Newsletter - February 2010

10/2/2010

Message from Doug Kamo, Foundation Chief Executive

Greetings,

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 onsite 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

And to avoid any confusion …

* Steve has agreed to put the newsletter together through until the completion of the April edition as Doug grasps the nuances of the Chief Executive’s role.

For that period Steve will also continue with updating the Foundation’s database and will send condolence cards as appropriate.

FOUNDATION 5th ANNUAL GOLF CLASSIC

Registrations are now open for the Otago Boys’ High School Foundation 5th Annual Golf Classic and numbers are strong yet again to ensure a successful day!

If you haven’t attended this event in the past we certainly encourage you to get involved by entering a team, registering as an individual or if you own a business - consider sponsoring a hole.

There are excellent prizes up for grabs including a chance to win $25,000.00 cash in the ‘Hole in One’ competition.

Being an AMBROSE Tournament you don’t need an official handicap; but you do need a set of clubs, you don’t need to be a competitive golfer but you do need to be able to hit the ball!

Old Boys, Staff, Parents and connections wishing to play in this Foundation fundraiser to be staged at the St Clair course in Dunedin on Friday, 19th March – are invited to register their interest by contacting the Foundation info@obhsfoundation.co.nz or by downloading the Registration Form

STRICTLY LIMITED SPACES AVAILABLE

Entry Fee for ‘Individual Player’ - $40.00 incl GST

Entry Fee for ‘Team of Four’ - $160.00 incl GST

Entry Fee for ‘Hole Sponsor’ - $450.00 incl GST

Sesquicentennial – August 2013

* Registrations for the 2013 150th celebrations are being taken and the early numbers suggest the gathering will be the biggest Reunion Dunedin will have ever hosted with upwards of 3,000 people in attendance.

Already more than 250 Old Boys have registered for the four-day event (August 1st to 4th).

If you wish to note your interest, please do so by filling out the official Registration Form or email the Foundation on info@obhsfoundation.co.nz

Foundation members

* Since the January newsletter, the following Old Boys and connections with the school have made pledges or donations and have been registered as Members of the Foundation –

Bill Sinclair (1943-45) – Friend
Prof Basil Arnold (1936-37) – Friend

School news

* Junior swimming champion Chris Dickie (Year 10, 4th form) has a problem.

After winning 17 gold medals at the Otago swimming championships last weekend, the 13-year-old is searching for somewhere to hang them all.

Thanks to a couple of months of hard training, Chris swept all before him in the 12-13 years age group at Moana Pool, winning 15 individual and two relay titles. He won all but two races in his age group, and he picked up a silver in one of those, the 200m breaststroke. The programme was crowded so he did not compete in the 200m backstroke.

The Waves Club member said he felt ‘‘pretty tired’’ as the champs went on, but he managed to stay in front.

A keen sportsman, Chris had concentrated more on swimming over the summer, not taking his cricket as seriously.

He admitted it was hard to get up at 4.20am five days a week for training, but the rewards were worth the effort. He was mainly doing pool work, up to 12 hours a week, and also was on a limited gym programme.

Also a keen rugby player, Chris is focusing on the South Island age group championships in Christchurch later this month, where he will be racing in his specialty butterfly events, the stroke he enjoys the most.

Old Boy driving New Zealand’s image at the World Expo

* New Zealand commissioner-general for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai Phillip Gibson (1963-67), has just returned from China with a progress report on the pavilion, saying it is on budget and on schedule.

Construction of the $32 million Kiwi pavilion is well under way. It is expected to draw in 40,000 people a day when the expo event runs for 184 days from May 1 to October 31.

New Zealand's growing trade with China – with exports up from $1.9 billion in 2008 to $3.3b in 2009 – was just one reason Kiwis should sit up and take notice of an event the Asian country is spending US$45b (NZ$61.1b) to US$50b on, Phillip said.

It was the biggest World Expo, and the Chinese were talking of it as the biggest grouping of people for a drawn-out timeline event of its kind.

About 70 million visitors – mainly Chinese – were expected on the downtown 5.2 square kilometre site straddling the Huangpu River, and the Kiwi stand had been picked by local media as a "must visit" part of the event.

