The Pretorian 2016 Annual Magazine of Pretoria Boys High School www.boyshigh.com Valediction 4 Matric Results 12 Matrics 14 Academic Awards 15 Staff and Governors 17 Tributes 22 House Reports 32 Annual Events 52 Special Events 63 The Bill Schroder Centre 68 Tours 76 Services 82 The Bush School 93 ‘Scene’ Around Boys High 96 Spotted at Boys High 97 Music Department 98 Cultural Activities 110 CONTENTS 124 Clubs and Societies Production credits 160 Creative Writing Editor: John Illsley Layout: Elizabeth Barnard 190 Art Department Typing: Cathy Louw 192 Art Gallery Advertising: Jamie Fisher Proof Reading: Heidi Stuart 198 Photo Gallery Sub Editors Art: Debbie Cloete 202 Athletics English Creative Writing: Penny Vlag 212 Basketball Afrikaans Creative Writing: Amanda Robinson French Creative Writing: Hedwig Coetzee 218 Climbing German Creative Writing: Corli Janse van Rensburg 220 Cricket Sepedi Creative Writing: Brenda Bopape Photography 238 Cross Country Formal group photographs: Martin Gibbs Photography Principal Sports Photographer: Duncan McFarlane www.dmcfarlane,photium.com 244 Fencing PBHS Photographic Society contributors 246 Golf Jarod Coetzee, Craig Kunte, Zander Taljaard, Alexander van Twisk, Jaryd van Straaten, Duncan Lotter, Malcolm van Suilichem, Ockert van Wyk, Cuan 248 Hockey Gilson, Lê Anh Vu, Cole Govender, Sachin du Plooy-Naran, Jonathan Slaghuis 264 Rugby Other photographs Jamie-Lee Fisher, Malcolm Armstrong, Joni Jones, Mervyn Moodley, Mike 292 Squash Smuts, Debbie Cloete, Peter Franken, Rob Blackmore, Cornelius Smit, Jocelyn Tucker, Ryan o’Donoghue, Mark Blew, Erlo Rust, Karen Botha, 296 Swimming Chan Dowra, Nick Zambara, Lamorna Georgiades, Marina Petrou, Desireé 298 Tennis Glover, Andrew De Kock, John Illsley, Jaydon Kelly, Melissa Rust. 300 Table Tennis Front Cover The atrium of the new Bill Schroder Centre, completed and 302 Water Polo opened in 2016. Photograph: John Illsley. Back Cover The chess board in the courtyard of the new library being enjoyed one afternoon. Photograph: John Illsley Title Page The main building splendidly illuminated during the sound and light show. Photograph: Craig Kunte (PBHS Photographic Society). Guest Speaker Address by guest speaker Mr Nhlanhla Nene The Headmaster, Mr Reeler, staff, proud and “The heaviness of being successful was replaced relieved parents, calm grandparents and graduating by the lightness of being a beginner again, less sure pupils… about everything. It freed me to enter one of the I feel deeply honoured and privileged that you most creative periods of my life,” Jobs said. have asked me to say a few words during this For obvious reasons, I share Jobs' sentiments. At Valediction ceremony for the 2016 matriculation times, the best thing that could ever happen to your group. Congratulations to those young men who career is to be fired! are being recognised this evening. In his invitation, Life is also full of dots that you must connect, but the Headmaster gave me permission to range freely you can only connect them as you progress through this evening. To a chicken farmer like me, free range your life's journey. The stuff that you have been means just that. learning during your years at Pretoria Boys High is Let me address myself primarily to the young men one such dot. How this dot – all of the things you in whose honour we have gathered this evening. You have been learning at this school and others before have reached yet another milestone in your journey it – will connect with other dots in your life some 10, through life. As Nelson Mandela once reminded us, 20 or 30 years from today, you can never tell with this milestone is just like another hill that you have any precision. But trust you must that these dots will just climbed. Indeed. You still have many more hills connect at some point in your life. Even for those VALEDICTION to climb. In Madiba's words you can only pause here among you who are lucky enough to know today to reflect, looking back at the journey travelled and how their lives will pan out, they may just discover ahead at the next hill to climb. that their dots connect in ways they never imagined. As you journey through life, be thankful for That's life. It's full of twists and turns. Whether one the challenges, or rather obstacles, that you will succeeds or not depends on how well one navigates encounter, for without them you will never know through these twists and turns. It also depends on what your strengths are. Those of you, for example, how successful one is in picking oneself up every who will venture into business will find that you time one stumbles or falls. learn more from failure than success. Whatever it is that you