You get some great, amazingly fantastic news. What’s the first thing you do?

In early December 2023, I was advised by the Governor General Office and Canberra, that I was to be the recipient of an Order of Australia Medal for services to Education. The award was to be announced on the Australia Day on January 26, 2023. The conferral will take place sometime in May 2023.

It was a requirement of this notification that I kept absolute secrecy and allowed no information to pass my lips to anyone.

I made one exception – my wife. She is probably better at keeping secrets than myself, but I had to share with her, especially because of the fact we have been together for so very long, 54 years. (We married in January 1969).

When the announcement was made on January 26 2023, It was news to our three children.

It was wonderful to celebrate and I appreciated the many messages I received and congratulating me on the award.

When advised of my being endorsed for the metal, I replied to the secretary of the Governor General’s office. attached is a copy of what I wrote.

“Dear Mr Singer

Thank you for this advice and please know that I feel both pride and humility in being recognised as an OAM recipient to be announced on January 26.  I appreciate whoever nominated me and have to tell you that your email has made my day.  I will value this honour highly and appreciate all who have been a part of deciding this conferral.

I gave up the possible inheritance of a family farm to enter teacher’s college as a mature-age student in 1968, this being the beginning of a very satisfying and fulfilling career. 

Might I please share with you my statement of mission, developed during a leadership program in 1983, which became the ethos and the underpinning driver of my life.

“ To fulfil and be fulfilled in organisational terms, family, work and recreation.

   To acquit my responsibilities with integrity.

   To work (I later changed ‘work’ to ‘live’) with a smile in my heart.”

Again, thank you for your advice and an inner feeling of uplift engendered within my being.”