THE 105TH OLD BOYS’ DINNER AT PRETORIA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL
The Annual Old Boys’ Dinner is being held as follows:
Date: Saturday, 8th June 2024
Time: 18:30 for 19:00
Place: Central Dining Hall, Pretoria Boys High School
Dress: Black tie
The guest speaker for the evening, who will also join the old boys for supper, is His Worship, the Executive Mayor of Tshwane, Cllr Cilliers Brink.
During the evening the Headmaster, Greg Hassenkamp, will give updates on developments at the school on the hill, the Old Boys’ Association Chairman, Jason Webber, will give his report and the current Head Prefect, Murray Rogers, will make an address. We are also expecting former Headmaster, Bill Schroder, to be present.
In addition, we will have a special guest, Mr Dieter von Staden, from the CLASS OF 1944! He is looking forward to meeting all of you and telling you some of his intriguing stories of Boys High.
A few special awards will be handed out and a floating trophy will be introduced (hint: get all your mates from your year to attend).
Ticket sales are now open at R525.00 pp – this includes a three-course meal and drinks. The School’s Dixie Band will entertain you on arrival.
Be sure to book early and specify whether you want to sit with particular friends or have any special dietary requirements.
We look forward to seeing you on 8th June, which is LESS than a month away!
Ticket sales link: https://pbhsoba.alumnet.co.za/Event/AnnualOldBoysDinner2024
You can also pop into the Old Boys’ Office at the School to book tickets, between 07:00 and 14:00, Monday-Friday.
REUNIONS AND BRANCH VISITS
Reunions
We are now going into a very busy time of year for PBHS Old Boys and the Old Boys’ Association, in conjunction with the School.
We are looking forward to our first reunion of the year – the 60 Years-On for the Class of 1964. We’ve had a wonderful response and are expecting 45 guests including Old Boys, their partners, friends of the Class and VIP Guests. The Head Prefect of 1964, George Laurence, is attending from the United Kingdom and the boys are looking forward to hearing his address to them during the special assembly which will be held outdoors in front of the main entrance.
The group is looking forward to an outdoor assembly as it will take them back to their school days when work was being done on the school hall. As the Headmaster, Mr DF Abernethy, said in the Pretorian of 1964: “For two years we have suffered from building noises … and we have another year to go”.
Photo: The Pretorian, 1964, WH Hofmeyr
A reminder of the rest of the reunion dates for the year, and the names of the convenors, for those who need to make travel arrangements in order to attend:
20 Years-On, 2004, Saturday 13 July 2024, Rob Ferguson (Head Prefect)
10 Years-On, 2014, Saturday 17 August 2024, Marthinus Erasmus (Head Prefect)
30 Years-On, 1994, Fri & Sat 30 & 31 August 2024, Ian Koller (Head Prefect)
50 Years-On, 1974, Friday 13 September 2024, Mark Marais (Head Prefect)
40 Years-On, 1984, Fri & Sat, 25 & 26 October 2024, Paul Theron (Head Prefect)
If you would like to get in touch with any of the convenors, kindly do so via info@pbhsob.com.
Branch Visits
The first of the 2024 Branch Visits by the Headmaster and a member of the PBHSOB Association’s Board of Directors took place on Thursday 18 April 2024. Breaking with tradition of previous years, when this visit took place at Kearsney and was very kindly organised by Mr Peter Kirsten, this KZN Old Boys Dinner was held at the Umhlanga Ski Boat Club and was convened by Gavin Kyte (2003, Solomon). The response was overwhelming with over 40 Old Boys attending, ranging from the Class of 1954 to the Class of 2012, including Head and Deputy Head Prefects from 1956, 2003 and 2004, former PBHS Second Master and former Kearsney Headmaster, Elwyn van den Aardweg and PBHSOB Association Director Dr Humphrey Lewis. PBHS Headmaster, Greg Hassenkamp, brought the Old Boys up to date with developments at the School on the Hill and a hearty toast to the school was warmly welcomed.