"Now why are (the Chinese doing it)? Well I think there's a tectonic shift taking place in world political and economic power towards north Asia, in particular China. This essentially is part of China's coming out party to the world," he said.

The Kiwi pavilion was backed by corporates from throughout New Zealand and about $2 million of sponsorship. Regional representation would likely come from Wellington, Hawke's Bay, New Plymouth, Otago/Southland, Canterbury and Auckland.

The pavilion would use wide-screens (some on "Pou" poles) to allow visitors to get a sense of New Zealand via a visit from the shoreline, into the city and suburbs and then out to the country by watching moving and still images on the screens. He said occasionally a strong southerly would whip through the building, but only via the screen images rather than to the discomfort of the visitors.

The 2,000 square metre pavilion site was once a Shanghai steel mill, and the building would be close to the Chinese building.

Visitors would be met by kapa haka groups with about 60 to 70 Kiwis due to attend the site and help make the New Zealand experience a friendly and welcoming one, Phillip said.

The Maori theme would continue with the entrance to the building looked over by Tane – who according to mythology was the god of forests and of birds, and the son of Ranginui and Papatuanuku, the sky father and the earth mother.

The theme for the pavilion was "Cities of Nature: Living between Land and Sky", partly inspired by the Maori creation story. There would also be many Chinese-speaking Kiwis, to explain the "day-in-the-life" presentation via the screens seen by visitors treading along a 112 metre long internal walkway. Visitors would eventually emerge onto a rooftop garden.

Congratulations

* Hamish Bond (1999-2003, Head Boy 2003) capped a brilliant 2009 year last week, being named – along with Eric Murray – as the winner of the Team of the Year at the annual Halberg Awards.

Hamish and Eric, part of the 2007 world champion coxless four combination, which also featured Carl Meyer (1995-99), were unbeaten in their first year as a pair at elite level.

In last night’s voting the pair beat the All Whites football team, rowing’s lightweight double scull team of Storm Uru and Peter Taylor, and the 420 yachting crew of Alexandra Maloney and Bianca Barbarich-Bacher.

* World champion cyclist Greg Henderson (1990-94) has made a terrific start to the year by finishing third in the Tour Down Under in South Australia.

After winning the tour’s opening event – the Cancer Council’s Classic 51 kilometre criterium in Adelaide where he crossed the finish line ahead of such cycling luminaries as Lance Armstrong and Oscar Pereiro – Greg fashioned a fine week’s work, finishing second in two stages and fifth in another to take the overall third spot.

Greg’s criterium success gave the new Team Sky a win in its first race and after the Tour itself he expressed the view that the newest colours on the circuit have the ability to become the best sprint selection on the world road stage.

* Promising golfer Thomas Facer (Year 13, 7th form) may have initially thought his trip to last month’s North Island Golf Championships at the Hutt Golf Club was wasted, but the venture north turned to gold.

Thomas, who plays out of the Otago Golf Club, missed the cut by the narrowest of margins – one shot – but rather than mope he decided to play a round at the Pauatahanui Golf Club in Porirua … where he ended with a 65, a course record.

He was 4-under at the turn and, after a rare albatross at the par-five 13th, where he didn’t see the ball go into the hole on the elevated green, he stormed home for the 65.

His round broke the record of 2005 US Open champion Michael Campbell.

Old Boys in the news

* Plans by former Dunedin physiotherapist Professor Stanley Paris (1952-55) to open a physiotherapy school in Queenstown which could initially cater for 25 students have been placed on hold.

Stanley, who founded a university in Florida, the University of St Augustine, is keen to open a school, but said it seemed it would not qualify for Tertiary Education Commission (TEC) support at this stage.

If the school went ahead, it was hoped it would attract students internationally including those from the United States, Australia and Asia and that its situation in Queenstown would be appealing. An exchange programme would be offered between the school and the four programmes run by St Augustine at its three United States campuses.

Stanley said a school would offer either masters or doctorate level study, but the exact form would be decided after discussion with the two other physiotherapy schools in New Zealand. The university, which specialises in occupational therapy and physiotherapy, was adopting a ‘‘wait and see’’ approach with the TEC and was not ‘‘pushing the request’’ at this stage, he said.

