A Message To Year 13 Students Given By The Rector At The Senior Prize Giving

By Richard Hall | Posted: Monday October 31, 2016

At this time is falls on me to speak specially to the Year 13s. It is an opportunity that I value and one the I hope can be of some small use to you. For you are a different bunch, in fact if I believed you have a strength as a group, and I do believe you have strength, it is in your diversity.

Diversity in ability, diversity of goals and of faith, diversity in interests, in needs and in circumstance; a diversity of purpose.

But you share a key similarity - you are OB's boys. 

And in that for us lies your strength for you have been very loyal to your school.

I ask you to continue our values and our traditions into the next step - either the well planned and methodically connected next step or the shut your eyes and hope next step, for tomorrow gentlemen is that next step.

You will always value respect, honour, courage and perseverance, and I have seen in each of you this year your own personal excellence.

You have contributed to the positive culture experiences by many, particularly Year 9s in our school, you have added to the mana of the institution on the stage and sports fields, and we thank you for that. You have been our first form leaders.

Value what you have, value who gave it to you, value what is important and discard what is not.

You are the cause and matter in your own life, take time over the important decisions, take time to listen to those you trust, and give your trust to others and your time.

Take risks and always be prepared to put your hand up to help not out for what might be in it for you.

Remember you are a generation who will re-write much of the rules, you will be entrusted to rescue, replenish and replace what has been lost by generations before you.

Use your indomitable spirit, that flush of youth to recreate a world in which the spirit matches the rhetoric.

Get off your phone and your device, you are young and fit, stay that way.

Be aware, how you carry yourself counts.

Boys, you have given much joy to your parents and family, that joy has been worth their pain and sacrifice, so enjoy the next steps, do not fear what has not happened, make mistakes, but make them ones to fix.

Year 13 we have enjoyed your progress and your diversity.

As per the boys tradition I will finish with a quote.

"If you want to know the difference between school and life? In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson."