Headmaster's Report Speech Day 2018

Headmaster’s Report presented by Shane Kidwell

Mr and Mrs van Breda, members of Council and Foundation, Mr and Mrs Kirkcaldy, honoured guests
particularly, Mr Whitelaw from WHPS whose friendship we value at our brother school, colleagues, parents
and, most importantly, young Albanians. Welcome St Alban’s College. It is a privilege to be able to welcome
you here to celebrate the many achievements of the young men of St Alban's College.

It is also a privilege to welcome to this prize-giving Dr and Mrs Kumburai. The Kumburai’s have been involved
at St Alban’s for over 20 years. Peter, their eldest son played centre back in my 1st Hockey side in 2003 and
2004 and was Head of School here in 2004. Michael, their middle son, is currently studying at UCT, plays rugby
for Western Province and has recently been voted as one of the top 200 young South Africans by the Mail
and Guardian. And their youngest son, Tafadswa; well, he’s our never-say-die, 1st XV hooker, chief-in-charge
of the brotherhood and well-liked Deputy Head of School. Thank you for your commitment to the College
over so many years and thank you for allowing us the privilege of helping raise your wonderfully talented and
passionate sons. You can certainly be proud of all they have achieved!

I trust that all of us will revel in the warmth of our gathering here this morning and reflect on what has been
the most extraordinary year. It is a particular privilege and an honour to be a teacher in this era at St Alban’s
College. Others live merely in the world of today; we are fortunate to be able to live in the world of tomorrow
for we have been charged with that sacred mission of developing young minds and preparing young men
for the future. ‘I am the most fortunate of all who labour’, said John Schlatter. ‘A doctor is allowed to usher
life into the world in one magic moment. I am allowed to see that life is reborn each day with new questions
ideas and friendships. An architect knows that if he builds with care his structure may stand for centuries. A
teacher knows that if they build with love and truth, what we build will last forever.’

Ladies and gentlemen, it has been an emotional couple of days saying goodbye to this Matric group. It has
been a magical year because they have led so well. There have been moments when I have had to pinch
myself because they seem to have accomplished the impossible. I sometimes feel that I am living in a parallel
universe because your sons seem to, time and time again, teach me so much about courage, resilience,
collaboration, empathy, complex thinking and the indefinable brotherhood which is found here.

On Journey earlier in the term, Group 4 had to deal with a particularly difficult and complex situation. At one
of the remotest places of this physical adventure, their staff leader, Mel de Kock, tripped and fell and in a
freak accident impaled her right eye with a branch of a tree which was lying on the ground. The young men
of Group 4 could immediately see that they had a serious situation on their hands. These young men, who
are sitting amongst us today, quietly and efficiently kicked into action to look after her. They used the satellite
phone to call for help and while the emergency staff moved toward her, they lay her down, placed her in a
sleeping bag and kept her calm. These young men did not hesitate to surround her with support, love and
care. On hearing of this, I was once again reminded that our future is bright because if these are the
gentlemen who will be looking after our world when most of us are old, I have no doubt that this love and
care will abound. A couple of nights later I visited them and they were in good spirits, they watched a video
from Ma’am de Kock and spoke openly of their shock. Later that evening, I noticed that one young man did
not have a sleeping bag and when I inquired of its whereabouts he sheepishly told me that he used his
sleeping bag to keep Ma’am de Kock warm and protected whilst shock kicked in. Ma’am de Kock was
carried away in that sleeping bag and he slept cold for a couple of nights. That young man, Rocco
Engelbrecht, represents the other young men who are seated here today who are kind, selfless and humble
and perhaps this incident is the embodiment of how St Alban’s College has gone about its business in 2018.
It’s great to have Mel here today; thank you for your courage and resilience, Ma’am!

I have seen passion, commitment, courage, love, intelligence, faith, compassion, grief, laughter and
resilience and I am truly humbled by the way our boys have carried themselves this year. This Speech Day
and Prize-giving is in your honour, young men.

At the outset of this short report I would also like to thank you, the parents, for giving us the great honour of
entrusting your sons to us. Perhaps we take this for granted in the 55th year of the College’s existence, but I
want to assure you it is a continued privilege to interact with your sons, to see them grow in stature and to be
part of their journey here. We are truly blessed and for that we thank you!

I have reflected on past speeches I have given at Prize-giving’s and I have noticed how often there is a need
to talk about the complex and ambiguous environment and times in which we live. These complexities and
fast-paced changes make parents nervous and anxious about the future of their children and education in
general. There are always going to be problems, issues and complexities which we have to confront and
ultimately it is our attitude which shapes our behaviour in these times. In fact, I think our boys are more
prepared than many around the world simply because we expect them to be active participants in solving
many of our societal problems. If this Matric group is anything to go by I have a deep hope for our country
and our world.

