In a classroom at the former St Georges School in Whanganui a group of teenagers is getting a lesson in dinner etiquette.
Their instructor Richard Hitchcock tells one youth to stand up when a lady enters the room, and teaches him how to shake hands - advising that a discreet arm wrestle is not appropriate for ladies.
Outside Graham Gillespie bellows at cadets trying to carry a stretcher without spilling the cup and saucer of water placed on in. A bit slops over the rim of the cup.
"On the off chance the patient is still alive, proceed ahead, quick march," he shouts.
St John's National Youth Festival was held in Whanganui on April 21-24. And this year is the 90th anniversary of St John Youth, which was started here by Ted Gilbert in 1927.
Because of the anniversary the Central District festival organising committee decided to have a bit of fun.
"We wanted to make sure it's something for all the cadets to remember," co-ordinator Narika Hunter said.
There were 226 instructors and cadets registered for the long weekend, and the old fashioned former preparatory school was an ideal venue for Sunday morning's lessons. The tutors used 1927-style uniforms and archive information, and they really relished their parts.
Males and females had separate lessons, as they would have in the 1920s.
"The girls do all the nursey stuff and the boys do all the important stuff," St John youth head Jacci Tatnell said.
The young people heard about 1920s techniques "none of which we really use now".
In the resuscitation class, Danielle Gillespie told cadets to "grasp the tongue so it doesn't take over the airway". In the nursing class Norma Lane told the girls it was their job to make sure visitors didn't stay too long and weary their patients.
After their lessons the teenagers spent the afternoon doing fun activities with inflatable objects - jousting, racing toilets and getting into zorb balls. At the special dinner that night the Lord Prior of St John, London's Sir Malcolm Ross, announced St John's youth strategy for the next 15 years.
The strategy aims to stay relevant to today's youth.
The annual festival is funded by participants' registration fees, plus sponsorship and donations. St John's New Zealand youth programme has 7500 members, with 48 in Whanganui.