Past Pupils & Friends [Network News Ed. 4 - Jul 99]

Hutt Valley High School Crest

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From the Editor’s Desk

This is the 4th Edition of the “Network News” and we are thrilled to announce that the date for the 75th Jubilee Reunion will be Labour Weekend 2001.

We really want to hear what sort of celebration you want and would like you to respond - either by coming to one of the planning meetings to be held at the school (see below), or by sending an e-mail to us at ppfa@hvhs.ac.nz. Although the Reunion is over 2 years away, I’m sure we will need all that time! We want a Reunion that is exciting and different, so your help is needed.

There is another Reunion event on the calender which is much closer – a First Decade Tea and Chat Afternoon on 8th October, 1999 at 1.45pm in “The Pavilion” at the school.

First Decade Past Pupils will receive an invitation and information with this Newsletter. However, if you know someone who is part of this decade and has not received an invitation, please phone Jean Bowden (04) 567 2358 to find out more details.

The ‘Network’ of those who have responded to the ‘Join Me Up’ scheme is steadily growing - it is great to hear from so many of you who want to receive news and information on a regular basis.

Thank you to all of you who have so generously supported the work of the Association with your financial gifts. They have enabled us to keep publishing this newsletter, assist with the archive restoration work and put specific gifts towards the Bequest fund.

Whilst we are committed to a ‘free’ membership, we do not have unlimited funds, so your donations are important to ensure this work continues.

Tell your friends.

Keep the Network growing.

– Judi Whitcher

Find us on the Internet

Check our web site out – get the latest news and use the Bulletin Board to find old school friends Tell your overseas contacts to look for the newsletter and Reunion information on our website www.hvhs.ac.nz/ppfa/.

Join the Network

Join the Network – tell your friends to join

If you are a former pupil or friend of HVHS, why not be listed on our database as a member of ‘the Network’? If you are already receiving this newsletter by mail/post, there is no need to do this as you’re already on the database.

If you know of other past pupils who might like to receive newsletters and information please get them to contact us by mail/post, or e-mail ppfa@hvhs.ac.nz.

Notice of Events

75th Jubilee Reunion will be held at Labour Weekend 2001. Planning for this event has begun but… we need your help – this is your reunion!!

We want this to be a Reunion with a difference so come to our planning meetings with your ideas or ‘wish list’. Saturday 17th and 24th July, 1999 at 10.00am in “The Pavilion” at HVHS, Woburn Rd, Lower Hutt.

From the ‘inbox’: We’ve Got M@il

From Bryce Francis (1940-44)
e-mail: annbry@weblink.solutions.net.au

I have had virtually no contact with the school since leaving. I was a member of the school band in those years along with Peter Carruthers and Max Wearne. Max lives here in Melbourne and we met recently quite by chance.

We took the opportunity while Peter was visiting me recently from Auckland, where he lives, to get together here and have a fun day reminiscing over the old school teachers, friends and fun times in the band.

The funniest incident Peter, Max and I could recall was when at practice, Band Master, Tommy Gray (quite a character), gave us a demonstration of treble tongueing, during which he accidentally spat out his false teeth on the floor!

Max brought with him an edition of the “Network News” and a list of names of friends from our school years…congratulations on the efforts you are making to keep old pupils in contact… I would welcome correspondence from any who remember me. My address is 19 Alan Grove, Woori Yallock, Victoria 3139, Australia.

I spent my life in the printing industry and my old company still carries my name on in Wellington. My only other claim to fame is that I appear to be the only person in the world who has written a book on the card game of 500. I have a web page devoted to this and am getting contacts from all over the world.

I look forward to the next newsletter and will be happy to get involved in your network.

Thanks again.

(Great to hear from you Bryce - do hope others from your era will contact you. Your thanks are appreciated! – Editor)

What are your recollections of the amusing incidents from your school years? I’m sure we all have them! Please write by post or email us at ppfa@hvhs.ac.nz with any anecdotes that you would like to share with others.

A Student’s View

Extract from “A History of the World” by Richard Lederer More Student Bloopers. This time –

“The Greeks”

Without the Greeks we wouldn’t have history. The Greeks invented three kinds of columns - Corinthian, Doric and Ironic. They also had myths. A myth is a female moth. One myth says that the mother of Archilles dipped him in the River Stynx until he became intollerable. Achilles appears in ‘The Illiad’ by Homer. Homer also wrote ‘The Oddity’ in which Penelope was the last hardship that Ulysses endured on his journey.

Socrates was a famous Greek teacher who went around giving people advice. They killed him. Socrates died from an overdose of wedlock.

In the Olympic games, Greeks ran races, hurled the biscuits and threw the java. The reward to the victor was a coral wreath.

The Government of Athens was democratic because people took the law into their own hands.

(Is that what’s wrong with the government?? – Editor)

Honours Board

Please tell us about Past Pupils who have achieved awards and successes in their careers.

Archives

The archives team urgently require 1946 to 1952 class photos.

If you have a class photo from this era and would be willing to lend it for copying, could you please contact Jean Bowden, 55 Walters St, Lower Hutt. There is no need to send the photo at this stage.

School Snippets

Congratulations to…

HVHS Civil Defence Team led by Rosaleen Bhan. They won the Lower Hutt Schools’ Civil Defence Shield. The competition involved, site control, rescue techniques, knot tying and casulty handling.