Stanley, who has an international reputation in orthopaedic physiotherapy, has been in the news in recent years with his attempts to become the oldest person to swim the English Channel. He was 70 when he first attempted that record in 2008, but had to withdraw with cramps and nausea when he was halfway across. Last year he made another solo attempt, but had to give up after five hours.

He has since been diagnosed with spinal stenosis (a medical condition in which the spinal canal narrows and compresses the spinal cord and nerves) but planned to have another attempt at the channel in three years when he will be 75.

* Under the guidance of a good number of gifted and generous coaches over the years, rowing at Otago Boys’ has maintained a high and successful profile.

And it seems the fine efforts of Fred Strachan and those who preceded him will continue with the on-going work of the Meridian Energy-sponsored Coaching Scholar system which keeps young rowers interested and involved in the sport.

‘‘The aim is to encourage rowers who are recent school leavers and those in transition to tertiary education to start coaching and continue their involvement in rowing,’’ Otago Rowing manager Sonya Walker said.

Part of the trainee coaches’ role is to provide additional coaching for crews in schools that lack the expertise from the teaching staff.

The seven trainee coaches attended last weekend’s Otago championships at Lake Ruataniwha with their crews.

The convener of the coaching programme is Sergio Salis (1965-69), who produced national champions when he coached crews from Queen’s High School and the University of Otago.

The Otago Boys’ contingent comprises Geoffrey Morris (2006-2009) and Henry Easton (1998-2002).

* The pen may be mightier than the sword, but the two 48kg weights gave the pen a good run for its money at the Otago-Taieri A & P Show in late-January.

So says Otago Daily Times’ reporter David Loughrey (1974-77).

New Zealand strongman Levi Vaoga, who readers might have seen on the Mitre 10 Mega Store television advertisements, made it look easy.

Pick up said weights and go for a quick 20m trot, then put them down again. But then Mr Vaoga weighs 173kg, stands 193cm tall, his biceps are 57cm, calves 56cm, quads 89cm and his chest measures 154cm. He eats up to 12 Weetbix, a dozen egg-whites, three steaks, tuna, a pasta meal, a casserole and various vegetables in a single day.

Mr Vaoga was a popular attraction at the show, as he gave members of the public the opportunity to find out what strongman events are all about.

Apart from starring in advertisements, which had ‘‘opened some doors’’, he spent a lot of time travelling around various shows. He had been competing in world strongman competitions since 1998, had finished fifth last year, and was having another go in June, when the competition would be held in Germany. Another of his plans was to take a future strongman under his wing and train him for the discipline. The attribute one needed for that, he said was to be ‘‘crazy’’.

‘‘But it’s not people who train in the gym every day. It’s farmers, pig hunters . . .’’ People, he said, like Colin Meads. His own background was working as a plumber for his local council.

By the way, David lifted the weights, completed the course, and finished a creditable fourth. He says that’s one for the pen.

* Don Anderson (1960-64), a Dunedin pharmacist of long-standing, is fighting plans to stop him charging customers an extra flat fee for services, something he has been doing for almost three years.

The owner, manager of Anderson’s Exchange Pharmacy, Don says he cannot accept a clause outlawing such charges in the proposed new district health board pharmacy services agreement, due to apply from March.

There had been minimal complaint from customers about his ‘‘risk-management fee’’, introduced in 2007, which added between 30c and $1.20 per prescription item to help pay for work not covered by the dispensing fee.

Nobody had gone without their medication as a result of the charge, which was introduced to cover such services as the correction of prescription errors. He wants to substitute the clause with one allowing him to continue with his existing charging regime, only charging a specific fee for service if people refuse to pay his risk management fee.

Don said he expected he could be shut down over the issue, but Otago District Health Board planning and funding general manager David Chrisp said he was hopeful of talking to Don and resolving the matter.

At this stage, however, ‘‘we do not find the changes he is proposing acceptable’’.
The contract was being sent out to pharmacists for signing after ‘‘national negotiation between DHB representatives and pharmacy representatives’’, he said.