David Landes writes, ‘The optimists have it, not because they are always right, but because they are positive.
Even when wrong they are positive and that is the way of achievement, correction, improvement and
success. The one lesson is the need to keep trying. No miracles. No perfection. No millennium. No apocalypse.
We must cultivate a sceptical faith and dogma, listen and watch well, try to clarify and define ends, the
better to choose the means!’

Last year I spoke about our values as a College and as a community and what our purpose is in terms of
preparing young men for the future. I would like to believe that with the help of many staff members and
parents we are developing a culture of belonging and innovation here. A culture which will impact the world
around us for good. It is no surprise that the word ‘culture’ is derived from the Latin word ‘Cultus’ which means
to care and, in many ways, we need to care first and foremost for each other and for the community at large.
We need to develop, within ourselves, the desire to serve and most importantly, the desire to care for our
fellow men and women. There is no point to our success if others cannot succeed with us. There is no point to
teaching our young men to be critical thinkers and complex problem solvers if they do not understand the
complex societal problems which are in dire need of a solution. There is no point to St Alban’s College
succeeding while the education system around us falls apart. We need to be prepared to stand in the gap.

I would like us to build on our values which are based on the Christian faith, and allow us to develop a culture
which speaks to the root of care. I would like St Alban’s to become a catalyst for change in education and
society at large. We have sitting in this marquee this morning some of the most privileged and influential
thinkers in our country and there is no doubt that together we can make a difference. We should not, for one
minute, think that St Alban’s College cannot influence the future – we can!

Peter Skillman, a designer and engineer, tried to answer one of the oldest questions of all time: Why do certain
groups/companies/schools add up to be greater than the sum of their parts, while others add up to be less?
He gathered students from Stanford University of California and Tokyo. He challenged each group to build
the tallest possible structure using 20 pieces of cooked spaghetti, 1 meter of cellotape, 1 meter of string and
1 standard size marshmallow. The contest had one rule – the marshmallow had to end up on top. The
fascinating part of the experiment, however, had less to do with the task than with the participants. Some of
the teams were business school students and the others were pre-school children. You can imagine the
process. The business school students were intelligent, professional and rational; they strategized, divided up
the tasks and got to work.

The pre-schoolers did not strategize or analyse, they did not ask questions or propose options. In fact, they
barely talked at all. They stood very close to one another. Their interactions were not smooth or organized.
They abruptly grabbed materials and started building, following no plan or strategy.

If you had to bet which team would win you would obviously choose the business students. Your bet would
be wrong. In dozens of trials, the pre-schoolers built towers on average 26 inches tall and the business students
averaged 10 inches. The results are hard to absorb; it feels like an illusion. Smart, experienced business students
vs unsophisticated, inexperienced pre-schoolers and the latter succeeds. But this illusion, like every illusion,
happens because our instincts have led us to focus on the wrong detail. We focus on what we see – individual
skills. But individual skills are not what matters. What matters is the interaction. The children succeeded not
because they were smarter but because they worked together in a smarter way.

Perhaps we should become more like children. Perhaps we should see that individual skills are not what
matters but ultimately that what we can achieve collectively is far greater than what we can ever imagine.
Our performances this year, across all facets of school life, have been far beyond the sum of their parts.

One of our most significant efforts of collaboration this year has been the Solar Car Challenge. Not only have
we collaborated with our fellow Diocesan school, St Augustine’s, but our boys and staff have worked together
to ensure success.

The Queen of Hearts, from Alice in Wonderland says: ‘Sometimes I’ve believed as many as six impossible things
before breakfast’ and I suppose this is how I have felt this year. Just when you think something is impossible
around here, Rob Lodge comes along and says, we need to build a solar car and we do. We build one in
record time because our collaborative efforts between St Augustine’s, our boys and our staff are greater than
the sum of their parts. My sincere thanks go to Wally Schwim who has been our resident engineer for this
project. Wally has 11 patents to his name but the humble, enabling way he has dealt with our boys has been
an example to all. Rob Lodge, our HOD Science, has led this project and injected passion, a love for learning
and making mistakes and a never-say-die attitude into the entire team. It has been exhausting, Rob, I know,
but I have loved watching you operate in your element; you have enthused us and reminded us what real
learning is all about. Real learning is not just taking in information or writing examinations. Real learning gets
to the heart of what it means to be human. Through learning we recreate ourselves. Through learning we
become able to do something we never were able to do. Through learning we re-perceive the world and
our relationship to it. Through learning we extend our capacity to create, to be part of the generative process
of life. There is within us a deep hunger for this type of learning. This team has shown us this deep hunger and
we will continue to grow our capacity to learn as a result. Rob, you have reminded us that learning should be
engaging and fun. When you focus on real learning results follow. The solar car team won three trophies at
the final prize-giving and ended 6th out of 24 teams. An unbelievable feat! The point is, we were not thinking
about winning, we were thinking about learning – a subtle but important difference!

