Newsletter - February 2007

12/02/2007

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 –

Phillip Rasmussen (Board) – Friend

Ernie French (staff 1950 to 1960) – Associate Fellow

plus one Fellow member who wishes to remain anonymous

School news

Boys and staff at Otago Boys’ can be forgiven for taking a second and even third glance at the 2007 intake.

For the second time in as many years, triplets have enrolled at the school.

Last year Baden, Patrick and Zachary Oxley from Waitati formed part of the Year 9 assembly, and they were followed this month by Matthew, Callum and Ryan Crawford as new boys on the block.

The Crawfords appeared on the front page of the Otago Daily Times to mark their entry into secondary schooling, just as they had when they started at Wakari Primary School and Balmacewen Intermediate.

The boys are in different classes, have different interests and different friends which should make the task of identifying them just a little easier.

Otago Boys’ Rector Clive Rennie, who admitted to still having some difficulty with telling the Oxley trio apart, noted that in all his years teaching he hadn’t struck triplets until 2006 – and now has two sets under his jurisdiction.

Annual Foundation Golf Tournament

The 2007 Foundation golf tournament, hosted again in association with Colin Strang Financial Services, will be played at the St Clair course in Dunedin on Friday 2nd March.

All 18 holes have now been sponsored and we are indebted to those who have pledged that support. Our hole sponsors are – WarmCo Otago Southland Ltd (Matthew Strang & Simon Dickson), Taylor McLachlan Ltd (Paul Moodie, Foundation Board), Kiwi Mortgage Market Ltd (John Thorn), Hope & Sons Ltd (Lyndon Hope), The Brothers Boutique Hotel (Rod McMeeken, father of current pupil Ciaran McMeeken), Radio Dunedin (Janet Dolan at RadioWorks), Harvie Green Wyatt (Doug Harvie), Larnach Castle (Norcombe Barker), Clarke Craw Ltd (Barry O’Donnell), Royal Hotel, Timaru (Steve Little), Cableways Tavern (Murray Galland), Otago Daily Times (Nic Dahl), PriceWaterhouseCoopers (Barry Timmings), Sharpies Golf Otago (Alan Rose), ABN AMRO Craigs (Chris Timms), GS McLauchlan & Co (Graeme McLauchlan), National Bank of New Zealand, Business Banking (Andrew Moffat) and Brooker United Travel (Andrew Carmody).

A very fine prize list is under assembly and this will be a tournament worth playing.

The field currently stands at 101 with 128 the optimum number.

Those interested in entering as an individual (at $35, which covers green fees, the pre-tournament BBQ and prizes) or in putting together a team of four (at $140), should contact the Foundation office: 03/4778977, 027/4370335 or info@obhsfoundation.co.nz Players do not have to be Old Boys of Otago Boys’ High School to play.

Old Boys vs School sports day

There was an added twist to the annual Old Boys versus School sports day last week, with an appearance by the RNZAF Red Checkers aerobatic display team.

With Squadron Leader Stephen Hunt (1978-82) in the lead aircraft, the five-plane team swooped over the Balmacewen golf course and tennis courts while play was underway and then buzzed the school, stirring the cricketers from their mid-afternoon slumber and right on schedule to give the junior classes a treat as they left the grounds after their first full day of the year.

The Red Checkers then put together a spectacular 11-minute public over the Otago Harbour, which was watched by thousands from various vantage points around the hill surburbs, the foreshore and at the Harbour Basin.

Squadron Leader Hunt, now the officer in command of pilot training at the Ohakea air base, will be back in the city later in the year and will visit the school to talk about his career.

The mid-afternoon displays obviously worked a treat for the Old Boys who swamped their younger and fitter, but less experienced, opponents in all three disciplines.

The Old Boys took out the tennis 9-1 with four former school number one players in action – Mark Gribben (1976-80), Iain Notman (2000-04), Andrew Swan (1973-77) and Conrad Wong (2002-06) all showing they had lost none of their ability.

Knocks of 78 from Henry Bates (1998-2002) and an unbeaten 45 by Rhiane Smith (1989-92) saw the Old Boys reach 258 in the cricket match, that tally too much for the school which reached 206/8 (Ben Main 41, Fergus McRae 40 not out and Hayden Miller 35).

While the golf was a little more even, the Old Boys still took the honours with relative comfort, winning 6½ to 3½. Of special note was the performance of the school’s Life Governer and a James Macandrew Member of the Foundation, Dr Brian McMahon (1943-47) who at the age of 77 saw off two opponents more than 60 years his junior.

