Dear Old Boy
THE ANNUAL OLD BOYS’ DINNER
The 104th Annual Old Boys’ Dinner took place on Saturday, 3 June 2023 and was attended by 140 Old Boys. They represented seven decades of PBHS boys, ranging from the Class of 1952 to the Class of 2022.
Amongst those present were four Head Prefects – Jason Webber (Class of 2008) and Chairman of the PBHSOB Association, Kyriacos Floudiotis (Class of 2009) and Association Director, Joshua le Roux (Class of 2022) and the current Head Prefect Daniel Manley who was accompanied by his father David (Class of 1985). The current Deputy Head Prefect, Jack Stewart was also in attendance accompanied by his father Carl Henning (Class of 1981).
Former Headmaster, Mr Bill Schroder (1990 – 2009) and Chairman of the Parents Association, Gus Rosa, were also in attendance as were the Headmaster, Greg Hassenkamp, Second Master John Illsley and several current and past masters.
As guests arrived at the Central Dining Hall, they were warmly welcomed by the Pretoria Boys High School’s Dixie Band and their rousing performance set the tone for an enjoyable night at the school on the hill.
Eugene Ashton was an accomplished Master of Ceremonies and held the attention of all guests throughout the evening. Eugene (Class of 1996) is actively involved with PBHS and the Old Boys Association and is the Chairman of the school’s fundraising body, the Pretorian Trust. He had also extended the invitation to News24’s Pieter du Toit to be guest speaker.
Denis Vlismas was invited to raise a toast to absent friends. He thanked the school and the Headmaster, Greg Hassenkamp, for hosting the first ever 70 Years On Reunion last year which Mr Vlismas attended with a number of his classmates. He read out the list of Old Boys who passed away in the year since the 103rd Old Boys Dinner as well as several messages from those now living abroad or otherwise unable to make it to this year’s Old Boys’ Dinner.
Mr Denis Vlismas
Pretoria Boys High School’s Second Master, John Illsley, raised a toast to South Africa. As many will be aware, this is Mr Illsley’s last year at PBHS as he will be retiring at the end of 2023 after 36 years of loyal and dedicated service to the school.
When inviting Mr Illsley to give the toast to South Africa, the Old Boys Association asked him to incorporate some of the essential history of the school pertaining to the South African context into his speech. Here are a few excerpts from the toast:
“It is no coincidence that Pretoria Boys High, under that name, dates from the same year as the creation of South Africa as a country: namely 1910. In that year four colonies were unified to create the Union of SA. In parallel with that move, the Pretoria College amalgamated with the Eendracht school to establish Pretoria Boys High.
It was very much an attempt to use a school as part of a healing process between Boer and Brit, eight years after the end of the Anglo-Boer War.
The Pretorian magazine at the time, waxed lyrical about these developments in the editorial of its third ever edition with this flowery language:
‘Amalgamation, Unification, Coalition, Union, Eendracht, such are the words that have of late, with all their intricate minutiae of dialectically differentiated signification, been buzzing around like bees, forsooth fraught with the fragrant veld-honey of peace and contentment. As with the sub-continent, so with Pretoria High schools, we are to have our Union.’
Boys High was a part of the first, limited and thereby flawed attempt at nation building, in SA’s history. But it was an important first step in the context of that time – to pursue a common purpose as a country and a school.
Probably only second to its founding in importance, were the changes in the mid-1990s that saw the school become part of the real South Africa through a student body and staff that would better reflect our society. And it was accompanied by the same sense of excitement as to its significance. This represented the definitive exercise in nation building, something that we continue to be a part of today, even as we experience a deeply divided and unequal society.
It may not be politically correct to say as much, but I would contend that ours is a school that has served South Africa well, from it being a British Dominion, to an independent country in the British Commonwealth, to a republic and then to a fully democratic republic. During that time the school has retained values that include honour, integrity and respect.
But it is the concept of service as being the central principle in defining patriotism that I choose to emphasize this evening.