Our appreciation and thanks are extended to parents Gary Neubert, Alex Frielingsdorf, Guy Hopkins and
James Knowles for their sponsorship. Without your support this experience would not have been possible.

I would never have thought at the beginning of this year that I would stand at this podium today and
celebrate extraordinary success. We are one of the smallest independent boys’ schools in the country but we
have the biggest heart. We have spoken of our culture being rooted in care and it is my opinion that we
should always remain small enough to really know and care for each other, but big enough to allow us to
remain competitive. Bigger is NOT always better because the same qualities that appear to give strength are
often sources of weakness. And the fact of being an underdog can change people in ways that we often
fail to appreciate. This is perhaps best told in the epic battle between David and Goliath 3000 years ago in
the valley of Elah. We all know the story:

Goliath stands and shouts at the Israelites asking for what was known as ‘single combat’. This was a common
practice in the ancient world. Two sides in conflict would avoid bloodshed by choosing one warrior to
represent them. Goliath was kitted out for traditional warfare – body armour, helmet, armour piercing spear
and sword.

David, on the other hand, who had killed a lion and a bear with his sling and bare hands in order to protect
his herd of sheep, picks up five smooth stones, gathers up his shepherd’s staff and strides into the valley. He
had faced scarier giants than Goliath. Goliath is outraged. He sees this shepherd boy descending into the
valley and shouts out, ‘Am I a dog that you come to me with sticks and stones?’ What happens next is a
matter of legend: David puts one of his stones in the sling and fires at Goliath’s exposed forehead. Goliath
falls, stunned! The battle is won miraculously by an underdog who, by all expectations, should not have won
at all. There is an important lesson in this – for battles with all sorts of giants. The powerful and the strong are
not always what they seem!

Much of what we consider valuable in our world arises out of these kinds of lopsided conflicts, says Malcolm
Gladwell, because the act of facing overwhelming odds produces greatness and beauty. We consistently
get these kinds of conflicts wrong. We misread them. We misinterpret them. Giants are not what we think they
are. Being an underdog can change people; it can open doors and create opportunities and educate and
enlighten and make possible what might otherwise have seemed unthinkable.

You see, some institutions pride themselves on being a Goliath. Many wealthy, larger than life schools around
our country spare no expense in the education of their students. In fact, they buy whole rugby or cricket
teams because they can. They fall into the trap that wealthy people, wealthy schools and wealthy countries

– all Goliaths – fall into. The school assumes that the kind of things that wealth can buy always translate into
real-world advantages. They don’t, of course. It is not so good to be so big and strong that you are a sitting
duck for a smooth stone (or hockey ball) fired at 150 miles per hour into the net, in a televised game by Aidan
le Fleur. It is better to be nimble, innovative, courageous, self-aware and creative. You see, we all assume
that being bigger, stronger and richer is always in our best interest – a shepherd boy named David will tell you
that it isn’t and in our 55th year we need to remind each other and allow it to filter down the generations that
St Alban’s, even though it wants to grow a little, must not lose the very ethos of relationships, innovation,
creativity, freedom to make mistakes, traditional values, trust and brotherhood that has brought us
successfully thus far.

So, who would I choose to do single combat with me to prevent bloodshed against the Jeppe or PBHS? Well,
of course, our First XV Rugby led by Vium Gronum or our First XI Hockey led by Chris Williamson who, against
all odds, beat Boys High in a televised game. Or our 2nd Cricket side who have recently beaten Hilton College
on their own turf, or our 2nd Hockey side who did not lose a game the entire season.

I would certainly turn to Mikail Carrim who represented SA Schools Hockey, or Reece McLachlan who
represented SA Schools Squash. Or Nicholas Botoulas and Liam Smit who represented South Africa in Rowing
at the Junior World Championships. Simon Miller, who is a giant himself but does not behave like one, has also
recently been selected for the U17 SA Rugby squad.

Our 1st XI Cricket side and their Captain, Rein Hulme, slayed many giants on their way to ending fourth in the
country in the National 20/20 Competition. Ross Whitelaw would get my backing to do single combat with
the bat.

