Leading from the front issuu

THE DREAMER,
THE PLAY MAKER,
THE COACH
by jim morunga
Presented at one of Pat’s many farewell functions,
a few years before Jim passed away.
I remember arriving in Napier in 1976 and waiting to chat
to Pat Magill at the Napier YMCA. I’d just completed two
years studying sociology at Auckland University and
was looking for a job in Napier. Even then at 50, Pat had
energy and enthusiasm and brokered a deal to have me
shift to Napier and work in Maraenui (unpaid), but with
guidance and support, he was sure that paid employment
would happen. Even then a group of us assembled
around Pat, people like Wally Hunt, Mike McCullum, Rozie
Bartosh, Irma Higgs, Ann Minnell, Chris Mill, Marion
Taite and many others.
WHAT’S IT ABOUT, PAT?
I think Pat was the dreamer, the play maker, the coach,
the connector and finally, The Don. Pat had faith, hope
and was an extremely charitable person who saw the
best in people.
One day not so long ago Pat and I shared a bottle or
two of fizzy when out of the blue he quoted a father-son
statement: “Dad, I’ve tried very hard to improve the business.
I’ve developed new systems, new ways of increasing
profit, but Dad, you ignore it all. Why?”
“Son, it’s like this. Business is like a game of cricket
and I’m the batter and you are the bowler and until you
bowl me out, you continue to bowl.”
Many years on, again same setting, but Pat and I had
progressed to chardonnay, when he became insistent on
what he thought needed doing. I simply replied, ”Pat I’m
the batter.” Nothing was said for quite some time.
Pat has a thirst for learning about what makes people
tick, what makes communities hum, and what makes
life difficult for some. He is a man who without prejudice,
connects with all sectors in society. He accepts people
for who they are, warts and all. But hang on a minute, Pat
also enjoys little dramas, a sense of adventure and going
places totally unprepared and he’s happy to wing it.
Pat is a man without
prejudice, who connects
with all sectors in society.
THE FORMIDABLE YEARS
This is poetry in motion: Pat says, ”I’m going to a meeting.”
He’ll wait for you to ask, “What meeting?” His reply,
“You need to be there!” Again, “Pat, what’s it about?”
He replies, “Yes, and you need to let Mary, Sam and Joe
know.” “Right, but what’s it about?” To which you get
the time and place and he might even offer to pick you
up. That is after he’s asked you to photo copy two hundred
pages of scribble, or better still, could you type the
whole thing and photo copy the lot too.
Pat never takes things personally as he’s too busy
working through your personal issues, in a nice way. To
watch Pat operate is an art in itself. Pat enquires at the
front desk; “Who is the person I need to see about getting
my friend paid to do what needs to be done?” Of
course Pat is being deliberately vague, so he can move
up the chain of command without people thinking he’s
on a mission. He’s finding out who does what and he’s
then in a position to let you know, so you’re able to fire
the bullets at the right people. Again, formidable!
Above: Those 70s again, networking in the halls of power; old friends plotting new ways for the world — Jim, Pat and Colin Knox in
Pat’s garden, 2017, a few months before Jim passed away.
Napier Pilot City Trust – for a kinder, fairer city 117