As an institution of the state (rather than an organ of government) Boys High represents a place that is dedicated to the betterment of its citizens – it is what good education does”.
At the end of his speech, Mr Illsley proposed a toast to South Africa.
Between the delicious starter and main course the Chairman of the PBHS Old Boys’ Association, Jason Webber, delivered the Chairman’s Report and the Head Prefect, Daniel Manley, presented the Head Prefect’s address.
Undoubtedly one of the highlights of the evening was the guest speaker’s address and this is evidenced by the numerous requests received for copies of his speech.
Several highlights from Pieter du Toit’s speech, especially those relating to PBHS, follow:
“It is a singular privilege to stand among you in this magnificent institution tonight. Your school has been, and remains, one of the country’s foremost educational institutions, having produced leaders in the fields of commerce, academia, the arts, and sport for more than 100 years.
It is something to hold dear and defend, and it is a great honour for me to be welcomed here.I am a journalist at News24, where I am assistant editor for investigations. I have a team of five investigative journalists, and our sole focus is to identify and expose corruption and malfeasance in society. Previously I was a parliamentary correspondent, news editor and editor at different publications at Media24, where I have been working for exactly 20 years in 2023. I have also authored three books, including The Stellenbosch Mafia (2017) and The ANC Billionaires (2019).
Therefore, I surmise that my invitation to speak with you tonight is by virtue of my position as a journalist who has had broad exposure to the events over the last two decades that have shaped our present.
However, I am also here as a representative of another institution, much like your own. I matriculated at Paul Roos Gymnasium in Stellenbosch in 1997, an institution which, like yours, has embedded in it an ethos of excellence and responsibility.
Our schools have an unusually strong bond, even though they are 1 200 kilometres apart, and even though they are situated in two vastly different environments. Both schools have roughly the same number of pupils, are boys only, have a strong academic, sport and cultural tradition and have made the transition to an open and democratic society with aplomb, establishing themselves as extremely valuable assets in our social landscape.
But the bond between your alma mater, and mine, runs deeper than that.
In June 1902 William Hendrik Hofmeyr, after having returned from the University of Cambridge where he obtained his MA degree, was nominated by the council and superintendent of education to become rector of the Stellenbosch Boys’ High School. His appointment was delayed enabling the superintendent to ascertain his levels of sympathy for the recently vanquished Boer republics, but he was able to assume his post after an investigation found he never actively took part in any political activities, and in September of that year he was formally appointed.
Willie Hofmeyr – as he was known in Stellenbosch – was to serve as rector of the school for eight years, with his tenure recognised as having laid the foundation of what the school was to become. Under his leadership the school expanded vastly, formalised its separation from what was to become the University of Stellenbosch, and moved into modern, new buildings.
But the influence of Hofmeyr, according to the official history of Paul Roos Gymnsium (the school was renamed in 1940), went beyond new buildings or administrative efficiency. He is credited with the establishment of the school’s ethos, of shaping the character of the school where I matriculated eight decades after his departure.
It was this esprit de corps, established by Hofmeyr, that made such an impression on another teacher on his staff at the time, Paul Roos, the former Springbok rugby captain, and Latin teacher.
Hofmeyr, and Roos, who served as headmaster for 30 years, believed education was much more than academic achievement, or prowess on the sports field. They believed in producing men who could strain forward, who would dare greatly and help shape society to become a better place.
Hofmeyr set out his philosophy as a teacher and rector thus: “Success at examinations is not our highest ideal. We cannot refrain from raising our voice from the prevalent tendency to judge a school by examination results only. At best it is a poor test, either of a boy or a school. Education in the wider sense where it includes the formation of character is far too subtle a thing to be judged by a superficial test. “Those boys who are leaving the school, we shall judge not by the way they passed their examinations in the first place, but by the kind of men they become.” Hofmyer, without doubt, was one of my school’s greatest figures.
