It began when I (Nina North) attended a meeting where the speaker talked about her plans for Franklin to celebrate Suffrage 125. She mentioned a street march and invited Fitness League to take part. On Saturday 15th September several members and myself gathered at the meeting point. I had seen a notice in the local paper to bring a photo of a ‘significant’ lady so I had the photo of our founder Mrs Bagot Stack which was carried by a member (2nd on left in photo) as I had our banner. The RSA Franklin Pipe Band led numerous groups down the main street. A lady with a microphone came up to us asking about the photo (I thought she was a reporter from a local paper) so I said she was our founder and we were the first exercise system designed especially for women and not adapted from men’s, being careful not to mention this was in England! Only when I saw the TVNZ News did I realise where she was from! Following the March there were speeches and then afternoon tea representing the European, Maori, Indian and Chinese communities.