If you wanted to slay a giant in the 100-meter sprint I would ask Phatu Maswanganyi to step forward. He ran
a record 10.55, 100-meter sprint and is currently ranked in the top 12 sprinters, in his age-group, in the world.

I certainly would choose Warwick Purchase and Kyle Campbell to do single combat on the Golf course or
Luke Sweetlove in the Waterpolo pool; he led his team to the semi-finals of the Clifton Festival. Or Nale
Mulaudzi on the Basketball court. Our 1st Basketball was ranked 1st in the country this year.

If we had to face off a giant in Public Speaking, there is no doubt that any one of our South African Public
Speakers, Yangeni Saidi, Matthew Field or Keroshan Pillay, would step forward boldly. And our Barbershop
took on the giants at the World Choir Games and won a gold medal.

Or perhaps any one of the 55 Albanians who represented their province this year would represent us in single
combat. Thomas Stern would represent us on the Art front. His art is thoughtful and provocative and
challenging of the status quo.

You might think it is impossible to be one of the top 100 applicants for Wits University next year. Well, both
Matthew Field and Gabriel dos Santos have achieved this feat. Or perhaps it would be even more impossible
that one of our boys has been ranked number 2 in South Africa in the International SAT scores – Keroshan
Pillay is that man.

We are proud that Matthew Field has been voted as one of the top future 100 Young Mandela’s in our
country. Matthew has also written various courageous opinion pieces which have been published in the Mail
and Guardian and City Press this year. I would certainly choose Louis Nel to represent us in single combat
behind the piano – this maestro continues to wow all of us.

Lewis Seymour is a young man who has faced many giants in the last couple of years. Unfortunately, earlier
last year he went up for a high ball on the rugby field and collided head-first with his opposition number. The
results were devastating. Not only was he knocked unconscious but he cracked his skull and face in more
than 20 places. In fact, he is lucky to be alive.

This young man gave a Chapel talk early in the year talking of these events and how his near-death
experience has encouraged him to enjoy every breath he takes. This is what he said: ‘Out of this entire
harrowing ordeal, there were moments of intense meaning and clarity which will stay with me for the rest of
my life. One of the most difficult and meaningful conversations I have ever had, was the one I had with my
Dad the night before going into surgery. Before I slept I was convinced that I was going to meet God and in
that moment the importance of playing ‘A’ team rugby or the importance of becoming successful all seemed
to disappear off the face of the earth. All that mattered in that moment was the relationships I had made

and the interactions I had with people who mean a lot to me.’ Lewis is a David in every respect – his resilience,
courage and determination to succeed ensured that he received a standing ovation from the school.

Our own Nelson Mandela said: ‘It always seems impossible until its done’ and I have seen that this year. Our
boys and staff have always believed, always pushed on, always found a way, always been open to learning
and discovering. This year Bruce Collins has lived the phrase: Frugal Innovation, and I would like to thank him
for lighting the fire of curiosity and inquisitiveness in both boys and staff. He has encouraged us to be
courageous and vulnerable at the same time, encouraged us to be comfortable being uncomfortable and
encouraged us to make mistakes and establish a true learning environment which is rigorous and robust. He
has enabled an environment where teachers and boys are truly becoming critical thinkers. Bruce, I know this
process is exhausting and emotionally draining but you have truly had a significant impact on the way we do
things this year. Perhaps this is summed up in a quote from St Augustine, ‘Who is so foolishly curious as to send
his son to school to learn what the teacher thinks?’ Here we encourage all to develop their own thinking and
you have been instrumental in this process.

Just when you think it cannot happen, Esme Momberg says we are introducing a Career Day Expo with 70
speakers; or Moira Gundu says we are going to re-design the Form 1 & 2 curriculum; or we introduce the first-
ever ReasearchEd Conference in Africa; or Graham Fawkes says he’s collaborating with an Old Albanian, JP
Raubenheimer, in Hong Kong to introduce boys to trading and investment; or Kennedy Tsimba says to me
we’ll beat all the Saints schools at Rugby this year; or Victor Fouda says to me ‘we’ve just won the Kearsney
Basketball Tournament’; or Mark Stenhouse sms’s me to let me know we’ve won a Gold certificate at the
World Choir Games; or Des Turton phones me sounding exhausted with the emotional stress of being
responsible for 120 Form 3 boys in the wilderness. Des, you are a legend, my friend – calm, empathetic,
focused and determined to ensure that all our Form 3’s learn and grow on this our very own Journey. Thank
you for all you do behind the scenes which makes a massive difference here! Just when you think it’s
impossible, Rene Stone, who joined us at the beginning of this year, has cured 150 ailing boys the hour before
Bounds starts. Rene, thank you, too, for the difference you are making here! I thought it was impossible to
change the work ethic in our Boarding Houses and Laundry but nothing is impossible for Tania Fredericks, our
new House Administrator.

We have a number of amazing educators on the team at present and I am pleased that Tracy Mackenzie
has taken up the Assistant Houseparent’s position in de Beer House. Tracy has been involved in some amazing
research for the International Boys Schools Coalition this year as has Ylme Rappard.

Graeme Spring ends his tenure as a Housemaster in Ochse House to take up the Head of Department role in
Business Studies and he has already brought structure and focus to this role. Thank you for all you have done
for the Ochse community, Graeme. I hope this new phase in your career will be one of joy and growth for
you.

Our School Culture
Group culture is one of the most powerful forces on the planet. We sense its presence inside successful schools
or teams and families and we can sense it when it is absent or toxic. St Alban’s needs to continue to build a
culture which:

1. develops safety and connection which in turn generates bonds of belonging.
2. shares vulnerability and helps us build trust between all members of our community.
3. establishes a higher purpose for all of us; a purpose which will impact society at large.

So, yes, we live in interesting times. We live in times when past wrongs are haunting our broader society. Barack
Obama said recently in his Nelson Mandela lecture, ‘what is true is that in our business dealings, many of us
are detached from any single locale or nation state and we live lives more and more insulated from the
struggles of ordinary people.’

Everyone sitting in this marquee this morning has, just by the very fact that you pay fees here, contributed
significantly to a variety of community projects and I sometimes wish you could have all been with me when
Tumelong Mission opened a creche in Maboloka, and seen the tears of joy and thankfulness because we as
a community made it happen. Or I wish that you could have joined me and the Headmaster of St Augustine’s
Leap School, Lawrence Manyesa, when we walked around his campus talking about building a Science
laboratory and a library which has been made possible by you, St Alban’s parents. I wish you could join the
Knoll boys at Flavius Mareka School where their input in the Maths classroom has made a significant
difference. Or experience the Paired Reading Programme with the Grade 7s of Nantes School and our Form
1’s. Or see boys serving at the Eesterust Feeding Scheme. Or join Murray House at the Viva Foundation Pre-

School where our boys set up a library. Or see the Knapp-Fisher boys donate their lunch to those who are
desperate for a hot meal. Thank you to Connie Kannemeyer for making these interactions possible!

Gus Speth, former Dean of Yale School of Environmental Studies said, ‘I used to think the top environmental
problems around the world were biodiversity loss, ecosystem collapse and climate change. I thought that
with 30 years of good Science we could address these problems. But I was wrong. The top environmental
problems are selfishness, greed and apathy…and to deal with those we need a spiritual and cultural
transformation and we scientists don’t know how to do that!’

Schools like St Alban’s know intuitively how to do that and we will endeavour to develop and challenge our
boys to ensure that we do not fall into the trap of becoming insulated from the troubles of ordinary people.

School Culture: Diversity and Equity
We live in a country which is becoming more and more polarized and this is why we have partnered with the
Centre for Being and Belonging who have taken us on a journey of listening and understanding our
differences, and to be frank, it has been life-changing. We have much learning to do but I really get the sense
that we are beginning to understand the sensitivities and the vulnerabilities of each member of our
community. This is not going to be an easy journey – it is never easy to confront the giants of racism,
unconscious bias and toxic masculinity. We have listened to many who have been courageous enough to
speak out about how they feel and it is my prayer that we will continue to create an environment where all
who work and study here feel like they belong. I would like to thank Glynnis Moore and Phillip Nwedumutswu
for coordinating this process. This is emotionally draining and sometimes heart-breaking, but their strength,
determination and empathy continue to allow us to gain significant traction in this critical area of our learning
environment. This work is establishing a brotherhood which is empathetic, kind and considerate.

‘One misconception about highly successful cultures,’ says Daniel Coyle, who wrote the Culture Code, ‘is that
they are happy, light-hearted places. This is mostly not the case. They are energized and engaging spaces,
but at their core their members are orientated less around achieving happiness than around solving complex
problems together.’

We are certainly not content with happiness; we want to be part of building a cohesive, supportive society
which cares. We want our boys to be sensitive. We want them to create or discover something and not see
life in terms of power. We want them to produce literature and art and scientific research. We want them to
always help their neighbours. EM Forster said, ‘I believe in the aristocracy of the sensitive and the considerate.
Its members are to be found in all nations and all classes, and all through the ages there is a secret
understanding between them when they meet.’

