The Dragon Fall 2007 Issue by St. George's School

THE YEAR THAT WAS • GEORGIAN ENTREPRENEURS • SHENANIGANS

Honouring

GEORGIANS St. George’s School

Fall 2007

MANAGING EDITOR Gordon C. Allan GRAPHIC DESIGNER Bruce Elbeblawy SENIOR EDITOR Christine Moore GEORGIANS EDITOR Bryan R. Ide '99 Manager of Georgian Relations ARCHIVES AND HISTORY EDITOR Elizabeth Knox PRESIDENT OF THE ST. GEORGE’S OLD BOYS’ ASSOCIATION A.G. (Alex) Tsakumis '84 PHOTOGRAPHERS Gordon Allan Dominic Chan Bruce Elbeblawy Fitness on the Go Georgian Photographers Andrew Kay Kyla Brown Photography www.kylabrown.com Adam Lorant Guy McKenzie-Smith Rudy Nielsen Neil Piller School Archives Eric Stewart David Zhu

THE

DRAGON St. George’s School

Fall 2007

EDITORIAL 3

Entrepreneurs by Gordon C. Allan

SCHOOL LIFE 4

An Interview with the Headmaster by Staff

The Successful Entrepreneur by Peter R.B. Armstrong '72

The Challenge by Don Livingston

The Year that Was by School Staff and Students

The Next Generation of Entrepreneurs by Adam Lorant

Silent Service—Robotics at Saints by Andrew Kay

Business Education by Dr. Kooi Ong Tong and Laurier Primeau

Entrepreneur of the Year by Gordon C. Allan

Heart2Heart by Gordon C. Allan

History of the Senior School by Gordon C. Allan

Upcoming Admission

Open Houses

THE GEORGIANS SECTION SENIOR SCHOOL

The Dragon is published twice per year, expressly for Georgians, parents, and friends of St. George’s School. It is also distributed to other Canadian independent schools and selected public or private institutions. Comments about any of the articles are always welcome. Address all correspondence to: Gordon C. Allan Managing Editor, The Dragon St. George’s School 3851 West 29th Avenue Vancouver BC V6S 1T6 CANADA Phone: (604) 222-5817 Fax: (604) 224-4366 Email: thedragon@stgeorges.bc.ca Please contact our office to be added to the mailing list. PUBLICATIONS MAIL AGREEMENT NO. 40580507 RETURN UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO: ST. GEORGE'S SCHOOL SOCIETY 3851 WEST 29TH AVENUE VANCOUVER BC V6S 1T6 The Dragon is copyright © 2007 St. George’s School, Vancouver BC Canada. Reproduction rights: We encourage you to circulate or copy this material unmodified for your own private use. You may quote any article or portion of article with attribution. Quotation of any article or portion of article without attribution is prohibited. The Dragon, its contents, or material may not be sold, intact or modified, nor included in any package or product offered for sale.

SPECIAL FEATURE: ENTREPRENEURSHIP

Grades 8 to 12 only • Tuesday, October 16, 2007 7:00 pm sharp

The Three Ps of Entrepreneurship by A.G. (Alex) Tsakumis '84

Staying Connected by Bryan R. Ide '99

• Wednesday, November 14, 2007 7:00 pm sharp

Georgian Entrepreneur: Daniel Mezheritsky '02 by Gordon C. Allan

Georgian Entrepreneur: Rudy Nielsen '60 by Bryan R. Ide '99

• Tuesday, January 15, 2008 7:00 pm sharp

Georgian Entrepreneur: Guy McKenzie-Smith '75 by Bryan R. Ide '99

JUNIOR SCHOOL

Boarding in the 40s by Tom Lymbery '46

Saints’ Shenanigans by Brian Lecky '65

Grades 6 and 7 only • Wednesday, October 17, 2007 7:00 pm sharp

Honouring Georgians by Bryan R. Ide '99

Saints’ Notes compiled by Elizabeth Knox and Bryan R. Ide '99

Help Find An Old Boy

The Gift of the Sower by William B. Choi '93

St. George’s School is proud to be associated with: Independent Schools Association of British Columbia (ISA)

• Thursday, November 15, 2007 7:00 pm sharp Grades 1 to 5 only • Wednesday, January 16, 2008 7:00 pm sharp Grades 1 to 3 only • Tuesday, February 12, 2008 7:00 pm sharp

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR

The word 'entrepreneur' can be traced to the thirteenth century French verb, "entreprendre" which means "to do something" or "to undertake". However it wasn't until 1730 that the Irish economist, Richard Cantillon, began to use the term entrepreneur to mean someone who undertakes a business. Today, it connotes far more than someone who takes on a business. It suggests one who takes risks, shows independent leadership, has motivation, and can often see opportunity where others have floundered. It brings to mind people like Steve Jobs and Bill Gates, who were not merely content working for others. They were pioneers who saw glasses that were half full rather than half empty. In a community like St. George's, entrepreneurship is alive at all levels. As you will read in this edition of The Dragon, there are students who are studying the fundamental business principles required to become a successful entrepreneur. One student was recognized as an Entrepreneur of the Year at a local high school competition. Two boarding students set up a registered charity to build schools in China and generated over $50,000 in revenue. Junior School students have already been mentored as entrepreneurs and raised over $1,000. A new investment club at the Senior School will have the opportunity to invest a few thousand dollars. At the same time, the members will learn about the importance of having sound investment strategies. We also have Georgians who, in their own right, have proven themselves as wonderful examples of entrepreneurship: some have just started out and others have made their company legendary. Amongst the latter, our Chairman of the Board of Directors, Peter R.B. Armstrong '72, is a highly regarded entrepreneur who took a struggling railway and made it into the worldclass Rocky Mountaineer.

Entrepreneurs Alive at St. George’s School

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Setting goals, taking risks, believing in yourself, being innovative, driven, and having a passion underlie much of what is expected from a St. George's School student.

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hortly after our first thematic issue of The Dragon appeared last spring, an issue in which we examined Georgians who were serving our country and the work our Junior School students were undertaking researching Old Boys who had been killed in action, Greg Devenish, Principal of the Junior School, proposed the idea that we make “Entrepreneurship” the theme for our Fall 2007 edition.

by Gordon C. Allan, Managing Editor

Setting goals, taking risks, believing in yourself, being innovative, driven, and having a passion underlie much of what is expected from a St. George's School student. As our successful Georgian entrepreneurs will confirm, these are the skills more than knowledge acquired from books, which guided them towards success. At St. George's School, we are a community of learners, with our learning extending well beyond the four walls of the classroom into practical application in the real world. Sine Timore aut Favore

Fall 2007 • 3

SCHOOL LIFE

Nigel Toy has completed ten years at the helm of St. George's School. To mark this important milestone, the editors of The Dragon met him during the summer to hear his reflections on the role he has played in shaping a number of key areas of the School.

An Interview

with the Headmaster

4 â&#x20AC;˘ The Dragon

You have completed ten years as Headmaster of St. George's School. What was your mandate when you first arrived at the School in 1997 and to what extent have you fulfilled this mandate? I think I was entrusted to raise the profile of the School in BC and to establish it as the leading institution in the Province (and Canada). Of course, I inherited an extremely good school and along with the Board and the Faculty we seem to have built on that foundation. What are some of the biggest changes you have seen during your tenure? Obviously the School population has grown and we now have what I would call a critical mass. This has helped to make St. George's competitive across all of its endeavours. This growth has also provided us with the ability to offer a much broader range of options. A faculty such as ours which is willing to lead, coupled with the successes that our students have achieved in all areas of the School, have resulted in a school that has a confidence and a spirit of real community. In what way would you distinguish St. George's School from some of the other independent schools in the country? St. George's with its West Coast location clearly reflects the boundless opportunities and optimism that is the West. As to what else makes us special, I would point to the unique way in which the School has been able to excel in Academics, Arts, Athletics, as well within the overall Service and Leadership areas. This has always been its hallmark. The pendulum seems to be swinging more and more towards single-sex education. How would you characterize the benefits of an all-boys‘ school? Single-sex schools have been around for centuries. However, I sincerely believe the boys' school has re-established its niche worldwide in the past two decades. When you come to know boys, it becomes incredibly fulfilling to witness what they can achieve. A school that can focus on their needs can get the very best from them individually and collectively, particularly in an environment like the one that exists at St. George's. The School has an excellent reputation in Academics and Athletics, but its recent successes in the Arts are not as well known. Can you describe the growth in these areas? As I alluded to earlier, the depth and breadth of our Arts and Cultural program is quite remarkable. Once that culture is embodied it carries its own momentum. In so many areas we have gifted faculty and the boys themselves want to excel in opportunities beyond the classroom and the sports field. Nationally ranked musicians and awardwinning artists are now commonplace at the School.

The School continues to have a thriving boarding program. What role does boarding play in a school like St. George's? We are fortunate to have a boarding facility, Harker Hall, with room for 125 essentially Senior (Grades 6 to 12) students. This allows us to seek boys worldwide to enrich the entire student body. Like any ex-boarder, I have always understood that the boarding experience is an education in itself. The media often characterizes independent schools as places for the privileged and élite and yet St. George's is giving away more financial assistance than ever before. Is this an important objective for you? The word 'élite' is inevitably ascribed to private schools. I accept that. However, I have always aspired to see it in the context of striving for high standards and ultimately for excellence. If seeking to be the best is perceived as élitist, then that is how the word has been distorted. No school in the world can really be the domain of the privileged and expect to succeed. We all need to be open to the infusion of many types of students who coalesce, because they want to do well. For some, scholarship and bursary assistance will be critical. As a headmaster, this is truly one of the most rewarding things to do. What role does fundraising play in a school like St. George's? Fundraising belongs now to all private and independent schools and St. George's is no

exception. We want to add facilities and resources and to grow our Endowment Fund to provide scholarships and bursaries. Vibrant fundraising allows us to achieve these goals and maintain fees that are realistic for most families. The School has just come out of a major building campaign. What were the main objectives of this campaign and where does the School move from here? The objective in our Building and Campus Development is simply to give faculty, staff, and students a fine environment. That endeavour never stops. So many ideas change, therefore we must keep forging ahead and never be complacent. What have been your biggest challenges as Headmaster of St. George's during the last ten years? As I reflect over the past decade, there have been many challenges! Really that has been what has driven me. If there is one ongoing challenge, it is trying to enrich and expand the School and at the same time hold fees to a realistic level. To have a great school means confronting that challenge everyday. In closing, are there any further observations on which you would care to comment? I have always wanted a school where boys enjoy attending and from that, all else flows.

