Bill and the 60s Up

After retiring following 41 years of service in the Defence Dept. Bill and Margaret Sievwright took their big OE to the United States. While there they came in touch with a movement called the 'Grey Panthers', a group of elderly folk in the United States.

On returning to New Zealand he called a public meeting in Auckland in March 1982 and so the Movement was born.

Why did he bother ? He said that it was because "he wanted folk to get together and have fun in their retirement." He told the Herald that " people had to stop thinking that retirement meant it was time to curl up and grow old."
"It should not be the closing on one door" he said," but the opening of another.'

"I always say," he said, "It's not the old folk who are the beneficiaries, but the youngsters. You're living off the benefits of all the hard work we ploughed into the country for years on end."

After he retired he realized he was free from the work routine. He decided with nothing to lose and everything to gain he could live dangerously. "When you're a youngster," Bill said, "you've got your parents or school. When you work you've got to listen to your boss and toe the office line. I'm a real revolutionary at heart and it was great to suddenly not to have to do either."

The movement started in a small way on the North Shore, in 1982, Now, 25 year later, has 30 Branches and 3,500 members scattered throughout New Zealand.

Where to in the next 25 years ?