Blog Archive
St. George's Challenges Shawnigan to Alumni Rugby Game!
On Saturday, April 24th, St. George's School will be celebrating the retirement of their Headmaster, Nigel Toy. As part of the festivities, there will be an afternoon of rugby culminating in a match between the Saints' senior team and our defending AAA Champion 1st XV.
The afternoon promises to be a great event, with a beer garden and an alumni dinner for any SLS grads who choose to attend. And here's the kicker: the SGS Alumni Association has challenged Shawnigan to an Alumni Rugby Game, to be played immediately before the 1st XV game kicks off!
The Alumni Game will actually be two matches: the first will be a competitive game intended for active rugby players. The second fixture will be a run around for any old boys wanting to re-live their glory days.
***IF YOU ARE INTERESTED IN PARTICIPATING IN EITHER GAME, PLEASE CONTACT RYAN PANTON '97 AT RPANTON@SHAWNIGAN.CA AS SOON AS POSSIBLE!! FIRST COME, FIRST SERVED!!***
We look forward to invading St. George's with as many alumni as possible in hopes of making the afternoon one that our current students and grads will never forget. So spread the word to your friends and encourage them to be part of a great afternoon of rugby!
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Sarah and Claire in Costa Rica - Entry #4
February 8, 2010
My apologies for the lack of post last week—most of the excitement resulted from a bacterial stomach infection Claire and I were suffering through. Likely originating from something we ate (still not sure), we spent the entire week lying in bed eating small pieces of toast and drinkable yogurt. Thankfully we received fantastic medical care at one of the local private hospitals. Initially unable keep anything down, I was taken straight to the emergency room, where they immediately administered blood tests, intravenous doses of Gravol and pain relievers, as well as rehydration fluids. While I was lying in the hospital bed getting all the fancy treatments, Claire was suddenly hit by the same symptoms and was simply diagnosed with all the same “goodies.” Thanks in large part to the immediate and efficient care we both received, the entire ordeal was oddly amusing. The rest of the week revolved around taking our bundle of medical treats and submitting to the torture of the food network.
On a very different note, yesterday (Sunday, February 7) was the Costa Rican Federal Election. I have never witnessed a more vibrant election process. Literally the entire country is interested and involved in the presidential race. On Election Day everyone is out in the streets decked out in the colors of their chosen party, waving flags, honking their car horns CONSTANTLY—celebrating the entire process. The ruling National Liberation Party elected Laura Chinchilla as their presidential candidate. She held a significant lead in the Opinion Polls since October 2009, and last night just after 9:00, she was elected as the first female President of Costa Rica with 46% of the electorate. She is young, but stunningly articulate (even when you understand only a small percentage of what she says) and gracefully strong and it will be incredibly interesting to experience first-hand the effect she has on the country.
As we approach the end of our first month here, we have a mix of feelings. We’ve scratched the surface of the country, have found the work with the children interesting and increasingly satisfying, have appreciated the opportunities we’ve had to see some of the sights, are feeling the heat is a little more bearable, and sensing that we are slowly carving out a reasonable working and living routine for ourselves. But occasionally there is a creeping sense of displacement, not exactly homesickness, but both Claire and I find ourselves thinking more deeply about what we’ve taken on and making comparisons with our lives at home. This is no doubt natural. For myself, I recognize that to make the experience work effectively I need to devote more time and energy to my language skills; without a functional measure of fluency, I am limited in my versatility.
We hope that all is well at home in the lead-up to the Olympics; we will be watching all Olympic coverage that NBC has to offer!
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Who Dat and all that?
It's always very tempting for someone of my age to attempt to be more 'in touch' or 'with it' than they really are and it's especially so if you are in one of the crustier positions in life - that of Head of a fairly traditional independent boarding school! As Twain said though, "I can resist anything except temptation", so I will have to comment on the event which draws 90 million viewers worldwide and that would be the Super Bowl. Whether you like football or not, it's hard not to be drawn in by some aspect of the formidable marketing job that the NFL does with its product. Borrowing from the same basic elements that fuelled the Coliseum in Ancient Rome, the NFL's gladiators are deified and packaged as the super-heroes of the sportsworld. Who needs eloquence when the quest of a whole state, a story of historical disenfranchisement made worse by natural disasters, can be reduced to a two word question that is on the same level as a glorified grunt - who dat? Well, the underdogs, who bear the somewhat ironic 'Saints' name which doesn't seem to fit with the seamier image of the city, did in fact earn the respect they crave in their two-word question and all power to them! I, for one, approved of their triumph and I love their black and gold uniforms!