Fall 2007 • 5

SCHOOL LIFE

The Successful Entrepreneur Some thoughts from our Chairman, Peter R.B. Armstrong '72 n addition to being Chairman of the Board at St. George's School, Peter R.B. Armstrong '72 is Founder, President, Chief Executive Officer, and a principal of the Armstrong Group, which owns and operates Rocky Mountaineer Vacations, the largest privately owned passenger rail service in North America. He also owns and runs Gray Line West, which is a successful motor coach operation based in Western Canada.

Mr. Armstrong's entrepreneurial spirit became evident when, as a 21-year-old doorman at the Hotel Vancouver, he formed Spotlight Tours, a small, specialized sightseeing bus company. But this was only the beginning of his career in the tour industry. In 1979, he initiated the privatization of Gray Line, a Provincial Crown Corporation. This was the first such privatization of government assets in BC and he became a partner in the private company and also took the lead as President.

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Entrepreneurs know how important it is to cultivate a strong business network and to have close friends who can step in to help along the way.

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Peter R.B. Armstrong '72, Chairman WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE A SUCCESSFUL ENTREPRENEUR? Peter Armstrong attributes much of his grounding as an entrepreneur to the education he received at St. George's School and when asked by the editors of the The Dragon for the top five requirements to be a successful entrepreneur, this is what Peter had to say: • Be Passionate Entrepreneurs are driven to succeed and believe passionately in their dreams. • Be a Visionary Entrepreneurs often see the bigger picture and are not discouraged by small obstacles or setbacks. • Use your Network Entrepreneurs know how important it is to cultivate a strong business network and to have close friends who can step in to help along the way. • Work Hard and Don't Give up Entrepreneurs are willing to set massive goals for themselves, roll up their sleeves, and work hard.

6 • The Dragon

In 1990, the federal government decided to cut Canada's national passenger rail service or VIA Rail as it was known. It had been a heavily subsidized operation and instead the decision was to privatize the Rocky Mountaineer tourist service which had been introduced in 1988 and was in operation between British Columbia and Alberta. At this point, Mr. Armstrong sold his shares in Gray Line and assembled a team which successfully bid on the fledgling Rocky Mountaineer. Led by President Peter R.B. Armstrong '72, this select group of former railroad executives and leading tourism experts developed a visionary plan for the Rocky Mountaineer. The plan was to run a two-day all daylight journey through Canada's West and the Rocky Mountains. For the next 18 years, the business enjoyed significant growth and success. Moreover, the company's turnaround and subsequent prosperity has been achieved without government subsidy. In 2005, the Armstrong Group, replacing GCRC as the parent company, experienced its biggest change to date by acquiring Gray Line West, an already successful motor coach operation based in Banff, Alberta, and Vancouver, Whistler and Victoria, British Columbia. Then, in 2006, the company introduced two new rail-tour routes: the Whistler Mountaineer service between North Vancouver and Whistler and the Rocky Mountaineer's Fraser Discovery route between Whistler and Jasper, Alberta with an overnight stop in Quesnel, BC. Rocky Mountaineer Vacations (RMV) is now renowned globally and was honoured with a World Travel Award as the "World's Leading Travel Experience by Train" for the second consecutive year in 2006.

An unyielding sense of optimism prevents them from giving up when times get tough. • Believe in your own good fortune Entrepreneurs are tenacious and often believe in their own good luck or suppose that there is an element of fate associated with their dreams.

SCHOOL LIFE

As we all know, 77 years later, St. George's has evolved from its humble beginnings and stands today as one of the finest schools of its kind in the world. That's not to say there haven't been some challenges over the years. Consistent with any start-up enterprise, St. George's has had its peaks and valleys, especially when dealing with finances. Over the years many a board of governors has wrestled with how to help the headmaster of the day fulfill his vision for the benefit of parents and students alike, while keeping a prudent eye on the financial situation of the School. Several old boys, including Peter Bentley '47 and Ron Cliff '46 have shared with me their memories of having helped the School through some difficult times in the early 1960s. It's not easy running a not-for-profit school, at least one like St. George's that aspires to be the best of its kind anywhere. One has to balance trying to secure the top faculty, maintaining facilities that are up to standard, ensuring that the curriculum has a breadth and depth of academic, athletic, and artistic programs, and keeping the School as accessible as possible to all qualified boys, regardless of their family's economic situation. It takes a committed group of volunteer board members and a vigilant administrative team to prudently manage the finances of a school our size. To keep school fees reasonable, fundraising has been an essential element of maintaining the financial health of St. George's over the years. Many Georgians, Board members, and parents generously give their time, money, and expertise to raise funds for capital improvements and financial aid every year.

The Challenge to Keep the Bar High

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

To keep school fees reasonable, fundraising has been an essential element of maintaining the financial health of St. George's over the years.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;

lthough St. George's School has not been a commercial venture for many years (it is now a notfor-profit society) the definition of an entrepreneur certainly suited Captain Danby-Hunter when in 1930, at a cost of $10,000, he purchased a farmhouse and four acres of land to start a school.

by Don Livingston, Chief Advancement Officer

One of the hallmarks of an entrepreneur is the independence he or she has to run with a vision of how the business should operate. The School is no different, in the sense that within the bounds of government policy and regulation, we want to be free to offer our students as much as possible in the way of additional opportunities to develop their skills and expand their thinking. A truly enhanced program that delivers on the School's commitment to the "well-rounded boy" requires innovative thinking, a degree of risk-taking, and of course, appropriate resources. Something every entrepreneur understands. This fall, when you are asked to support the Georgian Annual Fund, please consider how you can help the next generation of entrepreneurs, teachers, scientists, athletes, musicians, and the many other careers St. George's boys move into by making your financial contribution to the School.

Fall 2007 â&#x20AC;˘ 7

ACADEMICS By Bill Collins, Associate Principal of the Senior School

St. George's students continue to perform very well on year-end external exams. In June 2007, St. George's averages were above Province-wide averages for every Provincial exam in Grades 10 to 12. In Grade 12 Provincial exams, the average St. George's result was approximately10 per cent higher than the average result in the rest of the Province. In Provincial exams for Grades 10 to 11, the average St. George's result was approximately 15 per cent higher than the average result in the rest of the Province. Based on their scores on the Grade 12 Provincial exams and in District Scholarship presentations, 60 per cent of St. George's graduates earned scholarships for $1,000 from the Provincial government. In the very challenging Advanced Placement exams, St. George's students achieved excellent results. These exams represent work at the level of first-year university. In May 2007, 156 students wrote a total 390 AP exams. Of those exams, a remarkable 50 per cent received a score of five, a total of 75 per cent received either 4 or 5, and 92 per cent received three or more.

THE YEAR ATHLETICS By Richard Cohee, Director of Athletics

St. George's School enjoyed another outstanding athletic season which included 22 sports programs and 65 teams. • THE JUNIOR SCHOOL Swimming: ISEA Championship winners Cross Country: ISEA Championship winners CAIS U13 National Basketball: Championship winners • THE SENIOR SCHOOL Soccer Team: Reached the Provincial finals Swim Team: Provincial Champions Cross Country Team: Finished second at the BC School Sports Provincial Championships Hockey Team: Championship winners at the Ridley College Invitational Rowing Team: Two national gold medal performances Ski Team: Provincial Champions Snowboard Team: Provincial Champions Ultimate Team: Reached the Provincial finals 1st XV Rugby: Second place at the Provincial Championships

8 • The Dragon

National Debating Seminar to be co-hosted by Saints Saints’ Debating Club will be hosting part of next year's National Debating Seminar on Thursday, November 22 for two rounds in the afternoon. Students from all provinces and some territories will be attending. The level of debate is sure to be high. If you can help judge, please contact Catherine Mori at cmori@stgeorges.bc.ca or (604) 221 3635.

DEBATING By Catherine Mori, Faculty

Saints' Debating Club was very active once again this past year. Starting in October with our Grade 8 baptism of fire at St John's School and ending with the pizza debates, the students argued and pontificated with the greatest of verve. At the UBC tourney in November, Benjy Lipsey and Clint Paulus made it to the semi-finals and third place by arguing most wittily in favour of the motion that: "this House would fast-track adoptions by celebrities". Later in the month, debaters attended the Newman FISA debates at Collingwood School, arguing on the topic "that those who abuse their health should face economic penalties." We also hosted three competitions ourselves: our tenth annual bilingual tourney in December, the Regionals in February, and the pizza debates in May. Marko Horvat (third individual) and Jonathan Choi took second place team in the Regionals, winning berths to the Law Foundation Cup (Provincials, English division) in Kelowna in March. Jonathan later ranked eighth in the Province at the LFC, also qualifying to attend were Robbie Patterson and Jason Dowlatabadi. On the following weekend, other debaters competed in the bilingual section in Burnaby. Rounding out the year, we entered the Western Public Speaking Tournament at Mulgrave and the Barry Sullivan Cup and Keith Miao came in third place. All in all, it was another whirlwind year. Next year sees the Saints' club hosting two rounds of the National Debating Seminar (November 22), club travel to the Durham Debating Union in the UK, and participation in the Harvard Model Congress, Athens.

T H AT WA S . . . DESTINATION IMAGINATION By Bernard Ho, Grade 12

Destination Imagination is a team-based activity which encourages creative thought and problem solving through a variety of technical and artistic challenges. During the 2006–2007 season we entered three teams at the Grade 8, 9, and 10 levels. Our first competition was in March 2007 when our Grade 9 and 10 teams placed first overall and our Grade 8 team came in second place. A month later, in the Provincial Tournament, the competition level increased. The Grade 10 team finished fourth, the Grade 8 team was second, and the Grade 9 team came in first place. With a first- place finish, the Nines won the right to compete in the global finals in Knoxville, Tennessee in May 2007. The Globals are, as the name suggests, an international event with competing teams from as far away as China, Columbia, and Denmark. Although the Saints’ team was up against 40 other teams from around the world, the boys acquitted themselves well in their first ever Globals competition and finished in the top 10 for their technical design. Fall 2007 • 9

DISCOVERY 10 By Neil Piller '85, Head of Outdoor Education

The Discovery 10 program was also very busy and included approximately 65 field days over the course of the year. With one trip per month, the boys had an opportunity to get out and see many diverse areas of the Province. Their first initiation was a winter blizzard above the Duffey Lake Road in early September, to be followed by a beautiful fall canoeing and hiking trip to Wells Gray Provincial Park, and wet sea kayaking trips up Indian Arm in November. The winter included a range of activities focusing on our avalanche unit and culminating in four-day backcountry ski, snowboard, and snowshoe trips. The spring offered cultural trips to the Stein Valley with a native elder, an exciting backpacking trip to the remote west coast of Nootka Island (with float plane access), and sea kayaking in Clayoquot sound ending with a soak in the spectacular Hot Springs Cove. The final year-end trips provided two choices: a 15-day sea kayaking expedition in Queen Charlotte Strait (between Port Hardy and the mainland) and an 18-day canoeing expedition to the Stikine River in northern BC and Alaska. Both trips were challenging with the kayakers forced to the shore for many days confronted by high winds and the after effects of a late winter deep snow onshore for almost the whole trip. The boys rose to these challenges and all had memorable experiences. The group is now focusing their energy on an exciting humanitarian mission to Peru over the 2008 spring break.

