PBHSOB ASSOCIATION NEWSLETTER

Dear Old Boy

FINAL ASSEMBLY SPEECH 2020 STEPHAN KRUGEL, HEAD PREFECT

Good day Mr Hassenkamp, staff, our special guests, boys and last but not least, the matric brothers. Every boy can agree that in your time at Boys High you had some people who guided you. You had people who would fight for you no matter what. Who would sit and work with you for hours until you reached your goal. I would just like to take a moment to thank those who made my life so much easier.

First of all I would like to thank my “go to” man. At the end of last year I would never have thought that together we would accomplish so much and now we sit here on our last day and look back on what we have done and we can say that it was good. Thank you, André, for all your work, for all the times I sent you work late at night knowing that I could rely on you. Thank you for all the behind the scenes work, but most importantly, thank you for not only becoming one of my best friends but also a brother on whom I can rely.

Dankie mamma en pappa. Sonder julle twee en al julle moeite sou ek nooit wees waar ek vandag is nie. Dankie vir al pappa se grappies en chill sessions en dankie mamma vir al die laat aande. Al die aande wat daar hard gepraat word en al die raad en wysheid wat mamma my gee. Ek mag dit dalk nie altyd wys of sê nie maar ek waardeer alles wat julle vir my doen en ek is regtig lief vir julle.

En vir my ou life coach. Niela dankie vir al die games en lekker tye. Jou lang stories en ondersteuning wat jy vir my bied. Jy mag dalk een of twee keer bietjie wyd buite die lyne getrap het maar jy kom nou op die regte pad. Bly net jouself en moenie ander probeer impress nie. Dis wel jou lewe maar lewe hom reg. Jy gaan nog groot dinge beruik. Hou net aan hard werk.

Even though Mr Hassenkamp is new to the position of Headmaster he still went above and beyond. He has a presence which motivates the boys. Being able to see the boys frequently and having meaningful conversations with them does boost the morale at the school and it makes it easy to come and talk to you. You have only been part of some of our lives for the past few months but yet you have still managed to form connections with the boys and motivate us during hard times in this year.

In his absence I would like to thank Mister Tony Reeler. Even though Mr Reeler had to leave us in the middle of the year not a single matric boy can deny the fact that we accepted him as our Headmaster. Yes, Mr Hassenkamp is our new Headmaster and is doing remarkable work which will change certain things in the years to come. But we knew Mr Reeler for the past four and a half years and his moving speeches during assembly every Friday touched each and every one of us. He taught us some very valuable life lessons and his calm and gentle way of going about assured for a safe Boys High environment. Thank you Mr Reeler and if you were to get hold of this speech I hope you still remember the crazy buggers up in Pretoria.

I would like to thank Mrs Holliday as she was our Master-in-charge of the prefects. André and myself worked with her a lot and had countless hours of meetings with her. She guided not only the two of us but also shared her knowledge and thoughts with the prefects group. We appreciate all that you have done for us and your lessons and beliefs will be carried with us for a long time to come.

Thank you to the ground and the admin staff. The facilities here are of top condition and is far beyond that of many of our rivals. Thank you to people like William who made the time worthwhile with that big heart and smile, always joyful with enough time to worry about one. Thank you to the admin staff who make the things here at Boys High work. I can’t think of anytime where it did not run smoothly and it is all due to them.

And lastly I would like to thank every member of staff and all the boys who makes the school what it is. Thank you to our teachers. In the past five years you had an impact on every single boy in this school. You set good examples and influenced us without saying a word. You were the people who taught us the four core values. Honour, respect, integrity and loyalty. You worked in your spare time for the better of the boys and every single year your work is visible not only in academic results but also in the sense that you managed to turn boys into men. When the push came you were there for us. You put in so much effort into the work on Google Classroom and you were willing to help any boy in need of mental help whenever they required it in lockdown.

Thank you to the boys. It is often said that without the boys the school is just buildings on a hill. This is indeed true and some might only have found that out this year. In a year were no one knew what was going to happen next, the Boys High brotherhood was still just as firm as ever before.

