Newsletter - July 2006

11/07/2006

Foundation members:

Since the June newsletter, the following Old Boys have made pledges or donations and have been registered as Members of the Foundation –

Geoff Eastgate (1927-30) – Friend

Holmes Byars (1965-68) – Old Boys’

Donald Munro (1927) – Friend

Clive Rennie (1958-61) – Associate Fellow

Bruce Carson (1947-52) – Associate Fellow

Alan Richards (1934-38) – Friend

Alex Bagley (1934-37) – Friend

Les Alpine (1943-44) – Friend

Hugh Wilson (1944-49) – Friend

August luncheon:

We’ve been fortunate to secure the services of John Anderson, founder of the Contiki experience, as a guest speaker for a luncheon in late-August.

Many of you will have travelled through Europe, and other parts of the world, with Contiki over the years. And your memories from those adventures will undoubtedly remain vivid. In many ways it’s been a rite of passage for thousands of New Zealanders.

How did it all begin away back in 1962? And what is happening with one of this country’s most famous brands now?

Hear the full story, warts and all, from the founder himself on Thursday 31st August. This is a rags to riches saga which, for John, has almost turned the full circle. He is a brilliant and funny story teller, much sought-after on the speaking circuit and we’re fortunate to have him with us.

While the venue has yet to be finalised, the ticket price of $40 will include food and refreshment along with a surprise or two.

Please book early by contacting the Foundation office (‘phone: 03/4778977; facsimile: 03/4778978; mobile: 027/4370335; email: info@obhsfoundation.co.nz) by the end of July. At that time the venue will be confirmed.

School news:

Results from the final two inter-schools from term two:

versus Christ’s College (home):

Rugby: First XV: Otago Boys’ 39, Christ’s 19

Second XV: Otago Boys' 14, Christ’s 14

Basketball: Otago Boys' 80, Christ’s 61

Squash: Otago Boys' 4, Christ’s 1

Hockey: Otago Boys' 5, Christ’s 1

Football: Otago Boys’ 1, Christ’s 1

Small bore: Christ’s 739.1, Otago Boys’ 720.8

Theatre sports: Christ’s 47, Otago Boys’ 36

Debating: Christ’s 352, Otago Boys’ 328

versus King’s High (away):

Rugby – First XV – Otago Boys’ 48, King’s 8

Third XV – Otago Boys’ 65, Kings 7

Colts – Otago Boys 17, King’s 20

Under 15 Panthers – Otago Boys’ 22, Kings 12

Under 15 Wildcats – Otago Boys’ 70, King’s 5

Under 14 Panthers – Otago Boys’ 86, King’s 0

Under 14 Wildcats – Otago Boys’ 49, King’s 15

Under 13 – Otago Boys’ 39, King’s 7

Football – First XI – Otago Boys’ 2, King’s 1

Year9/10 – Otago Boys’ 2, King’s 0

Theatre sports – Otago Boys’ 30, King’s 34

Trap shooting – Otago Boys’ 248, King’s 228

Yachting – Otago Boys’ 3, King’s 0

Badminton – Seniors – Otago Boys’ 4, King’s 2

Juniors – Otago Boys’ 1, King’s 5

Basketball – Firsts – Otago Boys’ 78, King’s 58

Year 9/10 – Otago Boys’ 35, King’s 29

Chess – Otago Boys’ 6½, King’s 2½

Cross country – Otago Boys’ 58, King’s 23

Curling – Otago Boys’ 7, King’s 6

Hockey – Otago Boys’ 9, King’s 0

Ice hockey – Otago Boys’ 0, King’s 11

Important term three dates:

July 19th
Timaru Boys’ interschool (away)

July 24th – 27th
Open mornings – where primary and intermediate pupils have the opportunity to view the school at work

July 26th
Information evening – for those considering attendance in 2007

August 1st
Waitaki Boys’ interschool (away)

August 8th
Christchurch Boys’ interschool (away)

August 9th
Otago Boys’ choir will sing at the RSA choir’s annual August concert August 30th Otago Secondary School’ Music Festival, Dunedin Town Hall

New Foundation membership level:

As noted in newsletters in recent months, the Foundation has been working on a new level of membership which will allow those keen to be involved to do so without over-committing their resources.

