PBHS Old Boys Association - ePhobian

Eddie Dorey and Werner Obermeyer take to the skies

I was recently sent a fascinating set of photographs with a note attached. It is good to see that Mr Dorey and Mr Obermeyer are doing something useful post their retirement. It follows unedited:


Herewith some photos I took out of the open cockpit of the Harvard banked at 90 degrees when I circled the school! Eddie and I must surely qualify to be two of the only retired staff members to circle the school in a 1941 Harvard! We received special clearance from the control tower at Zwartkops Airforce Base to circle at a low altitude. Captain Leo Tebone asked me if I was fit enough to do a full aerobatic workout past Silverlakes. Without hesitation I said yes! We did two full loops in a figure eight with two barrel rolls at the top 3,5 gs at the bottom of the loop!

I had my hands and feet on the controls, so I must qualify as the oldest PBHS retired stunt flier!

Keep well
From fighter pilot
Werner Obermeyer (Obies).

School’s Business Manager passes away

Mr Neil van Coller, appointed as the Business Manager for PBHS in late 2007, died of a heart attack on Tuesday 2 February. In his short time at the school he had already made a significant impact on the management of a number of facets of the school.

Neil was also a parent at the school with his son David having matriculated in 2009 and James currently in Form IV. Our condolences to his wife Carla, the two boys and the Van Coller family.

The funeral will take place in the Abernethy Hall of PBHS at 3.00 p.m. on Saturday 6th February.

A Silk Old Boy’s Tie

About a year ago I got an email from a London old boy. Nicholas (Hill) explained that he was not a small fellow and that his old boy’s tie, worn every Friday, drew some inappropriate attention. It has to be said that while fashions have moved on the cut of the old boy’s tie is somewhat out of date.

He jumped into action and within weeks had managed to get a sample of a new silk tie out to South Africa for approval. The Association agreed and soon took delivery of the very first batch of old boy’s ties made of silk.

Thanks go to Nicholas for doing all the work and ensuring that we can continue wearing our ties with pride, particularly in parts of the world wear ties are still in fashion. So – for the first time ever you can order a silk tie. Please email us for more information.

Photo: Trevor Krige and Nicholas Hill, both Rissik 1981 in Cardiff for the Australia Wales match.

Mark Gleeson to Speak at the Pretoria Dinner

"Mark Gleeson is a living legend of African football" and happens to be an Old Boy from the class of 1981. With all that surrounds the 2010 World Cup, what a perfect moment to invite one of the best journalists on the subject and have him propose the Toast to the School. For a little more about Mark see this Mail & Guardian profile.

Ask not for whom Bill toils

For the online version of the article please click here.

Neil Malherbe (1981) appointed Head of Penryn Prep School

Recently we stumbled on this bit of news, the following is taken from the Penryn College Newsletter:

“Accordingly it gives me great pleasure to announce that the position has been offered to Mr Neil Malherbe. Happily he has accepted and will begin here on the 1 January next year. We had announced earlier that this was to happen in the third term, but we felt given the competence of the man that this was no longer necessary.

A bit about Neil if I may. He is at present the deputy at Reddam House in Constantia in Cape Town. He is 44. As a boy he was schooled at Pretoria Boys High School where he was a provincial athlete, a prefect and served on the SRC. He is a highly qualified teacher finishing off with a Masters’ degree in education at Rhodes University in 1995. While he was at Rhodes he represented Eastern Province at athletics.

After qualifying he was a teacher at Selborne College in East London for 6 years, at Durban High School for two years, and at Graeme College for seven years where he was HoD of English and Housemaster of 120 scholars from Grade 1 to Grade 12 at Grant House.

He then saw the light and went into Primary school education joining Reddam House in 2003. He was appointed as deputy in charge of academics in October 2007. As a teacher he was an accomplished sport coach, being the South African u18 waterpolo coach from 2001 to 2007, a rugby coach of some renown, master in charge of athletics and swimming at two of the schools he served, and a gymnastics team in East London!

But he has a number of other very impressive strings to his bow, being the director of a number of plays, running a school museum, running a debating society and a Christian Union at Reddam House.