THE YEAR DRAMA By Ed Mortimer, Director of Theatre Arts

During the past year, Saints' Players Theatre enjoyed three successful productions. The fall production was You Can't Take It With You. This is the story of an eccentric family discovering through the twists and turns of fireworks manufacturing and mailmen who deliver letters (and themselves), that people are more important than things. The Junior School production was Lord of the Flies, a classic story of how people (children) devolve to very basic behaviour without the structures of society. The final show was The Black Bonspiel of Willie MacCrimmon, a W. O. Mitchell story of a struggle between the devil and the desire to win. Set in rural Alberta, we examined the game of curling, finding out a great deal about ice, hell, and happiness.

10 â&#x20AC;˘ The Dragon

MUSIC By Marko Rnic, Director of Music

The 2006â&#x20AC;&#x201C;2007 season in the Music Department was an outstanding one. Each performing ensemble, from Grades 6 to 12, set new standards and 'raised the bar' in their performance levels. After an impressive first appearance at the Remembrance Day service, the Senior Concert Band, along with the Junior and Intermediate Concert Bands, and the Junior and Senior Jazz Ensembles performed to a full house in Woodward Auditorium at the Winter Concert. They were joined by euphonium soloist Brad Howland, who wowed the audience with his musicality and technical mastery. All ensembles performed above expectations at the Kiwanis Concert Band and Jazz Band festivals in March. The Senior Band, after a brilliant concert tour to the Portland area in February, was most impressive and earned a birth at the Nationals (Musicfest Canada), where they earned 'Gold' from each of the four judges after an astonishing performance. At both the Junior School and Senior School Spring Concerts, the major Music Department Awards and Trophies were awarded to our top students. This was in addition to the wonderful music provided by all the boys, as well as our special guest conductor Dr. Gillian MacKay, and soloists Nicholas Tong and Jacky Huang. Many students distinguished themselves repeatedly from the newest Grade 5 instrumentalists at their first concert to the now graduated Jazz improvisers at the May Fair. Great music and wonderful memories were at the heart of it all.

T H AT WA S . . . OUTDOOR EDUCATION By Neil Piller '85, Head of Outdoor Education

The outdoor education department continued to offer a range of programs this past year. The Grade 8 class was first up with a trip to Camp Elphinstone on the Sunshine Coast. This was followed by the Grade 7 class trip to Camp Stillwood at Cultus Lake and the Grade 6 class at the Sea to Sky Outdoor School on the Keats Island. The Grade 9 class participated in Explorer, our expedition-based program that includes a choice of backpacking, canoeing, or sea kayaking. The Grade 4 class had plans to visit the North Vancouver Outdoor School in November but we were forced to move the program to January due to extreme weather. The Grade 5 class enjoyed their trip to Zajac Ranch on Stave Lake in January and proved that winter is no reason not to get out and enjoy the outdoors. The Grade 7 class also braved the snow and enjoyed snowshoeing at Mt. Seymour in March. The spring saw the Grade 10s participating in a host of Sea to Sky expeditions around southern BC including sea kayaking, canoeing, snowshoeing, backpacking, and mountain biking. Last, but definitely not least, were the primary students (Grades 1 to 3) who enthusiastically participated in their day outings to Spanish Banks, Lighthouse Park, and Bowen Island.

Fall 2007 â&#x20AC;˘ 11

SCHOOL REACH By Eric Stewart, Faculty

St. George's School continued to be a major force in BC Schoolreach this past year. On March 3, the Junior team placed third in a field of 36 schools in the Provincial tournament. Over the last 12 years, our junior teams have won seven titles. In the senior division, Saints took back the Provincial title after qualifying in a 38-school seeding round and then went on to win top prize among the 16 finalists on Knowledge Network in April. The following month saw our youngest team ever compete in the Nationals in Edmonton. With only one Grade 12, two Grade 11s, and one Grade 10, we managed to place third in the country. Congratulations to John Choi, Jason Dowlatabadi, Daniel Siu, and Desmond Jung.

2006– 2007 VISUAL ARTS By Brian O’Connor, Director of Visual Arts

During 2006–2007 we exhibited a wide range of works of art, not only of our own visual art students, but also of significant local artists: Michael Abraham, Leslie Poole, Thomas Anfield, and that of the late Cameron MacLeod, a prolific young artist, who was the joint recipient of the School's first Rigg Scholarship in 1978. The range of art included digital, 2-D, ceramic, and sculptural works. Over the course of the year a number of local artists visited our Visual Arts studios, providing workshops in ceramics, painting, and drawing, including monthly life drawing sessions. However, it was during Arts Week that studios became especially active with our artist-in-residence for the week, Nick Lepard. We are extremely proud of the work displayed by the applicants for the Rigg Scholarship. The work was of such a high standard reflecting much artistic innovation and depth of thought. In December, Ontario College of Art and Nova Scotia College of Art visited St. George's to review portfolios. In June, we celebrated the success of those candidates who were awarded District Scholarships. All applicants who had applied were successful and this was certainly a very proud moment. From the enjoyment and successes of "the year that was" we are all very excited about "the year that is to come."

12 • The Dragon

SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS

THE NEXT GENERATION OF ENTREPRENEURS by Adam Lorant, St. George’s School Parent

The St. George's Young Entrepreneurs' Club

“At St George's, we believe in the well-rounded boy. I wanted to give our boys an alternative to the strong athletics program we already have in place. I like the School to be an active, vibrant community, both during and after school hours." Mr. Greg Devenish, Principal for the Junior School. When you think of extracurricular activities at St. George's Junior School, you tend to think of sports programs like swimming, basketball, track and field, or cross country. Maybe you think of band, choir, or chess. Well this year, the School added something new—entrepreneurship. The program was founded by three fathers who are all entrepreneurs in their own right: Rick Gill, Roger Graham, and Adam Lorant. "This program is sort of a blend of Junior Achievers and The Apprentice (except nobody gets fired)," claims Lorant. "We quickly learned through trial and error that lecturing—even for 15 minutes just doesn't work. By the time the boys come to the Young Entrepreneurs' Club at the end of the day, the last thing they want to do is sit in their seat and listen to someone talk to them. They want to be active, stimulated, and have fun. We had to come up with interesting ways to bury the learning in games."

From the outset, the boys from Grade 3 to Grade 7 were divided into three companies. Each elected a President and Vice Presidents of Sales, Finance, and Manufacturing. They were faced with a series of short challenges as well as an overarching project. All were designed to foster leadership, teambuilding, and problem-solving, while giving the students the opportunity to work on practical entrepreneurial skills such as business plan preparation, marketing, sales, negotiation, supply and demand, and price elasticity. "I certainly gained a whole new level of appreciation for how hard it is to be a teacher," says Gill. "Keeping the kids motivated and engaged is both mentally challenging and draining. It's also extremely rewarding when someone comes up with a breakthrough comment. Each session, we'd get at least one deep insight—like the time when we were doing a roleplaying exercise on negotiation skills. The boys were tasked to find a win-win but the two sides of the negotiation were clearly getting further and further apart until one Young Entrepreneur suggested that everyone should pool the profits and divide them equally—in essence he had invented profit sharing. It is breakthroughs like this that make the program so rewarding."

"Many of the younger boys started the year quite shy and reserved," said Graham. "Our first challenge was to see which team could raise the most money by selling Hallowe'en candy. They had to develop a business plan ahead of time which considered packaging, pricing, and advertising strategies. They also had to consider where they were going to sell their product. The catch was that each team had 60 minutes and all teams had the same amount of candy. There's nothing like a competition, candy, and money to get over shyness and foster teambuilding. The boys got out there and started talking to potential customers. They tried to convince their schoolmates to buy from them rather than the others. Here again, we had some wonderful learning points about pricing to reflect supply, demand, and competition." At the end of our first year, we raised close to a thousand dollars. The boys then got together and brainstormed to which charity they should donate the money. After careful consideration and some impassioned discussion, the boys decided to split the donation between World Wildlife Federation, Save the Panda Fund, and the BC Children's Hospital Foundation. To cap of a successful first year, the Young Entrepreneurs' Club hosted one of the most popular booths at the St. George's Fair. 'The Wii Zone' consisted of five Nintendo Wii stations where people could play this popular new game station. In an exciting series of "special event" battles, a number of staff took on the students. And the score? Students 3: Staff 0. "It was exciting and rewarding to see this inaugural year of the Young Entrepreneurs' Club come together and we look forward to continuing the club next year," said Lorant, who can already see some future entrepreneurs in the making. Fall 2007 • 13

SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS

ROBOTICS AT SAINTS

SILENT SERVICE Team wins awards at university-level competition

by Andrew Kay, Faculty

THE TEAM Left to right: Ray Yu, Tim Wai, Rich Hong, Albert Chiang, Dr. Shuen, Harrison Fan, Eric Hwang, Colin Shuen

14 â&#x20AC;˘ The Dragon

ubmariners were historically dubbed the "Silent Service" because of their limited communication when operating underwater. Maybe Robotics at Saints should be nicknamed the same as our activities usually take place underwater or behind the scenes.

Working quietly has always been the hallmark of Robotics at St. George's. It's inevitable given that its group becomes intently focused on problem solving in machining, electronics, programming, sponsorship, and funding areas. Since the program's initial success in 2003 at the Marine Advanced Technology in Education (MAT) Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Competition in Monterey, California, Saints' Robotics has continued to collect first place trophies for design, innovation, and engineering. The MATE ROV competition offers three levels: Scout, Ranger, and Explorer. Each of these affords its participants varied levels of difficulty in terms of the tasks that need to be completed and limits the amount of power an ROV can utilize to complete the required tasks. The 2006 Robotics team (Albert Chiang, Harry Fan, Rich Hong, Marko Horvat, Eric Hwang, Dan Kuo, Ricky Pai, Clint Paulus, and Collin Shuen)

earned St. George's School international accolades in the robotocist's magazine, SERVO because of its success at the Monterey, California Regionals competition. The team also became eligible to attend the International Ranger class competition at NASA's Neutral Buoyancy Lab in Houston, Texas. Building on last year's success, the 2007 Robotics team began to mature, and the time became right to push the students' comfort envelope yet again. Saints would field an Explorer class team. Typically, Explorer class-level competition is only attended by post secondary institutions and has ROVs running at much higher power ratings than Ranger class machines. After seven months of design, building, testing, re-design, rebuilding and re-testing, the team's creation started to take its final form. The main ROV frame evolved into an octagonal prism into which there was a channel that could facilitate mission tasks. The control system consisted of microcontrollers, an RS485 network, IGUS armoured cabling, an Intel duo core laptop, and a Saitek USB gaming joystick. The drive system used a combination of two old modified 72-Watt bilge pumps for vertical motion and four new high efficiency 800+ Watt brushless motors for horizontal motion. The

SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS

clear that he was going to prevent loading and was not interested in the fact that the Defiant's crate was within Air Canada's shipping specifications. The clock was now running down and the choice between getting the Defiant loaded on to the plane or missing our flight entirely was now an issue. We decided to board the flight and try to get the Defiant shipped first thing Thursday morning. Harrison Fan's father agreed to take the crate back home with him.

