Woman of the Month of December

Congratulations, Nooroa Sword Browne the Woman of the Month for December

The Woman of the Month of December 2009 is the very popular, Mama Noo Sword Browne of Takuvaine. Her friends from the Cook Islands Girl Guides nominated Mama Noo for her services to their association where she is still an active member of the Cook Islands Girl Guides.
Our WOM is a long time member of the Guides and was awarded the WAGGS Asia Pacific Region State Leaders Award 2007 for long service in 2007 and remains the Senior Overseer Guider of the Avarua Girl Guide company. She was also Rarotonga Commissioner from 2000-2005 and recently awarded an honorary life membership for her long service to the Girl Guide movement
In their nomination, president, Mama Tokerau Munro and Ms Keu Mitchell of the Avarua Girl Guides praised Mama Noo for her quiet, committed dedication and hard working attitude but who often goes unnoticed as she is not one for self promotion even when she was not feeling the best in her health.
For instance, during the Pacific Mini Games 2009, Mama Noo still found the time and energy to assist on a daily basis with the preparation of 1000 eis to be used for medals ceremony during the Games.
Family life and business
As a mother of 9 children, Mama Noo became an active member of the Parent-Teachers Association (PTA) for Avatea and then Tereora College PTA when her children were at school. They are Wendy, Malcolm, Agnes, Jessie, Alex, Desmond, Leslie, Madeilene and Barry.
During this time she also became involved in the Cook Islands Crippled Children’s Society, Takuvaine Sports Club, Tapere and Child Welfare and is an active member of the Avarua Ekalesia and Vainetini
Amid her busy family life, Mama Noo helped her husband, Malcolm Sword establish Cook Islands General Transport in 1960 with the first taxi, trucking and rental car business based in Takuvaine on Rarotonga. The company now specializes in transport and heavy machinery with three of the children running the family business, namely Malcolm, Jessie and Wendy
Mama Noo and Papa Malcolm also built the first motel on the island, the Punamaia Apartments, in time for the opening of the Rarotonga international airport and then a block of flats in Atupa and various other properties on the island
Some years after Papa Malcolm had passed away, Mama Noo later married Papa Eric Mann Browne from Ngati Makea and has a little house on Papa Mann’s land in Nikao. While we think of Mama Noo as being from Takuvaine, in fact, she hails from the Ngatiarua on the island of Atiu and as such is an active member of the Atiu community based in Rarotonga as well.
Mama Noo would like to thank her children and family for supporting her all these years, and for Goldmine for sponsoring the beautiful pearls for her stint as front page cover girl for the CI Herald, and to the Girl Guides ‘from the top down’ for nominating her for the award. She also wants to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and Happy and Prosperous New Year, not only for this year but for the coming year as well.
Congratulations to Mama Noo from all your friends and family especially your very proud children and grandchildren who are very excited about the upcoming celebrations at Aquarius Hotel on Wednesday 16 December.
Kia manuia also from the WOM award sponsors CISNOC, Women in Sports, National Council of Women, Pitt Media Group, Band of Cook Islands, Manihiki Black Pearls, Aquarius Hotel, Yvonne Heather at Vonnias, Tatiana and Colin Burn at Perfumes of Rarotonga, Fuji Image and Cook Islands Printing, Sisi Short at Staircase Restaurant, Lydia Sjip of Pacific Apparel and Aunty Mii at Punanga Nui market.

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