Scots College – Learning. For Life.

A great weekend was enjoyed by many Old Boys and their wives and families as the Induction of Dick Evans into the SCOBA Garden of Honour was celebrated.

Dick and his wife Pam were joined by two of their daughters, Kirsty and Rose, and more than 50 Old Boys and current and former staff members from near and far.

The weekend started with a wonderful cocktail party hosted by SCOBA at the Wellington Club.

A group of Year of ’89 Old Boys had planned a get together for the weekend and thoroughly enjoyed mixing in with some of the older generations of Old Boys.

A feature of the Cocktail Evening at the Wellington Club was the video link-up with current All Black and Old Boy, Victor Vito, who was in Johannesburg for the third Tri-Nations game against the Springbok team.

Victor spoke warmly about his old school and the lessons it taught him about hard work and focus and determination which have stood him in such good stead as a university student and professional rugby player.  The link-up ended with a resounding chorus of best wishes for the subsequent test (which the All Blacks won 29-22 in the last few minutes of the game with Victor Vito on the field playing his part).

Dick and Pam, who were accommodated at the Wellington Club, joined senior members of the SCOBA Executive for dinner after the cocktails.  Among the dinner guests was Pam Tubert, widow of a famous Wellington radio and TV personality of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s – Bas Tubert – who was also a Scots College Old Boy and for two years worked in the same TV2 newsroom with current Old Boys Executive Chairman, Francis Wevers.

On Saturday the plaque recording Dick Evan’s Induction into the Garden of Honour was dedicated by Scots College Chaplain, Robin Palmer, before about 60 guests.  The Citation for the Induction can be read on the SCOBA website on the Garden of Honour Page.

Among the guests at the Induction were Dick’s old friend, Morva Wadham, widow of iconic teacher Kay Wadham, and Shirley Martin who was inducted into the Garden of Honour, alongside Kay Wadham in 2004.  Kay and Morva’s son, Mark, came down from Palmerston North to be part of the celebrations.

Also among the guests were John Francis, son of VFO Francis who was a teacher at Scots for 19 years and acted as Headmaster during the absence on war duty of Colonel Glasgow.

The Dedication ceremony was followed by a tour of the college facilities and a light lunch during which the Headmaster, Graham, Yule, showed the video which was prepared for the promotion of the new development being undertaken at the College – the Creative and Performing Arts Centre and the Covered Sports Centre.

On the Saturday evening Dick Evans was a guest of the Wellington Rugby Football Union where he was feted and  treated to a great night out watching the Wellington Lions beat Waikato convincingly.  A large number of older members of the Wellington Rugby Union took the time to spend a few minutes with Dick catching up and reminiscing about the past.

All in all it was a very successful two days of Old Boys activities and bodes well for the future.