Some photos from the KZN Branch Dinner
Branch visits for the rest of 2024
The following Branch Visits have been scheduled for the rest of 2024, please save the dates! More information and payment/booking links will be provided closer to the reunion dates:
London Dinner, UK – Friday 5 July 2024 at The Antelope Pub
Amsterdam Dinner, Netherlands – Saturday 6 July 2024 at Humphreys
Cape Town Dinner – Wednesday 24 July 2024, Newlands Cricket Grounds
Knysna/George/Plett Lunch – Thursday 25 July 2024, Knysna Hollow
Joburg Evening Get-Together – Thursday 7 November 2024, Joburg Country Club (to be confirmed)
Calling all GEORGE AND PLETTENBERG BAY Old Boys – please send your details to info@pbhsob.com if you would like to attend the Knysna lunch, our database doesn’t allow us to extract the details of George/Plett residents. The convenor is Leish Horak and he’s doing an amazing job at establishing a Southern Cape database and already has 22 Old Boys confirmed for the Knysna lunch.
In terms of the International Branch Dinners, we already have 64 Old Boys confirmed for the London Dinner on 5 July 2024 and 43 Old Boys confirmed their attendance at the Amsterdam Dinner on 6th July 2024. For more information contact Shaun Anderson (Amsterdam) at pbhsobeurope@gmail.com or Alastair Constance (London) at pbhsobuk@gmail.com.
We are always delighted to hear of other informal PBHS Old Boys’ Get-Togethers which are increasingly popping up both in South Africa and abroad.
The Old Boys living in PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA recently held a reunion and shared their experience:
PRETORIA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL – OLD BOYS ASSOCIATION OUTPOST
Perth Old Boys, join in!
The tattered candy stripes and jocular banter that greeted me were instantly familiar – leaving no doubt that I was in the right place. Meeting new people can be intimidating, but this was different somehow. The shared history and common values made it easy.
Thirteen Old Boys, some older than others, came together at Samson’s Paddock in Mosman Park, south-west of the Perth CBD. Those in attendance spanned the classes from 1963 to 2003, including two schoolmasters – both Old Boys, with 20 years of combined service and a deep passion for PBHS.
We made ourselves at home. Voices grew louder. We swapped stories, shared jokes and reminisced. We shared some rivalry too; who beat Affies, which House had the most attendees – the usual. Above all, we enjoyed each other’s company.
Later, we rearranged the establishment’s furniture to get some photos to mark the occasion. A newfound sense of camaraderie had formed, rooted in nostalgia for the school atop the hill.
Mr Eddie Penzhorn led us in offering sincere toasts to the School and to Absent Friends. Regrettably, being so far away, they are many. All in all, a most enjoyable evening, and I look forward to the next one!
Thank you to our Skipper, Selwyn ‘Maish’ Dolgoy, and Mr Eddie Penzhorn. Their passion for the School is first-rate. We are grateful to them for getting us all together. They have big plans for the Perth Old Boys Outpost and more events (approximately quarterly for now). The WA database has over 40 Old Boys’ names … the Outpost has contact with over 20 of them (… and counting).
If you are in Perth or nearby, get hold of Eddie (eddie.penzhorn@gmail.com) and join us for the next Outpost gathering. I look forward to meeting many more Perth Old Boys. Haydn von Maltitz.
Back L-R: Eddie Penzhorn, Cornelius Smit, Paul Hefer, Gray Stead, Tony Das Neves, Selwyn Dolgoy, Robert Boggs & Haydn von Maltitz
Front L-R: Justin Winnan, Tony Taverner, Peter Melvill-Smith, Philip Ash & Nick Mosenthal
OLD BOYS’ SPORTS
PBHS OLD BOYS vs OUD AFFIES PADEL CHALLENGE
Posted on behalf of PBHS Old Boy Sean Trollip (2000 Solomon):
Join us for a day of padel where Boys High Old Boys take on Oud Affies in a ‘Ryder Cup’ format, with the winner donating prize money to the charity of their choice.
Open for all levels of players. Groups and teams will be assigned according to skill level. Any PBHS Old Boy is allowed to join. There are no age or level requirements.
Event details:
Location: Virgin Active Padel Club Groenkloof
Date: 20 July 2024 (08:00-20:00)
Entry Fee: R450 per person
Sign up: https://playtomic.io/tournaments/c8987469-d23f-4b84-b9bd-c3966fed89f6?utm_source=app_android&utm_medium=share
The PBHS Old Boys’ Association has chosen the school’s bursary fund, The Pretorian Trust, as our charity of choice.
