Order of St John Investiture

I begin my welcome by greeting everyone in the languages of the realm of New Zealand, in English, Māori, Cook Island Māori, Niuean, Tokelauan and New Zealand Sign Language.  Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu, Taloha Ni and as it is the afternoon (Sign)

I then specifically greet you: Your Royal Highness The Duke of Gloucester, the Grand Prior of the Order of St John;  Professor Anthony Mellows, Lord Prior and Mrs Elizabeth Mellows; Fellow members of the Grand Council of St John; Your Worship Bob Parker, Mayor of Christchurch and your wife Joanna; Confreres and Postulants; Ladies and Gentlemen.

It is a pleasure for me and my wife Susan to be here today in the Christchurch Town Hall.  It is also a pleasure to be able to invite His Royal Highness, The Duke of Gloucester, the Grand Prior presently to invest our postulants a little later.

We all know that St John is part of a great many New Zealand communities in a number of different ways.  This weekend the organisation has come together for the National Emergency Care Competitions and the Future Care Convention.  These have been stand out events for St John and an opportunity to share knowledge and build strength within the organisation that will benefit our communities.

For those who have attended Future Care, thank you for your full participation.  I know that the diverse range of topics covered will have set many of you thinking, and I encourage you to share your thoughts and your Future Care experiences with your colleagues on your return home.

For the competitors in the National Emergency Care Competitions who tested themselves with and against your colleagues, I congratulate you for your participation and for the skills you have displayed.

St John in New Zealand is also part of an international community and, as an organisation, it is a privilege next week to be host for the Grand Council meetings of the International Order.  These are important meetings that are designed to share knowledge and build strength within the international organisation that will benefit the eight establishment St John organisations, and also the more than 50 St John Associations working for communities around the world.  A special welcome to our international Confreres, guests and companions to Christchurch and to New Zealand is called for.

This year, as New Zealand members of St John, we can take great pride in our history spanning 125 years serving the people of this country.  During this time communities througout the country have come to trust St John to provide them with the highest quality of service and, indeed, rely on us to care for them.

This places us in a most privileged position and we must always live up to this level of trust that our fellow New Zealanders have placed upon us.  The enthusiasm, commitment, dedication and professionalism of you, our members, take us a long way.
However, as an organisation, we cannot rest on our laurels and we must always strive to be in a position where we are ready to face the challenges before us.

What this means is that we have an obligation to do the best possible for the public and for those who fund us.  There is no room for complacency in our organisation.   St John in New Zealand has a proud history of innovation, and for founding new services where there have been opportunities to serve the health needs of our communities in ways that are relevant and reflect the changes in society.

The recently published history First to Care, by author Graeme Hunt, describes many of the wonderful initiatives put in place by St John and its members during those 125 years, and I commend this publication as a record of many achievements.

The environment in the health sector today is one that also favours innovation, and we know there are opportunities to find ways to better serve the health and wellness needs of our communities.  We also know that these opportunities will be best realised when organisations like St John work together in partnership with government and non-government and community-based organisations like our own.  These are exciting times for a 125-year-old organisation that is as strong and is as well positioned as it has ever been.

I want to address our Postulants, and particularly those members who are being admitted to our Order and receiving their Insignia today.  This is the outward sign of your membership of this ancient organisation. 

The white cross of St John is a powerful symbol recognised throughout the world.  It represents chivalry-the concept of a group of people sworn by a set of rules to the Christian care and support of the poor and the sick.  Many of the world's other great orders of chivalry have based their insignia and rules on those of the Order of St John.

The foundation of our work has its roots in the medieval Order of St John whose sisters and brothers fetched the sick and brought them to the Order's hospitals.

The Order still follows many of the age-old traditions of very earlier times.  One of those is the declaration before your peers and your families that you will uphold the Order's objects and purposes and always conduct yourselves as women and men of honour-the true tests of chivalry.
Today, all St John members constitute a unique and dedicated team of skilled volunteer and paid members working together side-by-side and collectively making a tremendous difference to New Zealand communities.

I congratulate all those who His Royal Highness will invest today and thank you for the work you do for our communities.

Thank you all for your presence here today and for all that you do for St John.  Return safely to your homes, and may God bless you all, as you continue to care for our communities and for each other.

Having thus welcomed you I will close in New Zealand's first language Māori, by offering everyone greetings and wishing you all good health and fortitude in your endeavours.    No reira, tēnā koutou, tēnā koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tēnā koutou katoa.