OJ Newsletter April 2012

Its been a great start to the new year with a successful Easter Rugby Festival. This year attracted record crowds and the atmosphere was very festive. Gaudy Day 2012 is on the 30th June and we need as many OJs as possible to sign up for the various sports teams on the day. So please contact Dave Patricios if you are interested (davepatricios@gmail.com). The Annual Dinner will be on the Friday 29th in Darragh hall. We will have a very special guest speaker at our Annual Dinner, Sir David King. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to hear from such a distinguished OJ. Please diarise these dates and make sure you get your table bookings in early to avoid disappointment. The reunion years will be 1962, 1972, 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997 and 2002. Please refer to the list of reunion organisers with contact details below should you wish to attend. Wed also like to note the passing of Mrs Rene England who has not only been a wonderful benefactor of St Johns College, but also a true friend. The OJA held its 105th AGM this year on the 20th March. Click here to view member information. EVENTS - 2012 Date 28 June 29 June 30 June 29 September 7 November 11 November Date early July late July Event Golf day (Please note that the Morrison Abel Trophy has now been incorporated into this event. Click here for more info). Annual dinner Gaudy Day On the Night Remembrance Day Service Combined Carol Service Tentative Events Here are the tentative events scheduled July this year. We will send out further details once they have been finalised. Melbourne Australia Plettenberg Bay

PAST EVENTS: San Francisco 16 Jan 2011 Roger Cameron attended the International Boys School Coalition in San Francisco in January 2012. While he was there, he met up with a few OJ's and past parents living in the area for a drink. Easter Rugby Festival The St Johns College annual 17th Rugby Festival proved yet again to be a huge success, attracting record crowds. The excellent schoolboy rugby was complimented by the favourable autumn weather. For Rugby Festival results, click here For festival pictures, click here REUNION (DECEMBER 2011) - CLASS OF 2001 On Friday the 9th, Saturday the 10th and Sunday the 11th of December 2011, the matrics of the 2001 vintage got together for their 10 year reunion. Friday saw 22 of the guys get together for a casual braai, some drinks and cigars and a gruelling session of poker. After 10 years, there were no chips on shoulders nor at the end of the night and after 13 re-buys in front of all the players bar two: Bartek Kurek and Dylan Botha. These two flinty eyed poker machines finally agreed at 2:30am to share the spoils (realising as they did that at some beauty rest was definitely called for in both their cases). On Saturday the 10th of December, 45 OJs and more than 20 of their rather lovely partners got together at the Old Johannian for the dinner component of the reunion. All were in high spirits as stories were compared and names were dredged up from memory to fit faces that, in many cases, hadnt been seen in 10 years. The evening kicked off with drinks in the garden, during which the boys were delighted to be joined by a number of their former teachers: Alan and Gen Wilcock, Michael and Dee Dee Marias, Jenni Millward, Dimi Grigoratos and Marilynn Jardine (although all the boys pretty quickly reverted to calling her Mevrou Jardine).

Next up former head-boy, Byron Grigoratos, stood up to welcome the OJs, their partners and the teachers attending and to provide a couple of short and snappy anecdotes of what the guys had been up to in the preceding 10 years. This was followed by some rather excellent food, some dancing and a whole lot of catching up into the wee hours of the morning around the Old Johannian Bar. There are rumours too of war cries being fiercely shouted out on Mitchell Field before the evening finally came to an end.

Then, on Sunday the 11th was the golf day at Houghton Golf club. Unfortunately, due in large part to Old Johannian Bar of the night before, only 10 guys managed to get to the first tee. But that did not detract from the awesome day they enjoyed catching up. Briefly interrupted only by a quick Johannesburg summer thundershower after lunch, some equally great and disastrous golf was played and after the final shot everyone enjoyed a couple drinks together in the clubhouse laughing over a couple of particularly poor golf shots and far too many three puts.

