SHAWNIGAN LAKE SCHOOL Alumni News

Please join us for the 16th Annual Shawnigan Alumni Golf Classic on Thursday, June 5, 2008, (noon arrival for a 1:00pm shotgun start) at the University Golf Club in Vancouver, BC.

The Shawnigan Alumni Golf Classic is the major alumni event on the Lower Mainland and we therefore want non-golfers to receive this as an invitation to join us for dinner. Cocktails commence at 5:30 pm and dinner is at 6:30 pm. There is plenty of time to socialize, excellent prizes and David Robertson will present “The Headmaster’s State of the School Address.” The evening should run no later than 9:00 pm.

Make up a foursome, twosome, or come on your own to have fun and reconnect with old pals from Shawnigan and Strathcona. The cost is $150. And, for you non-golfers, once again our invitation is that you join us for dinner at 5:30 pm ($25). Please help us out by reserving your spot now.

Tee-signs can be purchased for $200. To order, please contact Matthuw Ronald- Jones at mrj@sls.bc.ca.
PLEASE REGISTER ONLINE and forward the invitation to friends who can join us! You can also register by phone: (250) 743-6235.

Chris Cooper ’88 (Lake’s)
Golf Classic, Committee Chair

We were so pleased to be able to meet with Alumni who are in the New York area and who ranged in graduation years from 1975 through to 2006. The Evening started at the Hilton Hotel, where we met in the Lobby Lounge. David Schieldrop ‘82 was our New York host for the evening and he led us all on a walk to the Blue Fin restaurant where we enjoyed a fabulous meal. The warmth and generosity of this gathering of Shawnigan Alumni was inspirational! Thank you to those who could come out.

The 3rd SLS Spirit Gala was held Saturday, February 16th at the Fairmont Waterfront in Vancouver. The Gala was a terrific time for current parents, alumni and friends to connect at a classy social occasion. More than 250 guests had signed up for the great evening of dinner, live and silent auctions and dancing. Although the over-riding purpose was fun and friend-raising, a great deal of time and effort went into gathering some excellent items and experiences for auction. The revenue is still being tallied but all indications are that bidders were most generous, and in certain cases exuberant, as with one board member who mistakenly bid against himself for some very fine scotch.
One ‘priceless’ experience on the auction block, the chance to be ‘Headmaster for a Day’, generated spirited and aggressive bidding. The auctioneer for this particular item was none other than the Headmaster himself. Mr. Robertson started the bidding at the most modest and self-deprecating price of $20. That, however, quickly escalated into a final bid 250 times the humble open! Debby Tonn won Mr. Robertson’s role for daughter Madison. It is enthusiastically hoped that Madison will exercise her newfound powers to grant students (and please, do not forget staff!) a half-day holiday.
Money raised at the Gala is earmarked for three causes: the Spirit Gala Bursary to help a student of great spirit and character to come to, or remain at Shawnigan regardless of financial resources. The new Sportsplex is also a recipient of funds raised at the Gala, and money will be directed to the Graham Anderson Scholarship Endowment in honour of Mr. Anderson’s dedication to Shawnigan and teaching. Graham’s half-century of service was celebrated at the Gala with tributes by the Headmaster, John McIntyre ‘60, a video and well-deserved standing ovation.
A successful evening such as the Gala could not have happened without terrific volunteers and patient co-ordination under the direction of Matthuw Ronald-Jones. The Gala Committee put in hundreds of hours of time, energy and expertise. They were assisted by a band of dedicated, mostly parent volunteers who slaved away on the set-up and seeing that all went smoothly. A big thanks and hats off to our Gala Committee, volunteers, auctioneer Cam Drew and not least—to all our generous donors for their auction items—and spirited bidding!

Thirty Shawnigan Old Boys, friends and family members spent the weekend of Feb. 8/10 attending the IRB Sevens World Series rugby tournament held annually in San Diego.
On Thursday and Friday there was a men’s club Sevens tournament, including a UVic squad coached by Rick Farrally ‘63, as well as a women’s International Sevens competition ultimately won by the USA ‘A’ team which defeated the Canada ‘A’ team in the final.
In the men’s International competition on Saturday and Sunday, a powerful New Zealand team defeated South Africa 27-12 in the final. Our Canadian men had a somewhat disappointing weekend on the field, losing some closely contested matches in the last minute of play.
On Friday night more than two hundred Canadian rugby fans as well as the Canadian men’s and women’s sevens squads attended a supporters’ party at Henry’s Pub. This social was very well organized by the Rugby Canada Foundation and a significant amount of money was raised during the evening in support of Canadian Rugby.
Not to be outdone by last year’s group, some of the more adventurous among us traveled on Saturday evening to and from Tijuana by private limousine to enjoy a memorable evening meal.
On Sunday evening, some of us gathered at a downtown hotel to salute the Canadian men’s team and to bid adieu to each other until next year’s event.
Thanks once again to Matthuw Ronald-Jones for organizing the San Diego weekend for the Shawnigan group. It was great to have Headmaster Robertson among us for the weekend.
Fellow SLOBS, if you like watching exciting sevens rugby, you should seriously consider joining us next February in sunny San Diego! To whet your appetite check the usasevens.com website for a description of this year’s event. - John Creighton ‘62

Reunion Day 2007 was a huge success with more than 150 alumni returning for the day. We were pleased to have as our Founder’s Day speaker, Ian Robertson ‘57 (Groves’). Also reading in Chapel were Austin Spry ‘97 (Lonsdale’s) and Anna Panton ‘67 (Strathcona) and our service was officiated by Archbishop Andrew Hutchison. The Chapel was filled with Alumni and families from the classes of 1957, ‘67, ‘77, ‘87, ‘92, and ‘97. Following the Alumni luncheon many walked up to the the DH-L Pavilion to watch the Rugby World Cup 2007 final. The Shawnigan catering staff put on a fabulous dinner for the Alumni and Faculty.
Reunion Day 2008 is scheduled for Saturday, October 18th. Returning classes will include ‘48, ‘58, ‘68, ‘78, ‘83, ‘88, ‘93 & ‘98.

The Drama program will be performing “A Few Good Men” at the School Feb. 1&2. See the students tackle this entertaining show - and who will deliver Jack Nicholson’s famous line? “the truth.you can’t handle the truth!”
This year’s Musical is “Guys & Dolls” April 3, 4 & 5. at the Cowichan Theatre. Always a highlight of the School year, all alumni and friends of the School are invited to attend. Tickets are available through the Cowichan Theatre box office at 250-748-PLAY.

The SLS Spirit Gala is fast approaching and tickets are going quickly. If you would like to come and celebrate Graham Anderson’s 51st year of teaching at Shawnigan please mark your calendars for February 16.
Tickets are available by calling the Alumni Office at 250-743-6235 or visiting our on-line site www.spiritgala.com. For information, please contact Matthuw Ronald-Jones ‘93 at spiritgala@sls.bc.ca or (250) 743-7257.