Editorial: Feeling pretty good about our future

On Thursday afternoon I attended a quite special gathering of people.

Many very much younger than me and some a decade or three older than me.

It was the official opening of the 11 Squadron (District of Hastings) Air Training Corps and this long-awaited event was significant enough to bring Governor General Jerry Mataparae to town.

And he was clearly impressed with what he saw.

Not just the fine building and its excellent facilities and ample room for parades, but with the very core of what it was created for.

The cadets.

His excellency, who is a much-decorated military man, was invited to inspect the parade lines and was delighted to oblige.

He stopped and spoke to four or five of the young men and women, of teenage years, and the faces of the assembled guests reflected pride and enjoyment.

I was impressed, especially by the way the young people stood with backs ramrod straight.

When they carried out an instruction to stand at ease or attention the result was as unified as any top military unit I have seen.

And when one of the cadets stepped forward to pay thanks to the Governor General his delivery was sharp and clear, and I heard someone seated a couple of rows ahead of me turn to someone behind them and whisper, "wasn't that excellent".

I got talking to Napier man Max Collett afterwards. Max flew Spitfires in WWII with 485 (NZ) Squadron.

He summed it up pretty succinctly by saying: "Wasn't that great? What fine young people".

The Napier cadet corps have impressed me on several occasions also, and I was talking to a chap who helps drive the cadet unit in Waipukurau and he was telling me they had about 40 young people on the books ... not bad for a small rural spot.

While on parade they were disciplined and focused, and afterwards while they enjoyed a few sandwiches outside they were teenagers - laughing, smiling, chatting.

And yesterday it was the occasion for the young to embrace the challenge of the Ironmaori Tamariki and Rangatahi events, although unlike the young on parade at Bridge Pa Airfield they struck an autumnal day.

But they swam and ran and cycled on through the drifting showers ... devoted to being part of a great event which inspires health and community.

I looked at both these groups of young people and felt at ease. In the future, going by that, we should be in pretty good hands.