The golf scores with Old Boys’ names first were –

Michael Burrowes (1998-2002) 3 & 2 over Nick Borren

Richard McKnight (1972-76) 5 & 4 over Jimmy Hunter

Sean Geary (1982-85) lost 3 & 2 to Scott Shaw

Barry Timmings (1983-87) 2 & 1 over Brendon McIntosh

Norcombe Barker(1982-86) lost 2 up to Duncan Croudis

Trevor King (1969-73) 3 & 1 over Tyrone Ratahi

Ron Maher (1953-55) all square with Thomas Facer

Brian McMahon (1943-47) 3 & 1 over Ben McDonald

Brian McMahon (1943-47) 5 & 4 over Dean Griffiths

Richard Ellis(1971-76) lost 2 up to Travis Applegarth

Where are they now?

* Kelvin Broad (1975-79) is currently the Assistant Professor for Curriculum, Teaching and Learning in the Graduate Division of the University of Calgary.

It's a busy life.

Having graduated with a PhD, MA, BEd and Dip Teaching, it's not surprising Kelvin looks for outdoor pursuits to balance his day.

A member of the New Zealand mountain running team (1994 - 96), he's taken up a new interest.

At the recent Alberta sheep dog trials, Kelvin entered his border collie Blade - and the pair is now the Alberta Novice Champions!

* Ian Billcliff (1986-90) will play in next month’s Cricket World Cup in the Caribbean, representing Canada.

Born in Canada in October 1972, the first son of Old Boy John Billcliff (1959-60, also a former Master at Otago Boys’) and his wife, Glenda, another former staff member, Ian has played for Canada since 2001. He was a vital cog in Canada’s qualification for the 2003 World Cup with its third placing at the 2001 ICC Champions’ Trophy with standout innings of 42 against Bangladesh and 71 against Kenya at the latter tournament.

At the 2005 World Cup qualifying series, Ian was Canada’s leading run scorer with a tournament average of 79.1 with his innings including 104 against Papua New Guinea and 92 against Namibia. He continued that form into last year’s games with his scores including a knock of 126 against Bermuda in the ICC Intercontinental Cup.

In Ian’s last year at Otago Boys’, where he captained the First XI, his team mates included future New Zealand representative Robert Kennedy and future Otago representatives Rob Lawson, Chris Finch and Rhiane Smith. It was no surprise that Otago Boys’ finished runner-up in that season’s national Secondary School Gillette Cup competition. Ian went on to represent Otago (1990-91 to 1994-95), Wellington (1995-96) and Auckland (1997-99). He has now played 45 first-class matches and eight ODIs.

He’ll take on the New Zealand bowlers in the West Indies with Canada in the same pool as the Black Caps, England and Kenya. Also playing for Canada will be Central Districts’ batsman Geoff Barnett.

Ian’s youngest brother Mark (1990-94) played two first-class matches for Otago in 1998-99 and now plays for Southland, while middle brother Grant (1989-93) was also a more than useful cricketer.

Parents John and Glenda have now retired to Stoke, Nelson.

* Peter Verboeket (1977-81) featured in the National Business Review late last month, as he joined forces with two other intellectual property law specialists to form a new firm.

Peter, who graduated at a patent attorney, has joined in partnership with John Terry and Jonty Ellis to establish Ellis Verboeket Terry with the firm based in Wellington.

Reunion of the intakes of 1965, ’66 & ‘67

Remember when Jim Morrison and José Feliciano were trying to light a fire, Jimi was way out along Dylan’s watchtower, Mick was jumpin’ jack flash, Dustin was trying to graduate and Keith Holyoake was telling the country it was better to fight on the Mekong delta than on the Ninety Mile Beach?

How about school assemblies when a future head of Television New Zealand played the grand piano? Or a school concert when a future Team New Zealand boss did a decent impression of James Taylor?

Yes, we’re talking about Otago Boys High School in the mid-1960s, when stove pipe jeans and brothel creepers were all the rage, along with sideburns down to your chin (for those who could grow them) and rat-tail ties. It was also a time when those saucy St. Dominics and Otago Girls students sashayed along Arthur Street with their box-pleated gym-frocks turned into rather fetching versions of the mini-skirt.

For those who always wondered why the dreaded ‘train boys’ were regularly asked to stay behind after morning assembly, the weekend of June 22-24 2007 promises to be a revelation.

That’s because one of those ‘train boys’ is organising a reunion for all former Otago Boys’ High School students who were in the intakes of the years 1965, ’66 and ’67. Not only does he promise to reveal all about the ‘train boys’, he will also give his take on boarding school life, digging a new beer cellar under the Victoria Hotel (now deceased) when he should have been in church and the exalted life of a neophyte rugby star playing in the exalted First XV.

