On Wednesday 16th August 2023, Maritzburg College welcomed five new members into our FRIENDS OF COLLEGE group at a special evening event, attended by over 70 current members and guests.
Welcome to our new Friends of College!
L-R Matthew Marwick (Senior Deputy Headmaster), Gavin Lambooy, Jeff Finnie, Keith Guise-Brown, Tiny Coetzee, Sven Jager, Chris Luman (Headmaster)
Our first new member is SVEN JAGER.
Sven Jager attended Maritzburg College from 1970 to 1974. Following his matriculation from College he attended the University of Natal where he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce in 1978. He furthered his studies and gained a Bachelor of Accounting Science Honours CTA from the University of South Africa.
Sven as a qualified CA, was employed by Maritzburg College for a period of eleven years, originally as the Business Manager, and as the role expanded, he was promoted to the position of Commercial Director.
Sven inherited an outdated accounting system but slowly and surely introduced a smart and practical administration system. He performed a tough job without favour, but with a smile and with the respect of his team and the College community.
During this time his service was greatly appreciated as his wisdom, financial insight and loyalty to the school was exceptional. Sven has a quiet and calm demeanor, and he can be counted on to provide meaningful and considered feedback when asked for his view on a matter. He always encouraged staff to study further and firmly believed in the professional development and mentoring of young staff.
Having retired, Sven now has more free time and we are confident that he is pursuing his many leisure interests which include hiking, cycling, tennis, gardening and carpentry. We are fortunate that Sven is not totally lost to College, as he is currently chairing the Maritzburg College and Old Boys’ Memorial Trust. We are fortunate to have someone with his experience and business acumen guiding the Trust.
Please join me in acknowledging Sven Jager as a true ‘Friend of College’.
The 2nd new member is GAVIN LAMBOOY
Gavin Lambooy is an acclaimed leader in education in the Midlands. He began his long-standing relationship with Maritzburg College more than 30 years ago, when he started his teaching career at Merchiston Prep. School.
A Durban boy, Gavin had been schooled at Beachwood High School, from where he matriculated in 1983.
After a productive four-year stint at Edgewood, from which he earned a Higher Diploma in Education, with majors in education, natural science and physical education, Gavin in early 1988 commenced his national service in the South African Army.
After an eventful and gruelling year spent at Infantry School in Oudtshoorn, he was commissioned as a 2nd Lieutenant, and was posted to Otavi in the old South-West Africa and later to Potchefstroom. After finishing his two-year stint, Gavin was posted as a PE teacher and boarder master at Merchiston.
Hard-working, highly organised and assertive, Gavin soon emerged as a future leader at the school, which in the early 1990s negotiated some choppy waters. He and Dave Beetar “steadied the ship”, and by 1999 Gavin had been appointed as Dave’s 2iC. He held the position of Deputy Headmaster for 14 busy years, leaving Merchiston in 2013 on a well-deserved promotion as the principal of Laddsworth.
Gavin is well-known and celebrated as a headmaster of initiative, energy and vision. Over the last decade, he has overseen the considerable enhancement and expansion of Laddsworth, which is a feeder school of growing importance to Maritzburg College.
Generous, warm, and embracing of the traditional values that underpin Maritzburg College, Gavin Lambooy is tonight a most worthy “Friend of College”.
The 3rd new member is GERRIT ‘TINY’ COETZEE
Tiny Coetzee grew up in Durban and attended Gelofte High School. He studied at the Durban Teachers Training College and being a city boy, it was always his dream to live in the countryside and this was realised when he received his first teaching post at Greytown Junior school where he spent 13 enriching years. It was during his time at Greytown that he began living out his lifelong passion for rugby and had the privilege of coaching the 1st Rugby side for 10 years.
Tiny has been part of numerous district and provincial schoolboy rugby teams, both at a coaching and management level. Some of these include being the Chairman of the Midlands Primary School Rugby Association, the vice chairman of the Sharks Primary Schools Rugby as well as representing the Sharks primary schools at South African primary schools’ level.
Tiny served as the principal of Athlone primary school for 7 years and is currently the principal of Howick Preparatory school.
Tiny has been the tournament director for the KZN Inter-districts Rugby Tournament and Rugby Trails for many years, the past few years Tiny worked closely with College as the hosts of these tournaments. He also played an instrumental role in chairing the Primary Schools Craven Week that was held at Maritzburg College earlier this year.
Tiny is a passionate man who has always had a special place for College in his heart. He is a tremendous advocate of College and goes out of his way to support and promote our school. For this we deem him to be a most worthy recipient of ‘Friend of College’.
Our 4th new member is JEFFREY FINNIE
Jeffrey Franklin Finnie attended Merchiston for primary school and then progressed to Maritzburg College, where he enjoyed his sports playing cricket, hockey and rugby. Jeff received an award for Drama and matriculated in 1980.
After school he studied at what was the University of Natal where he graduated with a BSc in 1983, which he then followed with Honours in 1984, a PHD in 1989 in Plant Physiology and then changed direction to complete a MEd in 2005 in Higher Education. He has worked for the University of Natal/UKZN since 1990 and is currently an Associate Professor in the Life Science School and in the College for Agriculture, Engineering and Science.
Since his son Ross’s arrival at College, Jeff has been fully involved in various capacities in the College community. He was a parent representative for five years on the Governing Body and fulfilled a number of roles which included serving on the Finance Committee, a Trustee on Governing Body Foundation for five years, Vice-chairman and Chairman of the Governing Body during the very difficult Covid years. Jeff is currently still a Trustee and on the College Board.
During his time on the Governing Body he added immense value from an educational perspective, particularly in his Governing Body Foundation role. Furthermore, he chaired numerous staff appointment panels, and he ensured that due process was followed, and that the most suitable candidate was appointed.
Jeff has always been approachable and provided sound advice, always acting in the best interests of the College community. He has selflessly sacrificed many hours of his valuable time and offered sage counsel, which was greatly appreciated by members of the Governing Body, Executive Committee, and the College Board. He always had a level head and eloquently expressed his verbal and written opinions.
Jeff’s commitment to College is sincerely appreciated and his educational and board expertise is appreciated most sincerely as he continues to give so freely of his time and is a most worthy recipient of ‘Friend of College’.
Finally, our 5th most deserving new member is KEITH GUISE-BROWN
Keith Guise-Brown joined the Maritzburg College staff as a Maths teacher in 1981. He was very soon involved in the boarding establishment, which he took over in 1990 and ran for many years with aplomb until the end of 2013. Under his inspired leadership over those 24 years, Keith dragged the BE from the dark ages and ensured that it far better reflected the spirit of the times. He can honestly be regarded as the father of the modern College BE.
Keith was a very successful cricket and rugby coach and also served as master-in-charge of both rugby and cricket and was for many years the main organiser of the Michaelmas Cricket Week. During the 39 years he served College – only Mr Chesney-Jones taught at the school for longer (41 years) – Keith steadily climbed the ranks from teacher and duty master in the BE to Head of Department, Deputy Headmaster in charge of the BE, Senior Deputy Headmaster and, at times, Acting Headmaster.
He served as a very competent, dedicated, loyal and meticulous Senior Deputy, focusing mainly on admissions, school routines and discipline. He further served on numerous committees over the years as well as being the Acting Headmaster from July 2012 to March 2013. During his time at College he unselfishly turned down opportunities to be a headmaster at other schools.
During Keith’s well-deserved retirement on the South Coast, he is fully pursuing his photography, fishing, and other sporting hobbies, and he has become an avid golfer.
It can confidently be stated that no schoolmaster in modern times has given more to the school than Keith Guise-Brown and he is a most worthy recipient of ‘Friend of College’.