At the recent Eastern Southland Car Club prizegiving the club honoured four of their own with Life Membership.
Two of them were husband and wife, Glenn and Ismay Howden, who were completely blindsided by the award. “It was completely unexpected,” says Glenn, “Neither of us saw it coming. We had input into the other two awards (to David Kirk and Brigg Henderson) but never expected it ourselves. When Nigel King (Club President) called our names, I thought Ismay might be getting flowers for her work and me, well maybe something to drink.”
Glenn says being recognised was “quite humbling” while Ismay, who became the club’s youngest Life Member makes a great point when she says “I appreciate getting this and being able to continue my motorsport journey. Many people don’t get time to continue on after being awarded Life Membership.”Glenn started in motorsport at Teretonga Park in Invercargill around 35 years ago. He bought a Toyota Starlet and used it at the Otapiri Gravel Sprint and a couple of sprints at Mount Linton, and was a regular at the Clubsport racing events run at Teretonga Park. “I needed to race somewhere to save my licence,” he explains. “I raced for four or five years but got to a stage when I couldn’t afford it. It was quite a few years later that I was working as a Sales Rep for an electrical wholesaler and I came across Roger Laird of Gore in my work. He sold me a Toyota FXGT and one week later I was doing a Motorkhana in Mataura.
That was about twenty-two years ago and I got into ClubSport events and joined the Club. Then I built up a Subaru Legacy and entered it in the ESCC 50th Anniversary Chittocks Hillclimb.” Sitting alongside him in the co-driver seat that day was Ismay on what Glenn describes as their “first date.” Ismay quickly points out that when she agreed to co-drive she had not been told it was his first event in the car!
Ironically Ismay came from a motorsport background too. “My brothers were into drag racing so I was helping out at Southern Dragways,” she says.
After they met, Glenn carried on competing in hillclimbs and autocross events while Ismay too competed and enjoyed it. “Karen Laird (Roger’s wife) bullied me into it,” she laughs. She also co-drove for Glenn at hillclimbs and other events.
When the couple’s son Ryan (who was crowned Club Champion the night of the awards) came along he had some severe health issues so both Glenn and Ismay took a couple of seasons off. That is where the volunteering really ramped up. “We helped out with marshalling and all sorts of duties.” Glenn has done Safety Car, recovery and also competed alongside Ryan after he got involved in the sport.
Glenn was elected on to the committee about twelve years ago and has now been Club Secretary for about seven years. “At first he didn’t really know too much about the role, so I helped him and came along to meetings with him,” says Ismay. She has now been Club Captain for two years.
They both help with organising events, and both have Clerk Of Course qualifications. Ismay also provides secretarial services at events and competitions.
They both also had big roles in the club’s biggest event to date, the recent Barry Robinson Memorial Rally Southland.
“We just get in and get shit done.,” says Glenn while Ismay says they love it, especially now with Ryan involved. “I would rather be in the van with a radio rather than sitting at home not knowing if he has made it to the finish.”
Glenn says their involvement in motorsport is something they are very, very, proud of. “We have made a lot of friends. They are like family and we spend quite a bit of time with them. We have met a whole lot of people right throughout New Zealand and we have a real network of friends.”
Ismay feels her parents role modelled to her the art of volunteering and helping out. “We were involved in Highland Dancing and my parents role modelled to me that if you do it you have to be prepared to make it happen. Now my parents are involved in the club as well and they really enjoy watching Ryan achieve.”
While Glenn and Ismay live in Invercargill those early contacts with Roger Laird and the fact the Eastern Southland Club are very much involved in gravel events has meant they have been involved in the ESCC. “I have family roots in Gore too,” says Glenn. “Roger Laird, when he was still at school, helped members of my family build a jet boat in a garage in Gore.”
While they have already achieved Life Membership, they don’t have any plans in backing away from their roles within the club. “With Ryan racing and having so much fun, we will be continuing our roles within the club for as long as we possibly can. Where this takes us, who knows!? There are many within the club who have a wealth of knowledge, and we need to glean as much of that from them as we can.”
