Ken Tobin pipes way to a QSM

A lifetime of devotion to the pipe band community has seen Ken Tobin awarded a Queen's Service Medal. Photo Paul Taylor

When Hastings man Ken Tobin was a lad he heard some pipe band music and liked what he heard.

What he heard led to a lifetime of devotion to the pipe band community and that devotion has seen him awarded a Queen's Service Medal — something which left him slightly speechless.

"Out of the blue ... total surprise," he said.

"Pipe music has just been my love, my interest."

He has been actively involved in the pipe band community for 72 years, beginning in 1948 with four years as drummer and drum major of the Dannevirke High School Pipe Band and then as a drummer for 10 years and drum major of the City of Hastings Pipe Band for 55 years, before retiring from that position in 2016.

For 25 years he took on the challenging role of organising the transport and accommodation for the City of Hastings Pipe Band's contest trips and since 2017, has been president of the band. In that capacity he guided them through all the details of their change of name in 2018 to the Hawke's Bay Caledonian Pipe Band.

He has been on the Pipe Band Committee since 1955 and has competed in 39 National Contests, including six with other bands.

In 1980 he won the annual New Zealand Drum Majors Championship, which he had been instrumental in getting established in 1975, and has been an instructor at drum major seminars throughout New Zealand.

Tobin has been a life member of the City of Hastings Pipe Band since 1981 and a life member of the Wellington-Hawke's Bay Pipe Band Centre since 1982.

He has been a band delegate to the Wellington-Hawke's Bay Pipe Band Centre of the Royal NZ Pipe Bands Association for 63 years and was a centre delegate seven times to the former Council of the NZ Association.

In his roles as drum major and for 40 years as uniform custodian, he has achieved success in street march and dress events at many contests throughout New Zealand and has won the centre's annual Drum Majors Championship nine times.

In 1997 his devotion to pipe bands led to receiving a Hastings District Council Civic Award for services to bands.

He has attended all Anzac Day services from 1952 to 2016 with the pipe band.

He has participated with the City of Hastings Pipe Band in 41 Blossom Parades and Christmas Parades and he was a founding member and contest supervisor of the Hawke's Bay Miniature Pipe Band Contest between 1974 and 1998.

His involvement with things Scottish extends to the Hawke's Bay Easter Highland Games and during all of its 69 year existence, he has been a competitor, board steward, assistant piping convenor, piping convenor and committee member, and in 2008 was awarded Life Membership of the Hawke's Bay Piping and Dancing Assn.