KEY POINTS:
Harry Baycroft nearly lost his leg in World War II. Yet the Dargaville 83-year-old was grudging when forced to cut his 60 hours a week of physically draining volunteer work back to 50 hours, after falling out of a tree and breaking ribs.
He has supervised the town's periodic detention gangs for the last 11 years, teaching them practical skills such as tree felling and life lessons in self-respect.
A member of the Canadian light infantry, Mr Baycroft served in Italy and was part of the force that liberated Belgium until his heel was "blown off" in Holland.
He moved to New Zealand with his wife in 1990. In 1997 he went to a work day where some of the old folk struggled with the physical labour. Yet there were a constant collection of fit young men behind the courthouse doing nothing.
After inquiring, Mr Baycroft learned the young men were there to do their community service, but had no supervisor. That was all the encouragement he needed.
His willingness to be a friend and counsellor to the young men, combined with his experience in agriculture and his practical knowledge, made him a perfect leader.
And he has received no money for the work, not even to cover petrol costs.
"No, it's strictly voluntary. And I get by. When my wife was here," - she died nine years ago - "it was a lot easier.
"The work is there. I enjoy doing it. The people need help and I can do it. Otherwise I'll just be sitting at home and twiddling my thumbs and feeling sorry for poor old Harry. And I haven't got time to feel sorry for him just yet."
He hasn't got time because he's a tireless worker. When he's not supervising the community work gangs, he's acting as the Dargaville RSA's welfare and pensions officer, or caring for the RSA cemetery, or giving his time to other organisations around the town.
Mr Baycroft says some of his friends think he is mad still giving so much of his time to the work.
"But I just do it because it's a job that needs doing. That's all. And I'll keep on doing it. I don't do it for glory or anything else. It's just the satisfaction of doing something for somebody who really needs it.
"You don't get anything out of life without putting something back into it. That's what my grandfather told me, and what his grandfather told him. So I'm trying it. It's what keeps me young and good looking."