In summary, SJC Matric 2001: after 10 years of maturation this vintage may be slightly fuller bodied and with a touch less hair than what it started out with, but on the whole it has become even more vividly complex, diverse and exciting over the years. Without doubt still an incredibly fine vintage! - Nicholas Spicer OLD JOHANNIAN ASSOCIATION REUNIONS 2012 The following reunions are scheduled to take place in 2012. Please contact the following organisers should you wish to attend these reunions. Alternatively contact Lauren Dicks at the Old Johannian Association on 011 645 3016 or e-mail her at lauren@oja.co.za or dicks@stjohnscollege.co.za Year 1962 1972 1982 1987 1992 1997 2002 OLD BOY NEWS 1) Scott Mallen (2002 Head boy - Clarke) and David McAlpine (2002 - Alston) Two intrepid OJs (2002), Scott Mallen (head boy) and David McAlpine, are making their way through Africa (North to South) and attempting to get from Casablanca (Morocco) to Johannesburg, using only public transport or trekking. They are hoping to raise awareness for autism and are fundraising for The Key School, a highly specialized institution for children with autism. It is the only school of its kind in Africa and does incredible work with these children, most of which come from impoverished backgrounds. The two OJs set off on 15 January 2012 with the largest medi-kit this side of the Afghan war, commenting the antibiotics would be their bread and butter! Thus far they have travelled the length and breadth of Morocco and climbed the Atlas Mountains, the highest in North Africa, in chest-high snow, with crampons and ice-picks, having never used mountaineering equipment before! They were warmly welcomed in Western Sahara before making their way through Mauretania (a categorized Red Zone because of kidnappings and Al Qaeda aggression) and into Senegal, following the Senegal River inland to its source in canoes and fishing boats, before crossing into Mali, then Burkino Faso and Ghana. Thereafter they will move to the East coast of Africa and head south from Ethiopia. They plan to take 8 months, and will be climbing Kilimanjaro and Mount Kenya with fellow OJ mates, to mark their decade since matriculating from St Johns College! A really great idea from a really united and brilliant class of 2002! Organiser Ian Popplewell Rob Newsome Phillip Myburgh (we are looking for a reunion organiser) Roger Stubbs Dave Patricios Scott Malan Contact details ian@swimrite.co.za barbaraann@absamail.co.za or rob.newsome@za.pwc.com pmyburgh@brait.com or pmyburgh@mezzpartners.com roger.stubbs@kathea.co.za davepatricios@gmail.com malan@stjohnscollege.co.za

David and Scott on the summit of Jebdel Toubkal (tallest peak in north Africa)

Scott with camels in the Sahara

Both OJs paddling on the Senegal river

The ancient Saharan town of Ouadane

Their blogs are hilarious, interesting and insightful as well as thoroughly entertaining, with video footage and photographs. David: www.davemcalpine.blogspot.com (McAlpine: Sunburn in Africa) Scott: www.southwithscott.blogspot.com (South with Scott) To go direct to the donation page you can follow this link: http://www.backabuddy.co.za/champion/project/casablanca-to-johannesburg-for-the-key-school They certainly would love to have support for their cause, both in donations (100% of all money raised goes directly to The Key School) and in raising awareness of this debilitating condition and the support given to the families of these children by the school. Greetings from David (15 March 2012): Greetings from Segou in Mali!