choose to do with your Reflecting on the period when he was fired by life, it must be something that you really love doing. Apple, the company he co-founded, the late Steve This is because work will come to occupy a big part Jobs, the man whose creative genius gave us the of your life. Yes, there is the issue of striking a work- IPad and the IPhone, said that being fired was the life balance, but work will take a big chunk of your best thing that could ever have happened to him. life. Life is also full of false starts but no cul-de-sacs. Members of the 2016 matric group attending the Valediction Ceremony 4 The Pretorian Don't be afraid of them. You may initially see them in your families, as to which careers they should as lost times, but later in life you will discover that pursue, please consider the public service. they contributed to your growth and development, The challenge of rebuilding our country is personally and professionally. enormous. It needs all hands on the deck. I would As you journey through life, never for one therefore challenge you to consider working in the moment be confused that money is everything. public sector. The public sector needs young vibrant There’s more to life than making money. Living a minds to help make South Africa a better place for life with a purpose and building a successful career all its citizens. I hope that some of our young people are equally important. Success in this case cannot be will consider a career in politics too. One wise man measured by how many expensive cars or houses once said that good people do not go into politics you have. because they say politics it is dirty. However, politics Professor Manfred Kets de Vries, who has written is dirty because good people stay out of politics. a lot about leadership, says that being wealthy is Politics deserves to have smart people too. merely a state of mind. “Infinitely more important In conclusion, ladies and gentlemen, let me leave than money is sharing our inherent human wealth – you with the words of American businessman our time, our energy, our passions, and our intimacy. Warren Buffet. He said: "It takes 20 years to build a Those intangibles are the only true security we have reputation and five minutes to ruin it. If you think in this insecure world. They are our essentials on the about that, you'll do things differently." VALEDICTION journey of life. They will keep us off the treadmill The greatest wealth you could ever amass is a so that we can enjoy every moment of that journey.” good reputation. Don't make a mess of it. Once To be clear, I am not standing before you this again congratulations for having come this far. It evening, advocating poverty. All I am saying is that is indeed a milestone to celebrate. You can take a you must aim to live your life in all its fullness. You “moment to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista must have a meaningful life and the measure of your that surrounds you, to look back on the distance you life's meaningfulness is not only money or wealth. have come. But you can only rest for a moment, for A word of gratitude is due to the parents and with this achievement comes responsibility and you grandparents who have invested time, money and dare not linger, for your walk is not ended.” love to ensure that these young men get to this stage in life. Allow me to make one plea. As you guide Mr Nhlanhla Nene these young men, as well as the young women, Ex-Minister of Finance The stage party for the Valediction Ceremony: L–R: Mr Tom Rundle (Chairman of the Old Boys Association), Mr Marius van Staden (Chairman of the SGB), Mr Nhlanhla Nene, Mr Tony Reeler (Headmaster) and Mr John Illsley (Second Master) The Pretorian 5 Matric Valediction Speech You know I've been doing public speaking for most our boss-skiv relationship planted in 2012 have been of my life now and I've never really understood how nurtured and nourished by caring teachers over the picturing the audience naked makes you any less past 5 years and so we find ourselves standing here nervous! Quite frankly, I feel very uncomfortable tonight, tall and strong. right now, especially with 330 boys staring at me. As our Form 1 year progressed, we no longer Mr Reeler, staff, honoured guests, parents … and found ourselves wandering, lost in the halls of Boys finally the matric class of 2016. Good evening! It High, as if they were the forever-changing staircases gives me great pleasure to be addressing you this of Hogwarts, but we started walking with a spring evening. in our step. We began involuntarily saying “Ma’am” Wow! Look at us! Huge congratulations are and “Sir” to every adult who crossed our path.