"I was brought up with volunteering. My mother was known as Mrs Plunket in Bunnythorpe where she was the secretary of the Plunket group. Dad helped out at all sorts of things."
Glennis says she has handed this community-minded attitude to her children, who also hold volunteer roles.
"I have a daughter who is a firefighter at Tangimoana, one who is a St John Ambulance officer in Dannevirke and a son who is part of the community patrol in Himatangi."
Glennis says she would spend about 25 hours a week carrying out volunteer work.
"It averages out at about 25 hours, if not more, but that doesn't include going to meetings, writing up minutes of meetings, or time spent on research."
Glennis has had a 30-year association with the Dannevirke Highland Pipe Band, serving as secretary for 25 years.
The band is celebrating its 50th reunion in September and will be the third reunion that Glennis has been involved in.
She is a member of the Cancer Society's support group and spent 10 years co-ordinating Daffodil Day in Dannevirke. Now she spends time cooking meals and baking for cancer patients.
A member of Grey Power for 23 years, Glennis was a foundation member and still regularly attends their meetings. She was secretary for 12 years and president for seven.
But a role in the background is more to her liking.
"I'm not a good leader, but I am a good 2IC."
It was through Grey Power that Glennis became involved in the Dannevirke community patrol. It was after a talk at a Grey Power meeting by Mike Harold on the need for volunteers that Glennis joined up, patrolling the streets of Dannevirke once a week during the day and once a month at might.
"We keep an eye out for shoplifters and drug dealing. I once helped a woman who had fallen in the street by dressing her wound and taking her home."
She says community patrol is called on to find people who have gone missing.
"We are an extra pair of eyes in that situation."
Glennis works with a group of St John cadets aged between 6 and 8 years, teaching them a range of skills.
"Our aim is to teach them to be community-minded citizens. They learn first aid, health and safety and caring for different age groups within the community."
It's not Glennis's only association with St John,she is part of the health shuttle team that ferries patients to medical appointments and treatments in Palmerston North and around Dannevirke.
Music is a big part of Glennis's life she says and is a reason she has spent 18 years on air for Radio Dannevirke, playing music from the 50s and 60s.
"This volunteering is for me. I like all kinds of music. I present a programme of New Zealand music and one of bands on parade, but I also play jazz and light classical.
"I have to be careful not to play too much bagpipe music or to play it too loud."
As if Glennis's time isn't already fully taken up she has added the Elske Centre to her volunteering portfolio.
"I've just started volunteering there, I was filling in for another volunteer. But it's as much for me as it is for the clients.
"I love playing board games but my grandies are all past that now, so this is something I can do at the Elske Centre.
"When I leave to go home the clients ask me are you coming back tomorrow."
Knitting is a craft that Glennis is passionate about and always has a project on the go. While sitting knitting in the A&E department in Palmerston North Hospital waiting with a family member Glennis decided to knit teddy bears for children who were being treated.
She has knitted 1000 that she has donated to the hospital and also crochets four to six blankets a year for the hospital's renal department.
"People always say 'you do a lot for the community,' but the community does a lot for me. I don't like my own company for too long."