Our trip through Africa from Casablanca to home has been progressing really well. We have conquered snowy peaks in the north, sand dunes in the west and taken rivers east to Mali where we are currently. We still however have a long way to go. Greetings from Scott (26 March 2012): Mali is in the throes of a coup. We suspect we may have been some of the last tourists to get out before the borders were sealed late last Friday so writing this to you from Burkina Faso is also a great relief. We have all details and some entertaining pieces about our journey on our blogs. We update them as often as possible and we both have a link to our YouTube channel on the blog, it is linked as "Footage from the trip" in the top left hand corner. Probably the best vids to look at are 'Senegal river movie' and 'Scenes from Morocco': I am trying to upload a cool Mali film right now but the connections out here are very sluggish! In the top right hand corner we both have a link that reads 'Donate Here' and clicking on the backabuddy image below it takes people straight to the fast and secure donation page for the Key School for Autism. We just passed the R16k barrier so it is all very exciting. People can also scroll the blog archives and catch up all the previous entries from Morocco Mauritania Senegal and Mali. Some of the big things we have lined up in the next few months are: Ras Dashin (highest peak in Ehtiopia), rockhewn churches of Lalibela, Mount Kilimanjaro, Mount Kenya, gorillas in the Prcs National de volcano Uganda, genocide sites in Rwanda, Lake Victoria, and finally, trekking for 200km down the Mozambican coast. ******************************************************************************** 2) Jean Symes (2005 Hill) Courtesy of www.espncricinfo.com Jean Symes joins Scotland for CB40 March 12, 2012 Jean Symes, a South African allrounder who plays for Lions and Gauteng, will be Scotland's overseas player for the Clydesdale Bank 40 competition. Symes, 25, replaces George Worker from New Zealand who has been called into the Emerging Player squad. Symes will also play for Watsonian in the Eastern Premier League when not on Scotland duty. He has a one-day high score of 170 and a career strike-rate in List A cricket of 86.13 from 56 games, while his left-arm spin has gathered 47 wickets at 25.98. He represented South Africa Under-19s at the 2006 World Cup in Sri Lanka where he won the Man-of-the-Match award against Scotland. On a previous spell in the Lancashire Leagues playing for Norden he scored an unbeaten 268 against Royton in 2009. "We are delighted to have secured Jean to replace George Worker," Roddy Smith, the Cricket Scotland chief executive, said. "As a top order batter and left-arm spinner, he was exactly the type of cricketer we were looking for. I'm sure he will be a useful addition for Scotland and Watsonian CC for the 2012 season."

SPORTS OJ Eagles Water Polo 2011/2012 OJ Eagles have continued where they left off at the start of the new season. They won the annual Old Ed's National Short Course Tournament held at KES in October 2011. They defeated Old Ed's in a closely contested final. The Gauteng league commenced after that, with the Eagles continuing with their split team approach to allow more junior players to play at the highest level.

D Flatscher saves a ball in the face during the final By the end of December the OJ Eagles P1 led the league by two points ahead of OJ Eagles P2. With the season close in March, OJ Eagles P2 managed to trump their P1 teammates by winning the league in the last fixture of the campaign. The OJ Eagles have now secured a one/two finish in the last two Premier League seasons. The OJ Eagles P2 also made it to the cup final, losing to Old Ed's, who also happened to knock out the Eagles P1 team in the semi-final.

OJ Eagles P2 in Cup Final

The OJ's are now preparing to defend their National Champions status at the 130 year old Currie Cup Tournament being held in Durban, Kings Park Pool from 11 to 14 April 2012. The OJ Eagles senior team have won 8 out of the last 9 titles and will be facing some very strong competition from Western Province and Gauteng. -Pierre Le Roux St Johns College Sports Department EAGLE AWARDS The Eagle award this year will proudly be given to Sir David King (1956 Alston) who will be our guest speaker at our annual OJA dinner on 29 June. 7