It is possible there will also be other revelations, such as which Campbell House school prefect was involved in a well organised sly grog network selling beer to ‘day’ boys, why the House boys gained control of the Quartermasters store during Army cadet training, who was involved in doing up houses in North East Valley during the weekends and how fast Paul Wright’s Kawasaki Mach III was really going when he took a dedicated Triumph lover for a rocket-ride up Stuart Street one lunch time.

So…………for Otago Boys High students who joined up in either 1965, 1966 or 1967 and would like to know what was REALLY going on, contact Ross ‘one-eyed Gloria’ Graham via ‘phone: 0061 2 96887552 or email: rmgraham1@aapt.net.au,fax or his partner in crime, the karate kicking nudist Michael Esdaile at: mail@takeme2.net or 308 East Coast Road, Forrest Hill, Auckland. Telephone: 09 416-5013 (bus.), 09 410-4340 (ah) or 027 495 4510.

The Programme:

Friday Afternoon: 22 June – Otago Boys’ and King’s High School will be contesting their annual interschool, offering the chance to visit any of the games and follow on with refreshments after they finish.

Friday Evening: 22 June - will kick off at 6.30p.m. at The Savoy, George Street, Dunedin with food and drinks and light music and the opportunity to catch up on school mates possibly not seen for over 30 years (has it been that long???). Partners welcome. We expect the night to go through to around 10.30 -11.00p.m. Food will be served with your ticket including four drinks.

Saturday Morning: 23 June - will start with a tour of School and School House at around 10.00a.m. followed by photos and sausage sizzle and refreshments at the Shand Building. This should finish around midday, which will allow Old Boys to play golf, watch a rugby game, just relax with mates or nod off till the second round that night! Partners welcome.

Saturday Evening: 23 June - commencing 6.30p.m. at the Dunedin Town Hall will be a Dinner and Dance for all. This function will feature live music, a Disc Jockey, 4-course meal (wine included), comedian, MC and guest speaker. A great night has been planned so bring your partner along to the reunion. At this stage the numbers are looking great - don’t delay and get your tickets as soon as possible. We are expecting around 500 to attend, possibly more. The night should be a cracker so get on your best boots, unhitch the plough and get on down to town!

The organisers would love to see you there. The more, the better. However, the dinner is limited to 500.

Ticket information is available from Ross Graham or Mike Esdaile (as per their contact details above) or through the Foundation’s office (0064 3 4778977, 0064 027 4370335, info@obhsfoundation.co.nz)

Bequest Circle

The Foundation will launch its Bequest Circle in mid-2007.

All truly successful charities have strong Bequest Circles – and our Foundation has already received a number of unsolicited notices from Old Boys and their families who have either pledged a specific amount to be donated from their estate or have indicated a general codicil has been added to their will.

Once our documentation is completed and available for distribution, further details will be made available.

In the meantime, if anyone is contemplating such a gift to the Foundation I would ask that they contact the office (03/4778977, 027/4370335, info@obhsfoundation.co.nz) to register their interest and to talk through the process.

Bequests, unless otherwise requested or specified, will be invested in the Foundation’s endowment fund, allowing the capital to remain intact and the name of the benefactor to live on in perpetuity.

Recent deaths

Dick (Richard Francis) Purvis (1924), died in Timaru on 18th January 2007, aged 97. At various stages of his life, Dick lived in Dunedin Oamaru, Windsor and Lauder.

Ross Keith Gourley (1943-48), died in Christchurch on 20th January 2007, aged 78. Ross was a retired aircrew signaller having worked for the RNZAF at various New Zealand bases along with duty in Singapore and Fiji. Ross was also a valued Friend of the Foundation.

Jack (John Graham) Taylor (1941-44), died in Tauranga on 20th January, aged 79. Jack was a boarder at Campbell House and lived in Hamilton before retiring to Tauranga in 1997. He was a member of a jazz band for many years and was also a keen genealogist, writing the history of Samuel Biddle Taylor and descendants.

Gordon (Stanfield Gordon) Gapper (1939-42), died in Banning, California on 22nd January 2007. Gordon was a well respected retired journalist with his speciality being the arts.

Cam (Don Cameron) Sneddon (1946-48), died in Dunedin on 31 January 2007, aged 74. Cam was the grandfather of 2005 deputy Head Boy Craig Sneddon.

The Very Rev David Macgregor Steedman (1933-37), died in Wellington on 2nd February 2007, aged 87.

We also extend our sympathy to Ricky Jellyman (1979-82), whose father Graeme died on 29 January 2007.

Steve Davie

Chief Executive