Die 1963-matriekklas het oor die naweek van 12 en 13 Mei 2023 hul 60 jaar na matriek herdenk. In 1983 het die 1963 Old Boys hul eerste reünie gehou. Die tweede het gevolg in 1993 wat opgevolg is met die derde in 2003 toe die manne besluit het om elke vyf jaar bymekaar te kom. Dié tradisie is in 2023 voortgesit vir die sewende keer toe 19 Old Boys en 13 gades deelgeneem het.
Agttien Old Boys het die openingseremonie in die JF Marais-Mediasentrum bygewoon waar die Rektor, mnr André van Staden, hulle verwelkom het. Daarna het ‘n begeleide toer gevolg na die Splendidior Brand Shop en die binnenshuise krieketafrigtingsfasiliteit. Vervolgens is ingeloer by die Paul Roos Argief terwyl ‘n paar koshuismanne die nuwe generasie Secunda besoek het.
Soos in die verlede is die skoolbesoek afgesluit met ‘n groepfoto en gewyde oomblik by die muur van herinnering. Sedert 2018 se reünie het sewe OBs van die 1963-klas afgesterwe.
Hier staan die manne wat die kampus besoek het, op die stoep van die hoofingang. Elke reünieganger het ‘n pet ontvang waarmee hulle aan die Paul Roosers op die kampus trots vertel het – ons is terug!
Middel van links: Johan Marais, Pikkie Bekker, Johan Neethling, Deon Fourie en Olla Olivier
Voor van links: Louis du Plessis, Eben Brink, Evert Cilliers, Theo Mey, Johan de Beer, Andre Bruwer, Kobus Coetzee en Nico Kriek
The rest of the proceedings were of a social nature. It was amazing to observe how individuals of whom most of them attended the 2018 reunion, celebrate and reconnect as if they have gathered for the first time since 1963.
Evert Cilliers’s photo expedition serves as the “pause buttons of life” for the class of ’63.
This year the Old Boys shared with their classmates events and experiences during their life after school. PK Odendaal took everyone on a virtual trip with his plane through Canada without sharing the estimated time of arrival (sic) and Walter Scheffler shared a near-death experience when misjudging the size of a train station platform in trying to park his motorcycle for safekeeping and ending up on the railroad tracks underneath the motorcycle. His girlfriend and later his spouse was the witness.
Formal events like lunch on Friday 12 May and dinner on 13 May at Markötter were augmented with continuous socializing amongst Old Boys who stayed at the Protea Hotel in Techno Park. The hotel’s bar belonged to the 1963 Old Boys on Saturday afternoon who made their presence known in cheering the Stormers rugby team on to victory.
Over the years it became a tradition to give recognition to spouses in giving them something to remind them of attending a reunion. This time round, each OB was handed a candle to share with his spouse in the spirit of an old Irish tradition where a burning candle was placed in a window as invitation to strangers in need of food and shelter. The message and wish of the 2023 organizing committee were that these candles should remind each other of the affection, respect and comradeship the 1963 class has celebrated over the years and of which the current reunion is just another example.
Theo Mey
