The Old Diocesan Issue 13 - Magazine - Page 16
SCHOOL NEWS
Our boys must see these
examples set not only at school,
but also within their families and
the wider community of alumni.
They must read how the adults
they aspire to become express
their views. They must see and
hear the example set by those
who are special to them within
their immediate community.
They must look up to the kinds of
men who have emerged from this
extraordinary place and gone on
to do extraordinary things – men
such as those recognised through
the awarding of the Robert Gray
Medal; individuals who inspire
them, but not only those who
have received public acclaim.
We want men who show our
boys what it means to be a good
father, partner, grandfather and
mentor – men who contribute
positively to society and treat
others in a manner rooted in
the values that we speak of so
often. We want men who show
up for our boys every day.
Boys will crawl over broken glass
to gain a nod of approval from
their fathers, in particular, and
they watch with eager eyes the
behaviour of men around them as
they strive to emulate the actions
of those older than them. We have
many extraordinary people in our
community of adults – parents,
ODs, teachers, siblings. It is in
our own best interests to grow
the next generation of boys at
our school into the best they can
be. To inspire them to greatness
for society – no matter what that
looks like – and to inspire them,
more importantly, to greatness
within, so that no matter their
lot in life, they will always be
Good Men, good men of Bishops.
EISTEDDFOD 2026
ODU Director Andy Wood had front-row seats at this year’s Eisteddfod
Established by John Peake in 1987,
the Eisteddfod is always a highlight
on the Bishops calendar. This year’s
edition took place in June and once
again demonstrated the remarkable
talents of our boys.
Together with family and
friends, I enjoyed watching boys
share their love of music, art and
drama in many different ways.
The programme included string
performances; choral singing;
English, isiXhosa and French
speeches; an a cappella festival;
and an impressive art exhibition.
Boys from Kidd House perform
their ensemble piece at the CTICC.
As ever, the culmination of the
Eisteddfod is the Interhouse Singing,
a tradition that dates back to 1971. It
has grown enormously in both scale
and standard since. This year, more
than 2,500 people gathered at the
Cape Town International Convention
Centre to watch each house perform
a prescribed song, a chosen song
and an ensemble piece, with every
boy in the school participating.
Congratulations to Mallett House,
who won on the night, while Kidd
ended Gray’s remarkable sevenyear reign to claim the overall
Eisteddfod Owl. Special mention
must go to Ogilvie’s ensemble
performance.
Events of this quality do not
happen by chance. Our sincere
thanks go to the many staff
members who teach, mentor
and encourage our boys, and
who manage the extensive logistics
behind the scenes. Particular
thanks go to Mark Mitchell, who
has co-ordinated the Eisteddfod
for a number of years. Under his
leadership, the festival continues
to enrich the cultural life of Bishops.
