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The Otago Boys' High School Foundation
PO Box 11,
Dunedin, New Zealand
Tel +64 3 477 2546
Fax +64 3 477 5468
Otago Boys’ High School Foundation
April 2011 - Newsletter
Kia ora,
Like it or not social media has taken our world by storm.
One of the core charters of the Foundation is to find all of our Old Boys and record their contact details for future reference and to enable us to communicate with them about the school, various events and promotions and reunions.
Over the past month we have spent time setting up our very own Facebook page with the view to connect with many of our Old Boys’ who we don’t have contact details for. Various posts will be done on this page every week including updates on what is happening at the school, video’s from the Rector, Interschool Sports Days and events/reunions, opportunity to make requests from the Foundation to support any events you may be organising or post photo’s/video’s and comments of your time at the school.
We have tried on many occasions to get our Old Boys’ to assist us with finding those in their Class Year whom we have no contact details for but this exercise has proven harder than first thought. It is hoped that through the social network of Facebook we will be put in touch with many Old Boys’ who have lost contact with their school and in turn we have lost contact with.
So here’s the pitch:
TAKE SOME TIME TO CLICK HERE AND BECOME A FACEBOOK FRIEND OF THE
OTAGO BOYS’ HIGH SCHOOL FOUNDATION!
Encourage your fellow school mates to do the same and more importantly to take time to reconnect with their school by contacting the Foundation with their current contact details.
Don’t under-estimate how helpful giving an Old Boys contact details is. It makes all the difference at this end.
We still have over 9,000 Old Boys’ unaccounted for. Give us a hand!
Happy reading…
Regards,
Douglas Kamo
CEO – OBHS Foundation
Since the March newsletter, the following Old Boys and connections with the school have made pledges or donations and have been registered as Members of the Foundation:
We are genuinely appreciative of their continued support and belief in the Foundations objectives. If you wish to find out more about how you can make a pledge or donation please click here or contact info@obhsfoundation.co.nz
A man described as a soldier, a citizen, a doctor and a humanitarian has been named as the 2011 Anzac of the Year.
The Returned and Services Association said Brigadier Brian Thomas McMahon (1943-47) was a true Anzac and a quintessential New Zealand citizen-soldier.
The RSA instituted the award last year "to recognise the qualities of comradeship, compassion, courage and commitment which are embodied in the tradition of Anzac".
The award was presented to Dr McMahon by Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand at Government House in Wellington today.
RSA national president Don McIver said Dr McMahon, 81, had given significant service to New Zealanders and to the international community.
He had shown comradeship, compassion, courage and commitment throughout his 60 years of service to his fellow citizens and comrades in arms, he said.
Dr McMahon served in the New Zealand Defence Force for more than 40 years, culminating in his appointment as Director General Defence Force Medical Services.
He served in Malaysia, Vietnam, the United Kingdom and Singapore.
During a return trip to Vietnam in 1998 to re-open a hospital in Bong Son that had been destroyed during the war, Dr McMahon revealed where his good friend, Sergeant Gordon Watt, died only metres from him when a land mine exploded outside a church.
He and another medic worked feverishly to save Sgt Watt but he was too badly wounded and he died as he lay on the ground.
"Vietnam was not the same to me after that," he said on the spot where Sgt Watt died.
After his military career, he was medical superintendent at Wakari Hospital in Dunedin and then Dunedin Hospital. He was also medical officer of health for Otago and Southland and a senior lecturer at Otago Medical School.
Dr McMahon holds numerous honours and awards, including Commander Order of the British Empire (CBE), Knight of the Order of St John (KStJ) and Knight Commander Order of St Lazarus of Jerusalem (KCLJ).
Mr McIver said Dr McMahon demonstrated the spirit of Anzac in a lifetime of service to the army, to the country and to the international community as soldier, citizen, doctor and humanitarian.
Veterans' Affairs Minister Judith Collins congratulated Dr McMahon.
''Throughout his distinguished military and medical careers, Dr McMahon displayed a tireless commitment to improving the healthcare of military personnel and the public,'' she said.
''As a soldier, a doctor, a citizen and a humanitarian, his lifetime of service has been an influence and an inspiration to many.''