At a meeting between Mr Chrisp and pharmacists earlier this week to discuss the new contract, Don left when Mr Chrisp would not agree to set up a further meeting on the issue with health board chief executive Brian Rousseau, board chairman Errol Millar (1959-64) and National list MP Michael Woodhouse.

Don first took a stand on the issue in March 2007, when for several weeks he charged a fee of $5 a customer to raise awareness about the inadequacy of funding. During one month he raised $650 for charity before introducing his current flat-fee regime.

Under the proposed agreement, pharmacists are able to charge individual patients a fee for a variety of services, including what it costs to have prescriptions corrected. But they are forbidden from spreading the costs as Don has been doing.

He points out that if he charged for some interventions it could cost some individual patients as much as $170.

There would be ‘‘fat chance’’ of getting that amount of money from a patient.
Even a relatively simple correction of a prescription might cost about $30. Don estimated that his across-the-board charge brought in around $20,000 a year, which allowed him to provide a ‘‘far superior service’’ to that required under the pharmacy services agreement.

New Zealand Pharmacy Guild chief executive Annabel Young said the issue was a national one and it was difficult to know how many pharmacists were applying extra charges across the board. The guild considered pharmacists should be able to impose part charges when they did additional work. Addressing an estimated 30% error rate in prescriptions would reduce the workload of pharmacists.

A major reason for the errors was that software used by some doctors was not up to date with changes in the schedule of subsidised drugs, she said.

* Highly promising golfer Duncan Croudis (2005-09) will get a head-start from one of the greats in his bid to embark on a professional career.

Duncan has been awarded the Sir Bob Charles Scholarship, an annual endowment established with funds donated by New Zealand’s greatest golfer. He will get financial assistance both to attend the University of Otago this year and to work on his golfing education.

While Duncan was at the New Zealand Open at The Hills last week working as a caddy for Dunedin professional Mahal Pearce (1989-93), a review of his achievements over the past 12 months suggests it will not be long before he plays in the tournament himself.

Duncan won the New Zealand under-19 title at the North Shore club in September.
He then placed second in his age group at the Aaron Baddeley international event in China and nearly qualified for the New Zealand Open when he missed out on a play-off at the qualifying tournament by just one shot.

Eyes skyward to a by-gone era

* The sheep on Barry Becker’s (1956-59) Idaburn farm take little notice of top-dressing planes taking off and landing in their midst but might soon have regular appearances by a DC-3 to contend with.

The airstrip in a paddock, about 2km north of Oturehua, will host a DC-3 heritage airliner for the first time on February 9th as part of the Southern DC-3 Charitable Trust’s Heartland Tour of the South Island.

The trust hopes it will be the first flight in a regular service to ferry corporate groups to ride the ‘‘downhill’’ section of the Otago Central Rail Trail.

‘‘We’re actively marketing it to corporate groups as a teambuilding exercise, so they can partner a flight in a DC-3 with a wonderful activity like biking the rail trail,’’ trust chairman Dave Horsburgh said at the weekend.

The 30-seater 1944 DC-3, ZKAMY, was given to the Ashburton Aviation Museum, to secure the plane’s future, and the trust continues to raise funds to maintain it.

‘‘This venture will be perfect— it adds value by offering more than a plane ride and ties in with a popular activity,’’ Mr Horsburgh said.

The trust was actively marketing the idea and two companies had already expressed interest. All going well, the plane might land at Idaburn once every four to six weeks.

The Idaburn airstrip on Barry’s farm was fully registered and certified by the Civil Aviation Authority, and ‘‘exceeded all the requirements’’. The airstrip is in a triangular paddock next to the State Highway 85-Omakau-Ida Valley Rd intersection.
Barry said the airstrip had been used regularly for many years by top-dressing planes.
The southern leg of the Heartland Tour, which began at the weekend, includes stops at Twizel today, Wanaka tomorrow, Cromwell on February 3, Queenstown on February 5, Alexandra on February 6, Dunedin on February 7 and 8, Idaburn on February 9, Roxburgh on February 10, Manapouri and Te Anau on February 11, Invercargill on February 12 and 13, Gore on February 13 and 14, Oamaru on February 16 and Timaru on February 17.

And to the skies again …

* At 88, Doug Stewart (1935-36) says his legs do not work as well as they used to. But when you have wings, who needs to walk?

