National Council 2008 notable for retirements

	Mrs Beverley Herbert looks on as husband Pat accepts a retirement gift from RNZRSA National President Robin Klitscher. RSA committees and members throughout the country subscribed to the gift.

RNZRSA Council 2008 was notable for the retirement of key members of the organisation, not least Chief Executive Pat Herbert.

Council 2008 was Pat’s last in an unbroken sequence of 18. He rated his last as very good but noted that “regrettably the numbers are diminishing”. He remembered when the venue would be absolutely full but the economics of travel and accommodation and the introduction of proxy voting meant today that one delegate, or perhaps two would come where three had in the past.

He expressed delight though that today’s delegates in general comprised a younger group.

Commenting on the low number of remits (17) to Council 2008, the lowest for years, he said that could mean one of two things, “either people have lost interest and don’t care, or they’re reasonably happy” with the overall running of the organization. He believed that the latter comment was the actual reason.

A morning person his working day usually began at about 5.30am in his Ngaio home and as with others of the senior staff he liked to be in the office between 7.30 and 7.45 am. He endeavoured to finish about 5pm but again, as with other senior staff, “there’s always work to do at home, and occasionally on the weekend”.

Pat says the RNZRSA is special. “There’s no other organisation like it, most of its people do what they do on a completely voluntary basis. Visiting clubs and associations you realise just how much work they do.”

His path into the RSA job came about because he was managing a company that marketed a life insurance product through the RSA. The connection had been in place for three to four years when he received a phone call from RSA HQ one day inviting him to “come in and have a chat”.

Pat saw CMT service with the artillery beginning in 1956. He began as a gunner and finished a gunner. “I thoroughly enjoyed my CMT days and toyed with the idea of going into the TF.”

He admits he’s going with mixed feelings. He’ll miss his work especially the people he has been associated with over the years. He has nothing planned at this stage, but a JP he may get into voluntary work such as the Citizen’s Advice Bureau. He and wife Bev will be staying in Wellington where they have family all around.

Council 2008 was also the last for Archie Dixon, Larry Doyle and Denny Morris; all retired from the National Executive Committee. Larry and Archie say they’ll continue to contribute in any area they may be called to but Denny says he’s going gardening!

RNZRSA National President paid tribute to retiring members in concluding his keynote address to National Council 2008, acknowledging “some extraordinary contributions to this organisation, the RSA”. He said he wanted to note we will be farewelling people who have given much of their lives to the task caught in our motto, people helping people.

He said National Vice-President Larry Boyle joined the RSAin 1946, and has been deeply immersed in it ever since. . He is the last remaining World War II veteran serving on the National Executive Committee.

However Denny Morris had served the longer on the NEC, having been a member since 1981. Mr Klitscher said 27 years was an impressive contribution by any measure.

He said Archie Dixon could legitimately claim to have been a most effective – and most committed - Chair of the NEC Pensions and Welfare Committee. Archie has decided to step down as District President, and we shall miss him.

Ill health had caused straight-talking Otago-Southland District President Brian Bennett, to hand on his post earlier in the year. His distress at having to do so was greater, I think, than his concern at being unwell. “We wish him every comfort,” Mr Klitscher said

Immediate Past President John Campbell came to the end of his tenure at this Council. “History has not yet let on how much the organisation owes him. But it will. And we congratulate him on his ONZM in June,” Mr Klitscher said, adding. Mr Campbell would continue with his work on the WPA re-write.

Sadly Council 2008 was Pat Herbert’s last. Mr Klitscher said Pat’s 18-year “innings” as Chief Executivewas “right up there with the very best of the rest”. Pat’s deep well of knowledge that would be most missed and also his ability to deal with the most complex and frustrating of situations without ever raising his voice. “Thank you, Pat,’ Mr Klitscher said.