From a Head Boy’s point of view I would like to thank you for all your support. After reading through some of my old speeches I came to the conclusion that I only asked two things of you. The first was in my opening speech last year where I asked you to be courageous, bold young men. The second was at the gala earlier this year where I said that if they bring us a fight, we give them a war. At the time I was referring to it in a completely different manner, but luckily it is still appropriate. Gentlemen not only have you proven myself or this institution correct, but you showed the world that you are made of more than just good results and proper manners. You showed the world that you are courageous and strong individuals. You proved that you will fight for what is right when the test is upon you.

The prefects also saw many “last one’s” go to waste but still found opportunity in the struggle. We launched a few projects and I am happy to say that every one of them were successful due to the boys. We came together and made it work. We changed the lives of others and still managed to uphold the great name that is Pretoria Boys High. From a matric side I would like to thank not only the group of 2020 but the entire school on staying positive. There was a lot of change in these times and many boys missed out on their dreams that they had since Form I, but still you remained positive. We followed the strict COVID-19 rules and made sure that we still had glimpses of good throughout this year.

My third and final message in line with courage and fighting for the right cause is a topic that many find sacred to themselves. It is your own little secret that no one knows about other than yourself. It is called, your dreams.

Everyone has dreams and aspirations. It is part of being human. Some might have the dream of putting on the Candies jersey over their head when they are older. Some might dream bigger. Some just dream about a better tomorrow and others dream about finally having enough guts to go talk to that hot girl that he’s been stalking for the past few months. The fact of the matter is that everyone has dreams. Eleanor Roosevelt said, “The future belongs to those who believe the beauty of their dreams.”

The only problem with dreams are that you don’t necessarily fulfil those dreams which brings about a number of problems. Many times when people feel as though they have not fulfilled their dreams they feel as if they are failures but in actual fact this is not true. For example what if you were a hockey player who played first team since Form III. You had one or two injuries that kept you off the pitch and just after the opening game on the new Astro you end up with 48 caps. Since Form I you convinced yourself that you will be the next Donovan Ferreira and you visualise in your dreams how you also score 10 goals in a game. Your dream was to reach 50 caps early in your Matric year and then have at least 60 caps in total at the end of the season for the Red socks. But no. Rona swings a left hook and now you end up with 48 caps. You start asking yourself questions like. 48 caps? Why 48 caps? Why in my final year? Why now? What did I do wrong? And in the end it comes down to the wise words of Heraclitis. “The only constant in life is change.” Sometimes things don’t happen for a reason. You might not know what that reason is right now but only time will tell.

Sheldon Silverstein the American cartoon, song and children’s book writer once wrote a poem called “Listen to the MUSTN’TS” it reads as follow:

Listen to the MUSTN’TS, child,
Listen to the DON’TS
Listen to the SHOULDN’TS
The IMPOSSIBLE, the WON’TS
Listen to the NEVER HAVES
Then listen close to me-
Anything can happen, child,
ANYTHING can be.

Sometimes you don’t reach your goals or fulfil your dreams but sometimes it is not your fault. Anything can happen and most of the time it is completely out of your hands. The best way to move on from it is to find and set new goals and dreams and through the entire process learn a lesson from it.

Sometimes dreams do come true. It might mean that you fall down and then get up, it might mean that you fall down 11 times but then you have to stand up for the sake of the dream. After falling down, breaking bones, blood, sweat and tears and many years of hard work there are finally enough blades of grass on Brooks to beat Affies.

Boys High gave us the opportunities to dream and offered the support if you didn’t reach them. It gave you a chance at life and working for something greater than yourself. It taught you the true meaning of “Tis here we learn to live” and it taught you to spread your wings and fly.

I see the roads of Boys High differently know. When I was standing on the stands singing with everything in me the magical song called “Boys High roads” I would think about the Candies and the hope and joy they bring to the school but now I realise that the Boys High roads are just a runway strip and it took us five years to reach lift of. Anything can happen child. But it’s time to spread your wings.