In 1909, a former pupil at Stellenbosch Boys’ High, the colonial secretary for Transvaal, Jan Smuts, approached Hofmeyr about taking up the position of headmaster at the new Pretoria High School for Boys, or the Pretoria Hogereskool voor Jongeren.
He left Stellenbosch in March 1910, and became headmaster at this school, a position in which he was to serve for 24 years.
Smuts hand-picked Hofmeyr for the job. If the animosity between English and Afrikaans – the dominant national question of the time, in a country where the black majority was excluded from public life – was to be resolved, he needed young men to learn to work together.
In his first speech at Pretoria Boys’ High School, formed after the amalgamation of several schools in the region, including English and Afrikaans/Dutch only schools, Hofmeyr indicated that he wanted to serve as headmaster for everyone, not only one language group. “While it would have been impossible for me to accept the headship of the old Pretoria College or Eendracht Hoerskool, the offer of leading the combined school was one I simply could not refuse,” he said.
According to Peter Hawthorne, in his magnificent book Historic Schools of South Africa, Smuts believed the formation of the school to be “a brave experiment” in the year of the formation of the Union. It was hoped that the school could be a “catalyst” to bring unity after the ravages of war. Smuts’ personal involvement was such that he enrolled his sons there and maintained a long association with the school.
Under Hofmeyr’s leadership Pretoria Boys High School became a firmly established institution, and, according to Hawthorne, it was thanks to him that the school’s “ethos crystallized”. Exactly as he had done in Stellenbosch.
Of course, the dual-medium nature of the school became a victim of the time, and in 1922 Afrikaans fell away as medium of instruction amid tensions between Smut’s pro-Empire South African Party, and the Afrikaner nationalist National Party.Hofmeyr’s legacy at your school, like his legacy at mine, remains undisputed. His seven sons all matriculated here, three of them became Rhodes scholars – a quite remarkable and impossible feat for one family. Four of his sons became teachers, like their father, with some of them rising to becoming headmasters elsewhere. Will Hofmeyr was a teacher here for 42 years, known as a Latin expert and a fine rugby and cricket coach, leading the First XV to seven consecutive victories over Affies.
Hofmeyr retired at the end of 1934, after leading the school through its most important formative years, the turbulence of the First World War and political instability. When Hofmeyr handed the baton to Daniel Matheson, PBHS’s “place as one of South Africa’s leading schools was recognised, as it is today, from the Limpopo to Cape Point.”
Men like Hofmeyr helped shape schools like ours, and schools like ours shape boys who become leaders in their fields, and leaders in society.
And South Africa, beset on all sides by problems which often seem insurmountable and immovable, need leaders who show urgency and ingenuity now, like it did during this country’s most trying times in the past”.
Mr Du Toit went on to speak about events occurring in South Africa today across the political and service sectors, and concluded with these remarks:
“But South Africa also has men like you, produced by this impressive institution, with the ability, intelligence, skills, and fortitude to help with our national reconstruction project. Because make no mistake, this is what is awaiting us: national reconstruction.I hope each of one of you will play your part in straining this country forward, in actively working for change in your station in life, and that you will fight as hard as you can to ensure that we recover the country for those young South Africans, of all colours and creeds, who come here as boys, and leave as men, well-prepared to take a leading role in society. William Hofmeyr, who once led both your school, and mine, said his pupils should be judged by what men they became. We all have a chance to become men of consequence, in a country that needs it. That is our challenge. Please raise your glasses as I propose a toast to Pretoria Boys’ High School. To all the pupils, staff and parents of Pretoria Boys’ High School, its old boys’ association, and wider community: your motto reads “Through Courage and Labour”. We need both of those qualities from all of you. Thank you”.
In his response to Pieter’s toast to the school, Headmaster Greg Hassenkamp – who prefers to speak off-the-cuff – touched on several aspects of managing a traditional school in the modern world.
