Hawke's Bay honours: Scouting matriarch Margaret McKibbin QSM 'absolutely blown away'

Margaret McKibbin has been awarded the Queen's Service Medal for her services to scouting.

Margaret McKibbin isn't a fan of the limelight.

McKibbin has devoted her life to the scouting movement, having been a Cub and Kea Scout leader since 1966. Finding out she had been nominated for a QSM came as a shock.

"I was absolutely blown away. I had no idea. I prefer working in the background and quietly getting things done. I absolutely hate being the front person."

Getting things done has certainly been McKibbin's mantra, taking on several roles over the years, including District Kea Leader, overseeing the establishment of 15 Kea Scout clubs throughout Napier/Hastings.

McKibbin was then area/zone Kea leader for the Waiapu Area for eight years, where she played a major role in developing the skills and capabilities of other Kea Leaders.

McKibbin became a national trainer, training about 200 Scout leaders from 1991 to 2002. She gave away her area/zone leadership duties in 2013 and became leader of the Kea club at Westshore Sea Scouts in Napier.

In 2014, McKibbin received the Napier City Council Civic Award for her services to youth, having also fundraised for St John Ambulance youth and volunteered with the National Aquarium of New Zealand.

In 2017, McKibbin became Guild Master of Napier's Baden Powell Guild, providing fellowship and activities for scouting's most senior retired leaders. She was also on the committee that hosted the national Guild body's conference that year.

McKibbin is now one of the Baden Powell Guild representatives on the New Zealand Scout and Guiding Fellowship.

"I'm not able to run around with the youth anymore."

She says she looks upon the award as recognition for all of the other leaders in scouting who have volunteered their time.

"I haven't done anything that anyone else in scouting wouldn't have done. That's the way we were brought up — duty is very high on the agenda."