OBHS Foundation CEO writes: When I contacted Mr McMahon to congratulate him on this honour I received an incredibly humble response of which I’m sure he won’t mind me sharing. He replies as below:
“When I was advised of this award some weeks ago I greeted the news with two distinct feelings. The first was embarrassment, and the second happiness. I did feel a genuine embarrassment because I was a member of the Armed Forces for a long time and had plenty of time to know who were the outstanding individuals, and there were plenty of them both male and female. Then in my post Army life I worked with many people in a number of organizations who I recognised as having devoted their lives, heart and soul to their particular cause.
So my question was, ’why me’?
I was also happy because my name had popped up. Some friends and colleagues had taken the time to nominate me to the selection panel, comprising the Governor General, CDF and the National President of the RNZRSA and I was given the nod. I am of course most grateful to the individuals who nominated me. The Governor General told me that there were two independent nominations.
The Bronze of Henderson and his Donkey on Gallipoli is quite beautiful but very heavy at 70kg. I hope that I may be permitted to take it to the various RSA ‘s in our Region in an effort to raise the Veteran profile in general, and Montecillo Home and Hospital in particular”.
On 14 April the Otago Boys’ Joel Sutton auditorium was packed with students, parents, grand parents and staff as we paid tribute to the brave Old Boys’ who fought for our country.
Supported by the combined school orchestra Deputy Rector - Dougal McGowan, lead a heart felt service capped by a very powerful speech by Lt Colonial Darryl Tong, our invited guest.
For this writer it was the first service I have attended at Otago Boys’ and the genuine sense of understanding from our students was something to behold. I got the feeling that each and every person in that room was affected in someway by the words being spoken.
I watched one particular student from my position onstage who at the start of Lt Col Tong’s speech shuffled to the edge of his seat where he stayed for the duration of the service. Did his great grandfather fight in the war? Or was it just that by nature of being an Otago Boys’ student he could identify with what was being shared. That he put himself in the position Old Boys over 70 years ago found themselves in and wondered what that felt like.
Brigadier Brian McMahon was present and commented later that he felt the service was as good as it had ever been.
The walk from the main block to the archway to pay tribute to our fallen men had a very somber feel to it. The respect our students had for this occasion was shown in abundance as each lined up to place their poppy under the archway.
LEST WE FORGET
Glenn Turner (1961-64), was one of the named Otago Best XI cricket members invited to a function to farewell Carisbrook recently.
Fellow members Craig Cumming, Warren Lees, Frank Cameron, Stephen Boock, John Reid and the 12th man, Gren Alabaster were hosted by the Otago Cricket Association 
to formally recognise their contribution and to farewell Carisbrook.
Otago cricket shifted to its new home at the University Oval in 2004 but Carisbrook holds a special place in the history of sport in the province.
The venue has hosted 252 first-class matches, 46 list A games, 21 one-day internationals and 12 tests (two abandoned without a ball bowled).
Sutcliffe scored back-to-back 100s on debut for Otago against the MCC in March 1947. He also holds the ground record with a regal 355 against Auckland in 1949 -50. There were 38 fours in that innings.
People would go to Carisbrook just to watch Sutcliffe bat and promptly leave if he got out.
Dunedin bar owner and Old Boy, John MacDonald (1977–81), is crying out for large marquees to be allowed in the Octagon during the Rugby World Cup later this year.
Now that four games would be played (the fourth being England vs Argentina on September 10) John felt that the large marquees would be justified due to the extra pressure on the city’s hospitality industry.
The city has licensed space for a maximum of 5000 people at any one time, but twice that number were expected to try to cram into bars on match days in Dunedin.
John and fellow Octagon bar owner, Phil Ellis (1972-76) have written to city councillors and Dunedin mayor Dave Cull, urging them to reverse a council decision to prohibit marquees from the Octagon during the tournament.
The council agreed to allow smaller gazebos but not larger enclosed marquees. They advised the decision would not be reversed as space needed to be kept for other activities in the Octagon.
Overseas scientists are taking a growing interest in an unusual Dunedin geological research project that has tumbled stones in a concrete mixer to gain new insights into rock strength and erosion rates.
Dr Simon Cox (1977-81), a University of Otago graduate who works at GNS Science in Dunedin, is involved in the first New Zealand research of its kind to simulate the behaviour of rocks moving about in rivers, and to measure the relative hardness of various rock types and the amount of abrasion, rounding and erosion that takes place.