Test cruise in St. George's Pool ROV could float mid-water, unpowered, using a floatation system the team fashioned from foam, fibreglass, epoxies, and polyester resins. Vision for the pilots was provided by the six video cameras obtained for an incredibly low price through Ebay vendors. The team's experience in waterproofing electronics served to modify these cameras for underwater use. Other sensors, like home brew capillary depth gauges and automotive compasses, were added to help the ROV pilots guide their machines efficiently. As the process marched on, the machine was completed and readied for testing. Dropping a new machine into the heavily chlorinated waters of St. George's pool is always a tense moment. With memories of circuit board copper completely dissolving in the pool's chlorinated mix, the team held its breath as the ROV touched the liquid surface for the first time. The seals were good and it was on to the next phase of testing: adding power. Power was connected to the machine, the circuits re-checked, and the computer rebooted. Fingers were crossed as the controls were activated for the first time. It lurched forward! Exclamations of "Look! It's moving. It's alive. It's aliveâ&#x20AC;ŚIT'S ALIVE!" reverberated throughout the pool area, creating a scene reminiscent of the 1931 classic Frankenstein with Colin Clive. The thrill of that moment was undeniable. Now it would take several more launches to fine-tune the ROV and its customized mission specific tools, and to practice

manoeuvering the ROV in readiness for the competition. About a week prior to departure, the ROV (now dubbed the "Defiant" because of its resemblance to a Star Trek starship) was readied for travel. The Great Little Box Company in Mitchell Island volunteered its services to crate the machine against the baggage gorillas working in air transport. Seven students (Albert Chiang, Harrison Fan, Rich Hong, Eric Hwang, Colin Shuen, Tim Wai, and Ray Yu) would carry the project to completion in Newfoundland. When they looked at who their competition would be, they found schools like Texas A and M, British Columbia Institute of Technology, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Victoria, University of Waterloo, City University of Hong Kong, and Isfahan University of Technology (Iran), to name just a few. Nineteen teams in all were on the competition list. Mr. Kay would start to refer to the members of the St. George's team as "the seven dwarfs" from that point onward. Wednesday, June 20, 2007 meant two things for the robotics team: English Provincial examinations for Grades 10 and 12 and departure for St. John's, Newfoundland at 10:30 pm. The seven dwarfs, the two mentors (Mr. Kay and Dr. Shuen), and team families met at 9:00 pm at the Air Canada gate at Vancouver International. Spirits were high until they met the unreasonable baggage clerk at the oversized luggage counter. After many minutes of negotiating with him, it was

Immediately after clearing the aircraft in St. John's, the group's cell phones were buzzing as members tried to look at ways to get the Defiant across the country. The team was still holding its luggage in the terminal when the first estimates started to come in. The first quotation of $1,600 was from FedEx, promising a guaranteed delivery for Friday at 10:30 am. A few moments later, another call was received for $340, FedEx could deliver the Defiant by Friday at 3:30 pm. It was an easy choice to make. With the issue of the Defiant's delivery set for 3:30 pm, Friday, the team was a little more relaxed, but still uneasy. Check in at Memorial University's student dormitory was smooth, but many of the team found the facility somewhat Spartan. Dinner at The Keg that evening made it feel a whole lot better. Friday morning brought the start of the competition. Hundreds of students and mentors filed in to register and the competitor briefings went on until lunch. As the start of the ROV shake down period began for other teams, our cell phones started to buzz again. Dr. Shuen was attempting to track the inbound package. The unwelcome news, "your package was not on the flight," landed like a bombshell. More calls to more offices over a period of an hour were made. More information was revealed. FedEx does not actually fly its planes into St. John's! Instead, it books space on West Jet aircraft. This fact, coupled with the backlog of passengers remaining from two days of delayed flights, meant the Defiant was "bumped" for passenger luggage. Another disturbing fact was that the June 23 to 24 weekend was a Provincial holiday and FedEx offices would be closed on Saturday. A pall began to fall on the team's spirits. Even with this unsettling news, the will to do something useful was still there. It was decided that the seven dwarfs would re-work their engineering presentation to compensate for the missing robot. Meanwhile the mentors would work on getting the Defiant back. At one point, there was a plan to buy a flight to Halifax to retrieve the crate manually. That plan was cancelled when FedEx could not confirm in which warehouse our Fall 2007 â&#x20AC;˘ 15

SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS The completed Defiant just before shipping

package was or if it was even in Halifax. The only certainty was that it was somewhere in Nova Scotia. By dinnertime the situation seemed grim. The only word from FedEx was that there was an outside chance the crate would land in St. John's on Saturday. In this scenario, delivery was not an option, but the warehouse people were willing to release it if someone were there to pick it up. A good dinner always helps and the Cellar Restaurant was the best prescription to boost our spirits. When the team returned to their dorms, a chance meeting with one of the event volunteers who was also a pilot, provided some interesting options to improve the chances of a Saturday delivery. Dr. Shuen and our new friend left to bang on the FedEx's warehouse door around 10:30 pm to bend the ear of the night manager. Meanwhile, more late night preparation for the engineering evaluation was completed.

Thank you to the following generous sponsors who provided materials for the Defiant project: • • • • • • • • • • • •

The Auxiliary Dr. Donald Shuen Gordon Krueburg '78 Don Anderson '77 of Waysmall computers Iqbal Ladha of Steveston Marine Al Nortman at ABC Traders Vic and Shelly Berbar at Wriason Seals J.D. Blade at Sevylor Canada Charles Gordon of IGUS RP Electronics Lee's Electronics Dunbar Lumber

16 • The Dragon

Saturday was opening day for the competition. The seven dwarfs were up for their engineering interview in the morning and so was the aeroplane that would hopefully be carrying the Defiant. The boys knew that the interview would be their only shot at achieving any score at this competition. It would have to be exceptional and that knowledge pumped their stress level to new heights. So while Dr. Shuen left the group to go and stalk the FedEx truck that would be shuttling the cargo from the airport to the warehouse, the team worked feverishly on a presentation of the Defiant using a collage of blueprint drawings, digital pictures, demonstrations of the specialized tools fashioned for each mission (these were not shipped in the main crate), and a full explanation of the design and testing process that followed. Every team member would have his time in the limelight to explain each subsystem of the Defiant. At the end of the presentation, the team would be questioned by the engineering panel as a means of determining whether everything had been all rehearsed or whether in fact the team did have an understanding of the ROV and the issues involved with its design and fabrication. The dwarfs were on the grill for a half hour. At the end, the engineering panel was polite but seemed neutral. Perhaps their perception was fogged by the nagging question, "would the Defiant arrive, or was that it?" The team walked back to the dorm from Memorial's engineering building. They had been unwinding for a little over an hour when the cell phone rang. "Christmas Day has come early!" exclaimed Dr. Shuen. Morale flipped like a switch. There was no middle state.

When Dr. Shuen arrived, there was a flurry of activity to move the Defiant into Mr. Kay's room where there was a big table on which the team could prep the machine for use. A runner was sent to talk to MATE officials, who were informed of the situation and questioned about rescheduling sortie times. Amazingly the Defiant had not been damaged during transit, but all of its waterproof compartments had to be resealed because they were opened for transport. Past experience had showed that sealed containers can pop when transported in an unpressurized cargo bay of an aeroplane. Without a power supply in the dorms, it was impossible to test the Defiant's function. The runner came back from the event command centre with good and bad news. The good news was that the schedule would be adjusted to accommodate the team on Sunday. The bad news was that the team would have to run through all three missions at the end of the day with only 30 minutes between missions. Furthermore, it would be impossible to reschedule the practice time missed. This was really bad news, because the team had never encountered the actual environments which each of the three tanks offered. Those environments were Arctic ice, a fast flowing current, and wave action. Normally, regular mission spacing allowed for three hours to move from tank to tank. In the 30 minutes allotted, the Defiant would have to be moved over five kilometres to another facility building, all specialized tool refitting would have to happen flawlessly, and the dwarfs would have to exhibit perfect teamwork to pull it all off. Sunday morning arrived and the first mission was in the flume tank. This tank simulated a 0.25 metre per second current in which the Defiant would have to operate. Earlier in the day, other ROVs had been launched into this tank and had spun around like fishing lure spinners at the ends of their tether. The mission was to set a messenger line to retrieve a lost anchor. The trick to this mission was to sink quickly to the bottom where the current was not as strong, and manoeuvre therein. The team encountered difficulty. The Defiant would not submerge fast enough and the current was carrying it out of bounds, forcing a restart. "If only we had the practice time to experience then prepare for this," thought the Defiant's deck handlers, before improvising a partial solution. Every single available hand tool available was fastened to the bottom of the Defiant. It worked a little at solving the problem, but it was not enough to fix it completely. Time elapsed before it was

time to transport the Defiant to the next building. There was no time to think about "water under the bridge." The ice tank proved much better. The Defiant had to deploy a simulated sonar beacon in a target zone, and collect a simulated jellyfish at the bottom of the tank and a simulated algae sample lying at the top under the ice. Success brought some relief to the team members as they moved to the final tank down the long hall to the final venue. The Defiant was the last to perform the submerged oil rig repair simulation. This mission started off fine, but took a wrong turn as the Defiant's video systems went dark. Driving blind is no way to find a small target. Drivers are prohibited from looking over the pool edge to see where they are going. The team quickly determined that the video system was failing because the batteries that had been running all day were no longer providing their normal 13.8 volts of electricity. The quick fix for this was to drive blind for a second, shut down all systems to let the battery rebound enough to provide video for a second, reorient, and drive for another second. As painstakingly slow as this process was, it was the only way to get to the oil rig and perform the repair task. The allotted time ran out and the dwarfs took a mediocre performance score with the opportunity granted, which was better than no chance at all. Sunday evening was the closing ceremony and awards banquet. The dwarfs felt satisfied that they had given it their best shot, but they were not expecting anything but a good meal by attending. It was an utter surprise when St. George's was called for Best Technical Documentation in the Explorer Class. The seven dwarfs were in shock as they stumbled to the stage to receive their trophies. Then a few minutes later their jaws dropped again when St. George's was called back on stage for Best Engineering in the Explorer Class. There was a long period of pause before the realization finally sunk in: St. George's robotics had successfully competed with some of the world's major engineering universities!

SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS

by Dr. Kooi Ong Tong, St. George’s School Parent

Business Education

ST. GEORGE'S PARENT FINANCES SENIOR SCHOOL INVESTMENT CLUB

Earlier this year, St. George's School parent, Dr. Kooi Ong Tong (father of Han Tong in Grade 8), presented a wonderful opportunity to the School. He would provide $50,000.00 to a Senior School Investment Club which, in turn, would invest the money under the guidance of Chris Nicolls, the School's Chief Financial Officer. Dr. Tong also agreed to make whole any losses incurred by the club. Here is a first-hand account of Dr. Tong's project: Looking back at the years when I was a banker and a stockbroker, and now as an investor, I realize how often the hardearned savings of many are lost. Interestingly, investment losses are not limited to the domain of the less educated. We often hear of lawyers, doctors, and even business people losing their fortunes in the equity markets. Yet, to many people, it is often necessary to invest one's income and savings in order to secure a comfortable retirement, to provide for children's education, to hedge against inflation, or to cope with emergencies. Despite this, the majority of people are ill prepared to invest wisely. Many investors can understand the basic fundamentals of risk and rewards. They can read the financial reports of companies, have some basic grasp of economics, and make use of the various alternative financial instruments available. But without practice and experience, many are often carried away by exuberance, emotion, and irrationality. For the reasons above, I am of the view that it is useful for children to be familiar with investment, yet protected within an environment where there is appropriate guidance. In combining education with real-life experience, an Investment Club within a school environment, guided by teachers and assisted by investment professionals would, I believe, be of benefit to many students. With the help of the School's administration, I initiated an Investment Club at St. George's School. The club is organized by School staff. Various

analysts, financial advisers, and investment bankers will be invited to speak to the club and investment books will be made available to those interested. Presentations will be made to the entire Investment Club, but students from each grade will form their own sub-groups where they will make their actual investment decisions and execute their trades with the assigned financial advisers. Each of these sub-groups will be given an initial capital of $10,000 to invest or a combined total of $50,000 for the Club. The investment universe should be kept fairly simple. No shorts and no derivatives. All investments are limited to the Canadian securities market (equities, bonds, and mutual funds). After making money, the students should also learn how to spend it responsibly. To inculcate philanthropy, at the end of each school year, 50 per cent of the gains on the fund will be contributed to a charity, to be decided by the Club. The sub-fund for Grade 12 graduating students will be passed on to the entering Grade 8 students. The sub-fund managed by the Grade 8 students will stay with them until they graduate in Grade 12. This encourages the students to invest for long-term gains. It also teaches the pitfalls of speculation and taking excessive risks, but also the necessity to take some calculated risks.

A Saints' Snapshot of Business Education and Entrepreneurship by Laurier Primeau, Faculty Studying at St. George's School involves much more than the three "Rs". With over 40 different academic options from which to choose, today's students have access to one of the finest high school curriculums in the country. One of the academic options the School offers is Business 10—An Examination of Capitalism and Entrepreneurship. This locally developed course begins with the basic tenets of personal finance—cheque writing, budget balancing, and family banking. A mastery of these primary skills leads to more developed concepts within the business world—private versus public ownership, finance and investment, and stock market operations. Finally, the course graduates from theory to application as students examine the development of the entrepreneurial idea. Throughout the year guest speakers are brought in to present real world experiences. Investment bankers, real estate lawyers, and entrepreneurs from our community share their triumphs and failures and are candid in answering questions about their respective occupations. Students leave this course with a strong notion of business operations and skills which will enable them to run the most common business in the world—the family compact. The year-long experience should also leave students with a better idea of whether they possess the personal requisites to make business a career choice. Laurier Primeau with Business 10 Students

The teacher will assist the club and the sub-groups to discuss their investments and to analyse the results of their investments. Some attempts should be made to help the students understand the concept of risk and returns. Obviously, students should be first taught the basics of investing. However, I would encourage the teacher to allow the students much leeway in making their own decisions, even if they appear imprudent and irrational. We can learn much from our mistakes.

Fall 2007 • 17

SPOTLIGHT ON STUDENTS

Recognition for a Business Plan

Entrepreneur of the year

by Gordon C. Allan

t starts with a germ of an idea: a concept, a possible niche, an opportunity to make money. Could it be the makings of a business? Well, if you are trying to convince your local bank or investors that you have a viable enterprise in the works, you had better have a well-developed business plan to match your request.

No one knows this better than Keith Miao, who is the current Assistant Head Boy and Captain of Boarding. In 2006, he was a winner of the Briefcase Business Plan Competition, an entrepreneurial platform for youth which offers workshops hosted by some of Vancouver's most seasoned business leaders. At the conclusion of these workshops, participants are expected to conceive of a new business and execute thorough business plans to support their business visions. The competition, which is co-sponsored by ACE (Advancing Canadian Entrepreneurs) and the Sauder School of Business at the University of British Columbia, attracts high school participants throughout the greater Vancouver area. Keith's brainchild was to create a local express grocery delivery service, which he called Vancouver Food Express. After

Heart 2 Heart

conducting his own market research using surveys, face-to-face meetings, and telephone interviews, Keith determined that there was a growing need for homedelivery grocery services. He did identify one local supermarket that already offered this service and was willing to discuss its experience, but Keith realized that there was still room for other players. His next move was to approach Market Place (IGA) and Safeway, both of whom were willing to look at a strategic alliance with Keith's company. Following the presentation of his business plan at the competition, Keith was recognized for creating the Business Plan with the Most Potential and awarded a $2,000 university scholarship for being an Entrepreneur of the Year. When asked what he feels is the key to being a successful entrepreneur, Keith does not hesitate in his response: "Passion! You have to enjoy what you are doing and believe in your product. I recognize this from studying many of the successful companies out there." Keith has since taken his experience and followed through with a concept for homemade dog food, which he is in the process of test marketing.

by Gordon C. Allan

Building Futures

n newspapers or on television, we have all seen the images of young children living in poverty. But how many of us can actually say that we have responded to these images in a tangible way? David Zhu '07 and Marco Chen, Grade 12 can. They are the co-founders of Heart2Heart, which is a registered charity helping to build schools in remote areas of China.

The idea for Heart2Heart first germinated in the summer of 2006 when Marco, a resident of Shenzhen, China saw a story in his local newspaper and on the regional television network profiling a series of initiatives which had been launched by the Chinese Government to bring education to isolated communities. Marco and his friends decided to see first hand what aid was needed by visiting one of the profiled areas, the small mountain village of Xiao Gao Shan in the Province of Guizhou. When they arrived at this remote mountain community, they distributed pencils and books to children who were living in harsh, impoverished conditions and who were without access to a basic education. Marco was so moved by the experience that he felt compelled to make a difference.

18 â&#x20AC;˘ The Dragon

Later that same summer, Heart2Heart organized a fundraising Tea Reception in Shenzhen and successfully raised $20,000, which was enough to build a school in Xiao Gao Shan and to equip it with books and supplies. After this successful initiative, Marco realized the potential for his charity and, with the help of David Zhu, set about to register Heart2Heart formally as a Canadian Youth Society. During the winter of that same year, Marco and David returned to Xiao Gao Shan to see the impact of their initial $20,000 donation and to film a documentary entitled A Journey from Heart2Heart depicting the conditions of the area and the emergence of their new school. When both boys returned to St. George's following the Winter Break, they presented their documentary to the School community. This, in turn, inspired the School to rally around a series of bubble tea sales which Marco and David organized and which raised an additional $2,000 for the charity. Despite the demands of the final term at the School, both boys decided to launch an even more ambitious fundraising activity: a gala dinner at $100 a plate at the Sheraton Wall Centre in downtown Vancouver. This event took on a life of its own as parents, local

businesses, staff, and members of the Chinese community pitched in to make it a reality. In the end, 40 volunteers along with 400 guests raised in excess of $50,000. Heart2Heart was now in a position to apply to become a nonprofit charity eligible to issue tax receipts. In looking back at this entrepreneurial experience, both Marco and David admit that it was not without its challenges. Juggling School commitments, convincing business people to take them seriously, managing media interviews, preventing over-zealous volunteers from derailing logistics, learning to organize people, and managing operational budgets took their toll on both boys. However, in the end it was more than worthwhile as their efforts were about to change the lives of many and leave a legacy of which they can feel deeply proud.

The Original Mather School House

On Tuesday, June 5, 2007, Headmaster Nigel Toy and Chairman Peter R.B. Armstrong '72 officially opened the new wing to the Senior School, thus completing one of the most ambitious building projects in the School's history. During the last three years alone, the School has benefited from four new tennis courts, four outdoor basketball courts, a new track, an award-winning Great Hall, a field house, a new theatre and lecture hall, and new classroom and administrative facilities. In contrast to the School's humble beginnings, these additions are emblematic of a school that has truly come of age.

History of the

SENIOR SCHOOL New Wing at the front of the Senior School

Fall 2007 â&#x20AC;˘ 19

BUILDING ON OUR PAST

riginally founded in 1930, the first "St. George's School" was a rambling old country house. The Mather Farmhouse, as it was known at the time of purchase, sat at 3954 West 29th and barely met the needs of up to 40 students with its handful of classrooms, Spartan dormitories in its attic, and dining facilities. However, during the summer of the School's first year, Founding Headmaster, Captain Danby-Hunter, with the financial backing of parents, was able to add an additional wing that offered four more classrooms and an allpurpose space serving as both a gymnasium and chapel.

