2024 REUNION UPDATES
60 Years-On : The Class of 1964
The first reunion of the year is now less than six weeks away with the Class of 1964 celebrating 60 Years-On on Friday, 17th May 2024.
The group, led by 1964’s Head Prefect George Laurence who will be joining us from the United Kingdom, will spend the day at Pretoria Boys High School starting with tea on the Solomon House lawn at 08:00 and ending with a sherry at the Norfolk Pine in front of the School for the Last Post tribute at 17:30.
Amongst their VIP guests will be current Headmaster Greg Hassenkamp, former Headmaster Bill Schroder, Second Master Craig McBride and former Second Master John Illsley.
A special assembly will be held at 12:30 during which a representative of the group will have an opportunity to address the boys and share their experiences at the School on the Hill between 1960 to 1964. We are all very excited to start the “reunion season” at PBHS and welcome our Old Boys back to their beloved school.
Tickets for the 60 Year-On are still available for the Class of 1964 and their invited guests via this link: https://pbhsoba.alumnet.co.za/Event/Sixty-Years-On2024
Photo: The Pretorian 1964
PBHS took part in a programme of excerpts from Shakespeare’s plays presented at the Aula in August 1964 and enacted the crowd scene from “Julius Caesar”
20 Years On : The Class of 2004
The second reunion of the year is the 20 Years-On of the Class of 2004. The convenor is 2004’s Head Prefect Rob Ferguson who is currently reaching out to Old Boys of that year. If you have not as yet heard from Rob, please email us at info@pbhsob.com so that we can pass on your details to him.
2024 BRANCH VISITS
Old Boys’ Get-Togethers in the Provinces
KZN Old Boys Dinner : Umhlanga, Thursday 18th April 2024
Our first provincial Old Boys’ Dinner is taking place next week Thursday, 18th April 2024 at 18:30 at the Umhlanga Ski Boat Club.
PBHS Headmaster Greg Hassenkamp will be attending and PBHSOB Association Board member and Hon. Secretary Dr Humphrey Lewis will be accompanying him. The convenor is Gavin Kyte (2003, Solomon) and we already have dozens of KZN Old Boys signed up to join. If you haven’t already done so, you still have time to book a spot by using this link or emailing info@pbhsob.com:
https://pbhsoba.alumnet.co.za/Event/KZN-Old-Boys-Get-Together-2024
Overseas Old Boys Get-Togethers
London and Amsterdam, 5th and 6th July 2024
We have a full schedule of Branch Visits this year, including two overseas dinners taking place in London and Amsterdam which will be attended by PBHS Headmaster Greg Hassenkamp. Two of our Old Boys in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands decided to take advantage of PBHS’s Headmaster attending a conference in the UK between 1-4 July this year and managed to put together a London Old Boys Dinner on Friday 5th July and an Amsterdam Old Boys Dinner on Saturday 6th July 2024.
For more information contact Shaun Anderson (Amsterdam) at pbhsobeurope@gmail.com or Alastair Constance (London) at pbhsobuk@gmail.com.
Watch Headmaster Greg Hassenkamp discussing the upcoming visits here:
Establishment of a New Zealand Branch
Old Boy Jacques van Heerden (2005, Sunnyside) is hoping to hold a New Zealand PBHS get-together and would like to start a database of all Old Boys living in NZ. Please email him at jacquesvh@gmail.com.
THE ANNUAL OLD BOYS’ DINNER
The 105th Annual Old Boys’ Dinner will be hosted at Pretoria Boys High School as follows:
Date: Saturday, 8th June 2024
Time: 18:30 for 19:00
Place: Central Dining Hall, PBHS, 251 Roper Street, Brooklyn
We are pleased to announce that our guest speaker this year will be the Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Cllr Cilliers Brink. He was elected as the Executive Mayor of Tshwane on 28 March 2023.
Tickets will go on sale soon. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to meet up with fellow PBHS Old Boys, hear about the latest developments at the School on the Hill from Headmaster Greg Hassenkamp and learn more about Tshwane’s Executive Mayor and his vision for our beautiful city.