101ST ANNUAL OLD BOYS DINNER

The Pretoria Boys High School Old Boys’ Association is delighted to announce that we will be hosting an Annual Dinner this year.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions this event will be limited to 220 Old Boys and guests on a first come, first served basis.

The Association has invited Mr Tony Reeler to be our guest speaker this year so we as Old Boys can properly thank him for his service to the School and bid him farewell.

Strict COVID-19 protocols will be in place on the evening. No mask – no entry

DATE: Saturday, 28 November 2020
VENUE: Central Dining Hall, Pretoria Boys High School
TIME: 18:30 for 19:00
DRESS CODE: Black Tie or Lounge Suit
INCLUDES: Three course dinner, refreshments and entertainment.
ENTERTAINMENT: Guest Speaker – Tony Reeler
COST: Per person: R500.00

COLD ONE AT THE CLUB

Old Boys are invited to join the PBHSOB Association for a ‘Cold one at the Club’

The Pretoria Boys High School Headmaster, Mr Hassenkamp will address the Old Boys informally.

Date: Saturday 31 October 2020
Venue: PHSOB Club, 378 Queen’s Crescent, Lynnwood, Pretoria.
Time: 13:00-18:00. Mr Hassenkamp’s informal address will be at around 14:30
RSVP: 30 October 2020

Cash bar with specials for Old Boys.
Tasty, affordable meals from “The Old Boys Kitchen” will be available.
Old Boy DJ’s will be on the deck and Piper will perform some “Boys High” favourites.

There is no entry fee, however bookings need to be made in order to comply with COVID-19 protocols. Click here to RSVP to attend the event.

This event is only open to Old Boys of Pretoria Boys High School, PBHS staff members and their partners & families.

No mask – no entry.

REMEMBRANCE DAY 2020

Pretoria Boys High School invites Old Boys to attend the Remembrance Day Assembly on 11 November 2020 at 11:00 at the School.

Old Boys are requested to please wear a jacket and Old Boys tie. Please RSVP to Mrs Jamie-Lee Evans at pr@boyshigh.com if you would like to attend.

THE INDEFINABLE 1980

The Form IV camp; the Matric Dance, the Rugby season; events on the sportsfields or in the classroom: I could list many outstanding moments. But the glorified and exciting moments do not always shine out when I retrace the year of 1980. Although they play an important role, it is the quiet, seemingly insignificant moments that stand out.

It could be a joke spiced with the special Boys’ High humour, or a conversation, a comment, the awkwardness of a new boy. It is these small things that make Boys High stand out. There will always be another Rugby match against AFFIES, the 1981 Matric Dance and yet another Form IV camp, but the beauty of a colourful bird or the humour of an incident while playing League cricket will only pass your way once. I cannot write of one specific moment or even really remember one of those moments but when put together they form PBHS 1980.

Relationships form outstanding moments whether between boys and Masters or just boys. An atmosphere at PBHS is created through relationships which no other school can boast of and without this atmosphere big events like the Form IV camp would not be recognised as “outstanding”. After a Rugby season you do not always remember a specific game but rather the team’s relationship with each other and it is what you learn from this relationship with each other that will serve you rewardingly in later life.

An outstanding moment could perhaps be defined as a moment which remains in your memory the longest. Thus it can be argued that in twenty five years from now you will not remember who partnered you to the Matric Dance, but you will still be teaching your children the value of sportsmanship, honesty and other moral values that you learned at PBHS through small but outstanding moments. In a boarding school a boy is frequently in contact with moments that teach him things in later life and Pretoria Boys High is so full of these great moments that boys passing through this school are well prepared to meet the outside world when the time comes.
For me, in 1980, these great moments vary from the relationships between myself and the Form IV group at School House, to the insignificant sight of two owls brooding silently in the trees of the forest near the squash courts.

Trevor Versfeld, Form IVB – The Pretorian 1980

LETTERS

Dear Editor

Coming up to 66 years since leaving school in 1954, my apologies for being more than a little overdue in making this offering of

MY NEWS
To begin with a question: While still far short of being the Oldest Boy at just 83, could it be that I am the Shortest Matriculant? That’s not about physical stature, but just a quirky reference to the fact that I matriculated after only 18 months at the school. It also seems possible the second shortest could be my brother Martin, who was one Form behind me when we turned up from Cape Town in mid-1953, conspicuously adorned in our Rondebosch Boys High blazers.