Undaunted by a lack of specialised research gear, he has taken the celebrated New Zealand No 8 wire approach by using a borrowed concrete mixer to do the tumbling.
A diamond-tipped saw was used to cut various rock types - schist, greywacke and pounamu (greenstone) - into cubes, which were placed, with some water, in a sealed plastic barrel and tumbled for various lengths of time.
Simon initially came in for some good-natured ribbing from fellow scientists about the highly unusual choice of research gear, and he noted that some European colleagues might have applied for a €1 million piece of much more sophisticated equipment to do the job.
But 200 hours of tumbling later, the initial scepticism has turned to enthusiasm and scientists in Switzerland, the United States and France are already helping with various parts of the project.
The equipment may have been humble but it has generated some big surprises, including the speed with which a cube of rock can be transformed into something much smaller and smoother, often after only a few hours of tumbling.
"That was the one thing that really blew me away - how quickly you can turn a square thing into something that's quite rounded." New Zealand had a very high erosion rate, with the amount of material washed down our rivers "second to none in the world", he said.
The novel research could itself bring many scientific "spin-off" benefits, including better understanding how rock types and erosion could contribute to deformation - a contortion of the Earth - on faults such as the Alpine Fault, he said.
10 OBHS GOLFERS AT WORLD SCHOOLS GOLF TOURNAMENTTwelve months of fundraising by the Otago Boys' High School golf team will have its rewards when the players compete in this month's world schools golf tournament in South Africa.
The tournament promises to be the highlight of the two-week tour for the 10-strong team, which left on Friday 15 April.
Otago Boys' has three teams in the 46-team field for the tournament at Stellenbosch from April 25-28. They will compete against teams from Scotland, England, Namibia, Zimbabwe, South Africa and Australia.
Two other New Zealand schools, Auckland Grammar and Otumoetai College (Tauranga), are also competing.
The OBHS team is led by golf master and assistant principal Bill Trewern. Otago Boys' has been one of New Zealand's leading golf schools since Mr Trewern took charge 41 years ago. The boys going to South Africa range from Otago age-group champion Thomas Facer to year 9 pupils with potential.
The youngest member is Harry Smith (13), who started playing golf at his home town of Ranfurly three years ago and has a handicap of 12. He is the nephew of Mandy Smith, who played for the Black Sticks women's hockey team at the 1992 and 2000 Olympics.
"It will be a very good experience, but I'm a wee bit nervous," he said.
At the other end of the scale is Kayne Wardell (17), who has a handicap of 3.2. He started playing the sport at the Allan Grange course at Clydevale as a 5-year-old.
He was a member of the Otago Boys' team that was sixth at the New Zealand schools championships in 2009 and fifth last year.
"I'm excited ... The ball will fly 30m further on the drive in South Africa," he said.
The cost of the trip for each boy is $6500. They have had many fundraising activities in the past year, including a celebrity golf tournament, which raised $20,000.
Also on the trip are ex-pat South African Peter Odgers, a teacher at the school, and six parents.
This is the eighth overseas jaunt for Otago Boys' golfers and the third time they have been to world finals. The team finished fifth at St Andrews in 1992 and second in France in 1994.
OBHS has also competed in the Queensland schoolboys championships in Brisbane five times.
Christ’s College - 21 – 22 February
Tennis 19/5 to Christ’s College
Golf Win to OBHS
Cricket – Both games rained off
Waitaki Boys’ High School - 24 February
Tennis - Seniors 6/2 win, Juniors 7/1 win
1st Cricket - Win by 7 wickets
Combined 2nd Team - Win to OBHS by 259 runs
Timaru Boys’ High School - 7 - 8 March
Tennis Seniors 8-4 win, Juniors 7-5 win
1st Cricket - A win to OBHS by an innings and 37 runs
Colts Cricket - A win to OBHS by an innings and 10 runs
Southland Boys’ High School - 14 – 15 March
Tennis Seniors 8-4 loss, Juniors 12-0 win
Cricket rained off.
The Port Otago South Island Secondary Schools’ Sunburst Regatta was held for the 7th year at the Otago Yacht Club during Tournament Week from Monday 28th March to Friday 1st April.
This year the crews came from Invercargill, Dunedin and Ashburton. OBHS had the largest entry with 5 boats sailing.