The former World War 2 aviation engineer has had a long and close association with aircraft. So when it came time for him to move from his Wanaka house to a retirement home in Dunedin, he decided to do it in style.

Doug was flown to Dunedin by Barry Cardno (1987-91), a Wanaka pilot who lost the use of his legs after an agricultural flying accident in 1995. The pair had spent many hours in the air together flying to the West Coast for whitebaiting or sightseeing.

Barry said they spent much of the 45-minute flight to Dunedin giggling about one of their many flights to Haast.

‘‘We made an unplanned stop at Makarora airfield because Doug needed a cup of tea. We wheeled up to the reception at the airstrip and asked to borrow their phone so I could adjust our flight plan.

‘‘The lady behind the counter looked at Doug with his walking frame, then she looked at me in my wheelchair, and then she said, ‘Where’s the pilot?’. We giggled about that for ages.’’

While Doug was thrilled with the flight to the Taieri airfield, near Mosgiel, he wasn’t as happy about moving into the Belhaven Rest Home. However, after his second stroke in November last year, he had found it was becoming more difficult to look after himself, and care was becoming necessary.

But he said a highlight of the rest-home would be living again with his wife of 60 years, Jessie, who has been living in the rest-home for the past 18 months. And despite the move to the rest home, it would not be Doug’s last time in an aeroplane.

Barry has promised to take him on another sightseeing flight — this time around the Otago Peninsula.

And a different way to travel

* Ron Johnston (1950-51), a Dunedin member of Friendship Force, is a firm advocate of the little known club which opens the way for members to experience real family life rather than just visiting the tourist spots.

Ron says it was the company and really seeing a country and how the people lived, that attracted him to the club. It also cut costs for the single traveller.

The trips also often allowed members to see different aspects of a culture, he said. On one trip to Japan, he spent a week in a retired millionaire’s home and another in the home of rice farmers.

The Dunedin club, whose 29 members were mostly in their 50s, was only three years old. It hosted one or two clubs a year, including those from Canada, Australia, Hawaii and England.

Rona Potiki, the secretary of the Greater Dunedin club and widow of Leslie Potiki (1943-46) who died in 1984, said members took pride in showing off Otago to visitors. This year, the Dunedin club hoped to send a group to Canada and Richmond, in the United States, she said.

Friendship Force originated in America in the late 1970s and has branches throughout the world, including 25 in New Zealand. It enables club members to travel in groups to other countries, stay in the homes of local club members and be shown the sights by them.

Mrs Potiki, said the visits gave members insight into everyday life in the country they were visiting.

‘‘You learn about their city, meet their cousins, brothers and sisters or neighbours, see things no other tourists see. You become a family member.’’

As a member of the force, she had travelled with clubs from other countries to India, Indonesia, Slovakia, Germany and Australia. The force provided her with companionship and meant she did not have to travel by herself, she said.

‘‘India was a mind-blowing experience, as my host family had no English except for a 12-year-old nephew, who became our translator.’

Otago Boys’ golfing bonanza

* Brent McEwan (1998-99) carded a birdie 3 on the 17th hole to beat Scott Prince (Queenstown) on the first hole of a playoff and win the Otago strokeplay title at Balmacewen last month.

Brent, who plays out of the St Clair Club, trailed by four shots going into the final round but a one-over-par 72 in the final round was sufficient to force the playoff while other contenders drifted out of contention.

Millbrook greenkeeper Prince finished in second place while the defending champion, Liam Balneaves, who set a course record of 62 last year’s strokeplay, came in third.

This trio was followed by Matt Whittington (Invercargill) in fourth place, Michael Smith (1992-96, Otago) fifth, Jamie Mead (Rangiora) sixth and Balmacewen junior Thomas Facer (Year 13) seventh.

Sean Geary (1982-85, Chisholm Park) was easily the best player in the masters (over-40) field, winning by eight shots from John Cunningham, of Oamaru.

The championship was the first Otago trial and the first outing in the new order of merit series.

Thomas Facer took an early lead with a sub-par 70, playing his second nine four under, with the assistance of an eagle 2 on the difficult sixth hole. But a four over 75 on Saturday afternoon put him in a tie for second at the halfway stage.

