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College Captain's Report 2010

Good evening everyone; esteemed guests, St Thomas' teachers and members of staff, old boys, parents, caregivers and friends of the college and of course my fellow students. It is with great pleasure and humility that I stand before you tonight, that I be given the opportunity to represent my fellow graduates on this joyous yet solemn occasion. Though one speech will never do justice to the experiences I have had, the friends I have made and the knowledge I have accumulated while wearing this crest. I wish to provide insight into my journey through St Thomas' and hopefully in doing so represent adequately my fellow graduates.

Ladies and Gentlemen, before I begin I have a confession to make, I am a sinner. I have regularly sinned throughout my seven years at St Thomas' and continue to do so to this very moment. As I stand here before you all I am probably sinning more than I have ever sinned before. This particular sin, the sin for which I will surely see damnation is pride. Ladies and gentlemen tonight I stand before you a proud man and a St Thomas' man. It is difficult not to be proud on such a momentous occasion where our whole school community is gathered to celebrate the success of its students and the growth and development of 49 years of St Thomas' tradition. To my fellow graduates I can assure you that your parents, caregivers, friends and I for one have never been more proud of you than at this very moment. Your position on this stage is testament to your dedication and persistence to becoming a St Thomas' man... for that I congratulate you.

It has become a cliché within these speeches but I remember the day, nearly seven years, ago when I joined the ranks of St Thomas men. It was with a nervous anticipation that I strode through the gates and began my journey to becoming a St Thomas' man. That day I met the boys who were then my classmates but would go on to become my friends, compatriots and my brothers. I have the honour of sharing this evening with majority of these men and also those who joined the St Thomas' journey at a later stage but how they have all changed. Now I know what you are thinking, surely men this good looking, this well rounded and this intelligent must have been born this way. I can assure you that this is not the case. Some have thinned, some have thickened, some have grown and some all three. I remember when I first started some rather witty older students nicknamed me FED, short for fat head. It's really only in recent years that my body has grown to match the size of my enormous head. Regardless of any physical growth I can assure you that the most predominant development amongst my fellow graduates has been mentally, emotionally and spiritually. For that we have our parents, caregivers, teachers and our school to thank.

Virtute Scentiem Complete, 'to round off knowledge with manliness'. This is the motto on which our school was built and on which our education is based. It underlies everything we do and why we have such fierce pride in our crest and colours. Now I can assure you that these men to my right have an abundance of knowledge but what they have which is more important is manliness, they are all St Thomas' men. A St Thomas man is not a title to be picked up, it can't be brought it can't be gifted, being a St Thomas' man has to be earned, taught, discovered and refined. It is a pursuit to be the best man you can be, to discover your inner worth. The men before you began this process nearly seven years ago and I have witnessed their determination ever since. But what is it that defines a St Thomas' man, what is it that sets us apart from the rest? In my meditation and journey of discovery I have read the writings of countless philosophers, Plato, Aristotle and Thoreau but to name a few. It was not until I read the writings of 90's singer and style icon Vanilla ice that I had a breakthrough. Let me show you.

Ice Ice Baby

All right stop collaborate and listen
Tom is back to greet this reception
memories grab a hold of me tightly
I've been with these men both daily and nightly
will their learning ever stop, yo I say no
Turn off the lights their school spirit glows.
To the extreme, any situation they'll handle
They light up this stage, spirit bright like a candle
for their looks ladies gush, their personality swoon
You always know when these men are in the room
All eyes will turn, men glare with jealousy
for their teachers have taught both knowledge and personality
Love it or leave it my message will stay
That these men have something uncommon these days
Knowledge, charisma and a spirit that yearns

To make a difference in life and continue to learn

Any future world problem you know they'll solve it
My rhyming's now done and my rapping is halting.

As you can see, a St Thomas' man is a 'special' kind of man. Our persona, values and self identity have been shaped by the special character of the school and our experiences in growth and development. And what a range of experiences we have had, in the mere seven years we have been at St Thomas' the school and indeed the entire world has become a very different place. When I first came to St Thomas' the school was a shadow of that which we now know. The music suite, the drama and media studies rooms, the library and information centre were all but a distant hope, a goal I thought surely unobtainable in seven years. Ladies and gentlemen for the first and only time in my life I am glad to say that I was wrong. St Thomas' has become a trailblazing school, a school on the frontier of technology, education and a social justice mentality. In all areas of schooling life, whether that be academic, enterprising, sporting, cultural or spiritual we have stepped out of the shadows and into the provincial, national and international spotlight. Rowing, Bishop Lyons, Young Enterprise, Theatresports, the achievements of St Thomas' men in recent years never ceases to astound.

My fellow New Zealanders, we live in a society ever changing ever developing. The days of a white middle class New Zealand are long since gone, replaced by a truly multi-ethnic, multi-religious and multi-colored society. New Zealand is a pacific rim nation, home to a range of pacific and international peoples who call our beautiful country home. Throughout our history we have long proclaimed that we are a champion of peace, equality and acceptance. In 1894 we said no to sexism, in 1939 we said no to fascism in 1981 we said no to apartheid and in 1984 we said no to nuclear. The final frontier it seems, the last great divider we have not yet completely conquered is racism. In recent months racism whether intentional or not has been hotly debated amongst the media and public. The overwhelming response from we the people has been that we will not be divided; we will not let our differences separate us. Racism it seems has no place in our New Zealand. St Thomas' is once again a trailblazer in this aspect as we have grown to celebrate the diverse range of cultures within our school and the vibrancy and richness this adds to our school community. I have had the pleasure of being immersed within the pacific culture this year through the Young Enterprise Program. I can attest to the warmth and kindness of the pacific people and the strong values and faith which unite and underlie everything they do. I only hope that everyone is given the same opportunity of insight and experience into the vibrancy of different cultures and the perspective of our brethren. If we come together to learn share and unite we will be able to look back on our years and say proudly that in 2010 we said no to racism. As Edmond Rice once said "Each Brother is an open letter from Christ- a message written not with ink but in the Spirit of the living God, with a faithful human heart to carry it."

As I sign off in both my speech and my year as college captain, it is with a heavy but full heart. To my fellow leavers, it has been an absolute pleasure and honor to share my time at St Thomas' with you. I know in my soul that whatever journey you take, whichever road you may travel it will be done so in accordance with the values and beliefs you have learned while wearing this uniform. No matter where we go in this life or the next we will always be brothers, we will always be St Thomas' men. To our teachers and all those who have guided us along the way including parents and caregivers, I thank you for your patience and your persistence in the face of such adversity. The migraines, stress and frustration finally paid off because we got here in the end. My final word is to the all of the St Thomas' men before me. Be proud. Wear your uniform and carry yourself with pride. Respect those around you but more importantly respect yourself.

Ladies and gentlemen I have a confession to make, I am a sinner, I am proud, I am a St Thomas' man and forever more I always will be. God bless and thank you.

Thomas Scott