For some, the newly-constituted Old Boys’ membership – set at a one-off payment of $350 – will represent the full extent of their involvement, while for others it may well be the first step towards a greater contribution in the years ahead.

As with all contributions to the Foundation, the Old Boys’ level bestows automatic Life Membership.

A portion of this subscription will be used for the on-going costs incurred by Old Boys’ Society activities – the likes of stationery and postage for the monthly newsletters (not everyone is on email), advertising lunches and other events (sports’ days etc) – with the balance being invested in the Foundation’s endowment fund. The capital will remain protected with the interest being directed towards specific projects.

Some of you will already be Old Boys’ Society members and for that involvement – especially those who have been long-serving members – the Society is most grateful. Current Society members’ subscriptions will stand for the length of their term while new annual subscription invoices will be issued by the Society only to those who choose not to take up the $350 one-off option.

The Society is looking to become more prominent within the activities of the School through the development of mentoring programmes for groups and individuals, by inviting inspiring speakers to assemblies (for all year groups), in introducing life skills and in generally re-activating its presence.

As a result of this profile, the Society will be the conduit through which the boys of today become the Foundation members of tomorrow, thereby ensuring the success of this venture and cementing the future of Otago Boys’ as a pre-eminent educational, sporting and cultural contributor to New Zealand society.

If you are keen to discuss this or any other membership option at first hand, please make contact with the Foundation office by ‘phone or email. For those who need no further encouragement, a pledge form can be downloaded from the Foundation’s website – www.obhsfoundation.co.nz

Congratulations:

Ben Nowell (1999-2003) – a straight and strong-running midfield back in the First XV in his final year at school, Ben continues to make an impression with Canterbury rugby. He scored a try on debut in last year’s Ranfurly Shield defence against Marlborough and, last Tuesday, was the man of the match with a three-try haul in the 80-15 rout of South Canterbury, that game also a Ranfurly Shield defence for the red and blacks.

Hamish Rutherford and Cairan McMeeken are both in Otago Cricket’s elite Junior Academy and will spend much of the winter training for higher honours next summer. Hamish, a Year 13 (7th form) pupil is a left handed middle order batsman and a left arm orthodox spin bowler while Cairan (Year 10, 4th form) is a left handed opening batsman. For 14 to 18 year olds, each association hosts its own academy with the players receiving coaching from regional tutors along with guidance from nationally recognised mentors. The Otago group hopes to make a trip to Queensland for pre-season matches in late-September, early-October.

Keep an eye out for the name Rory Godman in international yachting circles in the years ahead. Rory, a Year 13 (7th form) pupil, left for the World Youth Yachting Championships at the weekend, determined to improve on his 10th placing of last year’s event in South Korea. Crewing with his sister Kelly in their Hobie 16, Rory received the perfect fillip before leaving for England, being jointly named with Kelly as Otago Yachting’s Sports Person of the Year. The Carey Trophy, awarded to the winner, was won by the world’s best match racing yachtsman Russell Coutts (a pupil at Otago Boys’ -1975-79) back in 1977. Rory has been a member of the New Zealand youth squad for the last two years.

Website:

Please continue to patronise the Foundation’s website.

The ‘where are they now?’, ‘from the pages of the Otago Daily Times’ and ‘news & events’ sections are especially active. Pictures are added to the ‘where are they now’? section, as seen below.

Take a look at www.obhsfoundation.co.nz

Where are they now?

