The 2025 Chronicle

Patron, Chairman, ex-Chairman, past Pres idents, President-Elect, Central Committee and Old Boys of Michaelhouse, Thank you to all who have made the trip to meet in our beauti fully renovated club; and thank you to those joining us online from across South Africa and around the world. These are my final moments as your Club President. I began as the UK Branch treasurer in 2014, seeking purpose beyond the corporate rat race. I found it at a UK Branch AGM dinner in London that November. I realised at that gathering – far away from this place – the formidable potential of Michael house Old Boys. Since then it has become my passion to help create the condi tions for Michaelhouse Old Boys to realise their individual and collective potential as material contributors to society. Circum stances have allowed me the time to assist in creating a new era for our Club to drive engagement through good organisa tion, devotion to our members, and a lifting up of our shared desire to be connected to this place. So, in 2021, as Wayne Witherspoon’s number two, we both set about revitalizing our Club. We believed that if we built it, they would come. We took the plunge, unveiled the Club for Life vi sion, launched OM+ and got to work. It went well. Really well. Old Boys rallied to the cause. The Club and branches became more organized, events filled the calen And Jacques – our treasurer, who keeps a close watch on the purse strings. He brings clarity, calm and accountability to our financial decisions. It’s thanks to Jacques’s steady hand and meticulous oversight that we’re able to dream boldly while keeping our feet on solid ground. Aphiwe, our Friend-Raiser, brings sincerity, humility and that rare ability to make everyone feel seen and valued. He’s the heartbeat of our outreach and a constant reminder of what true connection looks like. And Ray – welcome. I’m genuinely excited to have you on this journey. Your energy, your ability to calmly and clearly express your point of view, and your wholehearted buy-in make me feel confident that we’re going to complement each other incredibly well in the years ahead. The Central Committee will also be more important than ever. With Sean stepping back we lose not only his time but his deep knowledge and strategic clarity. That’s why the CC must become even more active, informed and empowered – to guide our decisions and help us execute them well. The more they put in, the more they get out – that’s the philosophy. Finally, it has been a privilege to work alongside the Rector and the school’s excellent leadership team. The relationship be tween the Club and the school is not one of instruction but of collaboration. We don’t tell the school what to do, but when we

do speak up, it’s after listening carefully to the broad and varied voices of our Old Boys. It’s done respectfully, and with the goal of strengthening the school we all love. We aim to remain apo litical and avoid polarisation, because that’s what allows us to serve all Old Boys, no matter their background or beliefs. So as we step into this next chapter, let’s remember what’s at stake. This isn’t just about the five years we spent in our Number Ones. It’s about a lifetime of connection, support and shared purpose. And sometimes that connection is quite liter al. In recent years, a few of my father’s close friends have had their ashes spread here at Michaelhouse, with their names now commemorated on plaques at the old gate entrance. That, to me, says it all. This place matters. It stays with us – right to the end – and it brings us home. Here’s to honouring that. Here’s to continuing what Sean en hanced. Here’s to a stronger, kinder, more connected Club for Life. Just as a reminder, our Club for Life vision is: “To aspire to make a meaningful difference in our community, our country, and for humanity.” And our Club for Life mantra is: “Ask for help, offer help, share knowledge, share memories, and do good business.” And I would like to add: stay humble. Thank you. dar, and Old Boys began connecting more deeply with their old school and each other. Looking back, that “thing” we sought to build was already here: it was the collective life force of our Club. 7 000 souls spread across the world, asking for help, offering help, sharing knowl edge and memories, and doing good business. That kind of spirit can’t be built; it exists because Michaelhouse creates men, men of thought, understanding and culture. All we had to do was connect the dots. I look back with immense pride at what we, as a Club, have accomplished over the past four years. We launched the Club for Life vision, now embedded in our DNA. We deliberately placed the Old Boy at the centre of everything we do, establishing the “friend-raiser” principle to build trust and engagement by serving our members’ interests. We approached the running of the Club like a start-up busi ness, evolving the Old Boys’ Club Secretary into the Director of the Old Boys’ Club. This is a role that Ron Rutland discharges with the passion and dedication of an Old Boy. We have worked hard to develop strong fiscal discipline, so we can innovate and do more for our members. This has only been possible because of our Treasurer, Jacques Ehlers, who has the heart of an Old Boy.

ADDRESS BY THE OUTGOING CLUB PRESIDENT, MR SEAN LUMLEY

We established a comprehensive operating manual, allowing

215