Potchefstroom College Old Boys society

Special points of interest:

Old Boys dinner a huge success 100CLUB worthy of signing up Lessons learnt from Jeppe Old Boys Praise pours in for College boys manners Old Boys build a Health Centre

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Old Boys dinner a huge success

This years Armistice Service and Reunion was a major step forward for the Old Boys society. We had 98 Old Boys attend this years event and from what we could gather everyone seemed to have a fantastic time and enjoyed being back at their school. There were many comments regarding the outstanding state of the school premises and the additional facilities that have been added since many of the Old Boys last visit to College. I think it is very important that we thank the year captains who rallied their peers to attend the event. For 2013 please can we ask that Old Boys book earlier than some did this year i.e. prior to the 10th November. The main reason for this is to allow the school to plan the building that will The Armistice Service was held in the school hall and was a huge success with the Old Boys out singing the current students to the tunes of Amazing Grace. During the dinner the head boys from the anniversary years were given time for a few words. There were some fantastic speeches in particular Geoff Sandlers speech. Geoff was head boy in 1972 and made the trip for the dinner along with Stan Brasch all the way from Melbourne, Australia. In total, partners included the 1972 group had 47 people there to celebrate their 40th year anniversary! Lets aim for 150 Old Boys for the 2013 November school reunion. Start planning now boys as time flies! Stay over for the weekend in a bed & breakfast and make a weekend of it. What fun!

Inside this issue: Ackerman Cen- 2 tre OB website upgrade Sponsorship opportunity

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Events for 2013 3 Centenary book 3 Xmas School Facilities

be used to host the event. This year the event was held in the new staffroom looking out onto the lovely gardens donated by the Old Boys.

100Club worthy of signing up

As an Old Boys society initiative I really encourage as many Old Boys as possible to sign up for the 100Club. Jeppe Old Boys currently have 400 membersplease guys lets beat Jeppe at another event! The total funding the school received from the government in 2012 does not even pay for water and lights for one month. The school needs the financial support of the Old Boys. R100 per month via debit order is all it takes to say that you as an Old Boy have contributed to make a real difference to College. I do understand not everyone is in a position to make such generous financial contributions so if you can assist in any other way please let us know. Please email 100club@potcholdboys.co.za for further information regarding this great initiative.

Old Boys news 4 corner Chairmans address

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Ackermann Centre plans

As briefly mentioned in the last newsletter the next major project we as a society want to undertake is an upgrade to the Ackermann Centre. As many of you know the Ackermann Centre is the hub of the Old Boys history at College. We have school photos ranging from prefect photos to 1st team photos to touring sports teams photos. The Ackermann Centre is also used to host headmasters and sporting coaches of opposition teams for sporting events and thus an advertisement for the school.
We have recovered the original plans of the building and with the assistance of Geoff Peck (M66-70) will be re-designing the Ackermann Centre to have it The plan so far is to exform a functional and integral tend the Ackermann Cen- part of a consolidated sports tre and turn it into a state complex. A 3D model of THAT of the art venue to display which we want the centre to beall the history we have come, will be circulated for reregarding Old Boys inview and generous contribucluding the current pho- tions! tos displayed to all the Old Boys honour boards Any assistance any Old Boy that were in the MacFar- could offer on this massive undertaking please contact Greg lane pavilion prior to it being turned into a world Mortimer on +27 798124332 or class health centre / gym. greg@potcholdboys.co.za.

Proud to be a College boy!

Old Boys website upgrade

Time for old boys to give back to the school that gave them so much
The Old Boys website is in need of a total overhall and the process is now underway. If there are any Old Boys who are either a web designer or graphic designer and may be able to put aside some time to ensure that we do this correctly that would be fantastic. We have many new ideas for the website from social media integration to being able to login and view a latest copy of the financial statements. We also want to put together a thorough business directory of Old Boys businesses / jobs to ensure we support each other wherever possible. be fantastic once completed. We believe a website is a very important advertisement for a school or business and needs to be done properly. We look forward to hearing from all you web / graphic designers and lets get our website to a stage that all Old Boys are using it daily for news and events.