Donald Munro (1927) – was born in 1913, the son of British immigrants who met on the ship coming out. He grew up on the family farm near Mosgiel and spent his out of school hours milking 19 cows morning and evening – an inauspicious beginning to the man known as the 'founding father' of opera in New Zealand and the New Zealand Opera Company. Battling through the depression years, Donald found himself in a variety of jobs - office boy, waiting, labouring, gold mining, driving taxis and trucks – while, as fine boy soprano, taking lessons from his mother.

After winning prizes in local competitions as a baritone, Donald was encouraged by a visiting examiner from London’s Trinity College to further his training in England.

He sailed in 1939 and arrived with £10 in his pocket. Enrolled at the Royal College of Music, he took on a variety of musical roles to support himself in war-torn London.

After 12 years Sadler's Wells Opera combined with study in Paris, Donald returned to Dunedin in 1951 before moving to Wellington.

He began his own opera company in 1953 and the rest, as is said, is history.

More than 50 years later, Donald received the prestigious Icon Award from the New Zealand Arts Foundation for his services to New Zealand cultural life.

Donald is now 93, in rude good health and lives in Sydney, visiting New Zealand from time to time. He is a Friend of the Foundation.

For a full description of Donald’s fascinating career, its triumphs and disappointments, and his contribution to New Zealand, please log on to a special website created by a former pupil of his - Martin Cooke:www.operafolkscom/Cooke/Munro_Munro_page.html

Garth Gilmour (1939-41) – in his own words vaguely remembers being at Otago Boys’ at that time, departing with no academic qualification but the hearty approval of the Rector, Mr H.P. Kidson. In the intervening years, he has been a journalist, advertising copywriter, public relations wheel-greaser, journalistic tutor, magazine editor and author, marathon runner, and track and road racing cyclist.

Book writing began in 1960, when he teamed with the redoubtable coach Arthur Lydiard to teach athletes in all spheres of activity how to training properly. The Lydiard- Gilmour team’s 10 books, which began with Run to the Top and Run for Your Life, have remained in publication in several languages for the past 46 years.

Garth also wrote the biographies of Lydiard’s greatest runners, Murray Halberg and Peter Snell, the multi-medal-winning paraplegic Eve Rimmer, the ultra-marathoner Sandra Barwick and, in 2004, the story of Lydiard himself, published not long before he died, at 87, on his farewell lecture tour of the United States.

The 19th of his books, Use It or Lose It, to be published in August by Penguin, is co-authored with Snell and is a no-nonsense examination of the world’s health problems along with the simple cures that are available to everyone, of all ages, without recourse to health clinics, diets or taxing exercise regimes.

The 20th, now being written for publication next year, is an update of the 1965 Snell biography, No Bugles No Drums, to explain the remarkable transformation of how the world’s greatest middle-distance runner, at the age of 34, turned himself into an internationally recognised scientist in the fields of human performance, wellness and ageing.

Garth’s sole aim has been to make certain that the contributions of Lydiard and his athletes to revolutionary training techniques and the invention of jogging, which captured the attention of millions world-wide, will never be forgotten. To him, Lydiard was, and still is, the New Zealander who has had the greatest influence on world health and athletic achievement.

Now in his 81st year, Garth is contemplating retirement.

Dave Henry (1951-54) has probably heard the joke about walking up Every Street in Dunedin about a 1,000 times - but the joke is on the tellers because Dave has walked every street in the city (from Careys Bay to the Taieri) no fewer than six times!

A pack a day smoker up until 25 years ago, Dave battles asthma and emphysema, but manages those health problems with a two-hour jaunt most days. He completed his first traverse 14 years ago with the latest trek taking about 13 months to complete..

Dave, a former banker and executive officer with Age Concern Otago, believes he's walked close to 1,000 kilometres over the six treks with Mosgiel, due to its lack of hills, and Andersons Bay because of its views, the nicest areas in which to walk. Conversely he's not so fond of North East Valley or St Leonards with some of the streets in those suburbs too steep for comfort.