Sir David King is the Director of the Smith School of Enterprise and Environment at the University of Oxford. He is currently Chancellor of the University of Liverpool, Senior Scientific Advisor to UBS and Science Adviser to President Kagame of Rwanda. Sir David was the UK Governments Chief Scientific Adviser and Head of the Government Office of Science from October 2000 to 31 December 2007. In that time, he raised the profile of the need for governments to act on climate change and was instrumental in creating the new 1 billion Energy Technologies Institute. He gave over 300 talks on climate change at venues around the world between 2002 and 2007. Sir David was born in South Africa in 1939, and after an early career at the University of Witwatersrand, Imperial College and the University of East Anglia, he became the Brunner Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Liverpool in 1974. In 1988 he was appointed 1920 Professor of Physical Chemistry at the University of Cambridge and subsequently became Master of Downing College (1995-2000), Head of the University Chemistry Department (1993-2000), and Director of Research in the Department of Chemistry (until September 2010). He has published over 500 papers on his research in chemical physics and on science and policy, and has received numerous prizes, fellowships, and honorary degrees. We count it a great privilege to have Sir David as our guest speaker at our Annual Dinner. OBITUARIES Thabo Paul Monama (1 Jan 1987 to 5 March 2012) (2005 Clayton) Dr John Charles Boden (21 Sept 1940 to 19 Feb 2012) Guy Richard Matthews (6 Aug 1941 to 27 Feb 2012) (1959 Hill) Sifiso Nxasana (22 June 1984 to 3 Feb 2012) (2001 Alston) Robert Stirling (30 May 1972 to 21 Dec 2011) (1989 Hill) Michael John Finlay (15 Dec 1930 to 16 Dec 2011) (1947 Alston) John David Wilson Massie (30 April 1925, passed away 2011) (1943 Thomson) Geoffrey Lovell Bold (19 Aug 1923 to 1 Sept 2011) (1941 Alston) Peter Michael John Foreman (8 Sept 1949 to June 2011) (1967 Hill) Roy Pearson Smith (born 25 Nov 1923, passed away 2011) (1941 Nash)

******************************************************************************** TRIBUTES Angus Douglas Stewart Rose (2 Aug 1925 to 15 Feb 2011) (English Teacher 1959-63)

Tribute by Colin Hartley Johannians who were at the school between 1959 and 1963 may well remember Angus as their English teacher and as someone who stimulated interest, discussion and argument around and beyond the usual topics of the classroom and who encouraged reading and study in areas of the curriculum that they may not previously have thought of. I remember him especially as an outstanding reader of poetry and drama; as an imaginative and critical analyst of any text or publication that came his way; as someone of unusually wide general knowledge and as one who was profoundly exercised by the way the English language was used and abused; he often quoted I know what you mean in spite of what you say! He was at the school for only a short time, having been previously the Headmaster at St Julians School in Portugal, and left St Johns to lecture at the Johannesburg College of Education, but in that period, in addition to his English teaching, he encouraged interest in music and concert-going, established an Astronomical Society, promoted debating and as editor of the Johannian, gave the magazine a format and style that it retained broadly- until 1998. His influence was therefore considerable, considering the time he spent there. After leaving JCE he headed the English department at Pietermaritzburgs Alexandra High School, became the English editor at Shuter and Shooter Ltd, and after retirement was invited to be Rector of Giyani College of Education, Gazankulu which he finally left in 1992. With his wife Bridget he moved to McGregor in the Western Cape where he died in 2011. Those who knew him would not be surprised at his request to be buried in Robertsons paupers cemetery because: it commands a splendid view! Throughout his life he remained involved in and contributed to many organisations such as the SABC, the English Academy of South Africa, Wits University, the Natal Society, the 1820 Foundation, Friends of Tatham Art Gallery, the University of Natal and he wrote on the subject of English Language and Shakespeare as well as contributing to a number of newspapers, in particular the Natal Witness. He continued his interest as an amateur astronomer and also served as organist in his local church. For me personally he was the schoolmaster whose lessons I best remember and who gave me something that was not in the syllabus; an inclination to think critically for myself and not always to accept the generally received wisdom about any subject at all. I believe that many students who came under his instruction have reason to be similarly grateful. - Colin Hartley (Thompson, 1963) *******************************************************************************

Peter Thomas Raney (4 March 1993 to 27 December 2011) Head of Nash 2011 Family Tribute To us Peter Raney was happy, funny, caring, mischievous, deeply committed to his family, his God, his friends, and his school; not to forget his sport, especially rugby. He was also serious about his work and worked hard to achieve. In the mission statement and Personal Philosophy which he wrote in Life Orientation, he said My mission is to be the best version of myself; to excel in all of the aspects of my life; to be successful in sport; to get good academic results, and to socially develop into a person who others would look up to. I will strive to make myself socially acceptable, i.e. be reliable, responsible and accountable. In aspects such as my religion, Christianity, and towards my friends and family I will strive to better myself in all of these aspects.

