Editorial: Weekend to honour those who contribute

One of the great things about Queen's Birthday Weekend is that it's not just a chance for most of us to get an extra day off work.
It's also a chance to celebrate the achievements of those who make a difference in our community, through the annual Birthday Honours.
There's normally a fairly wide spread in terms of distribution of honours and, once again, Wanganui has not missed out, with two of the city's residents receiving gongs.
Featuring on the list alongside such well-known figures as John Banks, Howard Broad, Kerry Prendergast, John Hawkesby and Stephen Fleming, are Wanganui's Tim Metcalfe and Anita Thirtle, who both receive Queen's Service Medals.
Mr Metcalfe, who receives his QSM for services to the community, should be well-known to readers of the Chronicle.
He's featured in the pages of this newspaper many times, mainly in his role as chief executive of Jigsaw Whanganui, which works for the betterment of children and families.
Mr Metcalfe has had 35 years' experience in community education, counselling and social work.
Mrs Thirtle has perhaps kept a lower profile, but her work is no less significant.
A JP, Mrs Thirtle has been president of the Wanganui branch of the New Zealand-Chinese Association since its inception in 1990 and is a director of the Wanganui Contract Bridge Club.
Dedicating herself to helping people of Chinese descent in the Wanganui region, Mrs Thirtle has acted as a support person in court cases, as well as an interpreter and an advocate.
In recent years there's been plenty of debate surrounding the merits of the traditional honours bestowed upon members of our community, mainly around knighthoods, which were reinstated by the government in 2009, after being controversially replaced by the previous administration.
It's an interesting debate, and one which is inextricably linked to discussions around our national identity and sense of place in the world.
However, now is not the time for that debate.
Much more important is the need to celebrate people like Mr Metcalfe and Mrs Thirtle, who through their efforts have made such a meaningful contribution to our community.
Wanganui would be a much poorer place without people like them.
Feedback: editor@wanganuichronicle.co.nz