Youth key to future Anzac spirit
Wimmera service representatives and RSL members believe the Anzac spirit will thrive in the future, as long as the region’s youth carry on the stories and recognition of the impact of soldiers’ sacrifices.
As generations pass and the ranks of service men and women decline, RSL members are encouraging younger generations to continue their participation and to one day ‘fly the flag’ in annual commemorations.
Horsham RSL vice-president Don Pirouet said youth involvement in Anzac services was a key in fostering strength of the Anzac spirit.
“As I have started my position here, I ‘very much’ want to see increased participation from younger generations,” he said.
“One day we are not going to be around to fly the flag for younger people.
“I think it is important they are able to learn from an early age what this day means, and I think parents have a lot to be congratulated for in teaching that.”
Recognition
Services across the Wimmera, Southern Mallee and Grampians will begin at dawn, honouring the lives and service of defence-force personnel who were or are involved in international conflict to protect Australia.
Horsham will host one of the largest services in the region, starting with a dawn service at Sawyer Park at 6.15am.
Students and other young people will continue to play a strong role in the commemorations.
“We have the school captains of Horsham College and St Brigid’s College Horsham reading letters from local diggers again, and we will try to include a third college, Horsham Holy Trinity Lutheran College, next year, because they are in their first year of running year 12,” Mr Pirouet said.
“We also have two troops of boy Scouts and girl Guides.
“We are going into a new era, but we will certainly not forget the forefathers who developed the Anzac spirit in the past.”
Jeparit RSL secretary Campbell Mckenzie echoed Mr Pirouet’s sentiment.
He said increased involvement with Jeparit primary school children, as well as the wider community, was forefront in keeping involvement high and the Anzac spirit alive, despite a fall in the number of RSL members.
“Jeparit Primary School children will actually be singing part of a hymn on the day this year, and then everyone else will join them,” Mr Mckenzie said.
“We did a small project where we wrote some family names that have been in the area for a hundred or more years onto crosses and gave those to school children who placed them at the memorial site.
“It is good for students to take part in little things like that to keep involvement.
“We try to involve the community as best we can too. For instance, we encourage people to get off the footpath and walk with us in our Anzac Day march.
“RSL membership is declining and it is difficult to encourage more members, but we battle with it the best we can.”
Tomorrow marks 104 years since Australian soldiers landed at Gallipoli in the First World War.
As part of commemorations, Ace Radio will present live broadcasts of Horsham’s Anzac Day dawn and 11am commemorative services from Horsham cenotaph at Sawyer Park.
The dawn broadcast will be on 3WM from 6.30am and the 11am service on MIXX FM.
“We are going into a new era, but we will certainly not forget the forefathers who developed the Anzac spirit in the past” – Don Pirouet