Message for Old Boys from Mr Trevor Webster:
Dear Old Boys
A History of the Selborne Schools
Thank you very much for your many positive responses to my request for contributions to the forthcoming AHistory of the Selborne Schools. They will make the final product a truly combined effort. I welcome any further contributions, especially those describing Remarkable Families.
I hope that this publication, to be published in 2014, will add pride to
both Old Boys and current boys, and that it will have both popular
appeal in the Club and be of interest to academics. Perhaps matric
re-union groups will make it an item in their goodie bag.
Some snippets so far to whet your appetite:
Founding: The founding Headmaster 140 years ago, Pastor Muller, explained his purpose, The
best means of training is still the pure word of God. He who withholds
this from the children withholds from them the best and most versatile
school book. In the Word of God we have a fount from which we can derive
a medley of disciplining, of admonishing, of educating, and of true
spiritual culture. It is in this broad spirit that all the
Headmasters, including the present one, Sam Gunn, have continued the
tradition. The founding Headmaster of the Primary 90 years ago,
Col.Edwin Smedley-Williams, a Colonel in the Kaffrarian Rifles, said, I
am about to start a new school, one with a difference. In my school
music will be a very important subject and art will be taught for the
sake of art. Our boys will learn to love the finer things of life. Again,
this tradition has characterised the school under the leadership of its
Headmasters, including the current Headmaster, Doug Voke, the only Old
Boy to reach that position.
Academics: Gustav Muller, the Headmasters son, came 1st
in the Cape Colony in 1883 and eight girls have their names on our
Honours Board as Dux students; that was before the Girls school had a
matric section, one of them Fanny Fielding, started Cambridge while
still at school in 1879 and another, Gertruida Munnscheid, came 2nd in the Cape Colony in 1906 to a 12 year old prodigy Jan Hofmeyer of SACs.
Buildings: The first building was in Grace Chapel
in Fleet Street close to the vlei where the city hall now stands; the
present buildings were built in 1922 (90 years old this year) in
Renaissance style with two sides duplicated as it was planned to be a
co-ed school.
Sport: Mark Andrews was rated by Sports Illustrated
in 2001 as one of the 10 best Boks of all time; Bill Godfrey rowed
across the Atlantic 5 000 km to win the Transatlantic race; four
surf-lifesaving Springboks were selected to the national side while
still at school: Terry Prince 1956, Norman Hardwich 1966, John Skinner
1971, Peter Williams 1973; Daniel Isherwood gained Springbok Diving
Colours at school in 1986 and won every SA event from a 10 year old
winning SA u14 Diving; Mark Boucher has broken many records as Protea
Wicketkeeper including taking 1 000 dismissals.
Sportsmanship: In 1958 Selborne
beat Grey College 10-3 after which Grey carried the Selborne players off
the field; likewise when Grens beat Selborne in 1967, the Selborne
players carried the Grens players off the field.
Humour: Fred Ericsen Miller in 1962 moved from 7th to 1st
Rugby teams in a season without his mothers permission to play rugby
and one day in looking for her son she discovered him at the bottom of a
loose scrum so she ran onto the field shouting, My son, my son!; in
1936 the leaders of the hostel food strike walked downtown to the School
Board to complain but they were turned away, and on returning to school
were given hidings by the Headmaster.
Old Boys: Dux Phil Weber became Editor of Die Burger, voice of the National Party, and Chairman of Nasionale Pers, and was regarded by the Sunday Times
in 1963 as one of the ten most influential men in South Africa; Owen
Williams left school in std 7 in 1948 to become a Springbok tennis
player and a world tennis tournament organizer; the OSA celebrates 100
years of existence this year although its records start in 1914, perhaps
because that was when the magazine was started.
Remarkable Selborne Families: The
Pouroullis family had six brothers who spanned five generations or 33
years at Selborne 1969-2002; the German settler Muller family, 1858,
was so poor that their son was sent out to become a sheep herder at 14
but he ensured that the next generation, Mervyn, gained a Selborne
education and so became professional; Eddie Bartel in his matric year,
1921, won every honour that could be won: the Popularity Cup he held for
two years, the Halse Cup as Captain of Crewe House for two years, the
Victor Ludorum, captain of 1st Rugby and Cricket, the highest post in the Cadet Corps and he gained a 1st
class pass; in 1986 Derek Page was the first son of a Custodian, Brian
Page, to become a Custodian and on that Founders Day three generations
of the same family laid wreaths: his grandfather, Rupert Howard, as
President of the Club; his father as President of the OSA and he as
Custodian.
These are just some snippets of our History, if you have a contribution to make Id welcome it.
Thank you.
Trevor Webster
trevann@procomp.co.za