Initially, the School's sports field was located on the south side of the property. But by the early 1930s, the School's second headmaster, John Harker had become aware of 37 acres of property known as the University Endowment Lands, which were owned

by the Jesuit Fathers of Upper Canada. These plots of land (later known as "Topside 1 and Topside 2") were eventually leased by the School to offer a more comprehensive sports program. By 1944, the School was able to purchase a significant amount of this property outright for $6,500. With the acquisition of this new land, John Harker had visions of a new school and memorial chapel. However, the School's finances were already stretched to their limit and when the projected costs came in at $200,000, he realized that he would have to shelve his plans temporarily. In the meantime, the School's enrollment continued to grow and it had to rent houses adjoining the property to accommodate additional boarders. By 1948, the School had become a nonprofit benevolent society and its finances were on a more solid footing. This new status allowed the School to

purchase five of the houses it had been renting. These became known as the Block 60 properties. By the middle of the next decade, Harker had secured two more acres of land to add to Topside and the building of a new school could finally be envisaged. On a wintry day in January of 1959, the 'New Classroom Block' as it was called, was officially opened by UBC President Dr. Norman McKenzie on the existing site. This addition became home to the Senior School while the rapidly growing Junior School moved into the original school house. The new classroom building was clearly functional, but it lacked any real aesthetic value. The boys quickly dubbed it the "Cell Block". Nonetheless, this much-needed facility allowed the School to offer expanded programs and to accommodate growth in enrollment. But the vision for an even bigger and better school remained strong.

An Original Classroom, c. 1930

20 â&#x20AC;˘ The Dragon

BUILDING ON OUR PAST

It wasn't until 1964 that Douglas Harker (John's brother), who had now taken over as the School's third headmaster, received permission from the Provincial Government to build on Topside. At last, the School would be able to realize a proper facility with a gym, library, dining hall, and room for the Arts. In September of 1965, the core of the current Senior School finally opened and within the next four years, a swimming pool and student centre were added. By the 1970s, Woodward Auditorium was built to meet the needs of the developing theatre program. A music centre, Cliff Hall, and the Alan Brown Library rounded out the new facility. The new school served the administration well for about 20 years but by the end of the decade, significant change was already afoot under the leadership of the fourth Headmaster, Alan Brown '54. The first important event was the purchase of the Convent of the Sacred Heart in 1979 for $2,050,000. This building was to become the new home for the Junior School and boarding program. Shortly thereafter, the original Junior School buildings were knocked down, the Block 60 properties were sold, and the Senior School community moved into portable classrooms as its facility underwent major renovations. By 1986, the Senior School building had reopened with a new library, swimming pool, second gymnasium, cafeteria, and laboratories. The 1990s saw two further building developments: the construction of a modern boarding facility behind the Junior School in 1993 (later to be named Harker Hall Residences) and the addition of McLean Hall which now serves as a showcase dining hall at the Senior School.

Gym and Chapel c. 1930 First Senior School Cafeteria c. 1965

"The Cell Block" c.1950 The Original Gymnasium, 1933

A decade later, under the leadership of Nigel Toy, the seventh headmaster, the Millenium Project was launched which envisaged much of the recent additions that we see today.

Fall 2007 â&#x20AC;˘ 21

THE SENIOR SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT TIMELINE 1930

Mather Farmhouse at 3954 West 29th Avenue is purchased to house St. George's School

1944

Acquisition of university endowment property from the Jesuit Fathers of Upper Canada for $6,500. (later to be known as Topside 1 and Topside 2)

1948

School purchases five houses on 29th Avenue to accommodate the growing boarding program (known as Block 60 Properties)

1959

A new classroom block opens dubbed the 'Cell Block' by students

1965

A new Senior School is opened

1974 Addition of the Woodward Auditorium, music to 1978 centre, Cliff Hall, and the Alan Brown Library 1979

The Junior School is moved from the original school house to the Convent of the Sacred Heart which the School purchases for $2,050,000.

1980

The original school house is demolished and Block 60 properties are sold

1985

New science wing added

1988

A newly renovated Senior School re-opens with updated library, new swimming pool, a second gymnasium, new cafeteria, and laboratories

1993

A new boarding facility (later to be known as Harker Hall Residences) opens

1997

McLean Hall becomes the new showcase dining hall

1999

Opening of the Grad Centre

2004

Maintenance, outdoor education, and caretaker building erected; athletic centre, track, and new tennis courts added

2005

Opening of The Great Hall, classrooms and auditorium renovated, new change rooms added, Dixon Gym upgraded

2006

Addition of a new Science Lab, opening of the St. George's/UBC Boathouse, acquisition of property at 4344 Kevin Place

2007

Acquisition of property at 4185 W. 29th Avenue, new front of School opened, north-west field restored, music room receives acoustical upgrade, library mezzanine renovated, faculty and staff room renovated

Senior Campus c. 1970

22 â&#x20AC;˘ The Dragon

The editors would like to acknowledge the following from which much of the information for this article was derived: Without Fear or Favour: A History of St. George's School 1930 to 2005, by John Lawrence, The History of the School, an article by Brian Lecky '65, which appeared in the 75th Anniversary Commemorative Program, and data from Chris Nicolls, the School's Chief Financial Officer.

IN THIS SECTION: • • • • •

n the days of my grandfather, who landed at Ellis Island in New York City in 1898, entrepreneurship was all about the New World. The boat ride across the vast Atlantic almost surely secured a better life. But with many a gold rush broken and the experience of the Depression, he returned home without much more than with what he left.

Georgian Entrepreneurs page 25 Boarding in the 40s page 30 Saints’ Shenanigans page 32 Honouring Georgians page 34 Saints’ Notes page 38

The Three Ps of

Entrepreneurship

Timing, as we say, is (sometimes) everything. By the time my father arrived to these shores in 1957, there were no guarantees for anything. The great immigrant wave brought many a talent and although opportunities narrowed, they still remained in abundance. Competition, then, was reaching its zenith. But movement gave way to opportunity again.

What is that? Well, it's a simple calculus, that's never easy to execute. Today's entrepreneur relies more on his natural-born skill than his MBA. Educated derelicts abound, whereas pure business sense is a rare commodity. Here are the three P's of entrepreneurship: • Perseverance I always looked at it as the difference between those who fail and subsequently wallow in that failure and those who fail and rise from the ashes, to fight another day. Move on... Failing is, ultimately, about winning, just not right away. Being able to persevere is the single most admirable quality in business today.

“

I always looked at it as the difference between those who fail and subsequently wallow in that failure and those who fail and rise from the ashes.

“

Business, as it has evolved from the days of the Robber Baron to today's techno-steeped, latte-swiller, is no longer about working hard. Anyone can do that. It's about working smart.

by A.G. (Alex) Tsakumis '84 President of The Georgians

• Pressure There's nothing like it. A deadline is the adrenaline junkie's dream in business. It's often where you'll locate your best work and, always, where you'll see what you're made of. • Pride There are so many short cuts in life and a ton of them in business, but there's only one honest path. If it's a deal worth doing, you cannot walk away from the table as the only winner. Shaft the other party, and it will be the last deal, or certainly one of the last, you'll do in this town. Take pride in knowing it took you longer, but that you're clean through the door of success. My business hero, former CEO of General Electric, Jack Welch, said it best: "The best goddamned business isn't the one with the biggest bank account, it's the one with the most honest people...you can make money anytime, but you can't make a straight shooter, you're born with it, so use it! No one wants to work with a bunch of jerks. Life is hard enough without having to do that". Fall 2007 • 23

THE GEORGIANS

n this issue of The Dragon, you will encounter some very interesting stories of Georgians, from those who are just embarking on ambitious projects, to those who have built up successful companies and who are now leaders in their industries, and to this year’s recipients of the Georgian Honours.

Staying Connected

These stories highlight the different paths our Georgians have taken emphasizing the common theme uniting them the integral role played by St. George’s School in shaping their lives. Georgians may be hard-pressed to remember the quadratic equation they learned in Math class or how to conjugate verbs in French, but ask them how St. George’s prepared them for life and they are quick to assert how the School instilled such values as perseverance, integrity, honour, and camaraderie. Students at the School are constantly reminded to strive for success and to do their best at all times and at the same time to make sure that they play fairly. We hope that you too can look back at your time at St. George’s and find experiences that helped to shape your life. Moreover, here are ten ways in which you can stay connected to the community which helped to shape your future. Ten Ways to Stay Connected with Saints 1) Register on the Georgian Directory. By registering, you will receive news of future events and updates on the School and the Georgians’ Association. Registration is quick and easy simply click on the “Staying Connected” menu item when you visit the Georgian homepage at www.georgians.ca.

“

2) Come out to our events! Meet other Georgians at a variety of functions, whether it’s helping to stock hampers at the Hamper Drive or sharing stories of Saints shenanigans at the Annual Georgians’ Dinner.

We hope that you too can look back at your time at St. George’s and find experiences that helped to shape your life.

“

by Bryan R. Ide '99 Manager of Georgian Relations

3) Read the Class Notes section in The Dragon and send in your updates. Your fellow Georgians want to know what is going on in your life. Did you recently get married? Have you been promoted? Perhaps you’ve just completed a degree? We are always interested in knowing what you are doing. You can send your class note to: thedragon@stgeorges.bc.ca. 4) Stop by the School. St. George’s is fortunate to have two spectacular campuses, from the heritage building of the Junior School to the modern facilities of the Senior School. Indeed, much has changed even in the last few years. 5) Visit our website. We are constantly updating information and announcing future events of interest to Georgians. The Georgians’ section of the School’s website is easy to find just remember this one simple address: www.georgians.ca. 6) Keep connected with other Georgians. One of the great privileges of being a Georgian is access to an exclusive group. Georgians are working and living in all parts of the world and are a great resource. Help us expand the Georgian network! 7) Let us know if you have moved or if you have a new email address. We want to ensure you continue to receive materials from the School, whether it’s a copy of The Dragon, invitations to future events, or general news of the School. You can update your contact information on the Georgians Directory or email thedragon@stgeorges.bc.ca. 8) Contribute to the School’s Endowment or to the Old Boys’ Fund. With your generous support of the School’s various endowment funds, you provide students who could not otherwise afford to attend St. George’s the opportunity to benefit from one of the finest schools in the country. To make a gift, you can visit our website or call the School at (604) 224-1304. 9) Be a mentor. Our students and our younger Georgians, who may just be starting out with their careers, can benefit from the wealth of your experience. From time to time, we may request to put a student or another Georgian in contact with you. We hope you will be encouraged to speak or meet with them. 10) Volunteer. Whether it is participating in the annual Career Day, when Georgians come to the School to share their work experiences or to help organize a Businessmen’s Luncheon for Georgians, please let us know if you are willing to help. The reason our events are such great successes is because of your hard work.

24 • The Dragon

GEORGIAN ENTREPRENEURS Georgian Entrepreneur: Daniel Mezheritsky Year of Gradualtion: 2002 Name of Company: Fitness-on-the-Go Type of Company: Home-delivery fitness Founded: 2005 By: Gordon C. Allan s a former personal trainer at Fitness World, Daniel Mezheritsky '02 had heard every excuse in the book for not going to the gym. The more he listened to those same excuses, the more he realized there had to be an alternative to the traditional fitness club model.