Mr Hassenkamp posed the question – “In this modern world and in this educational space, what are the issues that we are grappling with?” and artificial intelligence (AI) was the first topic he dealt with.
He said, “Just as IT had taken over the world in the past twenty years and we had to accept and adapt, so this process has been amplified as the IT revolution has progressed to the AI revolution. The most recent example of this was the introduction of ChatGPT”.
He advised that while some countries and universities have banned ChatGPT, others have embraced it. “In my mind, the reality is that it is part of the modern world and something that we are going to have to deal with. Ignoring it and pretending or wishing that it didn’t exist is not the answer. The key will be in getting the balance right,” he said.
“What we must not forget is that ChatGPT as we know it today is only in its infancy. This is the first version of it. The Chinese, never happy to be outdone by anyone, are working on their own version of ChatGPT which they promise to be far more powerful than any version which currently exists.
If we are in fact going to acknowledge ChatGPT, to what extent are we going to do this without allowing our school children to not apply their minds to true research, creativity, critical thinking and problem solving? Until now we have been able to view computers as very quick idiots, but artificial intelligence now mimics human thinking and expression. This is the scary part. Part of what we are trying to achieve while our children are at school is to develop certain skills. The question is how do we get the balance right without losing what we as schools stand for and what we are ultimately trying to achieve in terms of an academic education?
Currently we as a school, are watching this space. As ChatGPT reveals itself, we will determine where we think it fits into the educational space and we will look to determine our own policy as we see it fit-for-purpose in a school like ours”.
In dealing with the influence of AI on the educational space Mr Hassenkamp also spoke about the live streaming of school sport which is a spin off from Covid. While there are certainly many advantages to this there are many unintended consequences which are also revealing themselves.
“The AI which is being used to live stream school sport has evolved very quickly and Super Sport is now streaming well over 1 000 school sports fixtures every Saturday. This in turn has led to additional pressures being exerted on schools and boys in all sorts of ways”.
Living in the modern world of ours the Headmaster also spoke about the issue of sustainability.
“A big drive for Boys High at the moment is to, a far as possible, get off the grid. As you can imagine, having a school of over 1 500 boys, having 300 boarders and over 80 people living on the property, trying to run this school without lights and water can prove quite challenging.
What I can share with you is that over the past two years we have installed two generators – one of 300 kVa and the other 200 kVa.
We are currently about to install a solar project which will be placed on the roof of the school hall and the Bill Schroder Centre which will give us an additional 200kW of power and will reduce our Eskom electricity consumption by 27%. This in turn will reduce the amount of diesel we are burning. This project will for the time being, be funded through a crowdfunding project which will alleviate the initial capital required.
The next step will be to take the three boarding houses off the grid and place them all on solar.
The other project we have just recently completed was the installation of a water infiltration plant which delivers 100kl of potable water daily. This plant guarantees potable water for the entire school property despite municipal infrastructure failure such as that which we have experienced recently on a number of occasions.
In terms of general maintenance and upkeep, necessities which we have dealt with over the past three years during my time at the school include:
• The school has had to upgrade the sewerage and storm water drainage systems;
• We have replaced 12 asbestos classrooms. This is an ongoing project with another 15 classrooms and an administration block to follow;
• The restoration of the main school sandstone buildings;
• The building of two new basketball courts;
• The relaying of the sports fields’ irrigation system;
• New lighting and a water pump system on the school’s Astro;
• The installation of a 56 unit closed circuit security surveillance system.
A double header project that we are presently busy with and in fact have held back on to accommodate this dinner, is the refurbishment of this central dining hall together with an upgrade of the school’s tuck shop.
The biggest project of all that the school is busy with and where building is about to get underway is the building of a multi-purpose building.
The building will be built in the area between the koppie classrooms and the boys’ toilets on the western side of the school.
