Rooted in Friendship: Sixty Years Later, reported by Doreen Malan
“A long time in the planning, our 1966 Matric’s 60th school reunion was celebrated over three days. Our group of 29 had three E66’s joining us from the UK, one from the US and a few from other parts of S.A.
At a “Meet and Greet” Cocktail Party on Thursday, 5th February in Charlie’s Hope, a welcome address by Felicity Swanson (Holmes), our Deputy Head Girl, preceded the E66 Tree-planting Ceremony.
Thanks to Mr Gates who joined us briefly for a few words of welcome, a group photo and for doing the “spade work” in the planting of our White Pear Tree, Apodytes Dimidiata – thanks to the generous donations made by our E66’s!
Over some bubbly and delicious canapés, we enjoyed reuniting with those we had not seen for a long time – in some cases the entire sixty years – and catching up with what we had done in the intervening years. The name tags were a great help in providing names to familiar faces. Our memorabilia table brought back many memories of our years at Rustenburg and highlighted the changes within the school with many new facilities, updated classrooms and upgraded learning spaces and labs.
The next morning 25 of us were back at the school for morning tea. The birthday assembly was a beautiful way for us to learn more of the recent achievements of our Alma Mater as well as the new school houses, the updated school badge and the revised school song, which was beautifully sung by all. Most impressive was the “Birthday CHEER” in the Quad, with the entire school participating!
After lunch in the Thomson Hall, where our E66 place mats recorded the new houses, motto, badge and school song (thank you Colleen de Villiers nee Jacobson), some joined a school and boarding house tour, to see for themselves all the many changes that had taken place over the past 60 years.
We finally ended our Reunion celebration with 18 of us attending a Farewell Brunch at the Kelvin Grove Poolside Cafe on Saturday. It was a very sad moment when we had to say goodbye to those who had come from afar, but those amongst us who are fortunate enough to live in the Cape are already making plans to get together soon!”