Mezheritsky identified three key problem areas which he believed were preventing people from working out: a lack of privacy, a lack of motivation, and a lack of time. He knew that personal trainers could help in this regard, but affordability was always an issue. The key was to offer a low-cost homedelivery fitness system which brought trainers to your home or office according to your own schedule. In August 2005, with only two thousand dollars in start-up money, Mezheritsky launched Fitness on The Go. "My objective was to get people fit and keep them fit by working around their busy schedules," says Mezheritsky, whose company provides easy access to trainers who will come to your home or office daily, from 5:30 in the morning to 10:30 at night, for about $42.00 a session. There is a misconception that you can only get fit if you are surrounded by the latest in fitness technology," says Mezheritsky who was a Track and Field enthusiast during his time at St. George's and later became Canadian Junior Champion in the decathlon. Without using fancy fitness machines Fitness on The Go can accomplish an equivalent aerobic and anaerobic workout by using fundamental exercise techniques such as push-ups, lunges, squats, elastic bands, etc... "In the early months of the company, I was a one-man show and was personally conducting 70 in-home training sessions a week. It took me less than two years to expand the company to where I wanted it to be. We now employ 31 staff members."

Furthermore, Mezheritsky attributes his passion, commitment, and ability to stay focused on his company goals to the training he received at Saints. "Whether it was learning to be a gentleman, to valuing the importance of physical activity, or to keep going when times got tough, my education at Saints clearly positioned me to become a successful self-starter and entrepreneur." Fitness on The Go now has approximately 600 clients and yearly sales that are growing exponentially. The biggest challenge right now, says Mezheritsky, is keeping up with the demand and retaining the best staff. He offers senior trainers their own Smart Car; managers receive a Honda Element, and he has also created strategic alliances with companies like Nike which offer trainers and clients discounted fitness wear. When asked what advice he might give to up-and-coming entrepreneurs, Mezheritsky reflects back on his earlier mistakes. "There is a tendency either to spend money on small things that provide little added value, for example, in my case, crested hats or to go hog wild by hiring a professional marketer, or to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars on advertising. When all is said and done, it's about quality customer service and word-of-mouth advertising. This is advice I learned personally from the founders of 1-800-Got-Junk," with whom Mezher-itsky personally interviewed during the early stages of company design. Fitness on The Go now has two full-time managers who oversee all aspects of customer service and sales. The company is expanding and has already sold one franchise at $50,000. By the end of next year, Mezheritsky expects to have ten fully functioning franchises and projects gross sales of around three million dollars. With his current success, Mezheritsky is always looking to expand and re-evaluate his goals. At the young age of 23, he is an entrepreneur who has already proven he has what it takes to be a solid figure in British Columbia's business community.

Fall 2007 â&#x20AC;˘ 25

GEORGIAN ENTREPRENEURS

Georgian Entrepreneur: Rudy Nielsen Year of Gradualtion: 1960 Name of Company: NIHO Land & Cattle Type of Company: Property and Real Estate Company Founded: 1972 Interview by: Bryan R. Ide '99 How did you start your property and real estate business?

How did NIHO Land & Cattle Company come to be?

My very first job after leaving St. George's was in forestry, cruising timber in very remote areas of northern BC. Then, I drove a D7 Cat doing road construction for the logging company. When the bus came to pick up the crew at night, they would sometimes forget that I was back in the bush constructing roads and they would leave without me. The weather would often be as cold as -38 degrees and I would have to make my way to the main highway and then hitch-hike back into Prince George. After the third time this happened, I went to the nearest pub and, after a few beers, I phoned my boss at the logging company and told him that I quit.

I am an avid believer that nature and business go hand in hand. I wanted to share this experience with my sons. In 1972, I formed the NIHO Land & Cattle Company and bought nine islands in the Fraser River. The islands were strictly purchased to teach my sons to canoe, to swim, and to survive off the land by hunting and fishing. I spent many weekends on these islands with my sons having a great time canoeing on the rough water and most importantly teaching them outdoor survival skills. I cannot stress the importance for fathers to spend time with their children in the great outdoors: pitch a tent, light a fire, cook dinner, and just relax around the campfire talking. There is no better way to bond.

I was therefore unemployed and decided to go from being a cat driver to a real estate salesman. I sold clothes at the local men's store while taking the real estate course by correspondence. In 1964, I passed the exam and became a real estate salesman in Prince George. In 1967, I became a sales manager and remained a licensed realtor from 1964 to 1981. In 1972, I obtained my diploma in Urban Land Economics in Appraising from the University of British Columbia and became a Fellow of the Real Estate Institute of Canada. I started my own real estate company in 1972 called Yellowhead Realty and within four years, I owned the largest real estate company in northern BC.

26 â&#x20AC;˘ The Dragon

What was it like during the early years as you were building up your company? In 1981, there was a collapse in the real estate market and I lost most of my money. After all the smoke cleared, I still had one strong company left, namely NIHO Land & Cattle Company. I decided I would spend more time with my sons and started buying recreational properties. We would clear the underbrush and put in roads creating a vision and dream for people wanting to purchase recreational properties. In over a ten-year period, we went from owning two properties to owning 400 and became one of the largest

private recreational property land owners in BC. We diversified our business and started the harvesting of our own timber and developing some of our lands into subdivisions. In 1994, we made a change from the logging business and decided to go into the computer business. We developed Landcor.com, which is now used by most major financial institutions in BC for fast valuations on residential houses and condos. Landcor has information on all 1,646,987 properties in BC and updates between 3,000 to 9,000 sales every week. We have one of the most accurate automated valuation models in North America and can valuate a residential house or condo in four seconds by matching the best and most recent sales of nearby comparable properties. What challenges did you or have you faced and how have you overcome those challenges? What advice would you give to those who are facing challenges in starting up their own companies? Being an entrepreneur and building a company, which is unproven in the marketplace, is a very difficult venture. It is a very lonely and risky path, but once you think you have a great idea, you must stick to your convictions against all odds. If you have an idea and you think it is good, go for it. You might have to fight banks, your family, and your friends, but you have to stick to your vision if you are determined

to make it happen. Good ideas come every day, but what separates a good idea from a company being built is the commitment of the entrepreneur.

enjoyed my time at St. George's. I broke three records in track-and-field in June 1960 and won the Victor Spencer Trophy and Sportsman of the year.

In my case, I knew nothing about computers, but both of my sons were partners in our company and they both had computer experience. I was only able to appraise a house or a condo by computer so I stayed on my true course and two and half years later, Landcor.com opened for business.

St. George's taught me: schedules, discipline, and teamwork. I had to make my own bed, always be on time, and dress properly. St. George's taught me how to study and also the importance of reading in order to keep up to date on the present and future. By participating in the numerous sports at St. George's, I learned teamwork. An entrepreneur always needs to have a good team behind him.

As an entrepreneur, who were your mentors? Gordon Bryant was my first boss in the real estate business in 1964. He taught me more in three years about the fundamentals of business than anyone else. Stan Hamilton, Senior Associate Dean of UBC Commerce, taught me the value of education and knowledge. Mr. Harker, my Headmaster at St. George's, taught me discipline. He gave me a second chance after I had been kicked out of the School. How did your time at St. George's help you later on in life? What lessons have you taken away from your Saints' experience? When I arrived at St. George's, I had already been kicked out of a number of public schools. Coming from a small rural area like Prince George, the only thing I knew was how to fight with my fists. I was not really a good student until the last two years when I was made a prefect and then thoroughly

What advice would you give to another Georgian or student who has an idea in his head but doesn't know how to start up a company? My first advice would be to prepare a business plan of your idea. Then, you have a number of choices to raise capital to get your idea into starting a company. If a person is not fortunate enough to have his own capital or family capital, he may have to raise venture capital money or private money. You will have to go to many financial institutions and you will find it very difficult, for they receive hundreds of these applications a day. Rejection is the most difficult thing to deal with when knocking on doors for capital. After being turned down 20 times, you may start to think that there is something wrong with you. Before you approach any of these financial people be sure you are protected with a confidentially agreement. I would also suggest approaching another

Georgian who has done work in the same business and ask him for some time to benefit from his experience. What advice would you give to those Georgians who have started up a company and are facing challenges? Look for a mentor or other people in the same business and advise them you are a Georgian. The most important advice for starting a company or running a company is your motivation and attitude in life. You need to set both short-term and long-term goals, which only you should know which are not to be shared. You must also do some meditation. In my case meditation comes from two sources: sitting around a campfire with a glass of wine staring into the fire and hiking through the forest using my survival skills to live off the land. Would you like to share any other experiences or information you think might be of interest to our readers? I would suggest that St. George's create a mentor committee of Georgians to act as advisers or mentors to young Georgian entrepreneurs just starting out. These young entrepreneurs would have somewhere to go to express their ideas and problems and the committee could offer advice on which is the best route to proceed. St. George's has produced some of the best minds in Vancouver and it would be helpful to have guest speakers to share their knowledge and insight of the business world to the Grade 12 class.

Fall 2007 â&#x20AC;˘ 27

GEORGIAN ENTREPRENEURS How did you end up in the business of creating wind turbine farms? I used to work for an environmental engineering firm and my sister introduced me to a gentleman from England, who asked if I'd be interested in getting into the wind turbine business; the rest, as they say, is history. My interest in alternative energies and environmentally friendly energy options were definitely the foundation for my current business, WindCon Energy Services Ltd. We now have an office in Lethbridge, Alberta with a completed project, and an office in Kincardine, Ontario with a project underway. We will be opening an office in Montreal later this year to address wind farm opportunities in Quebec. Internationally, we currently have projects in England, Southern and Northern Ireland, the Isle of Skye, Inverness, and Whitelee, south of Glasgow. We will be opening an office in Spain this coming January, 2008. Later that year an office will be established in Australia and New Zealand. I'm also looking forward to working on projects in Dawson Creek, British Columbia in 2008 and 2009!

What challenges have you faced and how have you overcome those challenges? What advice would you give to those who are facing challenges in starting up their own companies? Starting up a business is always a financial challenge; investments can be risky and cash flow is a perpetual concern in virtually any industry. Finding and retaining good staff is also another major hurdle faced by entrepreneurs. Continual networking is required to attract the right type of employee for your company. For my particular business to avoid wasting time and money, it's also really important to target areas of proper growth and to find the right markets to enter. My main advice would be to have twice as much money as you think you need, hire people who can replace you, and don't be afraid to take risks. As well, hire slowly, fire quickly, and promote good reliable workers. Praise openly and often and continually thank staff when a good job has been done. For example, a hot cup of coffee, a doughnut, and a thank you can go along way when it is -30Â° in southern Alberta. You also need to appoint key individuals to manage teams and over-deliver on your promises. If and when necessary, be prepared to work seven days a week and 18 hours a day. Furthermore, make sure you get the support from your families, especially if you are only going to be home for two days a month.

