Editorial: Good for the youth who get 'stuck in'

There was a lot of pride about on Anzac Day.

We heard the stories of valour and courage, and of so many lives lost at a tragically early time in their lives.

Watching the Dawn Parade and the Civic Service later in the morning, I was struck by the pride many young people clearly had in the uniforms they were wearing. The cadets, and the land and sea scouts. They marched straight and true, clearly recognising the importance of the moment.

I have seen the army and air training corps cadet units from across Hawke's Bay on many occasions and they never fail to impress.

It is the discipline and the determination and, of course, the pride in wearing their uniforms and carrying out the duties they are assigned.

It is youth at its best.

So I was delighted to see a local lad, Brandon Taylor, from Flaxmere, pick up a New Zealand Defence Force top leadership award during a two-week stint at Waiouru which he attended along with other young "troops" from the Flaxmere College Services Academy.

The academy was set up to provide an inspiring place for young people who may have become disengaged with schooling or struggle academically.

Brandon embraced the hard graft of military life, getting up at 5am and going on runs and taking part in all manner of challenging programmes - and he came out with flying colours, saying he now had a strong focus in life and a clearer idea of where life would take him after his school years wrapped up.

His academy director simply said of Brandon that he "knew how to work, he didn't moan, he just got stuck in".

Good on him.

And good on two more young locals who have sparked early in their lives.

High school students Coco Kerckhoffs and Georgia Lock, whose passions lie in the realm of the sciences, are set to head overseas as part of the Royal Society of New Zealand's international learning programme. They will attend lectures, visit remarkable places and meet with inspiring people.

They get to do so as they have earned it.

Like Brandon, they "got stuck in".

It's unfortunate that many young people tend to pop up in the news for the wrong reasons, so these stories sort of buoy the soul.

They're the future - and it appears to be in pretty good hands.