Hundreds of alumni and special guests from as far away as the U.S. east coast, New Zealand, and points in between, have spent the past week in Laie enjoying an outstanding array of celebrations marking the Polynesian Cultural Center's 40th anniversary.
T. David Hannemann, the Center's first official employee, literally kicked off the week of activities from Oct. 20-26 by booting a coconut out of the Samoan village chief's house during a special presentation on the early days of the PCC.
Hannemann recognized several key historical figures in the establishment of the Center, including Elder Matthew Cowley who in 1951 envisioned that the Polynesian people would establish "little villages" in Laie; Oahu Stake President Edward L. Clissold, who helped modify Cowley's concept into the means of financing the education of over 13,000 students at BYU-Hawaii; and President David O. McKay, who envisioned the need to establish a university in Laie on February 7, 1921, and then broke ground for the Church College of Hawaii 34 years later.
In his groundbreaking blessing, President McKay prophesied that millions of people would eventually come to Laie â¿¿ a prophecy fulfilled many times over as the Center welcomed its 30-millionth visitor earlier this year.
Hannemann invited several others to share their early PCC experiences: For example, long-time Laie resident Emeline Ulu'ave Unga, who came from Tonga in 1960 as a CCH student, married one of the labor missionaries and then joined him to help build the Polynesian Cultural Center. Soon after the PCC opened, she was asked to be the first coordinator for the Tongan village.
"The Polynesian Cultural Center has been the greatest missionary work without words. It teaches people how to live," she said.
On Tuesday evening, several hundred alumni and special guests met in a reception where they renewed old acquaintances, including four former presidents of the PCC: Vern Hardisty, Bill Cravens, Jim Christiansen and Les Moore.
PCC employees, alumni and community members formed a choir that performed at the reception, while others did impromptu dances and songs, and still others shared some of their feelings.
Former PCC student worker Eric Beaver, who is now an attorney and Laie Stake president as well as president and CEO of Hawaii Reserves, Inc., said, "There's no other place like the Polynesian Cultural Center in the world, and certainly not in the Church. I want to express my gratitude to the Church, school, PCC and community."
On Wednesday former PCC vice president Vernice Wineera, a Maori from New Zealand who is now director of BYU-Hawaii's Pacific Institute, presented a paper on the Center's cultural foundations which have provided four decades of Polynesian authenticity.
Her examples of the Center's "cultural treasures" include the fale fakatu'i -- the one-quarter scale model of the Tongan summer palace commissioned by the late Queen Salote; the Maori waka taua or 40-man war canoe; seven recently carved Rapa Nui (Easter Island) moai or stone statues; and Te Aroha o Te Iwi Maori, the PCC's exquisite meeting house. "Because this whare nui is pan-tribal, every Maori has a right to speak in it," she said.
Wineera also cited examples of how the Cultural Center has repeatedly welcomed Polynesian royalty and heads of state over the years with appropriate protocol.
On Wednesday evening, Center management met with several hundred tourism, government and education officials to thank them for their support over the years.
On Thursday, several hundred other alumni, community members and tourism industry representatives joined the Polynesian Cultural Center's 40th anniversary golf tour at the nearby Turtle Bay Resort.
President Hinckley will also break ground for the $5 million-plus beautification project that will completely transform Hale La'a Blvd. The project includes a new meditation garden on the ocean-side of Hale La'a Blvd., a 24-stall parking lot across from Laie Elementary School, blue rock walls along the length of the boulevard, a new traffic roundabout in front of the Temple Visitor's Center, and extensive landscaping, including about 80 new Cuban palm trees that will line both sides of Hale La'a.
On Sunday, President Hinckley will address a special mini-conference for members of the Laie and Laie North Stakes in the Cannon Activities Center.