The College website is in Please contact Greg Mortimer if the process of being upyou are able to assist on graded and again this will greg@potcholdboys.co.za

Sponsorship Opportunities
Xmas gift College! A School with a Heart For Old Boys who are in the position to assist with sponsorship opportunities we do encourage you to come forward and speak to us please. We understand there needs to be a benefit to the sponsor too and we would love to discuss these benefits with you. The sponsorships may vary from facility upgrades to prizes that would assist in fund raising. Any assistance we my get from Old Boys will be greatly appreciated regardless of how big or small the assistance my be. There are also various College sporting teams looking for a sponsor and who better to sponsor a part of College than Old Boys themselves. We will be putting together brochures regarding sponsorship opportunities and the various benefits to you and your company. Will keep you posted on this front.

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Old Boys events for 2013

Time to join up with your College mates The Old Boys society are in the process of sorting out all the important dates for 2013 and will pass these dates on as soon as they are all finalized. The dates include potential home and away sporting fixtures to get Old Boys back supporting the various teams as the boys really do appreciate any support let alone from the boys that were there before them. We are also looking at hosting a family day at the school which we hope will be well supported. This would include jumping castles and face painting for the kids as well as touch rugby games against the school. We will keep these games short due to the extended recovery breaks some of the Old Boys may require. Other events will include Old Boys dinner in Johannesburg, November Armistice Service and reunion dinner at College and we hope to host a golf day too during the year. So an exciting year ahead for all Old Boys.

Centenary Book for Xmas

If you looking at buying a Christmas gift for an Old Boy then the Centenary Book College! A school with a Heart would be a great gift. before Christmas.

A great school with great teachers, great boys and most of all great stories about the history of Col- memories

lege. Banks details are on page 4 at the bottom of the page. Once again all the proceeds from this book go towards Please pay the R150+R25 building a stronger Old Boys society. Included postage first and then email The books can be ordered by in the book are stories about Calder Ghost, Caproof of payment to Wally. emailing Wally Hopton on dets, Boarding Houses, Hags, Sports at College, wally@potcholdboys.co.za. It The book was written by Academics, War Cries and the School Song would be a good idea to put in McGill Alexander (Barnard & amongst many more great memories and interyour order fairly soon so esting facts. Milton, 1960-1965) and is a avoid the delay in postage book full of great facts and

School facilities update

Since the last newsletter a few Old Boys attended the official opening of the new Health Centre / Gym. A wonderful evening was had by all and I must say the facility looks fantastic. With the assistance of experts from PukkeSports Science Institute this facility was well thought out. We have been told the boys have all started using the new facilities and we look forward to seeing the benefits of this in the coming years in sports results. The school has also purchased a few bowling machines and these are being setup for various teams to take advantage of. We are also in discussions with the school to submit a request for lottery funding to assist in the building of an AstroTurf facility for hockey.

Health Centre / Gym in the MacFarlane Pavilion.

Old Boys news corner

Message from Bev Johnson (teacher of College) Des Cur Lewis sadly passed away last week. Sons Marc, Desmond and Wayne were all schooled at College. Father Des on governing body for many years. Involved with rugby at College too. Always had a vested interested in the school. To lose Des is a great loss. A wonderful family. Take care. Bev Johnson. A boys high girl.