Nathan Alcorn, Jenni Archer, Holly Walker and Asana Yamamoto who have been selected for the NZ Secondary Students’ Choir to compete in Canada next year.

Arun Stephens – 1 of 10 students selected to tour French speaking countries in the Tour du Monde Francophonie Competition.

“Vivian Street” Big Band

Last newsletter we mentioned that the HVHS Big Band (‘Vivian Street’) were travelling to Tauranga to perform at the Easter Jazz Festival. The good news is that the Band won 1st prize and the New Orleans Trophy for the top Big Band in the competition and their French horn soloist, won the prize for top solo performance. They have a great sound and there is an opportunity to hear them perform at the Wellington Jazz Club, James Cabaret, 23rd August at 7.30pm.

All supporters welcome!

HVHS “Volante” Choir

The school’s senior auditioned choir is one of 20 choirs chosen out of 203 from throughout NZ to compete in the National Final of the NZ Secondary School’s Choral Festival in Dunedin this year. The Commentator from the Regional Competition, Mr Harry Brown, described ‘Volante’ as a “skillful choir who adapted tone, posture and diction to suit three totally different styles”.

Mini-Reunion

1963 - 1966

On Saturday evening, March 13th, a group of 40 ex-pupils got together for dinner at the ‘George Washington’ restaurant to re-unite and celebrate that fact that we’ve all reached our 50th birthdays! Thanks to Les Stone’s list of names and addresses we were able to contact many of our old classmates. Some of us even date back to Primary School days - Eastern Hutt and Hutt Central! We sang ‘Jerusalem’ and ‘Gaudeamus’ which was very nostalgic, and finished with the school ‘Haka’.

It was a very enjoyable and memorable evening, thanks to all of you who joined us. Hopefully we’ll get together again.

Carol Barker (Tusan)
Ph: (04) 5896593

Mentors Wanted

Many of you will have wondered about the Mentor programme that you see advertised in this Newsletter. This is a programme where we are endeavouring to work with the School Career Guidance Counsellors to provide a database of Past Pupils who would be willing to give a little of their time to talk to students (usually one on one) about careers in which they are experineced. Career options are many and varied these days and students benefit from being able to discuss careers that they are considering with someone experienced in that field, and possibly visit an office or workplace. If you would be willing to put your name forward as a mentor, please complete and return the mentor portion of the ‘Join Me Up’ form if you have the print edition, or e-mail ppfa@hvhs.ac.nz if you are reading this online.

Internet & Business Net

Internet

Those of you who have expressed interest in these programmes will have received a letter by now expressing our regret at being unable to continue with these at this stage. The ISP provider with whom we had hoped to be able to negotiate favourable rates has been unable to stabilise their rates for longer than a 2 month period owing to the degree of competition for services. We feel that members interests would be better served by negotiating their own rates at the time of connection.

Business Net

The Business Network is at present ‘on hold’ due to lack of interest. We would suggest that interested members go to the website where their is a discussion forum for all.

What is that number after my name?

[HVHS Student Web Team: please note this section relates to the printed version of the HVHS PPFA Network News as mailed to Network members.]

Some of you will have noticed that there is a number appearing after your name on the front of this newsletter – ie: John Brown (1). This is our way of noting what decade you attended HVHS. ie: 1 = first decade 1926-35, 2 = second decade 1936-45 etc. Some network members have not given us their dates at school and will have a (0) after their name. It would be appreciated if you could return the ‘Join Me Up’ form giving us details of your years if you have the print edition, or e-mail ppfa@hvhs.ac.nz if you are reading this online.

Past Pupils’ Successes

Please let us know about the successes of your family and friends who are past pupils of HVHS.

Poppy Watts (Young)

Poppy Watts (Young), a pupil from 1927 - 1929 recently received a ‘Paul Harris Fellow Award’ from Rotary for services to Stokes Valley. This is a tremendous honour and our congratulations go to her. She also received the Queen’s Service Medal in 1997 and was presented with this by the Governor General.

Thank you for letting us know – we are really thrilled for you Poppy – Editor.

Jonathan Wyatt

Jonathan Wyatt won the supreme award at the Wellington Sportsperson of the Year dinner recently. Jonathan is a world mountain running champion and in September last year he beat the world’s mountain running best on a gruelling uphill on Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean. He is at present based in Madrid preparing for the Sydney Olympics in 2000.

Congrats & Best Wishes.

Jason O’Halloran

Jason O’Halloran won the fair play award for his contribution to the Wellington and Hurricanes Rugby teams. The judges said Jason had consistently shown ‘fair and honest sporting conduct and had been a fine role model for all sportspeople’.

That’s a tremendous reference –- Congratulations Jason. – Editor

A Student’s View of History

Mrs Malaprop has nothing on these!

The inhabitants of ancient Egypt were called mummies. They lived in the Sara Dessert and traveled by Camelot. The climate of the Sara is such that the inhabitants have to live elsewhere, so certain areas of the dessert are culitvated by irritation.

The Egyptions built the Pyramids in the shape of a huge triangular cube. The Pramids are a range of mountains between France and Spain.

Extract from “A History of the World” by Richard Lederer.