In his personal capacity he is a Rotary member and has been a Society Steward at Tokai Methodist Church since 2005. He is also a widely experienced Sunday School teacher having filled this role for the best part of 20 years. He is widely travelled. And lest we think that time has been resting heavily on his shoulders he has recently written a novel that he has submitted for publishing.”

We wish him all the best in his new appointment.

Information supplied by Chris Lee.

Smit vs Joost

Two rugby books in the rup-up to Christmas and it seems that John is leading the way. Book SA has the story.

New Headmaster Appointed

Mr Antony Reeler, the current Headmaster of Pinelands High School in Cape Town has been appointed as Headmaster of Pretoria Boys High School from 1 July 2010.

Tony Reeler, aged 44, was educated at Rondebosch Boys High School where he was Deputy Head Prefect and at the University of Cape Town where he obtained a B.Sc, H.D.E. majoring in Mathematics and Science.

He began his teaching career at Grey High School in Port Elizabeth in 1988. He was promoted to a Head of Department in 1992 and spent his 11 years at Grey in a variety of leadership roles, cultural activities and sports coaching (1^st XV rugby and 2^nd XI cricket). In 1999 he returned to Rondebosch as a Deputy Headmaster and spent four years in various management and leadership capacities. He became Headmaster at Pinelands High in 2003 and has run the School for 7 years with conspicuous success.

Tony Reeler is married to Rose and they have two children – a son who will come into Form I at Pretoria Boys High and a daughter of 10. All involved in this appointment are delighted that Mr Reeler has accepted the offer and look forward to many years under his proven leadership.

John Smit - Captain in the Cauldron - Published

John Smit’s Captain in the Cauldron was published this week. There is very little on PBHS ‘…but I will never stop thanking him for sending me to Boys High, because the rugby culture there got me hooked on the sport.’ For an early review see this article.

MySchool Initiative

Dear Old Boys and Friends of Pretoria Boys High

The Boys High Parents Association strongly supports the My School initiative. As an Old Boy of the School and a current parent, I believe we can achieve an even greater awareness of the programme among the greater body of people who care about Boys High. As Old Boys and Friends of the School your support is called upon. It doesn’t cost you anything! Simply register at My School or complete the attached application form and you will receive a membership card. Simply remember to swipe your card (when making your payment) at any of the recognized My School Partners such as Woolworths and ENGEN.

Some interesting facts about the My School Initiative and its positive effects for Boys High:
• Currently we have 2617 cards issued which support Boys High specifically. The monthly funds generated for the school range from R6 500 to R7 500 per month depending on the number of swipes.
• If we increase current card usage by only 25%, we can increase the contribution to the school by an additional R3000 per month.
• If we get a thousand OLD BOYS linked with cards, and all 1 000 cards are used every month we can achieve an additional R10 000 per month thereby generating in excess of R300 000 per annum for the school.

The funds are currently used to support the large budget of the school in the following areas:
• Assisting in paying for additional teachers which aid in maintaining the educational standard at Boys High
• Providing bursaries to deserving candidates
• Providing professional first aid services at all home rugby fixtures

How can you help?

If you are a current MySchool cardholder:
1. Ensure that your card is swiped every time you make a purchase at Woolworths/MySchool partner.
2. Remember to apply for an additional card/s if you currently only have one card in the family. Remember grannies, aunties, brothers and sisters can also apply. Anyone who has the interests of the school at heart can apply!

If you do NOT currently have a MySchool card:
1. Apply for one or more cards and be part of the initiative;
2. Ensure that your card is swiped every time you make a purchase at Woolworths/MySchool partner.

REMEMBER THERE IS NO COST TO YOU. YOU SIMPLY HAVE YOUR MEMBERSHIP CARD SWIPED AT THE TIME OF MAKING PAYMENT. THIS IS NOT A CREDIT CARD. Your continued support is greatly appreciated.

Keep on Swiping! Yours sincerely

Bryce Blum
Chairman – Parents Association PBHS

Download the Application Form

Happy Birthday to the Boss

The Old Boys Association wishes the Headmaster, Mr Bill Schroder, a very happy 65^th birthday.

Far Afield: One Small Step for Solomon ...

By Michael McLaggan.
August the fourteenth marked the start of the Boys High athletics season with the annual Inter-House Athletics Meet. While Solomon House took home the trophy (the first time since 1994), the three records which highlighted the fiercely contested event came from Armstrong and Rissik House competitors.