Let’s do this Old Boys so that boys with potential get an opportunity to attend our awesome school on a bursary!
PS It’s a week before the PBHS / Affies game!
Old Boy Mel Janse van Rensburg climbs his way to the Olympics!
In the December 2023 edition of our newsletter we gave the exciting news that Old Boy Mel Janse van Rensburg (2019 Rissik) secured a place at the 2024 Paris Olympics in Climbing. This after he won gold in the Men’s Boulder & Lead final at the International Federation of Climbing Sport Africa Qualifier at Loftus Versfeld. Mel will be flying both his school’s and his country’s flags high in Paris at the Olympics starting in July.
Mel has reached out to us and asked us to share his story via this link:
https://whydonate.com/en/fundraising/mel-janse-van-rensburg-help-me-fund-my-journey-to-paris-2024-olympic-games
He also shared his speech at the sports awards during his final year at PBHS (2019) and some excerpts will undoubtedly add to his story as they were prophetic!
“In many people’s opinion, rock climbing is not really a sport. But allow me to quote some wise words of Ernest Hemingway. He said: ‘there are only three sports: bullfighting, motor racing and mountaineering; all the rest are mere games’. You should have heard that (FINALLY!) climbing has officially made the Olympic Games. Next year in Tokyo only 20 male and 20 female athletes from round the globe will be chosen, only two from Africa. AND WHO KNOWS (?) at the rate at which climbing is progressing at Boys High, we might be sending an athlete to PARIS in 2024 from THIS school”. How fitting that Mel is that athlete!
Mel, the Old Boys will be rooting for you in Paris … bring us back a medal to show to the Class of 2024.
Olympic hopeful : Mel Janse van Rensburg in Switzerland (Photo supplied by Mel)
PRETORIA BOYS HIGH SCHOOL EVENTS
IN HONOUR OF ROSS BUCKLEY ❤️🤍💚
Pretoria Boys High School proudly inaugurated the Ross Buckley Change Room on April 3rd, in honor of Ross Buckley, a former student who tragically passed away in 2000.
Ross, remembered as a loyal and jovial student, was a standout rugby player for the school’s 1st XV in 1992 and 1993, later pursuing provincial rugby.
The change room, situated in a restored 1909 corrugated building, will serve as the 1st XV’s home match facility.
Attendees at the event included contributors to the building’s restoration, alumni from various classes, and the Buckley family—Ross’s mother, brother, and sister. The occasion was deemed incredibly special, with the school anticipating the valuable use of the newly dedicated facility.
The Opening of the Ross Buckley Change Room – a special occasion
Text and photo courtesy of PBHS Facebook
PBHS PREFECTS VISIT DAYBREAK HOUSE FOR BABIES
On Sunday, the 5th of May, the Pretoria Boys High Prefects spent a gorgeous, sunny day at Daybreak House for Babies.
They assisted in feeding the babies their lunch and spent the afternoon playing and entertaining the very busy little bunch. The boys also got dirty, planting flowers with their mini-sidekicks, to continue the project of beautifying the house.
Thank you boys for your love and time! ❤️❤️❤️🤍💚
PBHS prefects of 2024 are caring and compassionate
Text and photo courtesy of PBHS Facebook
LETTER’S CORNER
The Headmaster and the Old Boys’ Association Chairman recently received a letter from Mr Grant Little which is worth sharing:
Good day Mr Hassenkamp and the Chairman of the Old Boys Association
I would like to write in my personal capacity and express my appreciation of the wonderful experience I had this past weekend during the PBHS exchange to Maritzburg College. I have been involved in the College community for a number of years as a parent, Old Boy, Executive Committee member of the Old Boys Association, a rugby referee and a spectator. I have been privileged to participate in a number of these exchanges both home and away, including hosting visiting players. Every single one of them have been a wonderful experience, from the boys, the staff/coaches and the parents and Old Boys. Your learners are well behaved, have excellent manners and are wonderful examples of the men we need in our country in the future. I know that Maritzburg College shares a similar culture and I am sure this is the reason that the exchange is always so memorable and there is such a great synergy at these fixtures from the U14F all the way to the 1st XV and across all codes.
