SSGT Robert (Bob) Mankelow RNZIR
One of the features of Army Reserve (ARes) personnel is their commitment to service and to their unit. Often such service is measured in decades. Given that Army Reserve personnel have civilian careers, in addition to their ARes commitment, such long service has great merit and is worthy of recognition.
SSGT Mankelow receiving his 2nd clasp to the Efficiency Medal in 2002 from the Mayor of Rotorua.
Staff Sergeant Robert (Bob) Mankelow is a good example of commitment and utility that often typifies senior Territorial Force staff.
Staff Sergeant RJ Mankelow enlisted in the NZ Army on 4 January 1967. He was awarded the Efficiency Medal on 10 May 1979; first clasp on 12 October 1992, second clasp on 5 March 2003 and third clasp on 22 June 2009. SSGT Mankelow is currently an Instructor with the training team. He has served 6th (Hauraki) Battalion Group for 43 years, and continues to be an active, energetic and willing participant in Battalion Group activities.
SSGT Mankelow is also a long-serving member of the 6th Hauraki Regiment Association, having been on its committee since inception. He occupies the role of Bar Manager, in which duty he is conspicuous at Anzac Day. The Association bar contributes funding to the 6 Hau unit private fund and SSGT Mankelow works hard to ensure that the bar remains available to soldiers and Association members alike. He also ensures that Regimental merchandise is displayed and available for sale. He is active in providing support in the construction of the Association’s museum displays, alongside Sergeant Tony Fraser. SSGT Mankelow remains an active and valued member of the Association.
Bob’s civilian career commenced in 1965, when he commenced training as a fitter, turner, machinist. He was the top apprentice in his class and was rewarded by his employer with attendance at an Outward Bound course in Anakiwa in 1966. And so began a life long romance with the outdoors, and, with youth development.
During 1966, Bob was involved with the setting up and running (by a group of Outward Bound old boys) of a youth programme called Compass, developing 16 to 21 year olds.
A year later, in 1967, he was invited to become involved with the Kaimai Youth Camp Society and the Ngatuhoa Lodge facility as Secretary and Treasurer. He retained this position (Secretary / Treasurer) for 25 years.
Deciding that he was interested in outdoor education, he became a seasonal outdoor education instructor at Ngatuhoa Lodge, working during the Summers. He continued in this role for 14 years. Because he had taken a bit of a pay decrease, he supplemented his income by working the winter months as a field instructor for the New Zealand Forest Service, teaching staff bushcraft and outdoor living skills. He also took on some summer interpretation duties for visitors to the NZ Forest Service parks in the area. Marking himself as a young man of energy, he worked a third (part-time) job in town.
In 1987, when the Department of Conservation replaced the New Zealand Forest Service, Bob was invited to join the Department as a Ranger. During the next ten years he was involved with duties relating to marine mammals, threatened species, off-shore islands and recreational facilities.
In 1997 Bob left the Department of Conservation and worked for Work and Income New Zealand delivering skills to their Youth at Risk programme.
In 1999, Bob became a contractor to Environment Bay of Plenty delivering environmental monitoring services. Bob remains on contract to Environment Bay of Plenty currently.
Continuing his involvement in youth development, Bob has been involved with Youth Search and Rescue delivering bush craft and search skills to youth aged 14 to 17 years who have joined the search and rescue organisation. Bob is a member of Search and Rescue.
In recent times Bob has also delivered training to the SAS in rongo (the medicinal use of plants). Because of his skills in bush craft, Bob was appointed, and continues, as an assessor with the Mountain Safety Council. There can be little doubt that such community minded individuals make a significant contribution. Bob Mankelow is marked out as a man of commitment and energy. While ‘serving the Colours,’ he has also made an outstanding contribution to both the environment and youth development. SSGT Robert Mankelow is an excellent example of those long-serving individuals that live the Army ethos and are a rich part of the tapestry of the Army Reserve.
http://www.armyreserve.mil.nz/news/2010/ssgt-robert-mankelow-rnzir.htm
This is your life - Jeantine Michelle Mankelow
branch of family tree where do you fit in?
Granddaughter of Herbert Mankelow, Daughter of Ray Mankelow
current employment / study
I am a contract software developer and currently taking some time off to enjoy the summer and think about my next move, but previously was working at ING and Tom Tom, and a small Dutch company called Strawberries.
what keeps you busy? interests
Music - I love checking out new bands and going to concerts. I have always loved music, probably aided by my father constantly surrounding us with it, but now living in a city with a constant supply of good bands visiting this seems to have turned into a hobby.