Monday saw a strong breeze from the SW so racing was postponed until 1.00pm. At that time it did not look like the breeze was going to drop so race officer Mr Allen Todd decided to cancel the racing for the day. This was the first day lost due adverse weather conditions in the 7 years of running the event.
Tuesday saw a light to moderate SW - so windward – leward and triangle courses were set. Wednesday was a point to point but in reality was a modified Z course with the top mark to starboard. Thursday was the slalom course, and Friday was one championship race a swap-crew fun race.
At this stage Cameron Shearer and Ted Brown in Lion Foundation were just ahead of Billy and Jimmy Brown in McLeod and Associates. Billy was keen to race and if he beat Ted and Cameron by 2 places he would win the competition.
Unfortunately that was not to be. Ted got a good start and lead from the start to finish. All the boys sailed well finishing in the top half of the fleet.
Overall it was a very successful regatta with 17 races held over 4 days of sailing. There were 23 boats entered, 6 rescue craft and 28 helpers to run the event.
Communities must unite and support local events to ensure they remain in their district, according to Professor James Higham (1981-85), head of Otago University’s Tourism Department.
James says it is vital that communities capitalise on the economic benefits and opportunities these events present.
He said that economic surveys recently released showed that, Warbirds over Wanaka and Challenge Wanaka, brought in a combined $23.5 million in economic benefits to the town.
It was vital, he said, that communities united in their support for local events and branded them to make it difficult for them to work anywhere else. The threat of event managers taking events to another area was always real.
He cited Nelson’s Wearable Arts as one example. It fitted well with the Nelson community, had high visibility but has now moved to Wellington which is a great loss to Nelson’s potential tourism dollar.
The Otago Community Trust has announced donations of $45,000 to the Fortune Theatre and $55,000 to Southern Sinfonia, a welcome Easter treat.
Old Boy and Otago Community Trust chief executive, Keith Ellwood (1961-65), described the Fortune Theatre as an icon which provided a venue for local, national and international theatrical production.
“They not only entertain audiences but develop the skills of performers, theatre practitioners and writers at all stages of their careers”, he said.
Mr Ellwood said the Trust’s donation of $45,000 would support the 2011 programme and provide quality, live theatre while contributing to the growth of performing arts in the region.
Southern Sinfonia would use their donation of $55,000 to support a programme of activities including a chamber music tour of primary schools in the region and an academy to prepare young players for the Dunedin Youth Orchestra.
Earlier in the month the Foundation office sent an email to those Old Boys’ we know are residing in the UK. The purpose was to gauge interest as to whether they would attend an Old Boys gathering in July which coincides with Rector Clive Rennie’s visit to London.
The response has been positive with approx 30 Old Boys confirming support for such an event. To this end plans are now underway to find a suitable venue.
If you did not receive this email and are living in the United Kingdom please make contact with the Foundation Office on admin@obhsfoundation.co.nz stating your full name, years of attendance at Otago Boys’ and whether you would attend such an event.
We will ensure you are placed in the system and receive future updates.
60th, 50th and 40th Class Year Reunions will be held later in the year for the Class Years of 1951, 1961 & 1971 (respectively) which will see many Old Boys to return to the school to reconnect with their alma mater.
Reunions have been very successful at the school since 2005 with decade reunions having now been held for the 1920’s, 1930’s, 1940’s. Class Year Reunions have been held for 1955, 1956, 1957, 1958, 1959 and 1960 with the 1962 boys getting together in 2007 along with 1964-67 year groups.
However, the 1951 and 1961 Class years are yet to meet so the Foundation is excited about bringing these groups back together. Equally so, we are looking forward to establishing our ‘40 Years On’ reunions starting with the 1971 Old Boys.
If you started Otago Boys’ High School in the 3rd form during these years make contact with the Foundation office to register your interest to attend.
Calling all Old Boys’ from the Class Year of 1951 to join us for two exciting days catching up with old school friends and reconnecting with your school. Programme will be launched shortly but do register early for this event.
Dates have been set for 15 & 16 August 2011. Please register your interest by clicking here
The year which saw the baby boom peak with 65,000 babies being born in New Zealand. It was the end of capital punishment in New Zealand although the cane was still being flung by Rector Edward (Teddy) Aim, and the first Golden Kiwi Ticket was sold. But it was the year those in the Class Year of 1961 started at OB’s and it is time to bring you all back.
