Tomorrow's Kiwi Leaders

Hon Heather Roy speech to the City of Lower Hutt Cadet Unit Awards Parade; The Old Scout Hall, Udy Street, Lower Hutt; Wednesday, March 24 2010.

Tena koutou, tena koutou, tena koutou, katoa.

Mayor of Hutt City, David Ogden; Director Reserve Forces Captain Clive Holmes; Chair of the Parents' Support Committee Gareth Edwards; City of Lower Hutt Cadet Unit Commander Lieutenant David Jones; visiting dignitaries; NZDF and NZCF representatives; and especially parents, whanau, officers and cadets of the City of Lower Hutt Cadet Unit.

Thank you very much for the invitation and opportunity to present a number of awards this evening. It is always a great pleasure to attend Cadet Force events and tonight is particularly special because we are here to recognise and celebrate the achievements of several members of this unit.

I have attended many parades, both Defence Force and Cadet Force, as Associate Defence Minister. I never cease to be impressed with the high level of discipline, standards of dress and bearing that I see. Your display tonight has only reinforced this, from the newest cadets, who only joined the unit this year, to those more experienced. You are a tangible credit to the dedication of your unit and regional staffs, families and yourselves. Drill is one area where I think it is possible for a truly level playing field or perhaps I should say ‘level parade ground' and I look forward to the day when we see a cadet drill team go up against the best squads of the Navy, Army and Air Force.

The New Zealand Cadet Force is an organisation that I am proud to serve as your Minister. As cadets, you are part of something special. You are part of an organisation that will challenge you; that will give you the chance to grow as an individual and as a team member. In time, you will be trained to lead others.

I realise that since your formation in 1990, this unit has also faced many challenges. It is a fact of life today that all community organisations struggle, at times, to attract sufficient leaders and resources. However, you have come through that now and for the commitment and determination of everyone who has contributed, past and present, to keeping this unit running so that young people and their mentors can focus on becoming, building or being exemplary Kiwi citizens - thank you. It is how we deal with adversity that is the real measure of our maturity, both as individuals and groups.

Cadet units cannot thrive without the ongoing contribution of an entire community. This includes significant effort by the Unit Support Committee, made up of parents, families and supporters. The help of many other organisations, ranging from the City Council, community groups such as the RSA, local businesses, charitable trusts and more is essential in providing the resources needed to keep a unit, such as yours, operating. To you, I offer my thanks for your extraordinary sense of social responsibility and commitment to growing the next generation of leaders.

Well done, also, to those of you that have received proficiency badges tonight. I know, from having had one of my own sons in the Cadet Forces, that you have all had to work very hard to earn this recognition and you should wear your badges with pride. Just as service personnel who receive awards often say that it represents their entire unit's achievement, your families can also rightly claim some of this recognition because I know that the logistics of getting family members to extra-curricular activities, week after week, is easier said than done.

However, no organisation thrives without a committed, organised leader who can impart a shared vision of where their team is headed. Everything that has been achieved, of late, in the City of Lower Hutt Cadet Unit would not have been possible without the dedication and organisational skill of your Unit Commander, Lieutenant David Jones.

Tonight is particularly special in providing the opportunity to acknowledge Lieutenant Jones, whose nomination for the 2010 Inaugural New Zealander of the Year Awards was commended and recognised with a Certificate of Achievement. This is a significant achievement when you consider that there were nearly 500 nominations across five categories and 180 of those were submitted for ‘local heroes'. To be eligible, a candidate needed to receive multiple nominations and it is a real credit to Lieutenant Jones that he has been acknowledged in this way. His commitment to your success is all the more extraordinary when you reflect on the fact that he has already served over 23 years in the Royal Air Force, serving in many overseas missions and has previously commanded the Porirua City Cadet Unit.

I think these extracts from just one of the nominations sum up your Unit Commander very well.

David has a demanding fulltime job managing a health organisation and yet he regularly gives up his evenings, weekends and family time in the interests of the Unit and our Cadets. He makes a significant contribution to the community by providing outstanding leadership and logistical support to the youth development and training programme of our unit.

Dave's leadership honed after many years military experience has ensured continued success. We are all grateful to Dave for organising and leading the group through difficult times.

Dave has created a supportive environment; one that he hopes will continue to inspire our cadets to be all they can be in life. Dave is truly a person who is unselfish and generous.

On that note, it gives me great pleasure in presenting Lieutenant Jones with this Certificate of Achievement as a true Kiwi local hero.

Before I invite Lieutenant Jones to address the parade, I wish to close with a couple of challenges to the cadets here tonight. Embrace the opportunities that are offered by your instructors and work hard to realise your potential, both as cadets, and as young adults in the community. The best recruiter of new cadets is a current cadet. Tell your peers what it means to be a member of the New Zealand Cadet Forces. Just imagine what could be done if every single cadet recruited just one other person per year.

Hold your heads high, be proud of your unit and your family and always stand up for what you believe in.

Kia kaha.

ENDS