Gold Queen's Guides, Queen's Scouts and Duke of Edinburgh Awards

Nga hau e wha, nga iwi e tau nei, tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou katoa. 

People from the four winds, people gathered here, my warmest greetings.

I would like to welcome you all on this most important occasion, the presentation of the Gold Queen's Guides, Queen's Scouts and Duke of Edinburgh Awards.  Today marks a very significant point in the lives of about 50 of you gathered here.

Every life can be defined in stages.  There is childhood, adolescence, adulthood, old age. And in between all these stages there are shorter periods which again define a certain stage in a life.  The transition period between these stages, the time when we actually move on to the next level, can make for some of the most intriguing, interesting and intricate living we will ever experience.

Around one hundred years ago, a Belgian anthropologist by the name of Arnold Van Gennep described this process of changing from one life stage to another as a 'rite of passage'.

What shape or form this rite of passage takes varies from culture to culture.  The age at which we experience a rite of passage can also vary, depending on where we live, how we live and, most importantly, who we are as a person and individual.  But, crucially, you need one thing in order to move on to the next stage: you need to be ready. 

The fact that you are here today proves that you meet this criterion.  All of you, no matter what your background, have worked hard to get to this stage and you have reached this point, your rite of passage, through merit.

Recipients of the Awards we present today have proven qualities in a number of areas.  These are real assets in life:  determination, self-discipline, an ability to overcome obstacles and a willingness to learn. 

All of you, in the pursuit of these awards, have tackled tasks that were outside your comfort zone.  You have my admiration, because these are the tasks that are hardest to do.  Your families also deserve admiration.  They have supported you so well in the past few years.  Without them, it would have been difficult, if not impossible, to get to this stage.

All of you here today have attained a high honour indeed.  You have aimed for a difficult goal and you have proved yourselves by achieving it.  You are justified in being proud, as are your parents and families. 

This particular rite of passage is now complete.  But I encourage you to continue to aim high and to use this achievement as a stepping-stone on the way to a fulfilling life.  On behalf of all New Zealanders, may I say that we are proud of each one of you.  I look forward to your future achievements as outstanding citizens.

Kia ora koutou katoa.