Since the Waikato Deaf Society Inc. was dissolved in 2004, in the last few years, a newly formed group has attempted to re-open the Waikato Deaf Society Inc. to ensure there are enough Deaf people and support people in the community. The Committee went through legal documents with one of the family members (a lawyer). It retained the name “Waikato Deaf Society Inc” through the New Zealand Companies – Companies Register in Wellington by going through reregister and retained the same name from 1956. Last month, the Committee made the official announcement. It is now running this year as a new chapter of the Waikato Deaf Society Inc. It had been a long gap between 2004 and 2025 – twenty-one years with no activity involved in running the Deaf Society Inc. group.
As a deaf historian, Jean focuses on the early days, between 1956 and 1999 (Dissolved in 2004), not the present, because there has been a long gap of no activity. It is critical to collect stories, photos and videos to allow the people in the communities to understand how the earliest days formed, run the club by fundraising, applying for grants, and staying in touch with each other; the children were CODA (Children of the Deaf Adult) grew up and moved away, only to look after their Deaf parents or a Deaf individual mother/father and many more. With the missing gaps between 2004 and 2025, it is not worth recording in the book and website.
Today, there is a new constitution guideline in the Incorporation Societies Acts 2022 before 2026, which replaced the previous Acts 1908. For example, from the New Zealand Companies Office – Incorporated Societies website, “Your society must reregister under the Incorporated Societies Act 2022 before April 2026 to continue operating as an incorporated society. Your next AGM is the perfect opportunity to agree on reregistration and changes to your society’s constitution.” https://is-register.companiesoffice.govt.nz/
This new chapter of the Waikato Deaf Society Inc. was reregistered this year since it was dissolved in 2004 by the New Zealand Companies: Incorporation Societies and had not been actively involved since 1999 (2004). (see in first pargraph.)
Today, fewer living ex members (over 70 years old) of the Waikato Deaf Society Inc., and it is critical to interview them.
Waikato Deaf Society Inc History 
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