In the track events Shelton Mokuena of Armstrong House set a new school record of 9:56.2 in the u/14 3000m. Two hours later he broke the 1500m track record in a time of 4:35.1, pushing second place Sive Dzhabirov of Rissik House to finish in 4:38.2, a time which was within the previous Inter-House record. A couple of hours after winning the 800m event the next day Shelton won gold in the u/14 North Gauteng Cross Country Championships, making him the first Boys High boy since 1999 to qualify for a SA Cross Country Championships!

In the field events Alex Jacobs of Rissik House set a new u/19 Inter-House Javelin record with a distance of 57.00m, smashing the record of French rugby international, Brian Liebenberg. And this was despite the back injury which forced him to restrain himself.

Tragedy is nothing new to Alex. In the introduction to this column it was mentioned that Alex narrowly missed out on qualifying for the SA Schools Championships. In fact, he had qualified, but neither he nor his coach were notified. Richmond Collins sent frantic sms’s to let him know that he had indeed qualified and that his event was due to start in an hour. But, alas, Durban was 600km away. The winner threw around 58m after Alex had landed 61.90m the week before at the SA Club Championships in which he had finished fifth.

No wonder Mr Schroder calls Boys High athletics a sleeping giant.

Updated Reunion Schedule

The updated reunion schedule for the remainder of the year has been posted. Please note that the details for the Thundergun Lunch in Johannesburg, the Friday Lunch and Sunday Lunch at the club are up.

Introducing: Far Afield by Michael McLaggan

The 2009 athletics season starts officially this Friday with the Inter-House Athletics Meet. It will feature provincial athletes, erstwhile national champions and record holders who have been competing since February. (And that is excluding the dark horses – look out for Johnson Muchenje’s 800m and Shelton Mokuena’s 3000m.)

On Friday Arvid-Rei Smedsrud and Alex Jacobs, who narrowly missed out on the national championships, will be at level pegging with the school records in the javelin. Zinhle Twala, a triple jump national finalist, and Ezekiel Segole, a one-time triple jump national champion, will show off their unbeatable leaps. Brett Ward and Max Calitz who have broken the 5000m and 3000m school records respectively (photographed above) will venture into the shorter distances. Richmond Collins, meanwhile, might record 10.56 – on his moon boot!

How many athletics achievements and records and anecdotes, I wonder, have not been preserved in the pages of The Pretorian. How many athletes have been defeated by our indifference to the sport.

That really is the point of this column: it is to celebrate those athletes whose achievements escape us each time we ask How did Boys High do? Instead I would like Old Boys to join us rather in acknowledging the triumphs of our boys as each week Michael McLaggan reports on our athletes’ rarest moments in Far Afield.

Piping Hot

It may not be as big as first team rugby, but I’m sure it’ll please many Old Boys, who aren’t already in the know, that the Boys High Pipe Band are now South African Champions.

Although I am in the band as Drum Major, I was with the band for only three of the season’s gatherings. So, I will share with you only the simple story of Boys High’s triumph.

At the PBHS gathering this year (the one just before the finals in Benoni), Boys High was tied with Jeppe. The finals would be the tie-breaker between us and Jeppe for the first place in the National Pipe Band Championships, and because we are who we are, Boys High got the better of Jeppe and took the prize! Thus here we are, the PBHS Pipe Band as SA Champs!

Coming as far as we did in our placings is quite a feat, as we broke Benoni’s winning streak. What the layman has to understand is that in the Pipe Band world of PBHS, Benoni is Affies, so beating them felt like we’d been given the world on a silver platter.

Geoffrey Smuts

Candy-Coated: Seven Tries Crush College

Copy by Michael McLaggan and Photos by Kyle Handley In a complete turnaround of the previous result between these two sides, Boys High completely flattened Maritzburg College by seven tries to two in a 41 – 15 victory.

Having lost the previous game 13 – 21, Boys High were looking to get even with their KwaZulu Natal rivals. Maritzburg had an early 10 – 0 advantage, but this was soon lost as the Candies launched into a full-on onslaught. Anderson crossed the chalk first, and he was followed by John Fourie. It was around this time that Richmond Collins broke his ankle and had to be taken to hospital. This did not hinder the Candies’ attack, though, as Segole, Collins’s replacement, added a five-pointer of his own.