Travelling - I like to visit new places and explore new cultures, which is a major reason I am living in Amsterdam and not New Zealand.
Photography - I enjoy taking pictures, my camera is a constant companion with me on every trip I go on, if you are on my facebook no doubt you will already know this. I would like to do more while I am not travelling but Amsterdam can be a busy place.
Shopping - this one is going to get me in trouble with my mother, but what can I say I love to shop and with no kids to support and a good paying job this is possible (don't worry Mum I still have lots of savings :))
Cycling - You can't live in Amsterdam and not own a bike, and this is one of the reasons I really love this city. You can get anywhere on your bike in 20 mins, and there is no better way to shake the sleep from your eyes or release the daily stress than a bike ride.
Yoga/Pilates/Dance - along with cycling, this is what keeps me fit and keeps me sane :)
I like to keep busy :)
Most memorable life moment
Stoned off your head and answering the door to the police at 3 in the morning is perhaps not a good way to meet your neighbours for the first time! Yet this is what happened when some of my friends from London came to visit me in Amsterdam. They may not appreciate this story as they are still in denial, but you should be able to laugh at yourself I say.
Part of the standard tour of Amsterdam includes sampling the local fare, marajuana, which is legal to smoke in the Netherlands. As neither my friends or I smoke, we decided to sample the brownies, 1 each, first mistake. Ignoring the advice on the label we ate the whole thing, fairly quickly, second mistake. The night quickly turned hilarious and I can remember trying to hide from the police and all holding hands like little kids when crossing the road. Somehow we made it home. The problem with brownies though, is it is a mix and you never know exactly how much marajuna is in each piece, hence why the instructions say to eat a little bit and wait an hour to see how you feel before having more. Unfortuantely there seemed to be quite a lot in ours and after the hilarity passed we all quickly descended into the depths of paranoia. It got to the point that we all thought we were going to die and we rang the ambulance for help, which always amuses people over here. They told us we would be fine and to eat some sugary food. Goodbye expensive chocolates we had purchased earlier that day, hello to my friend making glasses of sugar water following her own personal receipe of 1/2 glass sugar, 1/2 glass of water and forcing everyone to drink them. My friend who I called in the morning to help with the aftermath said he found piles of sugar all over the house. I'm not sure what impression we must have given to the ambulance staff as they sent the police over. Hence my first memory of meeting my neighbours is standing around downstairs surrounded by the them, and their elderly parents who where over for the weekend, all in pjyamas talking to 3 policemen. The police, who were probably relieved to find we had not taken hallucinogenics, just laughed at us and told us we would be fine. We spent the rest of the night taking turns hugging the toliet seat. My advice, follow the instructions.
My favourite part of NZ and why...
My favourite part of NZ are the west coast beaches of Auckland. Although there is many a sunny beach in Europe with white sand and pristine clear water, nothing can compare to the untamed wild beauty of these beaches. Or to the feeling you get from standing hot and sweaty on a lookout platform of the nearby bush and looking out to the ocean with not another soul in sight.
Who/what would you be for a day?
I am perhaps more shallow than I would like to believe, as I would not change places with some great world leader and try to change the world or some great brain to find out what it is like to comprehend this world on another level, but I think for just one day I would change places with a rock star to see what the buzz of being on stage is like. Perhpas with Karen O, from the Yeah Yeah Yeahs, who puts on a pretty mean stage performance.
Currently in my CD player...
Well too much to mention really, but some of my recent disoveries are, Band of Skulls, Angus & Julia Stone, Stornoway, Broken Bells. Basically anything Indie Rock, with a touch, of pop, country and folk thrown in there.
Where will you find me at 10pm on Saturday night?
You are always spoilt for choice in Amsterdam, could be at a cocktail bar, at a concert, at a house party, at one of the visiting festivals, out for dinner with friends, or as this week tired from too many nights out during the week, enjoying some time at home watching movies and listening to music.
Favourite quote?
'I firmly believe in making your life a work of art.' - Katherine Oktober Mathews. This is actually a quote from a friend of mine, who has it as her byline on facebook. If everyone would live their life with this in mind, this world would be a more colourful place.
I am inspired by...
I am inspired by the free spirits who live their life with passion and live to create. Their music, pictures, movies, writing leaves me in awe, and makes me want to create also.
If I could give you just one tip, it would be...
Never think you can't. Your life will only be as big/rich as you dare to dream. Or in the words of Franklin D Roosevelt 'Men are not prisoners of fate, but only prisoners of their own minds''.
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