Wynberg 170 Founders’ Week Kicks off in Style

There has been something for everybody in the Wynberg 170 Founders’ Week.

On Monday evening, August 22nd, a Cultural Evening was held at the school with the Old Boys, fruitlessly as it turned out, challenging their younger counterparts at Chess and Debating. After being whitewashed 0 – 4, the Old Boys’ Chess team came into the Staff Room to cheer on their Debating Team who had proposed the topic school was Better in Our Day. They failed to convince the School team who rigidly maintained that the spirit, manners, demeanour, pride, standard of academics and extra-murals of their peers today was as good as it had ever been. The Adjudicators concurred!

It was appropriate that the announcement that four of the Hockey Olympic Qualifying Team were Wynberg Old Boys was made in the middle of Founders’ Week. Two of those players, Ian Haley and Rhett Halkett, joined two past Springboks Simon Martin and Vaughn Erasmus in taking on the school hockey side on Wednesday afternoon, August 24rd. An exciting and action packed game saw the Old Boys score a narrow 9 – 7 victory.

Later that evening about 350 Old Boys, dating from 1938 – 2010, packed into the hall for an evening of camaraderie and fun at the Old Boys’ Dinner. They listened to guest speaker Adi Badenhorst, Head Prefect of 1990, who in his own inimitable humorous style, informed and entertained his audience with his anecdotes of the wine industry in the Cape. In his reply, the Headmaster told him that vineyards were returning to Wynberg and in a tribute to the original farm on which the school now stood, the wine would bear that label Oude Wijnberg. He received a round of applause when he told the company that this wine would grace the tables at the 2016 dinner (the 175th anniversary)!

“I wonder how many of you understand or appreciate how privileged you are to be wearing that blazer… I can tell you that it is no ordinary blazer” were the opening words of our current Head Prefect, David Maasch, to the Junior School boys at their Flag Raising Ceremony at 12:00 noon on Thursday 25th. Wearing his heart on his sleeve, he informed the audience what Wynberg had meant to him over the last five years and he impressed young and old alike with his obvious passion and enthusiasm for Wynberg.

With only 150 tickets being available, it was inevitable that there would be disappointment that not everyone could share the wonderful standard of music evident in the annual Nussbaum Concert on Thursday evening. Showcasing the best of Wynberg’s music for 2011, the audience of old boys and parents really enjoyed the bands and the various ensembles. The talent on display was awesome!

KC Richardson