Army cadets best in NZ

Mangawhai’s army cadets have been together for barely a year, yet already they have proved themselves to be the best in the country, by winning the National Skills competition.

At a ceremony at the Mangawhai golf course, which followed a fundraising tournament on behalf of the cadets, Minister of Defence Wayne Mapp presented the team with its trophy and gave cadets the good news that the corps is now officially recognised as a unit in its own right. Previously the group operated under the umbrella of Whangarei District.

Officer in charge, second lieutenant Sandra Grayson, who managed the skill at arms team, called the cadets an asset to the area.

“Teenagers can get a bad press, but this group just goes to show how wrong that assessment can be,” she said.

In turn, Mrs Grayson who is married to dairy farmer Charlie and has five children, was praised by tournament organiser Mike Howard.
“She’s super woman; a mother of five, dairy farmer, volunteer fire officer and the driving force of this group,” he said.

For the last six years, Mr Howard, an Auckland businessman, has organised a charity tournament to raise funds for the community he loves. This year’s tournament netted $9000 for the cadets.

The minister of defence, the Hon Wayne Mapp, with Sandra Grayson, Cpl Matthew