2013. Extracted from a more substantial text, this book presents Dave's personal family background and professional life and ministry. Reviewers have said it offers a significant and insightful view of the Methodist Church of New Zealand in a turbulent and challenging time. A5 220p. ISBN 1-877357-10-3

**John Roulston, Grazier of Calkill & Runnymede**. Dave Mullan with Val Mullan of Brisbane. Our attempt to trace the life of the mysterious and very distant relation from the Upper Brisbane Valley. He left a fortune to family members in four countries when he died in 1929. Most of them had never met him. A5. 122p. ISBN 1-877357-00-6

**The Almost Attwoods.** Ed Dave Mullan. Personal stories of the 143 descendants in the first three generations from James and Emma Attwood of Lewisham. A5. 220p. ISBN 978-1-877357-4-9

**The Saga of Wasp.** Revised and enlarged collection of Dave's short stories, 2014. Some include significant historical material from his early working life with the New Zealand Forest Service. But all were written mainly for fun. Also available as epub, 2015 180p ISBN 978-877357-12-X

These books are available from ColCom Press stock or printing on demand. Some are soon to be made available in eBook format through Smashwords

Contact Dave

colcom.press@clear.net.nz

http://www.colcompress.com

Dave's books on church and ministry

**Diakonia and the Moa**. Dave Mullan. Although published in 1983 this book offers a distinctive understanding of the role of the "permanent" Deacon in the modern church. A5 170p From: Trinity College, 202 St John's Rd, Meadowbank, Auckland. trinitycollege@stjohns.auckland.ac.nz ISBN 0-9597775-0-4

**Ecclesion — The Small Church with a Vision.** Reflections on the contemporary church and suggestions for revival of the small church in vigorous new styles of Sunday church life, mission and ministry. This book introduces the thinking behind the Lay Ministry Team concept developed for Methodists and Presbyterians in the Bay of Islands Co-operating Parish in 1992. It is being completely revised and updated for e-publication in 2015. A5 140p 978-908815-08-5

**Fresh New Ways — Emerging Models for Mission and Ministry in the Local Congregation**. Ed. Dave Mullan. Papers and reflections from a significant Australian conference, this book details (a) new structures for the church or parish and (b) innovative styles of ministry. A5 130p From: Trinity College, 202 St John's Rd, Meadowbank, Auckland. trinitycollege@stjohns.auckland.ac.nz ISBN 0-908815-76-X

**Koru and Covenant** : J J Lewis, Len Willing and Dave Mullan offer biblical reflections in Aotearoa and note some links between the Christianity of the 19th Century Maori and the religion of the Hebrew Scriptures. Warmly commended by authoritative reviewers and some years after publication still very relevant. A5 120p. From: Trinity College, 202 St John's Rd, Meadowbank, Auckland. trinitycollege@stjohns.auckland.ac.nz ISBN 0-908815-60-3

**Mital-93—The Church's Ministry in Tourism and Leisure.** Ed: Dave Mullan Presentations at an Australian Conference are supported by dozens of flax roots ideas that have helped. "A fascinating study... an enabling resource" (Pat Gilberd). 82p. 220p From: Trinity College, 202 St John's Rd, Meadowbank, Auckland. trinitycollege@stjohns.auckland.ac.nz ISBN 0-908815-22-8

**The Cavalry won't be coming**. Dave Mullan. Introduction to the concept of Local Shared Ministry in which a team of volunteers spearhead the mission of the small church which is discovering that all the resources for ministry are held within its own membership. Being revised for epublication in 2015. A5 134p, From: Trinity College, 202 St John's Rd, Meadowbank, Auckland. trinitycollege@stjohns.auckland.ac.nz ISBN 0-908815-99-1

As indicated, these ministry-related books are available from Trinity Methodist Theological College, Auckland. Some are also available as ebooks from Smashwords.com

trinitycollege@stjohns.auckland.ac.nz

Other ColCom Books

During the last 25 years Dave has published well over one hundred titles for other writers under the imprint of ColCom Press. Most were done in very short runs for niche markets using Dave's "Eccent" process for "perfect" binding. All stocks were delivered to the authors at the time but some may be still retrievable in some form in 2015.
