"If you don't send your ships out to sea, you can never look forward to them coming back.

"This is a quote which I feel is especially relevant to Alumni gatherings.

In many ways, it could be said that schools are “safe harbours” - a place where our boys, the ships, are sheltered in a supportive and nurturing environment. We, along with the support of parents, spend a great deal of time preparing them for the time when they have to leave the harbour as we send them out to sea to explore new horizons. It is always a pleasure, however, to welcome them back!

Last Friday, a number of former Old Boys returned to the Hereworth harbour. They had attended the School in the 1930’s and 40’s. This day had been organised by two Hereworth Old Boys, Marcus Peacock (President of the HOBA; HOB 1983) and Matt Holden (HOB 1980). When welcoming back these stately gentlemen to Hereworth that morning, these two illustrious old boys set our current boys a challenge, to emulate their feat of completing 25 press ups in front of Wiremu, to help raise awareness for mental health, depression and anxiety. This was gladly accepted by our boys and filmed by Rev Alan on Tuesday afternoon. I gather the Face book post of this event has had over 4100 views!

Apart from setting this challenge for current boys, this day was a very special opportunity to spend time interviewing these alumni, to hear their recollections of their time at Hereworth and their fondness for the School. They attended during a period when, similar to recent months, the School had to be closed and boys sent home at times during the Second World War, and then again during the terrible polio epidemic that caused the closure of all schools in New Zealand for all of Term 1 1948. These former students could remember empty classrooms, parents struggling to home-school and teachers trying to work out ways to deliver feedback to boys remotely. Children had to stay at home and indoors during the epidemic as their health and safety was the highest priority. Does this sound a bit familiar?

In a pre-internet era, these Old Boys said it was the Correspondence School who took up the task of regularly broadcasting short lessons on the radio during the week. Some of these former students could recall how the lessons were sent out in green canvas envelopes, to be completed whilst listening to the radio and returned to their teachers for marking.

I enjoyed spending time with these former students hearing of their fondness for the School, their recollections of friends, staff, particular lessons and sports fixtures. It was also interesting to hear of their achievements and adventures since leaving, and how successfully they have made their way in the world. It was evident that the skills acquired in those younger years at Hereworth had equipped them with the flexibility, adaptability, independence, problem solving and relational abilities to embrace their futures, to succeed and to keep moving forward on their journeys. The really gratifying thing was that when they returned safely with these stories of their adventures, they were much richer for their experiences.

The sharing of stories, achievements and personal journeys, whilst returning for a short time to the "safe harbour", was clearly enjoyed by all. I look forward to interviews with further generations of Hereworth Old Boys in the future. Thank you to Mr Marcus Peacock, Mr Matt Holden and Mrs Tor Hamilton (Foundation Coordinator), for all they did to ensure the day was such an enjoyable event for these special members of our community.

Trevor Barman

Headmaster

Article added: Friday 05 June 2020