At the recent Mass Reunion the guest of honour was Heléne van Wyk. Former Rector Jock de Jager delivered the following address about this remarkable and much-loved lady who gave 51 years of her life to PRG. Portchie gifted her with one of his paintings at the occasion. Also have a look at a video of this interview of Frans van Niekerk with Heléne about the highlights of the time that she had spent at Paul Roos Gymnasium:
Dankie vir die eer my aangedoen om ‘n huldeblyk te lewer oor iemand vir wie ek baie liefde en waardering koester. Hoekom ek? Miskien omdat ek bykans die oudste oorlewende skoolhoof is, miskien omdat ek die meeste van my varkies nog op hok het, miskien omdat ons die langste – 14 en ‘n kwart jaar – saamgewerk het, miskien omdat ons ware vriende geword het.
Een-en-vyftig jaar by Paul Roos is absoluut merkwaardig. Heléne was skoolma van vele Old Boys vir meer as vyf dekades.
Haar man, Okkie, het in 1966 in die Eeufeesjaar by PRG begin skool hou en self is sy sedert 1969 werksaam by die skool.
Ockie is in 1984 oorlede – Heléne was 39 jaar oud met drie kinders – Ansonette, Johan en Corene. En toe loop sy die alleenpad waarvan net sy en slapelose nagte weet.
U sal nie kan raai wie die volgende woorde gesê het nie:
“Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth” – nogal Muhammad Ali!
What does Heléne van Wyk make?
The dinner guests were sitting around the table. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, “What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?”
He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: “Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.” To stress his point he said to another guest: “You’re a teacher, Heléne. Be honest. What do you make?”
Heléne said: “You want to know what I make? ‘I MAKE A DIFFERENCE.’ What do YOU make?”
There is much truth in the statement: “Teachers make every other profession possible!” And make no mistake – I’m proud to call Heléne a teacher – that was her first and last calling.
But to make a difference calls for some exceptional attributes:
- An astounding memory for faces and names.
Many an old Old Boy when arriving at the school for the first time in years, was confounded by Heléne placing him in his correct matric group purely based on his name. And then she would add his hometown! The fact that she was instrumental in setting up the data base of Old Boys did assist a bit. But the main reason was that she cared. He was welcome, he was accepted because he was a Paul Rooser.
As Ronnie Belcher once famously declared – nobody is an ex-Paul Rooser, you’re a Paul Rooser for life.
- She is dedicated
The many hours she spent preparing for reunions, dishing up the food and waiting out the last Old Boy tottering off into the darkness at 2 or 3 in the morning, she bore without complaints, without demanding overtime pay and even managing a cheerful goodbye.
- Opgewekte totsiens
Miskien somtyds effens geveins, né Heléne? Maar sy het altyd ‘n heerlike, soms selfs stoute (kan jy glo?) sin vir humor behou. Daardie kenmerkende laggie is onlosmaaklik deel van haar menswees. Voeg daarby die vonkel, die sprankeling van haar omgang met mense en skielik is sy ‘n wonderlike metgesel, kollega en hartsvriend!
- Heléne van Wyk is ‘n selflose omgee-mens
Geen pretensie , maar met beheer. Sy stoot haarself nooit voor nie, maar jy is bewus van haar hartlike teenwoordigheid.
- Daarom kan ek nie dink dat sy enige vyande in haar 51 jaar by Paul Roos gemaak het nie. Sy ag jou menswees, het respek vir jou sienings en as sy verskil, is dit met takt en rustigheid.
- All of her attributes are encapsulated in her love for the youngest and oldest of people and especially for this sometimes unthinking, sometimes clumsy, but usually striving to do what is right, old school – Paul Roos Gymnasium.
Thanks also goes to your children who gave you the freedom to accept and adopt so many boys as your own. Your contribution to their characters remains immeasurable.
Die diens aan ‘n skool – ‘n instansie wat sal voortbestaan as baie ander menslike skeppings al jare vergete is – het ewigheidswaarde. Ek het die naïewe geloof dat die name van ons wat hier betrokke is en was iewers teen die mure opgeskryf staan, dat daar in die klaskamers en gange ‘n geheue is van wat ons hier vir kinders beteken het.
En Heléne, as jy baie fyn luister, dan sê geslagte se kinders, Old Boys en ouers: Heléne van Wyk, ons onthou jou met groot liefde. Baie dankie – jy het ‘n verskil gemaak!
Hartlike dank aan al die Old Boys wat hierdie geselligheid bygewoon het. Dit was ‘n goeie samesyn waar die Old Boys vir die eerste keer in 18 maande weer kon saamkuier. Vir ‘n fotobeeld van die aand, klik hier.
The Old Boys’ Union presented Heléne with a painting by Portchie as a small token of appreciation for Heléne’s selfless service over seven decades.
Thank you, Heléne, you make a difference! Semper Splendidior!