Mead and McEwan shared the halfway lead while the big mover in the second round was Michael Minty (St Clair), who grabbed a share of the lead with 69, the best score of the day. The leader board was shuffled again on Sunday morning, with Prince carding 68 to share the third-round lead with Mead.

Prince made three birdies and an eagle 2 on the 17th hole to set up a good contest in the final round. McEwan lost a ball after driving on the third hole but drove the green with his second drive, to make a birdie 3 and minimise the effect of the two-shot penalty. He birdied the fifth to get back to square and stayed within one or two shots of par on his way to the title.

The best round of the tournament came in windy conditions in the final round with Russell Newman (2001-03, Taieri) making seven birdies to finish with 66.

Shorts

* Toby Flett (Year 13) was two metres short of his target when the Dunedin Town Hall clock struck 10 on Saturday 23rd January. A year ago, Toby finished runner-up to Andrew Moore in the Timebuster race around the Octagon, beating the chimes. But while Toby won this year’s 19th annual New Zealand Shop-sponsored Timebuster, the clock had its revenge. He crossed the line in a time of 34.29sec, ahead of club-mates Ben Jowsey, 35.15sec, and William Scorgie (Year 13), 35.61sec.

* Changes to Dunedin’s parking is again an issue in the city and the city’s transportation planning manager Don Hill (1959-63) is in the news as a result. Don has produced a report suggesting bylaws dealing with loading zones were ‘inadequate’’. Some changes have been made but they haven’t met with much approval and further hearings into the creation of ‘authorised vehicl’ parking bays for goods and service vehicles, residents’ parking and other special parking areas are underway.

* Stephen Johnston (1972-75) is the Real Estate Institute of New Zealand Otago branch president and he, along with many in the industry, are unsure of the trends the property market will take in the months ahead. Muddying the waters to a degree was yesterday’s announcement about the taxing of certain aspects of the property investment by the Prime Minister.

* Chris Gaffaney (1991-93) made his international debut as a cricket umpire last week with the staging of the 20/20 match between New Zealand and Bangladesh at Seddon Park in Hamilton. Chris was a well-performed batsman for Otago, scoring 4,711 runs in 83 first-class matches at an average of 33.41. Included in that tally were eight centuries, 24 50s and a highest score of 195. In 113 one-day games Chris scored 2,411 runs at 23.63, with one century (highest score of 101*) and 11 50s. In eight 20/20 matches he scored 232 at an average of 33.14 and with a strike rate of 147.77.

Recent deaths

* We extend our condolences to the families of the following Old Boys –

Robin John Moor (1954-57), died in Auckland on 16th November 2009, aged 69.

Vincent Thomas Bennett (1971-74), died in Dunedin on 11th January 2010, aged 52. Vincent was the brother of Martin Bennett (1967-71).

Herb (John Herbert) Black (1947-51), died in Brisbane on 15th January 2010, aged 76.

Laurie (Laurence Gilbert) Young (1946-48), died in Kaikoura on 17th January 2010. Laurie forged a lifetime career in the defence forces, having joined the New Zealand Army after leaving school and then transferring to the Royal New Zealand Air Force where he quickly made an impression. Laurie was awarded the Merton Sword of Honour in 1957. Air Vice-Marshall W.H. Merton, CB, OBE, RAF, Chief of Air Staff for the RNZAF from 1954 to 1956, upon retirement, donated his ceremonial sword. It became the Sword of Honour awarded to the best all-round officer graduating from an ab-initio Pilot or Air Warfare Officer training course, with the emphasis on powers of leadership and officer qualities. The Merton Sword of Honour is only conferred on a graduate with exceptional results, and has been awarded only 34 times since 1955.

Len (Leonard George) Kitching (1940-42), died in Wellington on 18th January 2010, aged 82. Len owned and managed a transport business in the capital and was the brother of the late Elwyn Kitching (1943-45). Len’s eldest granddaughter Margot Gatland married Mark Pearce (1988-92) in 2006. Len was a valued Friend of the Foundation and a Life Member of the Old Boys’ Society.

John William Moodie (1969-73), died in Napier on 18th January 2010, aged 54.

