Rodger plans to call it a day

COUNTING DOWN: Rodger Beatson, about to give the grass at Abundant Life School one final cut.

The one thing Rodger Beatson has not experienced a great deal of in his 70 years is down time. Even last week, as he prepared for his final few days of paid employment as caretaker at Kaitaia's Abundant Life School, he was ticking off a mental list of Jobs to be Done.

That list included building an extra bedroom for a daughter in Auckland and a 14-bed dormitory for Far North Surf Rescue at Ahipara. He will still have lawns to mow, albeit only his own, and will be spending more time with his family.

There are still some fish out there somewhere with his name on them too, but Rodger's not a man who ever seems to be in a hurry, and they will no doubt have to take their turn.

He reminisced a little last week as he tucked into morning tea at ALS (for only the second time this year, he reckoned), and there was plenty to look back on, including a phenomenal record of service to his community, underpinned by his devotion to the Ahipara Fire Brigade. He's still there, albeit more in a support role these days.

"I'm there if they need me, but I tend to leave the fires to the younger fullahs," he said, adding that with 22 volunteers, seven of them women, now on the roster the brigade was in very good heart.

Rodger described himself last week as blessed. He had certainly enjoyed his seven years at ALS, which he said had provided him with the least stressful job he had ever had, a compliment that was reciprocated by principal Mark Tan.

He noted in the school newsletter, for the record, that Rodger, the youngest of four children, educated at Kaitaia Primary and College but resident at Ahipara from the age of 12, had worked at Kaitaia's timber mill for 30 years and was the Kaitaia Golf Club's green keeper for two years before taking up the school caretaker's role.

He had served as a volunteer firefighter for 52 years, 38 of them as Chief Fire Officer at Ahipara, was (and still is) patron of Ahipara Surf Rescue, twice competed at the World Firefighting Games, served as an honorary fisheries officer, a DOC fire officer, a jailer for the police in Kaitaia, an ambulance officer and Justice of the Peace.

He also represented the New Zealand Fire Service in trap shooting.

"It's not often that you get to work alongside a man of such character and quality," Mr Tan wrote.

"Rodger is the one who whistles merry tunes in and around the school on a daily basis. Rodger is the one who is always 'GREAT!' when asked how he is.

"Rodger is a man of many talents, yet for me, the one thing that stands out amongst them all is the way he conducts himself.

"A man of integrity, a man of dignity, a man of honour, a man with great manners, a man of encouragement, a man of wisdom, a real gentleman.

"I also acknowledge his wonderful wife Iri, who has blessed so many of us over the years. An amazing woman of faith. Rodger, thank you for your time with us. Thank you for teaching us what it is to serve others. Thank you for teaching us how to honour the Lord in all we do.

"Thank you for teaching us how to honour our spouses, families and young people. Thank you for being a part of our school whanau. That will never change.

"We will miss you mightily."