The Chronicle 2022

ADDRESS BY THE CHAIRMAN OF THE BOARD, MR ANDREW SCHAEFER

14 OCTOBER 2022

the press from Sean Lumley who is the current Vice-President of the Old Boys’ Club, I am advised that there are currently 6,750 living Michaelhouse Old Boys spread literally all over the world. OM+ has been implemented over the last year as a powerful online portal to connect Michaelhouse Old Boys globally, and to facilitate connections in many powerful ways which represent significant opportunities for you. There are currently 2,200 registered OM+ members which constitutes one in three living Old Boys; this number is growing all the time and the vision is to have at least half of living Old Boys as registered and engaged members. Of these, over 40% have indicated they are ready and willing to mentor Michaelhouse Old Boys; almost 50% have offered to make employment and business introductions to their personal and professional networks, 34% would be very interested to be in business with a Michaelhouse Old Boy and 314 or 14% of Old Boys, would be interested to invest in a business or venture established by a Michaelhouse Old Boy. This growing and impressive engagement amongst Michaelhouse Old Boy speaks to a loyal, very committed and enabling Old Boy network which you should not hesitate to make use of through OM+ when a need or opportunity arises. In practice this means that when you are looking to chat to a professional in a career you are considering or following, find a nearby Old Boy in the role concerned to chat to. This is easily and quickly done on OM+. If you are looking for a first or second job or just a new position, try OM+ and the Old Boy network as one of your recruiting channels. Potentially an investor in an entrepreneurial venture that you may be involved with and wanting to scale can be found on OM+ amongst Old Boys who have flagged this criterion as relevant to them. Don’t be shy or hesitate to leverage the value of the Old Boy network and equally, pay forward your benefits or potential benefits, by assisting other Michaelhouse Old Boys in the very same manner. This is very much the culture and standard practice we should all promote across the Old Boys’ Club. It is reassuring to know that an approach to a Michaelhouse Old Boy potentially through OM+ should achieve a warm and receptive welcome and some effort to assist where practical. At the very least it will be interesting to share memories and stories which generally unearth surprising commonality. The Old Boys’ Club has huge plans and in fact has changed its business model to launch two new businesses in the form of Meadows Clothing and JC Todd’s Pizzeria to increase revenue for the Old Boys’ Club to support an increased staff complement which will support and facilitate the broader vision and plans of the Old Boys. I urge you all to register on OM+, stay engaged, attend nearby Old Boy functions and try to attend your year Gaudies when you can. I can certainly attest to the Old Boy events I have attended as hugely enjoyable and an important way to stay in touch with very good friends made at Michaelhouse.

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ood afternoon ladies and gentleman; my name is Andrew Schaefer. I would like to extend a special greeting and thanks today, to a very distinguished Michaelhouse Old Boy, Andrew Robertson, for attending Speech Day today as our guest speaker and for his significant effort for being here today. I am also mindful that today is all about the Michaelhouse matriculants of 2022 and to celebrate your achievements and careers this year. We are here today to participate in a significant milestone in your lives and personal journeys as your secondary schooling draws to a close, and hence I hope the proceedings today will be especially meaningful and memorable. If not, I understand there will be a recording to refer to in the years ahead, when memories may have refined and matured. It is also a particular privilege that we can attend altogether in person in this venue for Speech Day, which has certainly not been the norm over the years of Covid restrictions and which cannot therefore be taken for granted. Let me begin with a few disclaimers as relevant context. Firstly, it has been 34 years since I addressed a Speech Day at Michaelhouse and on that occasion, I was completing my years at Michaelhouse in post matric, and the venue of Speech Day was in the amphitheatre. A very long time ago I know and therefore there is some risk that I may be a little rusty. Secondly, I am proudly Farfield, which was also a point last year’s guest speaker raised. Thirdly, I am four months into the role of Board Chairman which hopefully will provide some poetic license for my brief board report I hope to share today. We have a very busy programme this afternoon, so I am under strict instructions to complete within ten minutes to make sure that we are all fresh and alert for the events to follow throughout the programme this afternoon. Men of Michaelhouse – congratulations to all those who will be receiving awards and prizes today and to the A Block of 2022 for approaching the end of your years at Michaelhouse. Yours has been a school career disrupted in many ways by the Covid pandemic, but as with life there have been many benefits and lessons learnt from the changes, hardships and disappointments which will stand you in good stead in the years ahead. I am certain that there has been substantial effort, grit and perseverance which has gone into your outstanding achievements which are being recognised, celebrated and applauded today. Take time to reflect and celebrate on your successes and what it has taken to achieve these; these attributes will almost certainly stand you in good stead ahead, if you can maintain and develop these as habits. I am also very conscious that there will be many here today that have met and exceeded their own objectives and personal bests, and on these achievements, you can equally be very proud indeed. You will shortly become fully fledged Old Boys of Michaelhouse and it is so important to emphasise that there are lifelong benefits ahead by remaining actively engaged with the Michaelhouse Old Boys’ Club which has been positioned and is steadily developing as a value adding Club for Life. Hot off

ON TO SOME RELEVANT BOARD RELATED FEEDBACK

The Board is developing a Building and Grounds masterplan and Generational Plan for Michaelhouse with the time horizon

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