125th anniversary to be 'momentous' occasion

Fruit of the vine . . . Jude Sparks (right foreground) of Waitaki Valley Viticulture Services...
Fruit of the vine . . . Jude Sparks (right foreground) of Waitaki Valley Viticulture Services explains the finer points of viticulture to a group on a walking tour of vineyards at Otiake. Photo by David Bruce
Waitaki Boys High School is preparing to celebrate its 125th anniversary next month - and Derek Austin can't wait.

As chairman of the organising committee, Mr Austin has been busy planning what he says will be a "momentous" occasion between July 3 and 6.

On the Friday morning, a combined assembly will be held at the school, at which the guest speaker will be University College London provost and president Prof Malcolm Grant, who is an old boy of the school.

Later that day, those attending the reunion will watch the annual Waitaki Boys and St Kevins rugby game before an official dinner.

The dinner is to be combined with the launch of A Haul of Memories, a book about the school between 1975 and the present day, written by recently retired teacher Russell Drew.

On the Saturday, there will be tours of the school and the Waitaki district, and some of the visitors will take part in the school's cross-country.

That night, a dinner and dance will be held, and the celebrations will end with a thanksgiving service in the Hall of Memories on the Sunday morning.

More than 600 people have registered for the celebrations, including some who will come from as far away as the United Kingdom, Canada and the United States. - Thomas Moore

 

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