Highest honour awarded to Coast cadets

Three Hato Hone/St John Hibiscus Coast cadets were presented with Grand Prior awards last week – the organisation’s highest accolade for cadets.

Kaede Prescott, and Faybian and Mia Shore were recognised for their dedication, teamwork and camaraderie, personal growth, leadership, and service to the community. 

In her first official duty as Commander of the Order of St John, Barbara Everiss said she was proud to be awarding three Grand Prior badges in the same youth division.

“It’s a rare honour. There is a lot of hard work involved in earning a Grand Prior as it takes three to four years to complete,” Everiss said.

All three cadets had to master skills in drill, hauora, health care, life skills and the history of the St John order, as well as earning five badges, a level 2 first aid qualification and completing 100 hours of community service.

The cadet programme is a way for youth to experience social, adventure, competitive and travel opportunities. Though children can join the youth division as early as six years of age, they can only begin working towards the Grand Prior once they turn 14. 

Divisional manager Helen Graham-Shore said the cadets illustrated remarkable commitment and passion for helping others, not only excelling in their personal development journeys but also making significant contributions through community service, first aid training initiatives, and leadership in local events.

“Their commitment to the values of St John, service, excellence, and respect highlights the positive impact they have on their communities,” Helen said. 

Faybian and Mia are third generation recipients of the Grand Prior following in the footsteps of their grandmother Margaret Graham and great aunt Eileen Mclean.

Margaret Graham confesses that Faybian joined at age six at her insistence, though she’s pleased he continued after discovering he loved the first aid badge work. 

“It’s a family legacy. Other than sports, the only thing we knew was St Johns,” Margaret said.

Margaret’s granddaughter Mia joined a year later and came to enjoy the discipline of the cadet programme and is now giving back by teaching drills to new cadets.

Kaede joined the youth division three years ago as a gold cadet and will now join the leadership team. Next year she will also be studying paramedicine at AUT.

Like Kaede, Faybian and Mia have also been inspired to choose careers in the medical field. Faybian has joined St John’s adult operational space and will soon complete his qualifications to become a first responder volunteer. His ambition is to become an emergency medical technician and to work full time on the ambulance. 

Still in school, Mia also plans to follow a  medical pathway.