Dates have been set for 30 Sept & 1 Oct 2011. Please register your interest by clicking here
John Lennon, James Taylor and Michael Jackson are all at the top of their game musically, Apollo 14 landed on the moon and an anti Vietnam War protest saw 35,000 take to the New Zealand Streets. Some of you may even have wagged school to attend the march but we hope you won’t wag this event.
Dates have been set for 9 & 10 Sept 2011. Please register your interest by clicking here
IN ALL CASES WE ARE LOOKING FOR TWO OLD BOYS’ FROM EACH CLASS YEAR TO ASSIST WITH FINDING FELLOW CLASS MATES OF WHOM WE HAVE NO CONTACT DETAILS FOR.
IF YOU CAN ASSIT PLEASE CONTACT THE FOUNDATION OFFICE AT admin@obhsfoundation.co.nz
REGISTERED SINCE LAST NEWSLETTER 10
TOTAL REGISTRATIONS TO DATE 464
MAKE SURE YOU ARE PART OF THIS
HISTORICAL EVENT BY REGISTERING NOW!
Contact the Foundation admin@obhsfoundation.co.nz with ‘Register 150th’ in the subject line or a call +64 3 477 2546, and leave a message. Include your full name and years of attendance.
As Fuel Prices Continue To Soar Out Of Control The OBHS Foundation Has AnExclusive Fuel Card Offer Available To AllOld Boys, Past Staff And Their Immediate Family Members.
All Foundation card holders receive 5 cents per litre discount to the national pump price for petrol and diesel. Discounted petrol and diesel can be purchased at all BP, RD Petroleum and most Gasoline Alley retail sites along with Truck Stops.
HOW IT WORKS:
If today the national price for a litre of 91 octane is $2.159 cents, the cost to you would be $2.109 cents. If on the West Coast 91 is priced at $2.389 cents per litre - those with Foundation fuel cards will still pay only$2.109 cents per litre. That’s a 28 cpl saving!
This offer is open to all Otago Boys' High School - Old Boys', staff, parents of a student and their immediate family members so please pass this on to a New Zealand based family member you think may well benefit from joining the program.
CLICK HERE TO FIND OUT MORE AND START SAVING ON ALL YOUR FUEL PURCHASES!
Individual Application – Click here
Limited Companies Application – Click here
Paul Dryden (1966-71)
Last month Old Boy, Paul Dryden, died aged 57, after complications in the treatment of cancer.
The Dunedin-born chief executive of the Public Relations Institute of New Zealand had been living in Auckland.
Throughout his career, he was held in high regard not only as a practitioner but in his genuine care for others and his sense of humour. Mr Dryden played a major role in developing the institute and in strengthening sports infrastructure.
In recent years he had helped revitalise the Auckland branch of the Otago Boys’ High School Old Boys’ Society of which we are truly grateful for.
After attending OBHS from 1966-1971, Mr Dryden joined the NZBC in Dunedin as a cadet then Radio New Zealand where he focused on marketing and administration.
Known as being particularly humble, few of his colleagues realised but he was NZ hammer-throwing champion in 1980 and held other national and regional athletics titles.
He helped found Independent Radio News in the mid-80s providing news and sports bulletins to private radio stations.
Subsequently, he led the agency’s sports coverage at the Edinburgh Commonwealth Games in 1986 and at the Summer Olympics at Seoul in 1988.
In a recent tribute, Tim Marshall, the Public Relations Institute of new Zealand acting chief executive, described Paul as a much loved and respected leader of the profession.
Victor Langley (1938) passed away on 28 March 2011 in Mosgiel.
Douglas Young (1941) passed away peacefully on 12 April 2011 in Dunedin.
Ian Mccoll (1938-43) passed away peacefully on April 17, 2011 in Dunedin.
Doug Daggar’s (1967-1970) wife Cherry passed away on 1 April 2011 in Dunedin.
Newsletter researched and compiled by Douglas Kamo
The OBHS Foundation greatly acknowledges the support of the Otago Daily Times
from which many of the photos in this publication are sourced.
The Otago Boys’ High School Foundation acknowledges the assistance
it receives from
Konica Minolta with all of its office printing requirements
