The Last Word

By Harry Devereux | Posted: Tuesday July 5, 2022

For those who don't know, my name is Harry Devereux and I am a sports prefect this year.

Today I want to talk to you boys about some things I feel are important and have shaped me to be the man I am today. My goal of this speech is not to receive a standing ovation or to force a belief on you. What I want is just a small handful of boys or even one boy to leave this auditorium thinking more positively about themselves, and maybe have a bit of stress taken off their shoulders in regards to where they’re heading in life.

I came here as a skinny little boy and now I weirdly feel almost like an adult. I guess you could say I don’t want my free trial in life to end.

But it kind of has.

I'm 18 now and legally an adult. Instead of a lunchtime in the Dean's room with Cronie, it could potentially be a lot worse. This thought scares me a bit, knowing my time out into the real world is fast approaching, because it feels like yesterday I was a junior.

I do wish I could go back to Year 9 and do it all again, to talk to some people I wasn’t close with. Unfortunately that's just a fantasy. Life moves forward not back, so I can only move on.

In my time at OBHS I’ve had an absolute blast finding the people I enjoy spending time with and I see a lot of them around me today. Things such as volleyball and some awesome classroom selections have led to me making what I hope to be a few lifelong friends.

I was once told that connections are everything. Sometimes who you know is more important than what you know. So I encourage you all to try and make connections with people, phones and social media are also helpful. Being able to talk to almost anyone in the world is great, but sometimes it's better to put the phone down. I know we think they’re pretty necessary but a face to face conversation means much more than words on a screen.

My time at OBHS has given me a clearer sense of what I want to do with my limited time on earth, which is to live a life that would be worth watching again and again.

They say you can leave the hoops, but the hoops will never leave you. This is true to me in regards to the memories I’ve made here.

A few memorable moments for me are:

The stories which are not to be repeated from the overnight at camp.

The team deathmatch against the Year 13s at the end of camp where 1st XV forward Lucas Govaerts squad wiped us.

And last but not least, when Hamish Cattaway got sent out of class for looking out the window when it was snowing. Good times.

I believe that memories are important. They teach you something no book or teacher can, how to be a kid, how to have fun. I know you will all have your own versions of these memorable moments, and I can’t stress enough how important it is to hold them close to you.

In my eyes, knowledge is not power, memories are. You can have all the knowledge in the world, be the smartest man around. But when your life flashes in front of you, when your time comes, do you really want to see a load of words on a page?

This is the reason why I have found balance to be the key. Balance between school work and what you want do on the weekend has its benefits. This kind of balance is different for everyone, some find it harder than others and some find it easier. The truth is, balance is essential. Balance is the key to all life, habitats and ecosystems. Balance is the satisfaction of existence, the perfect steadiness that comes from having your work and social life in perfect harmony.

I often ask myself, “how can I be a good man?”

What does a good man do? What are his morals?

This meaning has changed a lot over time and has changed in recent years with the influence from social media and new found communities. A long time ago, a good man was a man of god, a man who looked after and provided for his family.

Well, I'm not religious.

I'm not really a significant provider in my family.

And most of my skills are used on a volleyball court.

What does that make me?

Well gents, it's like I said before, our understanding of being a good man has changed. I think we find the true meaning within these walls. It means being there for your brothers and sisters, lifting others even when you can barely lift yourself, being a 'Man of Oak'.

I am lost on how to finish this speech. Do I stray from tradition? Or do I honour it?

I am going to end my last word with a question.

When your time comes and you stare death in the eyes, what do you want your life to look like when it flashes by? Will it be worth watching?