Speeches 

It is my pleasure to be asked to say a few words here today, at the opening of the 2007 District Convention.

Kiwanis International is a thriving organisation of service- and community-minded individuals who support children and young adults around the world. More than 600,000 Kiwanis members in over 76 countries make their mark by responding to the needs of their communities and pooling their resources to address worldwide issues.

In an area like Counties Manukau, volunteers are the heart of our community and actually keep the wheels turning. Strong New Zealand communities rely on volunteers – those people who, without any thought for personal gain, assist in running local activities and seek no recompense for their commitment. We have a vibrant community here with an energetic voluntary sector, in which the Kiwanis play a vital role. Without the contribution of these volunteers, our service clubs and organisations could not exist.

In my electorate of Manukau East, the Papatoetoe Kiwanis have completed some amazing community projects over the years, and we owe them a great deal. The Papatoetoe Junior Sportsperson of the Year Awards, hosted annually by the Kiwanis Club, is one which I attend and speak at, and I never cease to be impressed and grateful for the club’s ongoing voluntary contribution to our community in so many ways. I am aware of other clubs doing similar things, and to you goes my heart-felt thanks for your dedication and commitment to service above self.

The New Zealand South Pacific District of Kiwanis have raised nearly half a million dollars to purchase equipment for KidzFirst Hospital, and future generations of children will be the beneficiaries – well done.

I sense everywhere in the community a feeling that we all want to serve at higher levels and do our very best. We have been deluged with reports (from David Putnam of Harvard, and mentioned by both Mike Moore and Jim Bolger) of a decline in social capital - simply put, the notion that people are less prepared to do volunteer work. Well, that’s what the experts say - but looking around me today I believe that here in Kiwanis our volunteers are on track to inspire more young people to serve as you do. Young people are crying out for champions to show them a hopeful path, and they need look no further afield for inspiration than the present company. It’s great to see the children here today taking part in the ceremony – well done, Red Hills School - for they are our future leaders.

Community service is the sacred centre of all we do, and leadership is much more than numbers. In thinking of the Otara markets, which I visit each Saturday, I am reminded of what George Eliot wrote in Middlemarch “for the growing good of the world is partly dependent on unhistoric (sic) acts; and that things are not so ill with you and me as they might have been is half owing to the number who have lived faithfully a hidden life and rest in unvisited tombs”. These people are the salt of the earth, and that is a reason to love Counties Manukau! It is an honour to know and grow with the families of the district, to stand beside them at every stage of their journey through the complexity of life.

That is also a reason to honour your Kiwanis creed of ‘servant leadership’. This type of leadership nourishes and sustains me in my work as a politician, as does the memory of two personal heroes: the man honoured as God’s politician - William Wilberforce; and the man whose statue was unveiled (on 29 August 2007) outside the British Parliament - Nelson Mandela.

We are all leaders, you and I, and as such we should think about the mental models we bring to our tasks – five years ago today Senator Dick Durbin (D-Illinois) told the US Senate “if a hammer is the only tool you have then everything seems like a nail”. That is why I love the south – we have 164 different cultures each weaving their sense of wonder into our rich fabric. We are a mix of the richest variety of mental models in New Zealand. When Einstein was asked what was most important to his work he simply said ‘imagination above all else’. The spiritual enthusiasm of leaders is a vital capacity, and the leader’s role is to champion and cherish a sense of direction: intellectual, spiritual, emotional and physical.

I know that Kiwanis, as leaders, are guided by key principles and values from which we can all learn.

- To give importance to the human and spiritual rather than the material values of life.

- To encourage living by the Golden Rule – to do unto others as we would have them do unto us.

- To promote higher social, business, and professional standards.

- To encourage and be servant leaders.

- To build Kiwanis clubs that build lasting friendships and serve and strengthen local communities.

- To promote justice, patriotism, and goodwill.

I feel refreshed and renewed being among you today, you who are dedicated to servant leadership in this kiwi chapter of Kiwanis. I wish you all the best for a rewarding and uplifting Convention.

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