In his philosophy for his Matric year, he developed these thoughts, in relation to rugby, wanting to achieve good grades for his subjects, recognising the support of family, seeking out friends with a similar vision about work and maintaining his relationship with God. We will always remember the smile and compassion wrapped in a really strong man who did not have a mean streak in him but who demonstrated at various times such courage, fortified always by commitment to be true to the course and succeed in whatever he chose to do. Peter showed immense courage and character and was so deeply proud of this school and all it stands for. He displayed maturity beyond his years and could easily take his place amongst the strong bravados but was never afraid to stand up for the downtrodden or victims of false accusation. We will never forget seeing him walk out of the chapel after valedictory, ready to put on his Old Johannnian tie for the first time, with tears streaming down his face. He was ready to begin a new life, but deeply appreciative of all that he had gained from St Johns and sad also, to leave it. Peter had thirteen memorable years at St Johns. He was passionate about his House, Nash, and proud of the fact that he was a Pre-Prep survivor and the third generation to be in Nash House following his father and grand-father. He also followed his great uncle by playing for the first fifteen. St Johns did Peter Raney proud and he reciprocated. As parents we gave him every experience that we possibly could. We agreed that what resources there were would be spent on doing, rather than getting. That may be what formed his life motto written in the St Johns class of 2011 year book of End life with no regrets. We believe he had none and we are extremely proud of him. Go well our son, a true blue, and thank you for enriching our and so many lives. You are and remain an integral part of our light, life and love. We love you Peter. -Steve Raney *******************************************************************************

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Mrs Rene England (26 July 1912 to 2 February 2012) Tribute from Roger Cameron We mourn the loss of Mrs England, who has not only been a wonderful benefactor of St Johns College, but also a true friend. She died peacefully at 4 am on the 2nd of February at the wonderful age of 99 years. Rene had a great zest for life, enjoyed the company of many friends, hosted wonderful dinner parties, and was always willing to dance the night away. I distinctly remember her 90th birthday attended by several hundred guests and many friends.

Rene, like her husband Fred, supported the Old Johannian Association as well as the school. Through her generosity we have the Fred England Centre in the Prep, which houses the Prep media centre. We have the Tim Woolcott Centre as part of the Old Johannian Association, and we have the Rene England Auditorium. All of these buildings were generously donated by Mrs England. In the last few years she has struggled with her health, and yet always kept a keen interest in the affairs of St Johns College, and shown great love and affection towards the school. We commend her to Almighty God. May she rest in peace. True to her wishes we have not had a funeral or memorial service for her, but we will celebrate her life at Gaudy Day on Saturday, 30 June 2012. She would have turned 100 on 26 July 2012 and was looking forward to celebrating at lunch with us on Gaudy Day. Roger Cameron Headmaster ******************************************************************************* Johann Strauss (20 June 1946 to 11 November 2011) - (1963 Hill) We had mentioned Mr Strauss passing in our last email but unfortunately had no eulogy for him. Nigel McClure, a very close friend of Johanns has very kindly given us his eulogy for this years newsletter. To read Nigels eulogy please click here. *******************************************************************************

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Michael William Carter (27 April 1928 to 1 September 2011) Teacher at St Johns Mr Carters passing was noted in last years Old Johannian magazine, but we unfortunately did not receive additional tributes at time of print. We have therefore given his son Andrew this opportunity to pay tribute to his beloved father.

