New president for boys' brigade

Richard Harkness is the new national president for Boys' Brigade New Zealand and ICONZ. Photo/supplied

Fifteen years ago Richard Harkness resurrected the local boys' brigade chapter at St Peters in the City.

Now he's boosting new growth for the brigade at a national level as their new president.

Richard, long-time captain of 5th Tauranga Boys' Brigade (now known as Tauranga City Iconz), recently took the reins as national president and will lead Boys' Brigade New Zealand (BBNZ) and the adventure-based ICONZ for the next two years.

Richard is the first candidate from the Bay of Plenty to be nominated for president and is excited to take on the role.

"I'm keen to do a good job. A lot of people are involved in the organisation in the frontline and I am keen to help support them."

The ethos of BBNZ and ICONZ is adventure, fun, faith, sport and to provide a place where a "boys can be boys".

"Activities include raftmaking, paintball, quad bikes, fishing trips, kayaking, surfing, shooting, motor bikes, fire-craft, bush-camping, mountain tramping, orienteering, snow- rips, abseiling, hunting trips, jetskis, go-karting and expeditions," Richard says.

"The lads are drawn to action-based programmes with excitement, danger, mud, blood and opportunities to build things and even destroy or smash them."

The programmes also provide an opportunity for good male role models for boys who do not have their dad regularly at home, he says.

Richard grew up in Zimbabwe and joined the brigade at age 16 where he helped build up the brigade presence in the community.

When he was 21 he was selected to represent BB Zimbabwe at the global conference for young leaders in Auckland. A few years later he was accepted as a candidate for the Order of Sir William under BBNZ to work voluntarily as youth coordinator in Wellington.

Richard has supported youth work at the 29th and 9th Wellington companies and the National BBNZ Leadership Development Course. He has organised a working party to the boys brigade in Fiji, plus supported camps within Australia and New Zealand.

Richard and wife Heather moved to Tauranga in 1995 with children Laura, now 19, and Mitchell, now 22. Heather was a girls brigade captain for more than a decade and Laura attended. Both Laura and Mitchell have achieved the highest badge to be gained, the Queen's badge.

Richard rekindled the 5th Tauranga Boys' Brigade at St Peters in the city in 2001. The group was in recess due to a lack of volunteers, but now they have 50 members.

■ There are BB/ICONZ groups throughout the Bay of Plenty. Check www.bb.org.nz for details.