The Service Award recipients
The Helensville Area Committee organised an afternoon tea to recognise and celebrate some service awards received by local members. Inevitably, due to COVID, this event had been long delayed.
The Hato Hone St John, Northern Area, Patron, Sir Richard Blundell KStJ made the presentations, after being introduced by Helensville Area Committee Chairman, Dr. John Elliott OStJ.
The St John Service Medal is awarded after 10 years of service and every 5 years, a bar is added to it. The Service Medal is unique, as it is the only one still issued, which contains the profile of Queen Victoria, under whose charter of 1888, the Order of St John was established, as a Royal Order of Chivalry.
The 10 year medal was presented to Ali’ Constable. She has been an Ambulance Officer at Helensville starting in 2008 and has served as an Auckland Training Tutor. She is currently Helensville Operations Support Officer.
15 year bars were presented to: Marcel Hendricks, who started in Helensville as Volunteer Ambulance officer in 2005. He remains here today at Helensville Station, as a Volunteer EMT.
John Issott started with St John in 2006 with the Helensville Area Committee (AC). Since 2014 he has been the AC treasurer. John also works in the Op shop and is a member of the Regional Order Affairs Committee. For his services to St John, he was made a Member of the Order, by her Majesty, in 2016.
The last award was to John’s wife, Eve Issott. This was a Priory Vote of Thanks.
Priory Votes of Thanks are awarded, on the recommendation of the Priory Honours Committee and Priory Chapter, to recognise significant service, contribution, or support, given to St John. They can be awarded to external individuals, societies, groups, or businesses, as well as to St John members.
Recipients receive a framed certificate, signed by the Governor General, who is the St John NZ, Prior, along with St John Chancellor, Mr John Whitehead CNZM KStJ. Eve’s award, from last year, was one of the last acts by Dame Patsy Reddy GNZM QSO DStJ.
Eve received her award for organising and leading the ongoing welfare support for our operational crews, both locally and monthly at Auckland hospital, overnight on Saturdays, throughout the year. Since the start of COVID, with the huge pressure on demand for ambulances, the crews were often not getting a proper break. So, by taking the hot drinks and food to the hospital bay, it enables them to have a short respite and recharge. The response from the crews is always enthusiastic.
After the presentations, family and friends joined the recipients for an afternoon tea. This was to recognise the support that they give, to enable the members to do their roles.