Personal Tribute from Andrew Carter Michael Carter came to St Johns College a fresh young graduate. He served it all his working life. The gift of his life to St Johns was the gift of Gods Life into its community. The motto of St Johns is probably the greatest of all mottos. The school prayer tells us why: Lord God our Father, Who art Light and Life and Love... Michael Carter was to St Johns the Light of Love that gives Life. His first three decades especially at St Johns were so powerfully radiant that none could not notice. The power of his personal presence commanded respect from all, and he contributed to virtually every facet of school life - with great positive effect and it was obvious and wonderful to all. He taught Latin and Greek. He became boarding-house master, then second master. He coached the first cricket and rugby teams. He was the brilliant leading-man in several operas, producing and directing others. He contributed much to the schools choirs. He sat on countless committees. From the smooth running of school life to its many varied events and activities, he poured into all his love, joy, help and enthusiasm. Many knew him, and loved him. Charming, affable, intelligent, genial, positive, fun, artistic and helpful, he befriended all he met. He loved music, the choir, stage productions, sport and excellence of every sort. He loved people, life and God. His unseen light was very great indeed. The respect and friendship he gave his colleagues gave them courage, self-respect, joy and hope. Many looked to him for counsel and support headmasters, serving-staff and teachers alike. Forever visiting the needy, his love cast a wide net. And he took many under his wing - for a season or to the end of their days. An exuberant force for happiness, beauty, success, harmony and excellence, he got so much from the school precisely because he gave it so much. I hope this school, which he loved so dearly, and into which he poured his whole great heart and life, will recognise the extraordinary gift he was to it. The light he poured into the life and lives of this community, over virtually five decades, lives on in eternity. Having infused the school with the very Light that made it what it is, he remains one of its great benefactors. The Love of God is the foundation and heart of St Johns. Through that Love, Michael Carter was given to it. In its Light he lived and worked, giving Life to its community. We who have seen his Light rejoice and give thanks for his life and the honour of knowing him. -Andrew J Carter 12

OLD JOHANNIAN CLUB The Johannian club is really the main offering that we as an association have for our members other than the worldwide network of course. We have been undergoing major renovations for the past few months and we hope to have this work largely completed by early next term. We thank all patrons and members for your patience during this time, but expect that our efforts will prove fruitful and also ensure that our buildings are in a condition of which we can be proud. 2012 Has seen an extremely busy school year at the college with many parents supporting the club. We encourage all parents to join and to that end we have club membership forms available in the club, simply ask either Mandy or Kim. All old Johannians are automatically members of the Old Johannian Club. We closed 2011 with a festive old boy reunion, spearheaded by Byron Grigoratos and Antony Dane. Julie Groves, Robyn Brooke and Kelly Glazebrook all celebrated their 21st birthdays in spectacular style and Derek Stott, a past Chairman of the club, celebrated his 60th birthday. Various class moms of both Roedean and St Johns organised breakfasts and class dinners, these gettogethers are very popular with parents getting to know each other and we thank them for their support. The Johannian, St Johns College and Paarl Boys High have built a very successful relationship over the years and once again, Danie Malan and Johan Heunis, old boys of Paarl Boys High, enjoyed their annual pre rugby festival get together with a cocktail party for 80 of their old boys. Due to the success of this event they have booked the venue again for next year. We will be introducing a new menu with a new look and feel, keeping up with local food trends. Our weekly specials add to the already popular menu. To make our moms life easier we have now introduced a convenient Take-Away dinner menu, this includes dishes such as lasagne, hearty stews and delicious pies and quiches. For the prep moms whose children stay after school for sport, we have introduced healthy meals options which the boys are able to collect and enjoy before sport. Our chef, Yvette who was trained in Switzerland, has provided outstanding bespoke menus for our functions and is becoming very well known for her cupcakes, birthday cakes and wedding cakes. The club is open during the school holidays so youre welcome to come by for a leisurely lunch, drink or dinner. Club hours are from 8am to between 2.30pm and 3.00pm over school holidays. Please phone to check availability and service level on offer with management on 011 487 1971. -Damian Boyce Club Chairman

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GENERAL INFO OJA Memorabilia We have a variety of ties, cufflinks, rugby jerseys and many other items of memorabilia for sale at the school shop. Please contact the shop at shop@stjohnscollege.co.za. OJA Website Please visit the website for more information on the events and happenings taking place with the OJA www.oja.co.za. You are also welcome to join us on: Facebook Twitter LinkedIn

OJA Office Contact details for the OJA office are as follows: Heather Cooper: +27 (0)11 645 3075 email: heather@oja.co.za Lauren Dicks: +27 (0)11 645 3016 email: lauren@oja.co.za Sandra Lou: +27 (0)11 645 3095 email: sandra@oja.co.za

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