Special Mention
Many of you would have noticed the wonderful improvements around our campus. The small things continue
to build pride and I would like to personally thank our grounds and gardens team for all they have done to
make this a beautiful place in which to live, learn and work. To Johnny Nkuna and Lucky Kutumela, thank you
for building a team who are proud of continually improving and beautifying our surroundings.

I would also like to thank Dan Barwick who has been instrumental in providing us with the right advice as we
seek to put in place structures which will allow for sustainability in the future. Dan continues to spend an
enormous amount of time on the campus and we appreciate his passion and dedication to the College.

We would certainly not have been able to improve this campus without the help of Tracy MacDonald, our
Business Manager. Her strategic role and the meticulous way in which she has project-managed a number
of small and large projects on the campus over the last 12 months has been amazing. The improved facility
is a testament to her planning and management and I would like to pay tribute to her for her dedication and
motivation to the improvement of our facilities. Thank you, Tracy, you have made my life easier this year and
allowed our boys to experience a number of new and improved facilities.

To place it in context, we have established a new clubhouse, @thegreyandblue, above the astroturf;
refurbished the tennis courts; established new basketball courts; built three new state-of-the-art classrooms;
completed the Tom Hamilton Wellness Centre; refurbished a number of ladies’ bathrooms; built the Jurie du
Toit hut on Moshate; refurbished the Anton Murray Pavilion, established a recycling plant on the campus and
upgraded our Laundry facility. My appreciation and thanks are also extended to Mike Knoll for his help with
many of these projects.

Tracy’s role as Business Manager is critical to our success and I am pleased to announce that we will be
restructuring her role to enable us to be more efficient and accountable. Tracy will continue to be our
Financial Director but will now also take on the responsibility for all our commercial activities as well. We will
be appointing a new Director of Operations in the new year.

It is also important to thank Guy Hopkins for stepping into the role of Planning Committee Chair. His experience
and wisdom have guided our thinking recently and I would like to thank him, James Knowles and a number
of other parents for all they have done to raise the money to refurbish the Anton Murray Pavilion. If you have
not yet seen these changes, I am sure you will enjoy them in the many sport seasons to come. Thank you for
your generosity and commitment to the College.

Staffing - Departures and Arrivals
There have been some changes in our staff complement this year but I have no doubt that we continue to
revitalize and shape ourselves for the future and I am excited by some of the changes. Felicity Dumas, who
has worked at the College for 12 years, has taken up the role of Human Resources and her help has been
invaluable as we seek to ensure that we provide the right support for all our staff members. Thank you, Felicity,
for your passion for people – you make a real difference here!

Shaun Thompson leaves us at the end of the year to join the insurance industry. He is a huge loss to the
teaching profession and we wish him well in his future endeavours.

Rebecca Govender has been teaching English part-time at the College and we have enjoyed her presence
on the campus. I thank her for her passion for teaching boys and all the best in her future endeavours.

We also say goodbye to Marianne Scholtz who joined us in 2015 and has served and revitalized our French
Department. Marianne brought structure, rigour and professionalism to the department and re-established
confidence. Considering retirement and all that it brings is never an easy time in one’s life and Marianne’s
sincerity and warm heart will be missed on our corridors. I wish her well as she navigates the years ahead.

Gill Wocke has worked in our finance office for over a decade as our Creditors Clerk. She has been a
wonderful servant of the College. Quiet, gentle and dedicated to all she does; her presence will be missed
but I know that she will enjoy the time with her family as she contemplates retirement. God bless.

Thembi Mtshali takes her leave of us after 22 years of unwavering service to the College. Thembi has stood
up for all that is good in our society and community. She has fought for gender rights and helped us
understand unconscious bias, but most of all she has modelled generosity, love, and care. Her bubbly
presence will be missed on our campus but on behalf of many generations of Albanians we say, ‘We love
you and we wish you much happiness, fulfilment and learning in your new job at Kingsmead. Go well.’

I am pleased to be able to announce that David Pryke will be joining our team of Housemasters to lead Ochse
House from 2019. David is an experienced schoolmaster who is currently employed at Maritzburg College in
KwaZulu Natal. David has an MSc from the University of Pietermaritzburg and teaches Science, is the Director
of Leadership, the 1st XI Cricket Coach and is involved in the boarding environment.

Guy Elliott joins us in January as our newly appointed Director of Hockey. Guy will also be teaching English and
coaching cricket.

We have also appointed Jaco van Wyk to the newly created, Drama teaching position. Jaco is an
experienced Dramatist and has started many Drama departments in his time.

Sandra Schwartz joins us in our Science Department. Sandra is an experienced teacher, currently teaching
at St Anne’s in KwaZulu Natal. I have no doubt she will add ballast to an already talented department.