Those banking skills have come in handy with his head for numbers revealing the fact the six walks have taken him 243 hours and 43 minutes to complete with 1,379,544 steps packed into that time frame. Working suburb by suburb, his best month saw him complete 113.35 kilometres and his least-productive 38.53 kilometres.

Dave is not discounting walk number seven.

Harold Nelson (1936-39), best remembered for his brilliant form at the 1950 Empire Games in Auckland, was recently inducted into Nelson’s Legends of Sport Gallery.

Harold captivated the home crowd on the opening day of the 1950 Games, speeding to the six mile gold medal. Later in the meeting, he took the three mile silver medal. The races are the equivalent of today’s 10,000 and 5,000 metre contests with his feat in the longer event emulated 24 years later by Dick Tayler at the 1974 Commonwealth Games in Christchurch.

A standing ovation at the Nelson Sports Person of the Year awards greeted the announcement Harold had been given the honour of being the first member of the Legends of Sport Gallery.

His three mile finish was screened as he made his way to the stage with Harold able to tell the crowd the six mile race hadn’t been filmed, with a race official telling the cameraman to go away ‘because none of the New Zealanders in the race were any good’.

Prior to the 1950 Games, Harold had captained the New Zealand team at the 1948 London Olympics where he carried the flag into a packed Wembley Stadium, and he is this country’s oldest living Olympic flag bearer.

A retired secondary school teacher and polytechnic lecturer, Harold moved from Dunedin to Nelson in 1951, the year he finished his competitive athletics career, and has lived there ever since. He has continued a strong involvement with the sport through coaching and administration and has an MBE for services to the sport.

Humble to the extreme, Harold noted the honour of being inducted into the Legends Gallery was the 'icing on the cake' while Sport Tasman's Tony Thomas said he was an obvious choice for the award.

"It's all about recognising someone who epitomises all that is good about sport - success, dedication and grit. Harold has given so much over the years."

Hear! Hear

Recent deaths:

Blake Stott (2000-2004), died on 11th June 2006 at the age of 19 in his car near his home in South Otago.

James Owen Corbett (1944-48), died suddenly on 14th June 2006 at the age of 75 in Middlemore Hospital in Auckland. Owen was a long-serving secondary school teacher.

George Henry Longworth (1931), died on 26th June 2006 aged 89 in Thames. George served in the Second World War and much of his working life was spent as a plasterer.

John Robert George Anderson (1933-37), (known as Jack) died at the age of 86 in the Montecillo War Veterans’ Home in Dunedin on 1st July 2006. Jack served with the RNZAF in the Second World War and worked for much of his life with the New Zealand Post Office.

Jason Lee Percy (1985-87), died on 4th July 2006, as the result of an accident in Carterton, aged 34.

FIFA World Cup – 2006:

The football World Cup ended yesterday in somewhat bizarre circumstances – French skipper Zinedine Zidane sent off for a head butt to the chest of an opposition player, robbing his team of a vital cog come the penalty shootout.

Italian fans will be delighted with result as will those who supported Wellington College in the Virtual Football for schools, played out on the New Zealand internet. Wellington College had a massive 1,174 players on its team accumulating more than 208,000 points, with the second place going to Auckland Grammar with 862 players and 147,000 points.

Otago Boys’ put together a team of 335 players who registered 62,000-plus points for an 18th placing from the 50 schools competing.

Please continue to pass on our website address – www.obhsfoundation.co.nz - or my telephone numbers to all Old Boys you know. If you haven’t updated your own details, please also use this site.

We have traced about 2,000 Old Boys in recent months but the bulk of the tracking job remains ahead of us, so please don’t assume we know where each and every Old Boy is. It’s better for us to have already been told of their whereabouts than not to know at all – so any information (email or postal addresses, or telephone numbers) will be gratefully received.

We want as many Old Boys as possible to receive the monthly newsletter and with the school’s 150th celebrations not too far away – 2013 – a complete alumni database is also highly desirable.

Thank you.

Steve Davie

Chief Executive