A further two tries came and the boys from Pretoria flew into a 31 – 10 lead. Maritzburg managed to trouble the scoring once more with a try to make it 31 – 15. It would make little difference, though, as two more tries by the Candies put the cherry on top of a flawless performance.

The win marks the highest winning margin against Maritzburg College in over a decade.

Old Boy News: Old Boy ‘endures’ running!

Where and how does one try to explain something that the average person has no yardstick by which to measure? Perhaps understanding would be relative to a brief account of my past?

Those who were at school with me will vouch that running, whatever the distance, was definitely not my strongest virtue! I think the most surprised would be “Assie,” (Talie van Aswegen) the notorious PT master, whom I provided with many laughs in my attempts to keep up with fellow pupils in gym class. Be that as it may, another lesson I learnt is that school days need not necessarily shape your destiny.

It’s amazing how events of an earlier generation can be an influence. My Grandfather for instance was a Comrades runner, and as young lad, I remember with awe the blazer with the big shiny head of Hermes adorning the handkerchief-pocket. I also remember the wonderful stories of camaraderie that Gramps filled my head with, and I believe it was then that the seeds were sown.

Candy-Coated: Candies Trounce Menlo

Copy by Michael McLaggan and Photos by Kyle Handley The Candies were in dominant form as they trounced Menlopark by 36 points to 3 in a game where Boys High were in complete control the whole way through.

Boys High missed two early shots at goal, which allowed Menlo to take an early lead through a penalty goal (though Steve Moir soon equalized). For a while the scoreboard remained unchanged. It was our ‘Blitzkrieg’, Richmond Collins, who was the first to cross the chalk after simply running around a number of defenders. At the break the Candies held a 10 – 3 lead.

Although the score line did not change for a good portion of the second half, the lion’s share of territory and possession which we won attested to our control of the game. At no point did Menlo look even remotely threatening. It was finally at about midway through the half that the floodgates opened. The men wearing candy stripes would run in no fewer than four unanswered tries. John Fourie, Katlego Maake, Glen Botha and Byron Anderson each touched down.

The pick of the lot was Fourie’s five-pointer. Fly half Matthew Currie put Byron Anderson into space. Anderson then sidestepped a defender before throwing a wild pass to his right. Fourie took the ball on the bounce and stabbed a grubber kick through the defence. The Menlo winger fumbled the ball and was tackled at a critical moment which allowed Fourie to pick up the loose ball and score under the posts.

This convincing victory has given Boys High their third win on the trot and will give them a confidence boost ahead of their return fixture against Maritzburg College.

Funeral Notice: Vivian Henry

Vivian died tragically on 23 June 2009.

A memorial service will be held for Vivian at 11:00am on Monday, 6 July 2009, at St Georges Anglican Church, 7 Sherbourne Roadd, Parktown, Johannesburg.

In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to St Georges Church.

The Association is compiling an obituary, should you have any anecdotes or photos please email The Editor.

The Cape Town Old Boys Reunion Dinner - 2009

The reunion of the Cape Town region of the Boys High Old Boys was held at the Kelvin Grove Club on Wednesday 4 March 2009. The local old boys were honoured to have the headmaster, Mr Bill Schroder and his wife Cherry, in attendance so we could say thank you for their dedicated service to our great school on the hill. The evening was, as ever, well entertained by master of ceremonies, Trevor Quirk, although the presence of partners meant some of the more risqué memories of Boys High life had to be reserved for later in the evening. The dinner was well attended by over 150 Old Boys and partners.

We were privileged to have old boys present who had attended school across seven decades, including Prof Frank Brooks who matriculated in 1948. The toast to our school and our country was made by Advocate Billy Downer. After dinner the headmaster reminded all present of not only why we are proud to be Boys High Old Boys but also why Boys High remains one of the premier schools in our country. It was apparent to all that the school has been in very capable hands for the past two decades, going from strength to strength, and for this the Boss received a standing ovation he heartily deserved. Thanks go to Doug Saxby, Tony Gertenbach, Mark Gleeson and team for a wonderful dinner and we look forward to another successful reunion next year.