4 June 2016
The 97th Old Boys Dinner was held on 4 June in the reconstructed Abernethy Hall. Though it is referred to as the ‘new’ hall, it remains steeped in history. Its name, the old foundation stones, the school badge above the stage, the house banners and the honours boards acknowledging all its benefactors still offer little nods to tradition.
The venue gave Old Boys an opportunity to saunter up to The Bill Schroder Centre which caters for every kind of medium. In that sense it is a true media centre. But it is more than that. For those who prefer music and computer science and books and study and gaming, it is a home.
Coming back to the hall it may have been noticeable how the hall was made for theatre rather than dining. (For it revealed our friends to us in all their prosperity.) And theatre there was. Greg du Toit (1995), an award-winning wildlife photographer and Old Boy, put together a world-class presentation. At times the awe of his beholders was audible.
On sale at the back of the hall were autographed copies of his book along with all the Old Boys memorabilia. The demand for the Old Boys identity is truly uplifting. Eventually I found myself among these like-minded friends in the memorabilia, liquor and dessert table tug-of-war, and still the memorabilia was not abandoned.
The speeches between each course were shepherded along by Eugene Ashton who ensured that the last speaker, Tony Reeler, spoke at around eleven rather than the small hours of his predecessor. I felt that the loudest and most articulate voice of all after every speech and every introduction was the applause.
The meticulous attention to detail – from the name badges to the full-colour menus – was an attestation of pride and care. Those who spoke received individual letters of thanks and signed the menus which are to be preserved in our archives. And those who spent their evening in this outpost of civilization were rewarded with these old-world courtesies and a break from ‘social’ media.
The after party at the Old Boys Club is beyond the scope of my report so I’ll leave that to your imagination.
– Lincoln Keeton
