OUR SAY: Honours recipients may be modest but we applaud every effort

Nor would they claim to have been solely and completely responsible for the achievements listed in the King's Birthday award notes. For if it takes a village to raise a child, it also takes a community of like-minded, supportive people to create something new and positive.

And the June 2023 honours class incorporates a wide variety of worthwhile contributors to our region.

Getting good results for rice growers, raising money for bushfire victims and increasing study options for regional students all feature in these CVs, as does providing food, running children's sport and preserving social history.

"It comes from really wanting to put something back into the community in which you live," Bright SES stalwart Roy Kennedy said when speaking of his Emergency Services Medal.

Former Greater Hume mayor Denise Knight, who now lives in Bairnsdale, said she learned so much through her involvement in local government projects.

"I think that makes you proud when you've got your community backing you and understanding the decisions we're making and getting involved in them," she said.

IN THE NEWS:

Not all endeavours impact hordes of people at once - veteran Gary Treeve's motto is "if I can save just one from falling through the cracks, then I have achieved my objective".

Yackandandah potter John Dermer's career has exceeded five decades, and he acknowledges his wife Shirley's role.

"I could have given up many times, because it's simply just too hard, and without her, I wouldn't have got this far," he said.

Perseverance plays a big part in many projects, but so too does personal satisfaction.

As Cobram's Frank Wallace notes, "it's not a one-way thing".

"You gain a lot of experience and it's great to see the expression on people's faces when you hand the food out to them," he said.

Volunteering can be its own reward, we know, but to keep on putting in, year after year, with no thought of personal gain will always be worthy of recognition.

And so, despite their protests, we will hold up our newest honours recipients and say once again, thank you for your service.

MORE COMMENT

To read more stories, download The Border Mail news app in the Apple Store or Google Play.

Our journalists work hard to provide local, up-to-date news to the community. This is how you can continue to access our trusted content: