Post by jack on Nov 26, 2005 22:49:37 GMT 12
Gidday
Well, I just have to take my hat off to the people of Kurow, a tiny North Otago town, in general and the Kurow Heritage Centre in particular.
Our Remembrance Day observance in New Zealand over the last few decades has been pathetic to say the least. However, the Kurow Heritage Centre has tried to reverse that. They had the following article printed in the Bugle, the little news letter they put out.
Armistice Day
The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. This moment was marked by the cessation of hostilities between the Allied powers and Germany. A cease-fire agreement was signed at Rethondes, France, bringing World War 1 to a close.
Between the wars, November 11 was commemorated as ‘Armistice Day’ in the United States, Great Britain and France. After World War II, the holiday was recognized as a day of tribute to veterans of both world wars.
The first two minute silence was held on 11 November 1919, when King George V asked the public to observe a silence at 11am. This was one year after the end of World War 1. He made the request so, "the thoughts of everyone may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead".
New Zealand already had ANZAC Day as a time of remembrance, special to the region. An Act of Parliament was passed to this effect in 1917, before the Great War had even ended. It was particularly in remembrance of Gallipoli but is now generally accepted as a time to honour all who have fallen in the service of our country.
In 1922 an Act of Parliament introduced a requirement for all businesses, trains, busses, shops and schools to stop for two minutes silence at 11am on the 11th of the 11th. At schools and wherever there was a flagpole the tradition of ‘The Lowering of the Flag and The Raising of the Flag’ was practiced. Somehow, in recent years this has been forgotten. Apart from official public events we don’t seem to mark the occasion anymore. That has now changed in Kurow.
At the Kurow Heritage Centre we had just installed a flagpole but had not yet graced it with a flag. Looking for the right opportunity to celebrate this we contacted the Upper Waitaki RSA and invited them to ‘Christen’ the pole with the Armistice Day lowering and raising of the flag ceremony. They accepted and this took place at 11am on Friday the 11th of November, 2005.
We also invited all of the businesses in Kurow to shut for the duration of this ceremony, as used to be the custom and is still practiced in the UK.
The ceremony consisted of lowering the flag, at the 11th hour, to the Bugler, John Sturgeon, playing the Last Post, then two minutes silence, and the raising of the flag to the Revelry. An airy quiet came over the town as the flag was lowered. Only disturbed by the odd vehicle. The attention of many was drawn to see what was going on as RSA President Chum Cleave performed the duty with the flag and a small group of representatives from the RSA, Heritage Centre, local business and the media gathered at the site.
Organisers were very happy with the response, especially considering the short notice given. We hope that this will become an annual tradition again in Kurow as we no longer have the excuse that we do not have a flagpole.
Jon Brocas
So, once again I just want to say thanks Jon.
Well, I just have to take my hat off to the people of Kurow, a tiny North Otago town, in general and the Kurow Heritage Centre in particular.
Our Remembrance Day observance in New Zealand over the last few decades has been pathetic to say the least. However, the Kurow Heritage Centre has tried to reverse that. They had the following article printed in the Bugle, the little news letter they put out.
Armistice Day
The 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of 1918. This moment was marked by the cessation of hostilities between the Allied powers and Germany. A cease-fire agreement was signed at Rethondes, France, bringing World War 1 to a close.
Between the wars, November 11 was commemorated as ‘Armistice Day’ in the United States, Great Britain and France. After World War II, the holiday was recognized as a day of tribute to veterans of both world wars.
The first two minute silence was held on 11 November 1919, when King George V asked the public to observe a silence at 11am. This was one year after the end of World War 1. He made the request so, "the thoughts of everyone may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead".
New Zealand already had ANZAC Day as a time of remembrance, special to the region. An Act of Parliament was passed to this effect in 1917, before the Great War had even ended. It was particularly in remembrance of Gallipoli but is now generally accepted as a time to honour all who have fallen in the service of our country.
In 1922 an Act of Parliament introduced a requirement for all businesses, trains, busses, shops and schools to stop for two minutes silence at 11am on the 11th of the 11th. At schools and wherever there was a flagpole the tradition of ‘The Lowering of the Flag and The Raising of the Flag’ was practiced. Somehow, in recent years this has been forgotten. Apart from official public events we don’t seem to mark the occasion anymore. That has now changed in Kurow.
At the Kurow Heritage Centre we had just installed a flagpole but had not yet graced it with a flag. Looking for the right opportunity to celebrate this we contacted the Upper Waitaki RSA and invited them to ‘Christen’ the pole with the Armistice Day lowering and raising of the flag ceremony. They accepted and this took place at 11am on Friday the 11th of November, 2005.
We also invited all of the businesses in Kurow to shut for the duration of this ceremony, as used to be the custom and is still practiced in the UK.
The ceremony consisted of lowering the flag, at the 11th hour, to the Bugler, John Sturgeon, playing the Last Post, then two minutes silence, and the raising of the flag to the Revelry. An airy quiet came over the town as the flag was lowered. Only disturbed by the odd vehicle. The attention of many was drawn to see what was going on as RSA President Chum Cleave performed the duty with the flag and a small group of representatives from the RSA, Heritage Centre, local business and the media gathered at the site.
Organisers were very happy with the response, especially considering the short notice given. We hope that this will become an annual tradition again in Kurow as we no longer have the excuse that we do not have a flagpole.
Jon Brocas
So, once again I just want to say thanks Jon.