Cllr Cilliers Brink will be guest speaker at the PBHS Old Boys’ Dinner
PHOTO: Website of the City of Tshwane
OLD BOYS’ ACTIVITIES
It’s always heartwarming to hear about PBHS Old Boys’ get-togethers, activities and successes! Thank you to all who pass this information on to us to share with other Old Boys across the globe.
The Class of 1972
A note received from Willy Morris (1972, Town):
The Pretoria and Johannesburg class of 1972 get together for lunch once a quarter.
Attached is a photo of the boys at the last lunch which was held at the Old Boys Club in Lynnwood.
Regards
Willy Morris
Old Boy Jason Visser’s achievements in the sport of fencing
We were proud to hear of the outstanding achievements of one of our Old Boys, Jason Visser (2022, Armstrong).
Jason, who has been coaching fencing at PBHS since 2023, has been actively participating in international fencing competitions, proudly representing South Africa on the global stage since matriculating in 2022.
We will highlight a few of his recent accomplishments where he has been flying both the School and the country’s flags high:
2023 Junior World Championships (Plovdiv, Bulgaria):
Junior Men’s Epee: Achieved 3 victories in pool round, final position 148/233
Junior Men’s Foil: Achieved 1 victory in pool round, final position 174/195
Served as Vice-Captain of the South African squad
Additionally, he was selected to represent South Africa at the 2024 Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships in Saudi Arabia, scheduled between the 10th and 18th of April 2024.
2024 Junior African Championships (Cairo, Egypt):
Junior Men’s Epee: 15th place
Junior Men’s Epee Team: 2nd place (silver medal)
Junior Men’s Foil Team: 3rd place (bronze medal)
Promoted to Captain of the South African squad, demonstrating leadership and support for the team.
Congratulations Jason, the Old Boys’ Association and all Old Boys will be rooting for you at the 2024 Junior and Cadet Fencing World Championships in Saudi Arabia.
Jason Visser (2022, Armstrong) leading the way in the sport of fencing
IN MEMORIAM
A tribute to Sylvia Reid, HOD Music, PBHS, 1988-1997 who passed away in March 2024 (by Dr Niel van der Watt)
In the Staff Notes section of The Pretorian of 1997, the Headmaster, Mr Bill Schroder, wrote the following:
“We will regrettably be saying goodbye to Mrs Sylvia Reid who will be taking early retirement at the end of this year. She has been a member of our dynamic Music Department since January 1988. Her inestimable contribution to and control of a complex, potentially volatile and exciting department will be remembered for a long time as will the many pleasurable events produced by the various disciplines of this department under her leadership.”
There is also a tribute by the current writer in the same magazine which reads as follows:
“In the Music Department we have, on occasion, joked with our Head of Department, Sylvia H Reid, by singing Schubert’s song (to the Shakespeare poem): Who is Sylvia? Who indeed – “that Hea’en such grace would lend her?” In ten years – since 1988 – we have not begun to fathom this.What we do know is considerable: A teaching philosophy that includes and embraces, a work-ethic that inspires, an astounding compassion for human nature with all its flaws and an unshakeable loyalty to all who are deserving thereof. But this does not tell us who Sylvia is. Maybe if we could get two entire generations of boys together, whom she has taught at Boys High, they would be able to shed some light on the matter: Piano lessons, theory lessons, history of music, aural training, harmony, orchestra, choir, practical exams – of these they may or may not have pleasant memories – but will they tell us who Sylvia is?How does one sum up ten years of endeavour? There is so little that is tangible, yet so much was accomplished, established and refined. I don’t know who Sylvia is, but behind her in the Music Department at Boys High, she leaves a portion of herself that has become part of the very fabric of the school. And all we can do, is say a humble goodbye and thank you. Thank you for teaching and sharing and guiding. Boys High will miss you.”
It is Sylvia’s zest for life that we will remember. She had a passion for action, more than for words and philosophies. She was an ardent advocate for co-operation even across the most impossible of barriers. (How else were we friends?) Above all, she was brave, right through her life, and who can ask for more? Who is Sylvia? We still don’t know, but we salute her and thank her. Be well at rest.
Dr Niel van der Watt – Mentee, colleague and friend
RIP Sylvia Reid, HOD Music, PBHS, 1988-1997
