Tommy Kapai: Captain steers teens on happy course

The local hokohoko (second-hand) shop run by the Sallies where many a ``bewdy bargain'' can be found is one of the blessings of the Salvation Army.

It's been a long time since the Sallies and I have had a korero.

From my early childhood days I can remember them standing on our street corner, singing up a storm and smiling like they had all just won Lotto - or the Golden Kiwi as it was in those days.

We knew some of them and liked to listen to their happy- clappy sermons, which were always followed by a bit of Bob Dylan tambourine-styled waiata.

Later in life we as a family would treat the local hokohoko (second-hand) shop run by the Sallies as our flash Farmers, and many a "bewdy bargain" was found and worn proudly.

To this day, I am a frequent flyer of Sallies shops and have no shame in saying that half of my wardrobe comes from the bargain-blessed hokohoko outlets all across Tauranga.

So when I got asked yesterday, "Do you know Billy Booth?" while sitting in the back row of the local Salvation Army citadel it took me a little by surprise, as the name didn't ring any bells, church or secular.

I replied I knew Billy Bold aka Graeme Brazier. His name came to mind as I had just driven back from a Hello Sailor final farewell concert for Billy Bold's brother and my good mate, Dave McArtney.

But I didn't know Billy Booth.

"Nah, bro!" he volleyed. "William Booth, the fulla that started the Salvation Army, this place where we are right now."

By now the hoodied up, shade-wearing-inside-the-church, Bob Marley lookalike bro was looking at me sideways and wondering why I was inside his whare. The answer to me being there was, I went along to thank the Sallies for helping us at Te Tuinga to help others who are in need of someone to listen to and understand them, as we all do sometimes in our lives.

The bro of Billy Booth next to me was obviously down on his luck and needed a shoulder to lean on.

It was a first for me - not inside a church but inside a Salvation Army church.

Organised religion and I don't do so well together and I have always preferred to carry my own cross, but the aura and the energy inside the local Sallies' whare karakia (church) was easy on the ear and the eye.

William Booth must have seen way back what was coming and carried a torch for the teenagers of today's world. His whakatauki (proverb), "Faith and works should travel side-by-side, step answering to step, like the legs of men walking. First faith, and then works; and then faith again, and then works again - until they can scarcely distinguish which is the one and which is the other," says it all and was why I wanted to thank one of their army who I will call Captain, as I promised not to name him. Captain has taken the time to teach our at-risk kids how to sail and the relationship of trust he fosters between them is a huge stepping stone back into a crime-free life.

When Billy Booth - as the bro called him - started this movement, I am sure he had in mind exactly the "walk the talk" deeds one of his loyal captains is doing with our lost teenagers.

He sits, he sails and he listens to them.

Side by side just like Billy Booth asked - steering them back to happiness.

Last week when I wrote about youth suicide I was flooded with emails, calls and korero about, "How can I help?"

My answer is: time. We all have a little time we can afford and just like the Captain who takes the time to share his with at-risk kids, there are many opportunities for us all to get involved.

I am a huge fan of one-on-one mentoring. It helps form relationships where action and not words of advice are the catalyst to forming a cocoon of trust with our tamariki. Too often our kids are bombarded with telling offs and need to be told what they are good at and what they can do - not what they can't.

Just like the Captain is doing with these fortunate teenagers, out on the moana of Tauranga.

Kia ora, Captain, for your time and empathy for our teenagers at risk.

Thanks Billy Booth's army and thank God for the Sallies.