St John Priory Vote of Thanks for Levin's Crowe Construction

Ross Crowe of Crowe Construction received the Priory Vote of Thanks from the Order of St John from Rex Wheeler , who is a a member of the organisation's Central Region Trust.

Staff at St John in Horowhenua gathered last Thursday to honour some of their volunteers for years of service to the order and to witness the awarding of Priory Vote of Thanks to Ross Crowe and his team at Crowe Construction.

A Priory Vote of Thanks is awarded to clubs, institutions, an individual or a business for conspicuous services to St John and is awarded by the Prior of the Order of St John, Governor-General of New Zealand Dame Patsy Reddy.

Rex Wheeler from Feilding, a member of the Central Region Trust Board and a Knight of Grace of the Order of St John, handed Ross Crowe the framed document.

"Ross Crowe and his team have been strong supporters for many years," the citation reads." His generosity has been provided without solicitation and willingly. Often Ross will attend himself to address an urgent issue, or he will provide staff members from another job to provide assistance.

"Without the support of local people like Ross, St John would not be the organisation it is today. His assistance both in terms of actual work done and on our premises as well as advice given is much valued by St John."

Sandra Webb received a three year service award from St John. She is a local op-shop volunteer. She was handed the award by Rex Wheeler, a member of the Central region Trust and a Knight of the Order.

Ambulance drivers, op-shop volunteers and staff and shuttle drivers were among those at the presentation. Donations from St John's Anglican church in Ōhau as well as a cheque from St John Horowhenua were handed to Paul O'Flaherty of St John Central Region office in Wellington to help support the three eye hospitals the order runs in Jerusalem.

The three-year service award was presented to Sandra Webb, a Levin op shop volunteer.

The Order traces its origins back to the Knights Hospitaller in the Middle Ages, which was later known as the Order of Malta. They became associated with the founding in 1882 of the St John Ophthalmic Hospital near the old city of Jerusalem and the St John Ambulance Brigade in 1887.