The purpose of the building:
- To serve as a group/team teaching venue which would allow the doubling up of classes. This will allow for specialist teaching as well as more productive substitute teaching in the case of absent teachers;
- A dedicated set of venues for the special concession exam candidates;
- An art and photographic gallery for exhibitions;
- A meeting venue for clubs, societies and houses;
- A meeting venue for parents and invited guests to the school. This will include evenings and weekend bookings;
- A location for the school stationery shop at the start of the year;
- To serve as additional classrooms while we continue the process of replacing the asbestos classrooms.
It is expected that building will commence on this project during the third term”.
Mr Hassenkamp pointed out that despite being a public school NONE of the infrastructure maintenance and development projects listed above have been funded in anyway by the state.
He continues to believe that the value for money education offered by the school remains as good as any school in the country and that in fact the education offered by our school is superior to many of our competitors at a fraction of the price.
He further pointed out that “in reflecting on these projects and the costs involved it was important to consider the financial sustainability of the school and the important role the Old Boys have to play in this regard if we are to remain the world class institution that we are”.
Mr Hassenkamp concluded with these remarks:
“If truth be told I wouldn’t change my job for the world. It’s challenging and it is exciting and in its own way it is no different to any of the work my predecessors had to do. In doing what I and the rest of my staff do, I believe that we continue to make a difference in these boys lives just as this school made a difference in your lives and my life. At the start of this address I indicated that perhaps I should title this address The Dilemma of a Traditional School in a Modern World. Perhaps just as appropriately I could call it The More Things Change the More They Stay the Same. In moving education forward in this modern world of ours I believe the answer lies in getting the balance right. I believe there are certain non-negotiables at a school like ours. We have certain standards that we are not prepared to negotiate or compromise on. There are certain aspects of our school that despite this modern world that we live in continue to add value. In fact, I would go so far as to say that because of the modern world in which we live, they add more value today than they did before. Where we need to modernize and adapt we will do so but not at the cost of giving up what we stand for. In having said this I hope to give you some assurance for the future”.
The Pretoria Boys High School Old Boys’ Association thanks the following people for a very successful and enjoyable 104th Annual Old Boys’ Dinner:
The Headmaster, Mr Greg Hassenkamp for hosting and attending the Dinner and bringing the Old Boys up to date with developments at their beloved school;
The Second Master, Mr John Illsley for raising a toast to South Africa and for all his help and support with reunions and the Old Boys’ Dinner;
The convenor, Old Boy and Association Director, Mr Geoff Meyer;
The Master of Ceremonies, Mr Eugene Ashton;
The Guest Speaker, Mr Pieter du Toit;
Mrs Andolien Theron of Empact Catering for the delicious food;
Ms Steffani Kruger of the Old Boys Club for the liquid refreshments;
Old Boy Gareth Hearn for the sound;
The waiters and bar tenders for their exemplary service;
Every Old Boy who attended and contributed to the amazing spirit;
All Old Boys who would have loved to attend but could not this year.
As one Old Boy said in an email after the event – “We can’t wait for next year’s dinner!”
REUNIONS 2023
The first reunion of the year set the tone for 2023 with 25 Old Boys from the Class of 1963, some of their partners and their VIP guests spending a day at Pretoria Boys High School on Friday, 19 May 2023.
Convenor Louis Von Broembsen shares his thoughts on the 60 Years On of the Class of 1963:
“The Class of ’63 celebrated the 60th Reunion of their matric year on 19th May 2023.It would be no exaggeration to say that this precious visit of late septuagenarian Old Boys to their Alma Mater took their collective breaths away.
Proceedings commenced on a sparkling morning with a tour by the 40 Old Boys and wives of the beautiful school grounds led by Headmaster Greg Hassenkamp. His running commentary on the features and history of the grounds and facilities placed into context the success the school has had in conserving its beauty while adapting to constantly changing and challenging circumstances.
On a normal school day with pupils moving between classes the visit programme allowed Old Boys to tour the Museum and explore the boarding houses and recreation facilities in their own time.
