I'm continually befuddled by the lack of Kiwi spirit in New Zealand. Let me give you an example. Our 11 year old son is in the Boy Scouts that just started a branch in Stratford last year. It was all formal with the 'parent meeting'--appointing people for important sounding stuff and all that.
Of all the parents and leaders who had any gumption to participate, there were :
A Canadian
Two Brits
An American
One Kiwi
The other 3 Kiwi parents had little interest at all in the proceedings. Makes a preson go "Hmmmm".
It put me in mind of a bit earlier when I volunteered to clean the building where the Girl Guides and Boy Scouts and various other groups held their meetings. I volunteered to have something to give back to the community and it was a relief to the person in charge because having a list of parents to clean ONE DAY A SCHOOL TERM was apparently more than some could handle and the building didn't get much attention. Besides all that, no one bothered to do any more than absolutely necessary, hence there were cobwebs covering the ceiling beams and windows. Anyway, those present when I volunteered were dumbfounded that I would want to do that. "You don't get paid for it," was the first thing said after a pregnant silence. Once again proving that Kiwi spirit is comatose. And yet the news and most personal attitudes is very anti-American. Maybe they're jealous that Americans rally together when something needs to be done.
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