ANZAC Day: “the debt of gratitude we owe to those people who served in war”
Dick Papps, Golden Bay branch of the New Zealand Returned and Services Association life member. Photo: Neil Wilson.
In the lead-up to its most important day of the year, this Sunday 25 April, the Golden Bay branch of the Royal New Zealand Returned and Services Association (RSA) has awarded life membership to Dick Papps, who has been parade marshall for the Takaka ANZAC Day parades since about 1994.
Dick was awarded the honour for his many years of meritorious service, said the citation. High on the list of his contributions to the RSA is his performance in the role of RSA pensions and welfare officer for the Bay for 14 years.
Tasman District Mayor Richard Kempthorne was on hand to present Dick’s life member badge and certificate at a special function on 10 April. Mayor Kempthorne said that he was pleased to be part of the ceremony because it gave deserved recognition to a volunteer. Our communities rely on volunteers like Dick in all sorts of important ways, said Mayor Kempthorne.
Dick immediately deflected the attention from his own service to the purpose of the RSA itself.
“You would expect an organisation whose motto is ‘People Helping People’ to look after the welfare of its members and their dependants,” said Dick. “Welfare means an organised service designed to improve the social and economic conditions of poor or disadvantaged ex-service people and their families. Any time we are able to secure a pension or some kind of entitlement for one of our members or their families it’s like a victory. There’s satisfaction in doing the job well and making sure people get what they need and deserve.”
Dick also convenes the RSA education bursary committee, a job he is passionate about.
“It gives you such a kick to see a young person from the Bay go out and better themselves through further education,” he said. He can remember many of the recipients, the quality of their achievements and the difference that education made in their lives. “I think the bursary will be the RSA’s lifelong legacy to the Bay.”
Dick says that one minor regret is that very deserving young people leaving the Bay for trade training or tertiary education often seem not to apply for the RSA bursary.
“Perhaps they think it’s only for the high academic achievers,” he speculated. “That’s not true. We’re happy to get applications from everyone who deserves to be considered.”
Dick’s army career included stints as an instructor in Burnham, Waiouru and Fiji and active service in Malaya. He says he enjoyed the esprit de corps and the camaraderie generated by being an individual connected to a greater community.
“If you had an adventurous streak in you, it looked pretty good as a career,” he added. “Even today you see young people without a great deal of purpose, ambition or focus who decide to give the armed forces a go. Once they’re in, that changes and they get a sense of achievement, whether the skills they’ve gained are trade skills or soldiering skills.”
Dick starts thinking about ANZAC Day long before the day itself. “It’s a very important time, when service people, ex-servicemen and people with family connections to the services come together and share once more the meaning of ANZAC and the debt of gratitude we owe to those people who served in war, especially World War Two, defending the freedoms we have today.”
Dick says that the passage of time is reducing the numbers of people for whom RSA membership is an important thing. “Nationally, the organisation already has more associate members than returned members.
“No matter what happens in the future, there should always be some kind of public function to recognise the meaning of ANZAC Day in the most appropriate way, something to remind people of how much they owe to those who went before.”
ANZAC Day Dawn Parade: 6.30am at Takaka Memorial Library. Civic service: assemble at 8.45am outside Junction Hotel for the march to the library for the service at 9am.
Neil Wilson