The School Assembly was a highlight with 1500 disciplined boys, teachers and Old Boys receiving a combination of motivational and devotional tributes – a highlight being the main speech given by well-respected Old Boy Ian Hay.
The traditional lunch, held at a cordoned-off section of the main dining hall was buoyed by the speeches of Ian Kantor, Greg Hassenkamp and past Headmaster Bill Schroder.
In many ways it was hard for us to believe that this was the same place where we had spent the formative years of our lives, though somehow in spite of the pressures of present day living, it has the same classical atmosphere and ethos that have always made us proud of having been there.
After all, sixty years is a long time in the life of an individual person and in the life of a school. The nature/nurture debate has not yet been fully resolved but all who attended the 60th Reunion of the Class of ’63 had the privilege of seeing how positively these influences have played out on the boys of PBHS over the years.
By the end of the day there was little doubt that this school, with its wide ranging cultural, academic and sporting offerings to boys of varying interests and skills sets, is able to prise the most out of its pupils in preparing them for their later lives. Old Boys were left knowing that PBHS is well on course to maintain the good manners, humility and professionalism that are the hallmarks of the world’s great boys’ high schools” – Louis Von Broembsen
Mr Von Broembsen was ably assisted with getting their group together by Dr Pieter Grey. The Head Prefect of 1963, John Duff was also in attendance with his wife Heather.
The next reunion, the 20 Years On of the Class of 2003, takes place on Saturday, 22 July 2023 and we are expecting a big turn-out. Any Old Boy from that year who has not yet booked a ticket has two weeks to do so and ticket sales will close on Tuesday 18 July.
Ticket sales for the 10 Years On (12 August), 50 Years On (25 August) and 30 Years On (8 and 9 September) reunions are also open and Old Boys from the Classes of 2013, 1973 and 1993 are encouraged to book their tickets or contact info@pbhsob.com for more information/event links.
BRANCH VISITS
Two Branch Visits were undertaken on Tuesday and Wednesday, 23rd and 24th May 2023.
PBHSOB Association Chairman Jason Webber and PBHS Headmaster Greg Hassenkamp attended an Old Boys’ Dinner in Tzaneen at the Fairview Hotel Clubhouse on Tuesday 23 May and an Old Boys’ Dinner in White River at the 64 Coolmore Restaurant on Wednesday 24 May.
Both dinners were well attended by Old Boys living in Limpopo and Mpumalanga and our sincere thanks to the convenors, Mark Andrew (1987 Rissik) and Mark Hassenkamp (1986 Solomon) in Tzaneen and Kuen Pappas (1993 Rissik) in White River.
Many thanks to Kuen for sending us a few pics of the evening to share with other Old Boys.
The next Branch Dinner is taking place in Cape Town as follows and is being organized by Matthew Currie:
Date: Wednesday, 2 August 2023
Time: 18:30 for 19:00
Place: Oaks Room, Members Pavilion, Newlands Cricket Ground
Cost: R330.00 per person
Dress code: Jacket and tie
It is essential to book to ensure that the evening runs smoothly as this is a very popular Old Boys’ event. It is anticipated that the PBHS Headmaster, Greg Hassenkamp and a representative of the Old Boys’ Association will attend.
Get up-to-the-minute news on developments at PBHS and network with other Western Cape Old Boys by purchasing a ticket with this link or contact info@pbhsob.com for banking details:
https://pbhsoba.alumnet.co.za/Event/Cape2520Town2520Event25202023
30th ANNIVERSARY OF THE PBHS AERONAUTICAL SOCIETY : SATURDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2023
As reported in our previous newsletter, The Aeronautical Society of Pretoria Boys High School will be celebrating its 30th year in 2023 with a celebratory dinner.
If you were a member of the Society between 1993 and 2023, please save the date for this event which will take place on the evening of Saturday, 19 August 2023.
Irrespective of whether you went on to a career in aviation or simply maintained an interest in flying, please regard yourself as duly invited to what promises to be a memorable occasion. Wives and partners are also welcome to attend.