Sonica Bruwer joins us in the French Department, Nobuhle Mtshali joins our Marketing team and Lazurus
Kuswayo has been appointed to the Zulu position and joins us from Sandton Crawford in Johannesburg.

Thanks to Staff
According to conventional wisdom, highly successful people have three things in common: motivation, ability
and opportunity. Perhaps we should add another: success depends heavily on how we approach our
interactions with other people. Do we just take or do we give without worrying about what we get in return?
Our staff members have not worried about what they get in return and my sincere thanks goes to our
Housemasters, Heads of Department, and all our teachers who continue to give of themselves selflessly and

raise standards and expectations. You have built relationships with boys which will last a lifetime and I
appreciate your commitment to creating a true environment of belonging.

Our Staff meetings happen at the end of the academic day and our younger staff members have the
opportunity to spend some time with their children and often bring them to the meeting. At the moment we
can almost double the numbers in the room – not quite! Lucy, Chris Oldnall’s daughter, is one but she can
certainly keep me on my toes. It is wonderful to be able to announce that Daniel Christian who joined us in
the History Department earlier in the term, and his wife, Claire, have recently given birth to their first child, a
daughter, Athena Penelope Christian.

Special Mention
Special mention needs to be made of Mark Stenhouse who has made an amazing impact as Director of the
Arts alongside Rainer and Zelda. Our Clubs and Societies programme, under the watchful eye of Nico du
Plessis, continues to thrive and our Directors of Sport have also created a culture of excellence. Our sport
seems to have found a new level of excellence and the accountability encouraged by Krinesan Moodley
has allowed us to begin to understand the depth of our talent and potential as we progress. Thank you for
your determination and passion for ensuring that each and every boy here learns from participating in a
sporting code. Gradwell Fredericks, our Chaplain, has been a wonderful voice of reason and guidance in a
year when we are preparing to move into our new chapel. I appreciate your wise counsel, Sir. Craig Hoyer,
our Director of Marketing, has enabled us to cement relationships, particularly with our feeder schools. Thank
you for making this portfolio your own and for all your support, Craig. Elnette van Zyl has made the Academic
Support role her own and this has guided us in helping young men who need specific help. Thank you, Elnette.

To our three Deputies, who have guided us through some stormy waters this year: Rob Campbell-Atkins
ensured that we undertook to qualify for two quality assurance processes and his wisdom and insight continue
to allow us to gather positive momentum. Mags Pather, our Deputy Head Academics, continues to keep our
focus on the most important aspect of our school and I am excited by many of the conversations I am having
with him at the moment and look forward to navigating the choppy waters of the South African education
system with him in the future. Michael Schwartz joined us this time last year and has brought a quiet, calm to
our frenetic day-to-day running of the College. His relationships with boys and his gentle demeanour
continues to create a culture of self-discipline which will help to build a culture of belonging.

I would also like to pay tribute to my PA, Bev Gould, for keeping the sanity in what can be the frenetic space
of the Headmaster’s office. Your calm demeanour allows us to deal with complexity confidently.

Our Boys
We have had an extraordinary group of Matric leaders this year. As Deputy Heads’ of School, Rein Hulme,
Tafadzwa Kumburai and Luke Texeira have been a wonderful support and quiet strength behind the scenes
for Greg. They have led with pride and been unwavering in their support.

We have also been privileged to be led by an outstanding group of Heads of Houses. They have modelled
humility, accountability, empathy and care. They have established a culture which is rich and intricately
woven into the very fabric of what we call the Brotherhood. Randy, Gabriel, Yangeni, Ronaldo, Chris, and
Keelan. Thank you for the way you have cared for and represented each individual in your respective House.
You have been remarkably calm under pressure and wonderfully present and approachable to all who you
served. This year will go down in history because you led selflessly and you were prepared to grow and learn
yourselves.

It is with this in mind that the Honours and Colours Committee have awarded two young men Honours for
Leadership. This is not the norm but these are not normal young men and I have decided to hand out these
awards today to emphasise to all our boys, particularly the current Form 4’s, that anyone of you can lead if
you choose to. You do not need a title to lead.

Honours for Leadership – Phillip Nwedumutswu
Phillip is awarded Honours in recognition of his outstanding leadership throughout the year. He bears the
expectations of his leadership position with aplomb and carries out his responsibilities in an efficient, quiet and
unassuming manner. He has a keen sense of justice and social responsibility, is highly capable of empathizing
with others and leads with wisdom, humility and insight.

