Assembly: 18 July 2023
A warm welcome back to all of you and especially to all the new staff and boys who join us today. I trust that you all managed to have a break to relax and spend time with family and friends, and that you are all looking forward to Term 3.
We commence the first part of this assembly with our Start of Term Dedication Service
THEME: SELF BELIEF
From Scripture:
| The Book of Proverbs chapter 14 v26 says, ‘‘In the respect and love of the Lord there is strong confidence.”
God wants you to be self-assured and successful as Psalm 139 v14 says, ”You are fearfully and wonderfully made.’ You have within you enough strength to meet any situation as Philippians 4v 13 states, “ I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.: and finally Joshua 1v9, “Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid, for the Lord thy God is with you wherever you go.” A Prayer ‘Heavenly Father, as we tackle the demands of Term 3, we take comfort in knowing with your guidance and support our dreams and aspirations can be realised and through you anything is possible. Amen’ |
Mr Luman shared the following poem with the boys and staff.
THE VALUE OF OUR DAYS
Ready or not, someday it will all come to an end.
There will be no more sunrises, no minutes, hours or days.
All the things you collected, whether treasured or forgotten, will pass to someone else.
Your wealth, fame and temporal power will shrivel to irrelevance.
It will not matter what you owned or what you were owed.
Your grudges, resentments, frustrations, and jealousies will finally disappear.
So, too, your hopes, ambitions, plans, and to-do lists will expire.
The wins and losses that once seemed so important will fade away.
It won’t matter where you came from, or on what side of the tracks you lived, at the end.
It won’t matter whether you were beautiful or brilliant.
Even your gender and skin color will be irrelevant.
So what will matter?
How will the value of your days be measured?
What will matter is not what you bought, but what you built; not what you got, but what you gave.
What will matter is not your success, but your significance.
What will matter is not what you learned, but what you taught.
What will matter is every act of integrity, compassion, courage or sacrifice that enriched, empowered or encouraged others to emulate your example.
What will matter is not your competence, but your character.
What will matter is not how many people you knew, but how many will feel a lasting loss when you’re gone.
What will matter is not your memories, but the memories that live in those who loved you.
|What will matter is how long you will be remembered, by whom and for what.
Living a life that matters doesn’t happen by accident. It’s not a matter of circumstance but of choice.
ACTION: Choose to live a life that matters.
Point to consider: We must never forget that what we once were is nothing compared with what we are becoming.
God is switching you from the food of failure to the breakfast of champions. As Abraham Maslow once said “One can choose to go back toward safety or forward toward growth. Growth must be chosen again and again; fear must be overcome again and again.:
What will I have to give up in order to be what God has inspired me to become? God did not arrange every single step of your life to this point to leave the weight of your future solely in your own hands.
As Philippians 4v13 states, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.”
As well as Joshua 1v9, “Be strong and of good courage, do not be afraid, for the Lord thy God is with you wherever you go.”
God never gives up on you!
A Prayer for courage, wisdom, faith and love
Lord, grant us
Courage to do what is right when doing wrong or nothing at all would be easier.
Wisdom to say the right thing at the right time, because words have the power to help or to hurt.
Faith in the goodness of humankind, because living in doubt and fear is not living as you meant it to be.
And most important, Love for one another, the kind that gives without demanding, supports without holding too tightly, and understands that we are, all of us, imperfect.
In the name of your son Jesus Christ we pray,|
AMEN
COLLEGE NEWS
STAFFING UPDATE:
New Staff
We welcome a number of new staff to College this term;|
Mrs Chernize Singh joins us from Grace College as a Geography Educator and will be a mentor in Calder House;|
Miss Rachael Barnard join us from Epworth Girls School as the Events coordinator; and|Mrs Courtney Sanders who has been with us in a temporary capacity will be teaching English/EMS/Digital Technology.
2023 Term 3 Promotions|
Congratulations to the following staff who have all been promoted:|
Deputy BE Housemaster: Shepstone – Mr Mark Sanders
Day Housemaster: Strachan House – Mr Matt Warr
Director of Performing Arts – Mrs Kamany Thaver
Khanyisa Outreach Co-Ordinator- Miss N Gumede
Admissions PRO: Mr Paul Gonlag
HOUSE COMPETITION UPDATE
Our overall competition is very close for the houses in the Top 3 positions
SPORT & CULTURE ACTIVITIES – JUNE JULY HOLIDAY
Hosting of the Craven Week u13 Rugby Tournament
Congratulations to all the staff and boys under the chairmanship of Mr Kevin Smith who sacrificed a week of their holidays to ensure a top notch U13 Craven Week tournament in every respect. They did themselves and College proud and the overall feedback is superb.
A large number of boys took part in a wide range of local, provincial and national sporting events over the holidays, and achieved excellent results. Full details are here.
The Maritzburg College Jazz Ensemble traveled to Makhanda, in the Eastern Cape where they were hosted by DSG for a week of jazz and culture. The visit included teachings from professionals from all over the globe, as well as the opportunity to play in front of these professionals and jazz enthusiasts. In addition, the boys learned more of the background of Jazz in South Africa and the significance behind it, how it was used to express the joy when freedom arrived, and also the struggle of the country during the apartheid times. The trip was both beneficial and educational, enhancing the musical ability from all who went.
AWARDS
Congratulations to all the boys who have received certificates of recognition and awards. Full details here.
WEEK AHEAD|
AFFIES Annual Exchange: “Playing to our full potential and having self -belief
This Friday approximately 750 boys and 50 + staff, will depart for the annual sporting and cultural AFFIES exchange which is one of our most valued and important fixtures of the year and dates back to 1996. Included in the exchange are rugby, hockey, golf, chess, squash, tennis, table tennis, X-country, and mountain biking, with the added cultural dimension of the choir and jazz band. A huge amount of work and preparation goes in behind the scenes, and boys will mostly be hosted by AFFIES parents.
May I ask that you are at all times polite, respectful, helpful and that your uniform, appearance and behaviour are superb. Take PRIDE in who you are and who you are representing both on and off the field of play. Continue to strive to raise the bar of performance as we measure ourselves against the best schools in the country! What matters is commitment, pride, courage and self-belief in your ability and your teammates and ultimately your alma mater College.
“IF YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN YOU WILL SUCCEEED. IF YOU BELIEVE YOU CAN’T YOU WON’T”
You need to believe that you can and give nothing less than 100% for the RED, BLACK AND WHITE. I want you all to be able to look in the mirror after the game and say with complete honesty an conviction: “ I gave 100% for my team and College . I am proud of my performance.’
Charles Schulz, one of the most successful cartoonists [Peanuts] of all once said: ‘There is no heavier burden than an unfulfilled potential.’
May you all play to your full potential and raise the bar against AFFIES.
Pro Aris et Focis
CL Luman (Headmaster)