The big question is surely what is behind the question though. "Who is that?" means an invitation to find out more about someone or an indication by their actions that it would be worthwhile to do that, both very laudable approaches to life. Curiosity is good and being interested in the worth of others is even better. If we adopt that as a natural response to others then we may well be starting from the standpoint of respect and, of course, that is crucial.
However, I cannot let the whole event go by without a comment on the so-called 'half-time show'. I'm not sure who it is that believes that aging rockers with decrepit bodies and faltering voices have even a smidgeon of the appeal that they used to have! I suppose it's too much to hope that the coincidence of the name of the band in question and the question of the moment are linked, but I would have to depart from my earlier advice and throw in a couple of extra words to convey my disbelief at how bad Daltry and co. had become, finally asking - who on earth dat !!??
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Dustin D. and the Canadian Sr. Men's Sevens
Canada's Senior Men's team, featuring Shawnigan Grade 12 student Dustin D., is through to the Cup Quarterfinal round in the IRB's NZI Sevens tournament in Wellington, New Zealand!
The Canadian team has been one of the stories of the tournament so far. Despite fielding a young squad including three players still in their teens, Canada managed to win two of their three opening-round games. They powered past Argentina 26-7 in their first match of the day, before dropping a 27-14 decision to a highly skilled Samoan squad. These first two results set up a "must win" situation for the Canadians against a more experienced and highly favoured French entry. The Canadian team trailed 12-7 at halftime, but surged back in the second half, with a last-second converted try seeing them run out victorious, 21-19.
Dustin featured in both Canadian victories, and will surely remember the thrill of playing before a capacity crowd of 40,000 at Westpac Stadium as a highlight of his rugby career. For now, though, the focus is on the task at hand as Canada prepares for a quarterfinal matchup against a powerful England side. Can the Cinderella run continue? Stay tuned...
- Ryan Panton, Alumni Relations
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Horace McClelland’s 90th Birthday Bash
Whether it was the good clean living expected of a man of the cloth or lucky genes, the Reverend Canon Horace McClelland celebrated his 90th birthday in remarkably good nick. Given the significance of this major milestone plus the former SLS Headmaster, Chaplain and rugby coach’s 40-year association with Shawnigan, the School feted Horace and Mrs. Mac (AKA Sheila) with a big birthday gathering at the Headmaster’s House. The 90th bash drew dozens of alumni and former colleagues from as far a field as San Francisco. They made the trek to honour – and mildly roast – their former mentor. Emails flooded in from around the globe…some indicating surprise that Horace was only 90. The Hon. Mr. Justice Chris Grauer ’68 was perplexed, as he was sure Horace was already 90 way back in the 60’s! Others more kindly observed that they look forward to attending his 100th. Another noted that Horace had soldiered on so long that his age is now likely higher than his golf score. Old pal Ivor Ford remembered Horace saying that he heard ‘Jesus’, ‘Christ’ and ‘God’ mentioned far more often while he was refereeing rugby on Saturday than he ever did on Sunday at Matins or Evensong. But the best oratory of the evening was Horace’s reply to all the tributes. He joked that he could not recognize the fine fellow everyone seemed to be lionizing. For any age he was good, for 90 – astounding! Crisp, humourous, heartfelt and what a memory! He ran through several rugby teams – citing players’ names, positions, strengths, weaknesses and season outcomes. A stellar performance and no doubt just one of the reasons for such a loyal turnout for a fit and fine man. The School presented Horace with a giant birthday card featuring a life size portrait by Emma Hollings ’08 of him sporting his paratrooper’s red beret. Congratulations Horace on living life well. Next stop – 100! Cheers.
PS – Seven couples of the dozens of SLS marriages that Horace has performed showed up to put proof to the validity of his “life time guarantee.”
– Steve Housser ’67, Executive Director of the Shawnigan Lake School Foundation
Photos by Stephen Lane
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