Message from Doug Kamo - Foundation Chief Executive

6/2/2010

Greetings,

Doug Kamo

I trust you have had a safe and wonderful break and are now looking forward to 2010 and the many new challenges it will bring.

My challenge is just beginning and I am delighted to be offered this opportunity of guiding the Foundation through its next term and I’m sure you’ll agree there are some rather big boots to fill.

Steve has been an outstanding ambassador for the Foundation and along with our Foundation Members largely responsible for its success to date. It has achieved beyond what many thought possible in its first five years of operation and is now heralded as a guiding light amongst Alumni Professionals within Australasia.

I congratulate him for this and on behalf of all Foundation Members, Old Boys’, the Foundation Board of Trustees and everyone at Otago Boys’ High School – all the best Steve, thank you and don’t stray too far from the phone!

In 1856 Mr James Macandrew realised the advantages to be secured by a thorough system of secondary education and in the first session of the Provincial Council of Otago, proposed to establish a high school in Dunedin. Some seven years later; on August 3, 1863, 60 boys enrolled who would soon become the first ‘Old Boys’ of Otago Boys’ High School.

Fast forward 147 years and just over 26,000 men have now been educated at Otago Boys’ and, in turn, contributed greatly to our society. However, over this period it became increasingly evident that schools of the standard of Otago Boys’ can no longer function satisfactorily on government grants and fees alone.

So in 2005 after much research and consultation, the Otago Boys’ High School Foundation was established with two key mantras - to ‘Provide for the Otago Boys’ of the future’ and ‘to make a point of difference’ and ensuring Otago Boys’ maintains its position among the leaders in this country.

To date the Foundation has remained steadfast in achieving its goal and whilst outstanding progress has been made there is still some distance to travel before we reach the first milestone of $2.5 million in funds.

So therein lies my greatest challenge - not just for 2010 but my entire tenure as CEO for the Foundation. I look forward to this challenge and coupled with the support and wisdom of the Foundation Board, the School Board of Trustees, the Parents Association, the staff at Otago Boys’ and you – one of the 7,000 plus Old Boys’ we have contact with, we are positioned well to reach this milestone in the not too distant future.

Please keep showing your support for the Foundation by continuing to read this monthly newsletter, by visiting our website, by supporting the businesses that so graciously support us, by attending the various events and reunions we have planned throughout the year and, of course, by looking closely at the Foundation’s objectives and considering becoming a member.

But, the greatest support you can give us right now is helping me find the remaining 9,000 alumni by simply ‘putting us in touch’ with family, friends and or colleagues who went to Otago Boys’. Click here to submit their details or send the link directly to them so they can see first hand what the Foundation is doing.

Please don’t underestimate how helpful this will be. With the 150th Celebrations fast approaching we want to ensure every Old Boy is well informed of the event and has every opportunity to attend and again become part of this magnificent school and city’s history.

And before I close - I wish to sincerely thank our 390 Foundation Members for their support and early grasping of the Foundation’s ideals. It is your leadership that represents the first brush strokes on the landscape of the Otago Boys’ High School Foundation and will now allow many others to add colour.

I look forward to meeting many of you over the coming months and please remember – you can find me on site at Otago Boys’, my office door is always open and a fresh pot of tea or coffee always brewing with a darn good dosing of excellent conversation.

Best wishes

Doug Kamo

CEO – Otago Boys' High School Foundation