23 April 2013 Lincoln University staff and alumni prominent in community ANZAC Day service

Community, national and international togetherness is the theme of this year’s Lincoln Community Anzac Day Service in the Lincoln Event Centre, Meijer Drive, Lincoln, at 2.00pm on Thursday 25 April.

Drawing inspiration from Anzac values and sacrifices made in war, three speakers will emphasise aspects of the “togetherness” theme. They are  Lincoln University’s Assistant Vice-Chancellor  responsible for community relations, Professor Hirini Matunga; the President of the Lincoln University Alumni Association and former Canterbury Flames and Tactix netballer, Jo Spencer-Bower (nee McCaw); and a New Zealand Defence Force officer returned from Afghanistan.

Lincoln University Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Dr Mark Wilson, a former Army officer, will recite the ode “To The Fallen”.   

Conduct of the service will be shared by Lincoln University’s Senior Chaplain Rev. Glenda Hicks and Lincoln Baptist Church Pastor Rev. Kim Peters.

Adding an historical reminder to an important past example of international togetherness, American and Russian born staff members Rachel Gabbard-Jaspers and Anna Soboleva will share reading the names of Lincoln’s wartime dead inscribed on the township’s war memorial.  America, Britain, and Russia, known as the “Big Three”, were the victorious allies in the Second World War.

Another feature of the service is an honour guard, complete with drawn swords, made up of students from Lincoln High School. The Last Post and Reveille will be sounded by Lincoln High School’s Head Boy, cornetist Miles Bennett. 

The service includes re-dedication of a small memorial stone and plaque commemorating the end of the war in the Pacific in 1945. This has been re-located from near the Liffey Bridge in the township to make it part of the official war memorial site at the Event Centre.

The Community Service will be attended by Selwyn MP the Hon Amy Adams and the Mayor of Selwyn Kelvin Coe. The Master of Ceremony is Lincoln resident Gordon Habgood JP, ex-RNZAF, Squadron Leader (Ret.). The service will be followed by afternoon tea, to which all are invited.

Local groups supporting the service with volunteer helpers and in other capacities are Lincoln University, Selwyn District Council, RSA (Springs Branch), Lincoln Rotary Club,  Lincoln Volunteer Fire Brigade, Lincoln Netball Club, Lincoln Rugby Football Club, Lincoln Scouts and Guides, Lincoln High School, and Churches of Lincoln.