Order of St John Investiture

First, greetings to almighty God the creator of all things.  Secondly to those who have passed on before us, let the ancestors bind with the ancestors, and the living bind with the living.  Thirdly, greetings to us all here today.  Fourthly, greetings to King Tuheitia and the Tainui people

Conferees, Postulants and guests of St John, as Prior of the Order of St John, it is a matter of both duty and pride to be with you all here today in the Kimiora at Turangawaewae Marae.

I would especially like to pay respects to Te Arikinui Kingi Tuheitia and to Tainui for the generosity in hosting St John here today. Thank you for welcoming us this morning so warmly. 

I also wish to acknowledge: Hon Nanaia Manuta, Minister of Local Government, fellow members of Parliament, David Bennett, Lindsay Tisch and Sue Moroney; and Pippa Mahood, Deputy Mayor of Hamilton.

The term "Marae" is synonymous in many New Zealanders minds with the term generosity and the Marae community cares for both whanau and guests through traditions of generosity and hospitality. 

The concept of hospitality was also the basis for the foundation of the Order of St John some nine centuries ago, the establishment being to provide care and hospitality to pilgrims and the people of Jerusalem regardless of race or creed. 

After the first Crusade of 1099, the community of monks who ran the hospital soon became known as the Hospitallers.

The Hospitallers flourished, with communities spreading westward expressing their dedication to the poor and advancing radical ideas about how to care for people when they were sick.

Our scripture reading, sets out most succinctly the Hospitallers' beliefs.  Put quite simply, it was through offering hospitality and care to their brothers and sisters, that the Hospitallers saw the face of Jesus Christ.

Today St John continues the Hospitaller tradition of care through its mission to prevent and relieve sickness and injury, and to act to enhance the health and well-being of people of all races and creeds anywhere in New Zealand.

St John delivers that care in many different ways—through its ambulance service, its first aid training, the Friends of the Emergency Department programme, Caring Callers and the Youth programme to name but a few.

Mahi aroha is a term that most closely translates to the concept of voluntary work. Mahi aroha is unpaid activity performed out of sympathy and caring for others in accordance with the principles of tikanga to maintain mana and rangatiratanga, rather than for personal reward.

Mahi aroha is an expression that incorporates the spiritual and temporal aspects of volunteering and an expression or manifestation of love, sympathy or caring. 

An expression similar to mahi aroha is what drives the St John organisation's mission and draws people to serve it.  More than 80 percent of St John members who wear its uniform in New Zealand are volunteers—and those people just like the employees who support the organisation, have an admirable commitment to contribute within the organisation and within the New Zealand community.

In providing that care, St john's is acutely aware of the health needs of Maori.

He Korowai Oranga: the Government's Maori Health Strategy sets the direction for Maori health development. The overall aim is whanau ora - Maori families being supported to achieve their maximum health and well-being.

As a principal source of strength, support, security and identity, whanau plays a central role in the well-being of Maori individually and collectively.

He Korowai Oranga asks the health and disability sectors to recognise first the inter-dependence of people; secondly, that health and well-being are influenced and affected by the collective as well as the individual; and thirdly, the importance of working with people in their social contexts, not just with their physical symptoms.

Whanau ora is a strategic tool for the health and disability sector, to assist them to work together with Iwi, Maori providers and Maori communities and whanau, to increase the life span of Maori; to improve health and quality of life, and to reduce disparities with other New Zealanders.

St John comes here today to make a commitment directly to Tainui, to work in the spirit of Whanau Ora to support Iwi and Maori providers to achieve better health outcomes.

This day is hugely significant as it celebrates and acknowledges the significant contributions all the Postulants have made to communities throughout this country.  It is also, for St John likewise, the beginning of a new type of relationship the organisation wants with Tainui and with Maori.  This relationship will be mutually beneficial and will build on existing relationships that already exist between St John and Maori people in other parts of the country. 

St John wants to formalise its commitment to Iwi by setting out in an agreement what it will provide to Marae throughout the Waikato in terms of providing support for events, first aid support and training, and the general promotion and marketing of the broad range of services the organisation currently provides. 

There is also a wish to work together to develop innovative ways of connecting to Tainui.  Discussions have begun about developing bi-lingual and bi-cultural versions of our education and training programmes for all ages.

The focus in the first instance will be on developing better ways to meet the needs of Tainui (particularly at Marae level) and it is hoped that we will be able to transfer these initiatives to other Iwi.

St John sees today as a launching pad for developing a long term relationship that is based on shared values and a bi-cultural framework to provide the foundation to support and benefit Maori.

Following the very warm welcome this morning, I understand St John Chancellor Rob Fenwick met with Te Arikinui Tuheitia to discuss how St John might begin to build its relationship on the foundations already laid.

We have just concluded the celebration of Matariki which marks the end of the harvest and the beginning of the planting season. 

For many New Zealanders, Matariki was also a time of celebration, reflection, generosity and hospitality.  It is a time of new beginnings.  Let us therefore move forward together in the spirit of Whanau ora and the mission of the Order of St John.

The conclusion of Matariki is also an appropriate time for us to be together to celebrate those who are being Admitted or Promoted in the Order of St John - especially Te Arikinui Tuheitia in whom everyone holds in great regard.

I wish to acknowledge also today the 150th anniversary of the Kingitanga movement, celebrated here at Turangawaewae in May.  Te Kingitanga is a unifying influence in our nation and I hope that its spirit will ever endure. 

Thank you again Tainui people for your very warm welcome and support for this occasion which is one of the most important events in the life of the Order of St John.

Thank you all for your presence here today, especially those to be invested, and to your families and supporters.  Return to your homes safely, and may God bless you all, as you continue to care for our communities and for each other as members of a united organisation seeking to enhance the health and well-being of all New Zealanders.

And on that note, I will close in Maori, by offering greetings and wishing you good health and fortitude in your endeavours. No reira, tena koutou, tena koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa.