LEADERSHIP The Head Prefect’s Prize-giving Speech
option, but the silver lining is that we’ve gained perspective and built resilience, which otherwise we may not have done. We must be grateful for this and grateful for the fact that, despite the best efforts of Covid-19, we have still completed what has been an extraordinary year. The fact that we are able to assemble here today, without any restrictions, is a privilege in the global scheme of things. However, this year has certainly had its downs. I’ve had these two things in my blazer pocket just about all year. I’ve left them in there to remind me that I need to be grateful for everything I have. This pink origami flamingo is from the Al Noor Mosque, from when a group of prefects went to the mosque to show support at the year anniversary, and this is William Quin’s memorial programme. Will, who tragically died in a car accident this year, was a Year 13 student when the current Year 13 students were in Year 10. Both of these objects carry huge meaning to me. They remind me to be grateful for the here and now and to be grateful for everything I have. Nothing is a given and every moment must be savoured. To quote Will Quin’s favourite movie line, “Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, but today is a gift, that’s why it is called the present.” This is an idea that our Chaplain Bosco Peters has preached time
2020 has been the year of many things: victories in basketball, rowing, rugby, hockey, debating; a first of its kind live-streamed senior production; an exceptional fundraiser for Shave for a Cure; and much more.
All of this, despite the virus.
More than anything else, 2020 has been a year of perspective. Let me take you back to Monday 16 March, to a beautiful sunny day in Twizel, on the final straight to Maadi, when the news broke that gatherings over 500 people were banned, and therefore Maadi and our hopes of bringing the silverware back home were dashed … Suddenly, the realisation that this year wasn’t going to go as planned really started to sink in. “But who wants the norm?” said my optimistic side. This year was going to be different, to bring new challenges and that was going to be exciting.
Te¯ na¯ koutou, te¯ na¯ koutou, te¯ na¯ koutou katoa. Nau mai, haere mai. Ki te wha¯ nau o ¯ te Kura o ¯ te Karaiti Nga¯ mihi ki a koe, Bishop Carrell, Nga¯ mihi hoki ki a koe, Pi ¯ hopa Wallace. Te¯ na¯ koe, Nga¯ mihi ki a koe hoki, te Hiamana o ¯ te¯ nei kura, te¯ na¯ koe Matua Lindo, Ki nga¯ mema o ¯ te poari o ¯ te Kura o ¯ te Karaiti, te¯ na¯ koutou, te¯ na¯ koutou. Ke te tumuaki, Matua Wynne, te¯ na¯ koe, nga¯ mihinui ki a koe Matua, mo ¯ to ¯ awhi, mo ¯ to ¯ whakaaro, mo ¯ to ¯ aroha. Ki nga¯ kaiako o ¯ te¯ nei kura, te¯ na¯ koutou, te¯ na¯ koutou, nga¯ mihinui ki a koutou. Ki nga¯ ma¯ tua o ¯ nga tauira. Nau mai, haere mai.
Challenges and opportunities are synonymous in my eyes –
opportunities to grow and learn. Not often easy, challenges are what help us understand who we really are. Tony O’Connor, a former teacher and coach of mine, used to say, “Always take the challenging option so that when the time comes that you have to dig deep, you have already been there and come out the other side.” I have noticed that my Tony impression is slowly becoming more leprechaun than Tony, but that’s beside the point. The message is key. This year more than any other we have been forced to take the hard
Ki nga¯ tauira, te¯ na¯ koutou, te¯ na¯ koutou, te¯ na¯ tatou katoa.
He whakatauki te¯ nei: Ma te huruhuru, ka rere te manu.
Without feathers the bird cannot fly.
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Christ’s College Canterbury
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