Whangārei St John volunteer Margaret Suckling has been made a Dame of the Order of St John, the first in Northland. Photo / Tania Whyte
Whangārei St John volunteer Margaret Suckling has been made a Dame of the Order of St John, the first in Northland. Photo / Tania Whyte
About 45 years ago Margaret Suckling decided to take a St John's course while working at Kamo Primary School so she could help the children when they got injured while playing.
Suckling says she also wanted to be able to help people if needed, and that dedication has seen her made the first, and only, Dame of the Order of St John in Northland.
It's a special award, and one that recognises her outstanding service with St John in Whangārei and her commitment to helping others.
St John said Suckling has been a standout member of St John in Northland for more than 45 years.
"There is no one who does more to further the work of the Order of St John and look after the welfare needs of the Northland-based membership than Margaret. Her devotion and commitment to the work of St John in Northland has been exceptional," the organisation said.
She was a critical member of the St John Regional Order Affairs Committee for two three-year terms during which she pursued new initiatives to improve the St John community across the region, including developing social and welfare initiatives to assist Order members.
Following her tenure as a volunteer with the St John Regional Order Affairs Committee, Suckling continued to regularly travel a considerable distance to support Order of St John events and ceremonies, as well as provide support and care to ill and invalid members.
She is still considered as the "go-to" member for the Regional Order Matters team for any issue related to Northland and she never fails to deliver. Suckling organises annual service awards ceremonies, supports family members and friends during Order member bereavements and assists St John Community Health Service volunteers with staff recognition events.
St John estimates that her involvement reaches hundreds of hours a year, if not more.
Suckling said after completing the St John course all those years ago an instructor said that they needed somebody to be the St John person to attend netball games that weekend and asked her to do it.
"I asked who to meet there to show me what to do and they said: 'Nobody, you'll be by yourself'."
They threw her in at the deep end and Suckling said she determined that she wouldn't let that happen to anybody else, and her long volunteer career began.
She said she does the work because she loves helping people, and she fully supports the Order of St John and the outstanding work it does.
Suckling said there are too many memories to single any out, and so many great people she has worked with to mention them all.
Long-time friends and St John volunteers Margaret Suckling, left, and Nancy Greenfield at the Whangārei St John Ambulance Station in 2012. Suckling is now one of 11 Dames of the Order of St John.
But she has a wonderful relationship with her friend Nancy Greenfield, who was herself honoured for 50 years' service with an Order of St John Service Medal last year.
''When Nancy came down from Kawakawa we just hit it off straight away, and we've been friends ever since. We think the same way and we've got the same views on St John, and most things.
''When we used to be in the ambulance together people would call us the Terrible Twins, mainly because people had trouble telling us apart as we were very similar.''
Suckling says she's met many wonderful people through St John and that it was a great way for anybody to make friends, learn new things and, best of all, help people.
• St John Youth Resource member - Northland District • Whangārei Hospitaller Club member – a welfare and St John Eye Hospital fundraising role • St John Chaplain - Northland Area – providing care and pastoral support
Previous roles
• Northern Regional St John Order Affairs Committee member • St John Whangārei Area Committee member • St John Whangārei Youth District and Area manager • St John Caring Caller Whangārei District manager
CRITERIA FOR MEMBERSHIP OF THE ORDER OF ST JOHN
• Admission or promotion in the Order of St John is an honour bestowed on a St John member.
• It is based on exceptional service, not on a person's age or length of service.
• A nominee is expected to stand out from their peers.
• To be promoted further, it must be shown that the standard of service or leadership displayed is exceptional and over and above that which might ordinarily be expected of a person.
• It must have been displayed in the period since the candidate's admission to the Order, or last promotion.
THE CRITERIA FOR DAME
• The candidate should over a sustained period or in circumstances of acute crisis or pressure have made an outstanding contribution to the Order of St John by leadership or demonstrable achievement in a position carrying major responsibility, such leadership and achievement being seen as significant and inspirational.
• This leadership or achievement will usually have been at an international, national, or regional level but in exceptional cases may be at a local level.
• There are currently just 11 Dames of the Order of St John so it is a prestigious honour.
This Royal Honour is sanctioned by Her Majesty the Queen as she is the Sovereign Head of the Most Venerable Order of the Hospital of St John of Jerusalem.