The event is taking place as follows and the contact person is Second Master John Illsley:
Date: Saturday 19 August 2023
Time: 6:30 for 7pm
Venue: Sommerville cricket pavilion, PBHS
Cost: R200 pp – three course meal, including sponsored wine on the tables.
Please indicate attendance (forward proof of payment) and any special dietary requirements by e-mail to john@boyshigh.com
Account details to book places:
• Bank: FNB
• Account holder: Pretoria Boys High School
• Account number: 62565719691
• Branch code: 252145
Please join us for what promises to be a very memorable evening – John Illsley
DEVELOPING TOMORROW’S LEADERS, TODAY – A FUNDRAISING CAMPAIGN LINKED TO THE PRETORIAN TRUST OF PBHS AND CHAMPIONED BY FORMER HEADMASTER BILL SCHRODER
Pretoria Boys High School has been at the forefront of South African education for over 100 years.
In this time, we’ve graduated thousands of disadvantaged students who have gone on to become doctors, lawyers, and even Rhodes Scholars. But we wouldn’t have been able to support those students on their educational journeys without donations from Old Boys, parents, grandparents, the public and corporates.
The Pretorian Trust was established in 1975 as a Public Benefit Organisation with the sole objective of receiving funds donated to Pretoria Boys High School.
The central purpose of the Pretorian Trust’s current fundraising campaign, Developing Tomorrow’s Leaders Today, is the sustainable provision of bursaries for deserving boys. We aim to build exceptional leadership capacity in South Africa by making the dream of attending Pretoria Boys High School a reality for eligible students who are in a position of financial need.
Our mission is to provide boys from disadvantaged backgrounds the financial means to attend Pretoria Boys High School and succeed in their education. We strive to develop and grow the innate abilities of a young man who can reap the benefit of a superior high school education, enabling him to enter tertiary education and a career of his choice instead of one restricted by his original disadvantaged circumstances.
An update from former PBHS Headmaster Bill Schroder:
Dear Old Boy
Herewith a breakdown on how your pledges and donations are utilised:
Long-Term Investment Account
This is the account through which we wish to build up funds that can be used to sustainably finance this project into perpetuity. The majority of the Trust’s donations are allocated to this long-term investment account with the objective of generating interest income which is then used to provide bursaries. As at the end of May 2023, the balance on this account stood at R7.2 million.
Current Bank Account
A current bank account is maintained to facilitate transactional cash flows such as the payment of salaries, administrative expenses, audit fees etc. Excess monies built up in this account are transferred to the long-term investment account on a periodic basis.
Fundraising Account
This account holds signed pledges that have not yet been honoured, on-going active pledges and debit orders. The debit orders go directly to the current bank account, as do one-off donations and surpluses donated by various school reunion groups.
Current Active Bursaries
These are active bursaries under the control of the School and its Finance Department. Should a donor wish to sponsor a pre-determined boy directly as opposed to using the investment vehicle, the Trust forwards that money to the School’s Finance Department.
The campaign has been running for 18 months and I would like to express my thanks to all who have supported this endeavour to date and those that still intend to do so. While you may not have received a letter from me yet, there is no need to wait to donate if you intend to. You are welcome to contact me or Sally de Beer (012-4602246 x 200 / 072 080 2268 / info@pbhsob.com) and we will send you the documentation you need.
I am particularly pleased by the number of Old Boys who have opted for debit orders – this form of donation has increased more than others. As I mentioned previously, a modest debit order over five or ten years becomes a generous donation and the donor hardly feels the pain even in these very difficult times. A Section 18A tax certificate will be provided on request.
Thank you and best regards
Bill
THE OLD BOYS’ CLUB
Don’t forget to visit the Old Boys’ Club in Lynnwood for a cold one, a great meal or to enjoy live entertainment, the Joker’s Draw, Friday Sundowners and Quiz Night!