The story is that our Dad was an executive at Standard Bank when they wrenched the Cape Town head office to Pretoria along with all that sailed in her. Mercifully the challenging disruption of our lives gradually smoothed down; and with clear recollection I can vouch that for us brothers this was due to our both finding nothing but easy, matter of fact acceptance from our new class-mates. An immediate signal of the spirit of Boys High which has left me with enduring and warm recollections.

Not that it wasn’t a testing drama; it just could well have been a lot more so at that stage of our schooling. Terrible timing but it was what it was, and the ready acceptance left me with only one problem of any significance – locating my classroom! At Rondebosch the boys had their room and the teachers moved around; so in adjusting to the new setup I had a devil of a time finding my way to the next class and frequently turned up late! On one occasion I breathlessly entered Dr Fourie’s Latin class and the room went dead quiet, clearly suggesting they’d been talking about me. I was left guessing, but everyone including “Fury” remained friendly so it couldn’t have been anything too bad.

A remarkable coincidence of life emerged from our dislocation. The neighbours across the road from our new home went by the name of Wilkes; and their son who himself had attended Boys High a few years ahead of me became a close friend as well as kind mentor in the challenges of my new life. Then with the passing of events we lost touch, and it was only years later that one and the same Tony Wilkes emerged to play such a huge role in the Old Boys Association.

For my part, I left school after those testing 18 months with Varsity not a possibility, nor any inspiration as to how I wanted to use what I’d gained from that excellent education. Barely one month later my Dad “led” me to an answer, namely a chair and table at the Rand Provident Building Society. (No desk until later.) That actually turned into a valuable and cheerful work experience. It could also have developed into a full career in Johannesburg were it not for the sudden intervention of my elder brother Peter five years later. We had left him behind in Cape Town to continue as an actuarial student at Old Mutual; and in his elation on reaching the goal he urged me to turn my own comfort with mathematics in the same direction. The fact that it had taken him those five years to get there, on top of the two before we left him, speaks volumes as to what he was leading me into.
Thanks a lot Brother!

Actually yes, thanks Peter because it led to two great decisions in My News. The career change was the immediate one, but the greater by far was my proposal 60 years ago to Marlene Carlisle from Oudtshoorn in the hostel for new, young, displaced, anxious employees of Old Mutual in Cape Town. My ensuing night time study by correspondence was pretty testing as she raised our three children; but seven years later we rejoiced greatly as I became a Fellow of the Faculty of Actuaries, Edinburgh.

Two years later, unrelated to any concerns about South Africa, I moved to the Cape Town branch of Colonial Mutual, a life insurer with its international head office in Melbourne. The S A Chairman was an ex-colleague of my father’s. Little could we anticipate what was to follow. Firstly in a major turn of events some years later I was called upon to replace the Manager for Southern Africa (which included what was still Rhodesia). A rewarding role which included periodic visits to the Branches, bringing with it increasing comfort in spoken Afrikaans – albeit not always as suiwer as required for matric. The standout was when I was asked by a client whether I had any “objeksie” to something!

Next twist was a call from “Principal Office” to relocate to Melbourne. By that stage of South Africa’s affairs there was quite a lot of relocation “going around” and there was no question of our declining. Our two girls were excited but our son, extraordinarily much the same stage as I’d been when dragged away to Pretoria, was furious. However, time has long ago healed completely, Praise Be!

Keeping the rest as short as I can, the call to Head Office was not entirely out of the blue, as I had already harboured ambitions of becoming Chief Actuary. Instead it turned out to be as one of two deputies to the CEO; and a year later I took over. I need to add that there were just two or three in the executive team (and wives, which was unfair to Marlene) who clearly disapproved of a non-Australian appointment. For the rest I was given support in the classic Aussie spirit of the “Fair Go”.