Phillip is the voice of many boys in the school and thus leads difficult discussions, develops relationships with
boys of various ages and backgrounds and engages with numerous members of the St Alban’s Community
in a diplomatic and respectful manner. He has been instrumental in creating a forum for discussion and

debate in the pursuit of an equitable school and social environment. He has navigated unchartered waters
in a steady manner whilst demonstrating tremendous resilience when he feels things go awry or is confronted
for his beliefs. It has been Phillip’s desire to create the framework for something which will continue over the
years as he feels a deep love and responsibility towards St Alban’s College. He is a natural servant leader who
would have the ability to lead the school should it be required of him. He exemplifies the type of leader which
St Alban’s aspires to develop.

Phillip Nwedumutswu is deemed a worthy recipient of Honours for Leadership.

Honours for Leadership – Luke Teixeira
Luke Teixeira is an outstanding young man who is passionate about the College and this is evident in all that
he does. Luke’s major leadership roles are twofold; as the Deputy Head of School and as the Head of
Boarding.

Luke, as Deputy Head of School, was the perfect support to Greg. He was encouraging, walked beside him
and assisted him on every occasion without seeking any limelight. He was willing to stand up for what was
right and embodied what it means to be a true Guardian of the Truth.

Luke’s love for the school was evident in his behaviour, when seen or not and how he treated those younger
than himself. Luke assisted in building the relationships between St Alban’s and DSG. He put forward the
motion for us to support their gala, was at the forefront in the coordination of the Form 1 visit to DSG, was
instrumental in assisting and putting together the Boarders’ social and led a group of boys to DSG to find a
way forward for more interactions between the schools.

Leadership includes growth, empathy, the willingness to learn and excellent interpersonal skills. In his tenure,
Luke has increased greater synergy in boarding, buoyed primarily by excellent people skills. In his interaction
with individual members of all three boarding houses, Luke led by example and was not afraid to get his
hands dirty. He reflected all that it means to be a servant leader. This spilled over into every aspect of his life,
particularly the rugby field where he captained the 1st XV on a few occasions and was the tour captain for
the Independent Schools’ Rugby Festival.

Luke has been a humble servant and passionate cheerleader of all things Albanian. In recognition of his
outstanding leadership, Luke is awarded Honours for Leadership.

Honours for Leadership and Head of School – Greg Kirkcaldy
I spoke right at the beginning of this report about collaboration and how the whole is greater than the sum
of its parts. We could not have had the year that we have had without the senior boys’ leadership. Simply
put, they have been superb! They have led by example, with integrity and with care and they have redefined
the culture of brotherhood which looms large at the College. This does not just happen and I would like to
pay tribute particularly to our Head of School, Greg Kirkcaldy, who has in his own way knitted us together into
a cohesive whole which has spurred each and every one of us, both boys and staff, to be better. Greg, as
I’ve said publicly before, you have led from the centre. There has been no shouting or forcing, there has only
been leading by example and with humility. You have embodied the concept of Servant Leadership and the
sheer force of your passion for the school has drawn everyone to walk with you, to shout louder, to celebrate
with humility when we have won the battle, to cheer when the chips are down, to never give up and to lose
with our heads held high when we have lost the cause. You have been an example of resilience, courage,
kindness, focus, determination and self-discipline. We are in a better place today because you have led us
here and we are immensely proud of all you have achieved. You have enabled others in your group to lead,
as is testament today when we handed out the Honours for Leadership. Well done, young man, you have
been a servant of the College and no greater honour can be bestowed on you other than to say you are a
true Guardian of the Truth – thank you! Please come up to finally receive your reward – Honours for Leadership
and Head of School 2018.

Lastly…

If you are sitting in the audience and you somehow think you are living in a parallel universe listening to the
stories of our year or think that you are slightly mad, you are! St Alban’s College is a magical place and a
mad place. “But I don’t want to go among mad people," Alice remarked (in Alice in Wonderland). “Oh, you
can’t help that," said the Cat: “we’re all mad here. I’m mad. You’re mad." “How do you know I’m mad?" said
Alice. “You must be," said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here."

St Alban’s is a school which is happy yet rigorous; it is a school which is modern yet grounded in traditional
values; it is a school which is real yet compassionate; it is a school which lives in the present yet prepares for
the world of tomorrow; it is a school which values individuality yet understands the importance of the team
and the brotherhood; it is a school where freedom of speech thrives yet we place more value in listening; it is
a school where diversity, respect and tolerance lives; it is a school where thinking is encouraged; it is a school
where pupils’ opinions count; it is a school where dreams are fulfilled; it is a school of brothers!

And so, we have completed a year which is rich in memories. We have the present which is challenging,
adventurous and fun and a bright future which is beckoning and drawing us forward. It is truly a privilege to
serve here.

God bless!