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Email us with your news stories at newsletter@potcholdboys.co.za

Old Boys living in the Cape Nick McFall wants to please hear from all Old Boys living in the Cape region in order to plan various Old Boys functions / activities. Please contact Nick via email with your details nickmcfall@mweb.co.za

Thanks for this write-up Basil Kletz Peter Greenway ( Buxton 1960-62 ) passed away in the early hours of the morning ( Wednesday, 7th November) at Groote Schuur Hospital, Cape Town. He leaves behind a daughter Haidee, sons Barry and David and his partner Marian. Five years ago he underwent a successful operation for bladder cancer . Unfortunately his kidney`s took a bit of a knock which resulted in him needing kidney dialysis these past 18 months . Peter had a hernia operation in early October from which his kidney`s never seemed to recover. Peter came to Boys High at the beginning of standard 8 (1960)from Vaal High in Van der Byl Park. He played first team cricket at Boys High from 1960 to 62, a powerful left handed batsman, he kept wicket ( wicketkeeper) and captained the first eleven in 1962. He was awarded school cricket colours in 1961 and 1962 , years that he also represented the Transvaal Nuffield cricket team . He was the vice captain of the Transvaal schools team in 1962. At fullback Peter played first team rugby in 1961 and 1962, captaining the side in 1962. Awarded his first team colours in both years, same years that he represented Western Transvaal Schools at rugby, in 1962 was appointed vice captain of the provincial schools team. Head prefect of Buxton House in matric, captain of first team rugby and cricket, a rare talent indeed. After school he played cricket and rugby for the Wanderers Club in Johannesburg for many years, represented Transvaal B as a wicket keeper , and was a proud member of Bryanston Country Club. Marian (Webber) his partner these past four years (in Cape Town) shared a desk with Peter in Std 4 at Hendrik v/d Byl Park Primary School. Gary Watson recalls many special moments whilst they were growing up in v/d Byl Park, a really great guy, a wonderful leader, who did extremely well in whatever sports teams he and Gary represented , prior to attending High School in Potchefstroom . Unbeknown to him Peter played a part in the planting of the seed that has now become the Clan (Matric class of 1965 and friends) By coincidence Peter`s matric class of 1962 are due to celebrate their 50th anniversary reunion this coming weekend He certainly epitomized all those qualities that make a Potch Boy so special Deepest sympathy to Marian, Haidee, Barry, David, Peter`s extended family and friends Basil Kletz (Milton 1961-65)

Thanks to Mr. Canova for passing this on Mrs Marie Flynn. Buxton and Milton Matron in the 1980's and 1990's. Mrs Flynn passed away on Saturday 24 November 2012. RIP Matron Flynn after a job well done.

Old Boys bank details for Centenary Book: Acc name: InkazimuloThe Shining Light Trust, Bank: Std Bank Acc No: 406772533, Branch: 006305 Ref: firstname/surname/book

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The Rev Dr. J.B. Webb (OM) on the occasion of the schools 50th anniversary in 1955 Potchefstroom College for Boys has made its impact upon the life of this country and beyond its borders. It has provided leadership in many spheres of public life, and it has sent forth thousands of young men whose names will never appear in any scrolls of fame, but who did learn how to live and how to maintain the decencies and fidelities without which life is but a shambles. May the spirit of the school continue to convince succeeding generations that: Justorum Semita Lux Splendens
E-mail: newsletter@potcholdboys.co.za

Potchefstroom College Old Boys society

(The Path of the Just is a Shining Light)

IUSTORUM SEMITA LUX SPLENDENS

Address from the chairman:

I would like to thank all Old Boys for their fantastic contributions through 2012. We as a society have achieved an incredible amount this year and 2013 is going to be an even bigger and better year for all Old Boys. Some of the highlights from 2012 include:

We are also displaying various news articles online i.e. the valediction speech by McGill Alexander as well as a summary of events for the 40th anniversary weekend by Andrew Cole. All these articles and more can be found online at http://www.scribd.com/PotchOldBoys A copy of this newsletter is also available on the link above. Wishing you and your families a very happy and safe Christmas and look forward to a fantastic 2013! Thanks once again and remember: GO COLLEGE! Regards, Athol Weddell

Setup of an official Facebook page with 490 followers:

http://www.facebook.com/PotchOldBoys

Setup of a Twitter account with 115 followers:

https://twitter.com/potcholdboys

Launch of the 100Club Increased communication

I am also aware not all Old Boys are on Twitter and Facebook so these newsletters have become more frequent to keep all Old Boys updated with what is happening at College and with Old Boys.