I’d like to thank you and your entire team for the wonderful leadership and values you impart into these gentlemen and future leaders of our country. We need more of this in the country and having had the pleasure of reffing a few of these young men, even in the heat of battle, they remain true to themselves and their core values. I look forward to this fixture annually and appreciate the camaraderie and wonderful sportsmanship both on and off the field of the men from both schools.
Thank you to you Mr Hassenkamp and to you Mr Luman for the tremendous task you do to raise the future generations of leaders of our country. I am heartened that this is the caliber of the future and trust that their impact will be significant into the future – as we have seen with the alumni of both our schools and the impact that they have made already in the past decades.
Long may this exchange and tradition continue.
Regards
Grant Little
NEWS SNIPPETS
We all love a good news story, especially when it involves PBHS Old Boys!
The article is about Pretoria Boys High School’s Deputy Headmaster Chris Oldnall (who is also an Old Boy, 2005 Matheson) and Old Boy Peet Crowther (2007 Matheson) who teamed up to swim from Big Bay to Robben Island and back again for a cause close to the school’s heart – supporting children fighting osteosarcoma, a type of bone cancer. Read the article for more info. (Source www.goodthingsguy.com).
Photo: PBHS Facebook
IN MEMORIAM
Chalkie (Peter) Harrower PBHS – School House 1975 – 1980
Chalkie passed away on the 24 October 2023.
He was in the truest sense a Boys High “Old” Boy having started out as a boarder in School House in 1975. He was able to survive the School House initiation, he then began his patriotic and passionate rise through the years. He made a great success of his time at Boys High becoming Head of House, a School Prefect and a successful captain of the swimming team amongst other achievements. He loved the place so much, he spent six years there!!
As he matriculated, he took his passion for the school; as lessons learnt, fondly treasured memories and his friends with him forever.
National Service saw him become an officer (and sometimes a gentleman when he was not being mischievous!) In the Airforce he was trained as an Air Traffic Controller, where he was fully accredited, seeing active duty in various commercial airports around the country, as well as at the border – Caprivi Strip.
On final discharge from the regulatory two-year stint of National service, he was routinely called up to “annual camps”. This was until a serious bout of cerebral malaria picked up in northern (SWA) Namibia at one such camp, ending any future call-up.
He went on to set up and run his business with great success, which kept him busy but allowed him to indulge in his passions of supporting rugby teams with gusto including PBHS, but never missing the opportunities to support in person the Sharks and of course the Bokke. In his last he was in a seriously dark place mentally, the result of PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), which culminated in severe depression and anxiety, and unfortunately leading to bouts of psychosis. This all from a traumatic attack he endured in 2011, when he, his wife Gailyn and daughter Paige were attacked by armed men in their home in Midrand. Chalkie, unarmed, courageously tackled the intruders and took five shots to the body. Miraculously, none of the shots hit any vital organs. But in so doing, gave his family vital time to escape almost certain shooting. He survived physically, and pushed on with life as normal. However, the psychological impact caused untold harm leading to severe psychiatric difficulties which he battled for a number of years, unfortunately succumbing to the overwhelming mental harm he was forced to endure. Despite the catastrophic event that unfolded in his last months, we will always remember the Chalkie that was positive, always supportive and very, very often a “stouta – kabouta!”Chalkie loved PBHS, and was so proud when his son Kirk was accepted to attend the school, to School House, like he did, and matriculated in 2012.Much time was spent, supporting the Kirk, his mates, the House and School. A happy time for Chalkie indeed. He loved the old boys’ dinners, where sometimes he was part of the early morning hour faithful!He relished in the assistance of the School House Centenary Celebrations in 2014. His lively character and his passing have left a void for many who knew him, close family, and especially Gailyn, his wife of 36 years, his children, Kirk and Paige and us, his brothers who held him in high esteem.
For many who knew him, his love of the school will for ever be imprinted in our minds. Many thanks and appreciation to the PBHS family of old boys, and their extended family members who came to bid him farewell. RIP Chalkie. – Bruce Harrower
Chalkie (Peter) Harrower, RIP
