Editorial: Honours are well deserved

Graeme Avery was knighted this Queen's Birthday weekend.

There has long been debate over the presentation of honours, which come complete with letters after a name, at this time of the year.

This weekend the 2014 Queen's Birthday Honours have been announced and there are some out there who regard such events as irrelevant and unnecessary - citing them as a hangover from the days of the British Empire.

But, it has to be argued, what is irrelevant and unnecessary about saying "thank you" to someone who has gone, as they say, the extra mile in the cause of whichever community service they have pursued with passion, vigour and without thought of reward?

That is what the Queen's Birthday Honours quite simply are.

They are thank you notes, from a very high order.

Looking through the honours lists as we prepared yesterday to pay tribute to Bay people who have gone that extra mile, I was struck by the sheer devotion to duty these recipients embraced.

In a great many cases the services are voluntary ones - and even those who have put their hearts into paid working roles for their communities inevitably have volunteer service tucked away in their service CVs somewhere.

Through the years I have probably called and spoken to 30 or 40 people who have been rewarded with some of the country's, and Commonwealth's, highest honours. To a person they were humble about it.

Some of them stunned me when I went through the fine print of their service. They engage with so many associations, trusts and committees I often have to ask them if they ever get the chance to take some time out. They do, but getting things done is as satisfying to so many of these people as having a few days away. They earn the letters after their names and long may that be so.