Welcome to the fourth Council of Achievement for Blaxland Royal Rangers. My name is Victor Zalakos and it is my privilege to be the Senior Commander of this wonderful outpost.

Tonight we come together to honour the achievements of members of our Outpost. The Council of Achievement is a significant and special ceremony within Royal Rangers.

It is a time to pause and reflect on the past year. To pause and see how far we have come. To reflect on the changes that have occurred in our lives. And to recognise the growth and achievements we have made.

God is at work in this outpost.

With the introduction of a Straight Arrow pilot program this term we have some 70 Rangers and leaders involved here at Blaxland. This makes us the 6th largest outpost in NSW. Not bad for a group that only started two years ago.

Week by week we come together as Royal Rangers. We meet in this very room. Week by week we apply ourselves to the program, to our advancements, and we allow God to work in our lives.

From time to time we also meet on weekends for camps, hikes and other activities. This gives us the opportunity of applying what we have learned. Knowledge without experience is a waste. In Royal Rangers we believe that we must continually build up and improve four areas of our lives - physical, mental, social and spiritual.

Our campouts and weekly meetings are an avenue to do this.

We are learning to work together as teams, helping one another learn the things we need to learn and complete the things we need to accomplish.

Many of the things we do at first seem impossible or difficult. But by pulling together as a team, with each of us contributing as equals we achieve great things.

Tonight we come to recognise achievement.

Achievement is an important and essential component of each of our lives. Whether we are the youngest Buckaroo or the oldest leader or parent. Without achievement we are unable to measure our growth. Without recognition of that achievement further growth is stifled.

Royal Rangers is a vehicle to disciple and equip young people to take their place as God's agent in this world. The generation that you see represented in this Royal Ranger outpost is going to change the world. These boys and girls are already influencing and changing their community - and Royal Rangers is a part of what God is using to equip them for this task.

Already we are seeing amazing things happen in the life of this outpost. We have seen Rangers give their lives to Christ. We have seen children reach out to their friends. We have built relationships with our community. And we have built relationships with the greater world of Royal Rangers. Working with like minded men and women, boys and girls all with the same desire - to build into the lives of this generation to accomplish great things for God. To see this generation won for Christ To see this country changed for the glory of God.

That's why I love Rangers.

It provides the framework to reach, teach and keep children for Christ.

Parents, my team and I have been encouraged by your reports of how Rangers is affecting and positively changing the lives of your children.

I mentioned at the beginning of my address that we have come to the Council of Achievement to recognise the advancement and achievement of our members.

But not everyone will be receiving awards tonight.

The awards being given out tonight are for those advancements that have been completed since July. Some still have work to do to complete the badge they are working on right now.

There's no shame in that.

The badges you will see handed out tonight are not given away. They need to be earned.

Those who don't receive a badge tonight will soon complete their work when we return in February and will receive their badge on completion - and be recognised at a Council of Achievement next year.

But each child in Blaxland Royal Rangers has worked hard this year. Has participated well and can proudly wear the Royal Ranger uniform.

Will you join with me in a round of applause to the most beautiful group of children in Australia - and probably the world.

Also could I take a moment to recognise the wonderful team of like-minded leaders that I have the privilege of working with. These men and women put in hours of work and preparation each week to run a wonderful program for your children.

Julie Wilson-Brown, Wendy Brown, Stephen Brown and Julie-Anne Klein in Buckaroos Colin Klein in Pioneers Janette Browning, Matthew Ferguson and Stuart Crowfoot in Trailblazers and most recently Margaret Hurford and Sussannah Zalakos in Straight Arrows.

Will you please help me thank them [clap].

So on with the show.