Daniel Joseph (Neil) Menchi
22nd April 1931- 5th July 2007

Few of today's members would have realised that the Club lost a long time supporter and one who made considerable contributions to Empire's progress in earlier years.  

Neil joined Empire after a brief introduction to the sport at a Church Youth Group.  He chose Empire to join in the early 1950s.  It was then, as it is now, one of the leading table tennis clubs in the district.  Neil would catch a bus on the corner of High Street and Guiness Street and travel to Petone, getting off at Udy Street, and walk down to the Petone Drill Hall to play his table tennis.  Neil was a steady player but nevertheless was often placed to play doubles, only two or three a night, in the Rifle Range Annex alongside the Drill Hall, have a cup of tea and then make the trek down Brittannia Street to the Petone Post Office and there catch a bus back to Taita.  His dedication to the game would provide a lesson in commitment to table tennis for many of today's players.

However, Neil was to make his mark more as a "hands-on" worker.  He never sought positions on Club management but nevertheless toiled unceasingly behind the scenes, carrying out tasks often unseen and seldom recognised.  He was a Vice-President of the Club until that position was dis-established.  He assisted in the management of the Junior Club on Friday nights on a regular basis and made a significant contribution to fundraising, being a regular member of the Club Team running Housie nights every Wednesday at the Victoria Tavern, Petone.  This proved to be the most successful ongoing fund raiser that the Club had ever organised.  When that venue was no longer available, Neil became the "anchor man" when the Club was able to conduct the Housie at the Central Hotel, Petone.  Every Wednesday night, Neil was the caller and with wife Kay, made up an impressive combination.

While Neil was reluctant to be involved in management at Club level, he did serve a term on the Hutt Valley Association and made a significant contribution to their affairs.  He worked tirelessly to try to re-establish the Taita Table Tennis Club in the local intermediate school hall, was a manager and transport provider for Hutt Valley teams travelling away and on one occasion was the adult supervisor when Trevor Flint carried out national coaching schools at Empire.  The trainees came from the lower North Island and were housed at the Hutt Park Motor Camp, the availability of which was reliant on adult supervision and it was Neil's presence there that enabled that camp to be successfully conducted.