Guy Stanhope Kensington (1933-36), died in Wanaka on 22nd January 2010, aged 90. Guy, a retired farmer, was the grandfather of Tim Kensington (2000-04).

Ray (Raymond Harry) Watkins (1944-46), died in Dunedin on 22nd January 2010, aged 78.

Ian Robert Dickson (1956-58), died in Wellington Hospital on 25th January 2010, aged 67. Ian was a well-known radio and television broadcaster in Dunedin, spending many years with both 4ZB and DNTV2. In those days – the 1960s and ‘70s – duties between the two were shared with radio announcers also popping up on the television screen, presenting local news, sport and weather.

Shane William Voak O’Neill (1997-98), died on 30th January 2010, aged 26.

Edgar (William Edgar) Gregory (1939-43), died in Dunedin on 1st February 2010, aged 83. Edgar, a retired engineer, was the father of Warren Gregory (1963-67) and Lindsay Gregory (1966-70). Edgar was part of last year’s happy band of men who attended the Reunion of Old Boys from the 1930s.

Erik Herbert Wilson Laytham (1945-49), died in Clyde on 4th February 2010, aged 78. Erik was a retired secondary school deputy principal and was the brother of Olaf Laytham (1942-47).

* We also extend our sympathies to –

David Stevens (1991-95) whose father Terry died in Dunedin on 8th January 2010.

Tony Algie (1933) whose brother Stewart died in Auckland on 8th January 2010. Tony and Stewart are the brothers of the late Russell Algie (1934).

Doug Walker (1934-35) whose brother-in-law Stuart Eason died in Timaru on 10th January 2010.

Stu Heaton (1992-95) whose grandmother Chrissie Heaton died in Invercargill on 18th January 2010.

Greg North (1963-65) whose mother Shirley died in Dunedin on 18th January 2010.

Lindsay David (1967-71) whose mother-in-law Ella Spratt died in Dunedin on 19th January 2010.

Kevin Lyes (1978-80) whose sister Maureen Todd died in Dunedin on 20th January 2010.

Duane Coughlan (1982-86) and Brad Coughlan (1990-94) whose father Borrie died in Dunedin on 18th January 2010.

Professor Dick Laverty (1946-49) whose sister-in-law Ruth Falconer died in Invercargill on 23rd January 2010. Mrs Falconer was the aunt of Richard Laverty (1977-81).

Bill (William) Mason (1950-51) whose wife Judy died in Dunstan Hospital, Clyde on 25th January 2010.

Arthur Raffills (1947-49) whose brother-in-law Ian Sinclair died in Dunedin on 26th January 2010.

Rima Ravenga (1991-95) and Anthony Ravenga (2001-05) whose aunt Lenore Wheeler died in Dunedin on 27th January 2010.

Dr Richard Mercier (1964-68, Dux 1968) whose mother Edith died in Dunedin on 28th January 2010.

Peter Conder (1968-71) whose mother-in-law Isa Giles died in Alexandra on 29th January 2010.

Alex Merrilees (1962-66) whose mother Jean died in Dunedin on 1st February 2010. Jean was the mother-in-law of Errol Kelly (1955-59) and the grandmother of Michael Cornelius (1983-87).

Ben Pitelen (1968-71) whose son Tony died in London on 1st February 2010 as the result of an accident.

Noel Timlin (1939) whose wife Margaret died in Christchurch on 2nd February 2010. Margaret was the sister-in-law of the late Ken Timlin (1933-35) and the late Ross Timlin (1937-38).

Bill Johnsen (1968-71) whose mother Catherine died in Dunedin on 4th February 2010.

Kevin Rea (1955-59) and Stephen Rea (1958-61) whose father David died in Dunedin on 4th February 2010.

Craig Leishman (1969-73) whose mother Marjorie died in Dunedin on 5th February 2010.

Bryce Morgan (2004-08) whose uncle Jeff Morgan died in Invercargill on 6th February 2010.

Aaron Devlin (1994-97) and Jamie Devlin (1997-2001) whose grandfather Richard Devlin died in Dunedin on 7th February 2010.

Newsletter researched and compiled by Steve Davie