While it was totally rewarding and fulfilling, that leadership role was really not one to overstay, as the text books on corporate management clearly advise. So Marlene and I were entirely ready and happy for me to follow that advice at age 54 after the classic 10-year stint. By then I’d made all the moves and changes I was likely to make and it set us up for a happy and fulfilled retirement.

On a personal note returning all the way to the start: One of the new schoolmates I encountered on my first day at Boys High was Charles Maltby, who had been none other than my very earliest boyhood friend growing up in Pinelands, Cape Town. My elderly memory could be off the mark but it suggests he too had earlier been caught up in his father’s relocation with “the other bank”. Should you be reading this, Charles, I’m sure the OBA will be happy to give you my contact details.

With best wishes to all in an exceptionally testing time

John Milburn-Pyle (1954)

Erroll Cuthbert (1956), to encourage birding for his grandchildren, compiled two beautifully illustrated volumes on “Birds”, using text in English, Afrikaans, Zulu and Xhosa and published by Struik. Two sets donated by David and Katherine Chamberlain are now preserved in the Schroder Media Centre. One set will go into the elegant paned glass cabinet reserved for publications by Old Boys. The books are classified according to the author’s matric year. Mrs. Karen Botha the Master in charge of the Media Centre would like Old Boy authors please to donate their books to this very special collection.

– Trebot Barry

The Photographic Society of Pretoria Boys High School would like to extend a special word of thanks to the Penzhorn family for their recent donation of photographic equipment with manuals which comprises of:

1 x Minolta SRT 101 with 58mm lens
1 x Minolta 35mm lens
1 x Soligor Zoom lens (75mm to 260mm)
1 x Minolta Automatic Extension Tube
1 x Minolta Oranje filter plus 5 x Hoya filters
1 x SKAN Exposure Meter with leather cover
1 x Metz 195 Mecablitz L20C flash.
1 x Olympus AF-1
1 x Samsung Camera AF-Slim Zoom.

Waldi Penzorn writes:

My Dad, Chris (Christoph Ernst) Penzhorn, did not attend Pretoria Boys High School and he bequeathed his camera equipment to me.
I decided to donate his camera equipment plus some of my own to Pretoria Boys High’s Photographic Society.

It is however my wish to make the donation in the name of Penzhorn – Waldi, Dain & Eddie:

• Waldemar Heinz Penzhorn – matriculated at Pretoria Boys High School in 1968
• My son Dain Chris Penzhorn – matriculated at Pretoria Boys High School in 2003
• My elder brother, Eduard Heinrich Penzhorn – matriculated at Pretoria Boys High School in 1964 and also taught German at the school.

‘Tis here we learn to live!
Waldi Penzhorn

WELCOME 2020 MATRICS!

The PBHSOB Association would like to extend a warm welcome to the 2020 Matrics who have recently joined the Association. Best of luck with the final exams!

IN MEMORIAM

RAYMOND EDGAR LEIBMAN (1947)

Ray Leibman died in Johannesburg on 15th September 2020, after a short illness with bone cancer. He leaves his wife Gail, 4 adult children and 10 grandchildren . He married Gail Jaffit, who was involved with the theatre and was his wife for over 40 years. They loved good music, comedy and theatre and he attended many theatrical functions and opening nights. Ray’s lyrical, beautiful singing voice was discovered initially at Boy’s High in Gilbert & Sullivan operetta’s and with his love of music, he continued to be involved with singing.

Ray was educated at PBHS in years 1953-1957. He was a School Prefect in his matric year. He was always one of the humorous characters in the classroom and as a boarder in Solomon House and he took part in many extra-mural activities. With his excellent tenor voice he shared the lead role of Major General Stanley with head boy David Dalling in the Gilbert & Sullivan’s operetta ‘Pirates of Penzance’ in 1957. In 2017, at his matric class 60-Year on Reunion at Boys High, Ray was given the honour of proposing the main toast, which he did with great aplomb and his usual touch of dry humour. He was very supportive of the PBHSOB’s Association and attended all the main 1957 Matric Class Reunions.

2020, Newsletters

Issue 24 2020 – Newsletter