“The Anzac spirit lives within all of us. If you’re scared to present a speech in front of the class, use the Anzac spirit like the Anzacs did to dig trenches to sleep in, and to fight when they were hungry and thirsty.”
Nine-year-old Lawson Doyle of 1st Hawkesbury Scouts himself embodied the Anzac spirit as he won the hearts of all those present at Richmond Club’s Anzac Day service, with a stirring speech about what Anzac Day meant to him.
Lawson was the last of six local schoolchildren presenting short speeches at the service, but almost got overlooked when Richmond Club Group Vice Chairman Garry Watterson thought they had all spoken.
But Lawson – decked out neatly in his Scout uniform with his uncle’s medals hanging on the right side of his chest – bravely put his hand up, stepped forward, and borrowed a chair to see over the lectern.
“I am sad all those men and women died at war, but I am happy we commemorate this day so we can remember all those people that died at war,” he told the service, referring to the speech cards filled with neatly handwritten notes he had accidentally dropped after climbing up the chair.
“The Anzac spirit shows us strength, bravery and courage.”
Lawson told the story of his uncle, a Special Forces soldier who has served in East Timor, the second Gulf War, and Afghanistan.
“He puts his life on the line so we can have a better life and I love him for that,” Lawson said. “As I grow to be a man I will do all I can to honour the memory of all who have served our great nation, Australia.”
Lawson received a rousing round of applause as he climbed off his chair, and said after the service ended that the speech had taken him “ages” to write.
“I re-wrote it about 10 times,” he told the Gazette.
Lawson said he thought about the Anzac spirit when he needed to be strong in everyday life, particularly when things were getting tough in his year four class at St Monica’s Primary School.
“I usually think about it when life gets too hard and I can’t figure it out,” he explained.
While admitting he was “very nervous” delivering the address, Lawson said he had some previous experience researching notes for a speech.
“At the school there was this heroes of history day and we had to research a hero and tell the year fours and year threes about it. I researched Ned Kelly,” he said.
“It was very interesting researching this one, it was an honour.”
Serving Defence members, Richmond Club officials and members of the public came up to shake Lawson’s hand and tell him what a great job he had done after the service, including Mr Watterson who also apologised for the morning’s hiccup.
But all was forgiven, and proud mum and dad, Josh and Sally – flanked by little brother Austin (5) – happily snapped some pictures of the two shaking hands.