Newsletter - November 2006

10/11/2006

Foundation members

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

John Black (1935-37) – Associate Fellow

Bruce Baker (1962-66) – Friend

North Canterbury Branch of the Old Boys’ Society – Friend

Peter Gilbert (1961-65) – Friend

Don Johnstone (1951-53) – Friend

Ronald Alderton (1965-68) – Old Boys’

School news

* Christopher Hayden (Year 12) has been selected to represent Rotary District 9980 at the Australian National Science Forum in Canberra. This selection has been described as a major achievement by the science department at Otago University.

*The school’s curling team has finished second in both the South Island and New Zealand secondary schools’ national championships, being beaten by the Maniototo Area School in both competitions.

* Trap shooters Justin McLean (Year 13) and Logan Byers (Year 12) have taken out the South Island secondary schools’ pairs title with Justin finishing second in the individual series. Both boys were named in the South Island schools’ team. And Colin Hastings (Year 13) has finished fifth equal in the national secondary schools’ smallbore championships, using the English target system.

* As well as playing host to the Dunedin secondary schools’ Theatresports final late last month, the Otago Boys’ High School team of Harry Calverley, Stuart Hayward, Joshua Hay, Ben Kidd and Sandor Toth won the competition.

* Table tennis player Johnathan Dixon had a school holiday to remember, taking out the South Island metropolitan championship, winning all of his matches in the process.

* Callum Alexander has recently attained his New Zealand Football Referee’s Badge, which allows him to control any match other than an international. Callum has spent much of this year officiating in New Zealand women’s league games.

* Music has again played a major role in the school’s activities with history being made by the Year 10 (4th form) band Homemade Jam in becoming the first so young to win the school’s annual Battle of the Bands. The band comprises Conall Davidson, Innes Gilbertson, Patrick Frame and Cairan McMeeken.

* There are no inter-schools scheduled for this term but Otago Boys’ will still be represented by the First Cricket XI and the track and field team - the cricketers contesting the annual Gillette Cup series in Palmerston North and the athletes taking on the country’s best at the national secondary schools’ championships in Christchurch.

* Other important dates centre on the senior prize-giving in the Regent Theatre on Wednesday, 15th November (the junior prize-giving is set down for December) and the annual Leavers’ Dinner, this year being held in the Otago Lounge at Carisbrook on Saturday 25th November.

Old Boys’ Society – Annual Meeting

The Annual Meeting of the Old Boys’ Society will be held on Wednesday, 22nd November at Cableways Tavern & Liquorland, Mellor Street, Dunedin, with business underway at 5.30p.m.

All Old Boys’ Society members are urged to attend and all Old Boys are most welcome.

Where are they now?

* Allan Evans (1936-37) now lives in retirement in Timaru.

Married for 56 years to Jeanette, Allan – a retired engineer – has spent a lifetime involved in the protection of the environment and has been recognised for those services.

The engineering and planning officer with the South Canterbury Catchment board (1947-87), Allan shaped the face of the region’s drainage and river control schemes, and was also involved with the protection of river beds, flood and coastal hazard processes, catchment stream design and implementation, and riverbed tree planting.

He presented papers around the country over many years on these topics, was a keynote speaker at a number of national conferences and traveled overseas for the National Water and Soil Conservation Authority. Allan also served on the Department of Conservation’s Task Force on coastal, marine, rivers and lakes law reform (1988) and was contracted to the department in relation to its responsibilities to navigable rivers and lakes, land status and deficiencies in legislation and common law.

In 1996, he was a speaker at the Fourth Asia and Pacific Parliamentarians conference on environment and development.

Among the awards honouring Allan’s work have been the Winston Churchill Fellowship in the late-70s and an additional Fellowship grant in the early-80s, allowing him to study land use, land tenure, and poplar research and utilisation trends throughout Europe and the United States; and the New Zealand Order of Merit in 2003 for Services to Conservation.

Outside of his work, Allan has been active in the scout movement, with local tennis, badminton and deer stalking clubs, and has been involved on various forestry development bodies in New Zealand and Australia as well as making a significant contribution to the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand and the New Zealand Deerstalkers’ Association, of which he is a Life Member.

Allan’s health hasn’t been all that good in recent years, having suffered a stroke and then a fall, which resulted in serious injury. But his mind is sharp and his daughters Mandy and Judy report he is learning to walk again. Allan is still able to visit Jeanette, who is in a nearby rest home, several times a week and we wish them both well.

* John Marshall, son of former New Zealand Prime Minister Sir John Marshall (1929), has been voted in as the next president of the New Zealand Law Society. John junior is a Wellington-based barrister.

Annual Foundation Golf Tournament

Early notification –

The second Annual Foundation Golf Tournament, staged in association with Colin Strang Financial Services, will be played on the St Clair course on Friday, 2nd March 2007.

This year’s inaugural tournament was a resounding success with a field of more than 100 taking on the elements (and we had all four seasons that day!), the course and their opposition.

We are now taking bookings, from players and sponsors alike. If you wish to be involved, please contact the Foundation office - ‘phone: 03/4778977, mobile: 027/4370335, email: info@obhsfoundation.co.nz

Class lists

Class lists are now available for viewing on the Foundation’s website.

In recent weeks, scores of emails, letters and ‘phone calls have been received with contact details about Old Boys and we are grateful for that assistance.

Please check your year and others. The majority of Old Boys still remain unaccounted for and your assistance with the tracking process would be gratefully appreciated.

Recent deaths

Graham William Whyte (1943-45), died in Auckland on 26th September 2006, aged 77. Graham worked for National Mortgage in Otago and Canterbury, then with the Wintest/Great Outdoor manufacturing side of the business in Otago, Canterbury and Auckland. He then owned and operated Max Packs (a home hardware company) before retiring. Graham was president of the Takapuna Bowling Club for three years (no other president had served more than a one-year term).

Gordon (Ian Gordon Scott) Sharpe (1948-52), died in Dunedin on 13th October 2006, aged 71. Gordon was a design draughtsman by trade and worked for many years for the Otago Catchment Board. Gordon was also prominent in the Territorial Army. His son, Ian Scott Douglas Sharpe, began his time at Otago Boys' in 1985.

Lew (James Lewis) Bathgate (1932-34), died in Nelson on 13th October 2006. Lew served with the RNZAF in the Second World War, rising to Pilot Command of the 630 Squadron based at Easy Kirkby. He was a long-time secondary teacher and principal.

Brian Eric Jamieson (1948), died in Christchurch on 15th October 2006.

Scott Cameron Collins (1977-79), died in Perth on 18th October 2006.

Ray (Raymond Gordon) Eggers (1939-43), died in Dunedin on 19th October 2006.

Raymond Errol Galland (1948-50), died in Masterton on 20th October 2006, aged 72.

Dr Brian Alexander Scobie (1944-45), died at home in Wellington on 20th October 2006, aged 78.

Ernest Oliver Ryalls (1932), died in Wanaka on 24th October 2006, aged 89.

Alan William Croot (1957-60), died in Auckland on 7th November 2006, aged 63.

We also extend our sympathy to Peter Dick (1952-56) and his son Peter (1977-81) on the loss of their wife and mother Merilyn on 3rd November; and to the Finnie brothers - Allan (1950-53), Doug (1950-52) and Alistair (1954-57) - on the passing of their mother Evelyn on 3rd November.

Steve Davie

Chief Executive