FROM THE HEADMASTER
Reflecting a community
The School community is blessed to have
such a rich history and proud traditions
that pervade our culture and provide a
strong foundation for our present actions,
and planning for our future. This is not
a static, linear process in which facts are
merely transferred but a dynamic, vibrant
interplay of people, life stories, relationships,
challenges, hardship, failure, success,
courage in adversity, connections and key
values that last the test of time. Every student
from 1896 has added to this tapestry and
influenced the School in their own way.
In this edition of the Forward you will find
articles that celebrate this history and some
of the events and people that have shaped
our School community. Of particular note,
is the record of our Centenary ANZAC Day
Service which was held at dawn on Friday
24 April at the Woodbridge House site. It
was a most moving and memorable occasion
during which we paid homage to the 128
Old Guildfordians and staff who paid the
ultimate sacrifice through their service to the
country. The staff involved in organising the
event displayed phenomenal team-work,
dedication and great heart as they ensured
that the service would do justice to the
memory of the fallen. I was proud of our
Cadet Unit, musicians, drama students and
all of our speakers who will long remember
their fine contribution.
One of the many highlights on the calendar
is the Old Guildfordians’ 50+ Reunion Day
when Old Boys and their partners return
to the School during the day to enjoy a
Chapel Service, Performance Assembly
and lunch together. It is heart-warming to
feel the respect that the current students
have for their predecessors and our guests
often comment on how pleased they are to
Headmaster Mr Stephen Webber
witness the current students displaying fine
manners, respect, courtesy and confidence
in communication and pride in their school.
I know that they pass these comments on
to me as they value that the development
of character is still high on the agenda at
Guildford Grammar School, in our fastpaced, high-tech consumer driven society.
Service to the community has always been
high on our agenda and I greatly appreciate
the large number of Old Guildfordians who
return to the School to mentor students
at the annual Careers Intel event. This
year we had well over 30 different careers
represented and hundreds of students
took the opportunity to hear directly about
the various facets of the career paths
represented. It is yet another connection
point between the current students
and those who have walked the paths
before them.
Another highlight for me this year was
the lunch held in Woodbridge House
to launch the Oliverson Society, which
has been established to recognise and
acknowledge those members of our School
community who have pledged a bequest
to the School through their will. Members
of the Society have embraced the spirit
of giving and providing for the future
generations of students who will attend
the School. Bequests that the School
receives are managed by the Foundation.
Some bequests state specific focus areas,
such as past bequests that have enabled
the establishment of the Bayley and Inkpen
Indigenous Scholarships and the Stewart
Staff Travel Scholarship, which has been
awarded for the first time this year to Ms
Sophie Bannister. Sophie will travel to New
York in January 2016 to visit a number of
Secondary and University Media Programs,
including the New York Film Academy, New
York University, Columbia University and Yale.
Through the various conversations at the
Oliverson Society lunch, I was once again
reminded of the strong connection that
people develop with the School through
active involvement over a number of years,
as students, parents, staff and committee
members. One such person who has given
an incredible amount of dedicated and
faithful service to the School over more than
36 years is Mr Ric Palmer, who retired at
the end of this semester. It would be hard to
find someone who is more enthusiastic about
the School than Ric. Having joined the staff
in 1979 as a general grounds person and
moving through the ranks, the majority of
his time has been spent leading the property
management and development of the
campus. Ric is a true servant of the School by
heart and he is someone who would always
go out of his way to help at a function
or event, always with flair and generous
hospitality, often being the person who
locked up and packed away, without looking
for thanks. He values the extensive personal
connections he has made throughout the
School community and his willingness to
give of himself has been appreciated, and
respected by all. He will be missed.
I trust that you will enjoy reading a wide
range of articles in this edition that
once again demonstrate the incredible
opportunities that our students experience
and reflect a School community that is in
good heart and strong in spirit.
Mr Stephen Webber
Headmaster
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