St John National Property Pride Award

Greetings and Kia Ora.  May I specifically greet you: Jaimes Wood, Chief Executive of the Order of St John; Shane Schrafft, Operations Team Manager and Ambulance Officers. Bruce Gordon, Mike Crosbie and Charlie Witts, Ambulance Officers, all from St John Paihia.

My wife Susan and I welcome you to Government House Vogel in Lower Hutt for the presentation of the 2010 St John National Property Pride Award.  A close connection between St John and the office of Governor-General is a traditional one, in New Zealand, going back more than 60 years

This is the second St John reception here at Government House Vogel in Lower Hutt whilst the main Government House remains closed for a major conservation project.  The reception is in aid of of presenting the Property Pride Award to the national winners.

The award provides Susan and I with an opportunity to meet St John people from different towns and cities who have competed and importantly so in the name of the organisation.  St John is a name that New Zealanders trust – for its service and for provision of it on a combination of paid and volunteer work. You thus all represent a wider team who serves the New Zealand community 365 days of the year.

There are many communities and small towns in New Zealand, like Paihia, where the strength lies in the contribution that volunteers make through hundreds of hours of service every year.

The award that will be presented to you today acknowledges the pride you have shown through showing off the appearance of your local facility.  Having opened only one year ago, the building in Paihia is of course relatively new and the fact that your efforts have made the national selection team say “Yes Paihia” is a matter of special merit.

I thought it was all put well in the article in the Northland Age  recently headlined “pride of the Bay and New Zealand.  The award stands alongside the positive attitude you have towards your team, and your community.  From what I have learned there is everything in favour of suggesting that this will continue in the years ahead.

The four of you have all contributed many volunteer hours to St John responding to calls for the ambulance from the public.  I know that each of you has also contributed to the community in other ways, both through St John and various organisations, through the Fire Service in your case Stuart, through Habitat for Humanity in your case, Bruce, through the War Memorial Hall project in your case, Mike and for your work in garden beautification, Charlie.

I am pleased to add thanks to each of you for your selfless contributions to St John and for the betterment of the community in Paihia.
In 2010 St John can look back on 125 years of service to New Zealand.  The attitude of St John people as ‘first to care’ has always been present and it guides what you continue to do.

Susan and I wish you all well as national winners of the St John Property Pride Award for 2010 and we hope that you will enjoy our hospitality this afternoon.

No reira, tēnā koutou katoa.

 For a larger version of the above photo, please click here.