Chairman’s Message | Voorsittersverslag
The Old Boys Union (OBU) recently participated in a joint marketing workshop with the Rector and several school staff members. At this session, a very frank question was posed to us, and we were asked “who are the Old Boys and what do they do?”.
At first, we were a little taken aback but a positive roundtable discussion ensued. We very quickly realised that the Old Boys are the custodians of the Maroon Machine!
Om dit in eenvoudige terme te verstaan, ons het besef hoe belangrik die werk van die OSU werklik is en hoe belangrik die take is wat voor ons lê. Ongeveer 12% van PRG se Old Boys is opbetaalde lede van die Oud-Skoliere-unie. Die oorgrote meerderheid van hulle het lewenslidmaatskap.
Vir enige alumni-organisasie om sterk en invloedryk te wees, moet dit opbetaalde lede hê wat hul tyd, finansiële bydraes en ander inisiatiewe vir die organisasie lewer.
For us to build up the status and strength of the OBU, we need to embark on an active membership drive. This will require support from all Old Boys. In the coming two years we will need to sign up four hundred (400) Old Boys to join the OBU as life members. This would generate new membership fees of R1,000,000. This is a big challenge, but I believe that it can be done. Our target over the next two years would be to sign up seventeen (17) members each month. We will need your help and please contact us if you have ideas on how we can attain this goal.
The OBU continues to work closely with groups in the school ecosystem and last October, we decided to coopt the Chairman of Klub 1000 onto the committee. I am happy to report that Philip Kriel (1994) has been attending our meetings and I believe that the collaboration is beginning to pay off as we get better coordination. The OBU is also invited to the School Governing Body meetings and we appreciate this effort.
Wat ander nuus betref, het die wintersportseisoen op ‘n hoë noot vir die skool geëindig met ‘n puik derby-oorwinning teen Grey Kollege. Daardie naweek het ‘n beduidende besigheidsimpak op Stellenbosch en die dorp gehad, dit het gegons van opwinding. Baie geluk aan al die skoolseuns wat uitgeblink het in rugby, hokkie, waterpolo, skaak, bergfietsry, debatvoering , swem, tennis en al die ander kodes.
We would also like to congratulate the teachers and coaches that made this weekend a great success!
As many of you are aware a few years ago the OBU set up the Rugby Committee which has initiated several events and training camps. This year the Rugby Committee had the opportunity to jointly host the PRG/Grey Kollege Rugby Dinner. This was oversubscribed and was an extremely successful evening. Significant funds were raised for the rugby programme, and we would like to thank the Old Boys, parents and friends of the school that made spectacular donations for the auction. Congratulations to the Rugby Committee!
Tydens die Grey-naweek het die eerste PRG vs Grey – Old Boys hokkiewedstryd te midde van stortreën op die Maties-veld plaasgevind. Dit lyk of ons hier iets besonders beet het en ons wil graag vir Jacques Le Roux (2006) bedank vir die reëlings. Nog ‘n uitvloeisel hiervan is dat ‘n PRG Hokkie -ontwikkelingsfonds geïnisieer is en ons vra die oud-hokkiespelers om te help.
It was exciting to see innovation in the art world and we would also like to congratulate well known South African artist and Old Boy Jan Hendrik Viljoen – Portchie (1981), on his successful launch of his new work, “Cycling by the Riverside” as a Non-Fungible Token (NFT).
Finally, in breaking news over the last 48 hours, the Judicial Service Commission (JSC) recommended the appointment of Gauteng High Court judges Piet Meyer (1978) as one of the justices of the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA). It has been a long time since one of the Old Boys served on the SCA and we congratulate Piet on this career highlight!
Vriendelike groete | Kind regards
Nils Flaatten
Voorsitter | Chairman
Oudskoliere-unie | Old Boys’ Union