Georgian Entrepreneur: Guy McKenzie-Smith Year of Gradualtion: 1975 Name of Company: Windcon Energy Type of Company: Wind Turbine Farms Founded: 2005 Interview by: Bryan R. Ide '99

28 â&#x20AC;˘ The Dragon

We constantly hear about high energy costs associated with the price of oil going up. In addition, we are told that we can no longer rely solely on oil for our energy needs. Where do you see the renewable energy sector down the road? Well, we can talk about how in Canada only a mere .05 per cent of energy is derived from alternative energy sources in comparison to 25 per cent in Holland, Denmark, and Germany. These countries are the world leaders in wind turbine technologies. Canada as a whole tends to be leaning more towards nuclear energy and 85 per cent of energy in Alberta is still derived from burning coal. Clearly there is no shortage of opportunities for developing alternative energy sources such as tidal, solar, and wind energy. The renewable energy sector will not be going anywhere any time soon. We are currently building 2mW Enercon turbines in Ontario, which are provided by a German manufacturer. These turbines stand 75 metres high, the blades are 35 metres long, and one hour of these blades turning produces enough electricity for the average house in Canada for one month. This compares to China which is bringing on two coal burning hyrdo plants every second week, which is equivalent to 2,000,000 cars on the road for the same period of time.

It would be interesting to know about St. George's intentions for sustainability. Of particular interest would be their program of organic products they are using on their playing fields, in their public facilities, and in their swimming pool.

What advice would you give to another Georgian or student who has an idea in his head but doesn't know how to start up a company? Research your business idea thoroughly to determine whether or not it is actually feasible. Talk to people who are entrepreneurs and have already started their own companies. Network at Old Boys' functions and ask lots of questions. Read Business in Vancouver and join small business groups to stay on top of industry trends and news. Taking a program to run my own business has also paid off for me. Most importantly, don't be afraid to start small.

What are the advantages of generating electricity through wind power over other methods of generating renewable energy such as hydro, solar power, or hydrogen fuel cells? The greatest advantages of wind power are lower costs and speed of development. For example, it takes 12 to 15 years to build a hydro dam. You have to flood huge areas such as Lake Williston in BC which, in turn, destroys thousands of acres of woodlands. Solar power is limited seasonally and to areas that receive the most sunlight. It's popular in Spain and the Caribbean, where solar panels are used on rooftops to heat hot water, but it would not necessarily work so well in our climate. Hydrogen fuel cells have huge capital costs and require an enormous shift in the energy infrastructure. Wind energy on the other hand is essentially free, renewable, always present, and boasts lower construction and capital costs. On top of all that, wind turbine sites can usually be built within a year and have less of a negative impact on the environment than other energy sources. Sites are usually placed in rangelands or rural farmlands and don't

disturb the natural environment. Farmers also benefit from the added value of their land.

What advice would you give to those Georgians who have started up a company and are facing challenges?

How did your time at St. George's help you later on in life? What lessons have you taken away from your Saints' experience?

Having the support of your family is extremely important in times of stress. Revise your business plan, dwell on your strengths, and don't support your weaknesses. Look at areas where you are most profitable and focus on those key areas. Slash your staff and cut costs; work 25 hours a dayâ&#x20AC;Śthen talk to your banker, and believe in yourself.

St. George's is a great fraternity where I formed many lifelong friendships. My experience at St. George's cemented a foundation of discipline and the teambuilding skills I learned through the athletic department have definitely come into practice later on in life. Take advantage of St. George's unique facilities and the short time spent there. Time passes by quickly but the friendships you make will last!

Fall 2007 â&#x20AC;˘ 29

LOOKING BACK: A GEORGIANSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; FEATURE STORY

rom 1943 to 1946, I was part of the boarding community at St. George's School. I remember that many of us in boarding came from isolated places, where high school grades were not always available. For example, there was Hans Myhre '47 from Montney, British Columbia, north of Fort St John; Grant Dominy '46 from McLennan in northern Alberta; Ted Christmas '44 from Knight Inlet British Columbia; Doug Richardson '47 from T'Lell in the Queen Charlottes; and, myself from Gray Creek in the Kootenays.

We had all been able to reach Grade 8 in our local one-room schools; to go any further required that we be sent to board

in either a small town or a boarding school like St. George's. In my case, St. George's, with its closely supervised residential program was the best option. So, it was in the fall of 1943 that I left home on a Sternwheeler, crossed the Kootenay Lake, and then transferred to a 34-hour Greyhound trip to St. George's School in Vancouver. Wartime restrictions later cut Greyhound trips to 50 miles because of gas and rubber conservation and I had to take the Kettle Valley Railway back home for my first Christmas holiday. As this was wartime, Johnny Harker, who was Headmaster at the time, had to work hard to maintain standards. Luckily, he was able to hire retired teachers from the Vancouver School Board. For example, we

had some excellent teachers, including C. F. Connor and H. Hudson. Connor remained famous for his "now boy, I don't have to eat a whole turnip to get the taste of it", and Hudson for "say nothing until you hear from me" (after which the class, in unison, would chant: "nothing 'till you hear from me"). The principal school building was a threestorey farmhouse. The top floor was one large dorm room, known as the Top Dorm, which housed 24 Grades 6 and 7 boarders for whom I was the prefect. A gym and chapel were added, above which there were additional classrooms. School transportation included a classic 1928 Cadillac that Johnny was able to buy for $200 because gas rationing made it

Boarding in the 40s A Home away from Home

30 â&#x20AC;˘ The Dragon

by Tom Lymbery '46

LOOKING BACK: A GEORGIANS’ FEATURE STORY

unwanted. Perhaps Axel Mortensen, the maintenance man, had the contacts that helped keep gas available for the School. A whole rugby team could cram into that car, which featured extendable cigarette lighters in the back seat. Otherwise the extensive streetcar system brought teachers and day boys to School, none of whom had their own transportation. Mr. Connor maintained that the streetcars would always be a Vancouver fixture because of the heavy fogs as nothing else could find its way on the streets. With so much coal being burned in those days, a yellow fog could be seen hovering over the Dunbar area. On Saturdays, I would cycle downtown to enjoy the 18-cent double feature at the Lyric or Rex Theatres. If Fan Dancer, Gypsy Rose Lee (the word 'stripper' would be used as an adjective to describe her in later years) came to the Beacon, we would ante up 25 cents for the double feature combined with the stage show. On a holiday weekend we would sometimes sneak out to a Sunday midnight movie downtown (the School did not permit us to view movies on Sundays) and because there were very few 3:00 am streetcars, it would take us some time to get back to the dorm. Rugby was the only game which was played on the top field, a block out into the bush, on mud and gravel. In my attempt to ensure that I met the proper cut-off weight for the 135lbs team, I remember trying out with stones in my pockets. Once on the team, I would have a practice game each day, while games would be played at Brockton Point and City High School fields. There were also the memorable trips to Victoria to play St. Michael's University School, or Royal Roads. The whole Rugby season lasted from September to Easter, until cricket started to reappear. While there was a gym with basketball hoops, we couldn't play

basketball because the over-hanging gym ceiling was only nine feet high. Of course, there was always cross country running, which basically involved following a three-mile deer track though the University bush. Back at school, the kitchen prepared meals on a large coal-burning cook stove, and coal was also used to heat hot water, which was plentiful for showers or baths. Some of us had never seen or used a shower before, and I can remember Hans saying that he planned to set one up when he returned home to Montney. Eventually, Harker purchased two additional private houses in the 3900 block of West Dunbar. One was occupied by a nurse, who attended to our scuffed knees from playing on the gravel rugby field, weighed us, or administered our physicals. The other house was used to accommodate a man who had arrived from England with his wife and two small children. This was Kent-Barber, who was given the job of supervising the boarders. As our day normally started at 7:00 am, with all boarders running to the gym for physical jerks before their morning showers, Kent-Barber felt he needed to get everyone moving quickly, so he started taking a hand bell around to each dorm to make sure everyone was awake. This did not go over well. So, one evening we purloined some metal buckets and whatever tin cans we could find. After making sure that no one needed to pee, as the toilets were on the floor below, we assembled the material up the stairs and tied a cord from them to the doorknob. The next morning, the whole dorm eagerly listened for the approach of Kent-Barber. The effect was all that we had planned a tremendous can crashing effect, and the master retreated without a word. He never approached the top dorm again! Our simple project had achieved its objective. When I told the story to

Johnny Harker some years later, he had never heard of it before, so apparently Kent-Barber had been disinclined to report it. Chapel was also an important part of our lives during those days, particularly given the tragedies of war occurring overseas. It seemed that all too often, we would have a minute's silence as a memorial to a Georgian killed in action. At 17 years of age, all of us expected to join up and be shipped overseas, but by 1945, the demand for soldiers had decreased significantly. Nip Parker returned from service, minus a leg, and told us of the pains he would feel where there was no longer a foot. Even so, he managed to referee rugby. The Beak (Harker) also recruited two sergeants who had returned from service to provide for stiffer night-time supervision in boarding—with limited success. Then, as VE Day fast approached in May 1945, Johnny Harker organized all boarders to stay with a day boy for a few days, in order that he and the staff could celebrate the end of hostilities in Europe. The practice of having Grade 11 students write some of their Grade 12 exams led to many of us writing them all in Grade 11. Thus, our parents could afford our last year in Grade 13. Over the years that followed my time at Saints, I remained with the business which my father started in 1913. Eventually, I added an insurance brokerage to our general store and resort. I then sold both and expanded the store to three floors. Today, our business has an international reputation for handling the widest variety of goods, anywhere. Some, like Dominy went on to university, but many like Myhre, Richardson, and me returned to our small communities. I have been grateful for the excellent grounding in class and in life and the introduction to the big city.

Fall 2007 • 31

OUR STORIED PAST

ranks, capers, stunts, or tomfoolery; it doesn't matter what you call themâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Saints' history is rife with all sorts of good-natured shenanigans. Whether it was John Blackmore's prized beagle arriving at the School closing ceremonies, dyed pink and wearing a pair of undergarments, a vintage Volkswagen being welded around the Senior School flagpole, or, the conversion of the new Great Hall into an automobile showroom, stories of Saints' shenanigans add such colour and humour to the history of the School. It

only stands to reason, if you have a large group of bright young men with a bit too much time on their hands, then some devious plan will be hatched, resulting in a fine example of wellcrafted student "skullduggery". Chris Harker '57 recalls that in 1949, while in Grade 5, "the dastardly Kilroy Gang" was formed with the object of writing "Kilroy Was Here" anywhere and everywhere about the School in chalk. The gang was perhaps overly successful and finally ran into serious problems when the Axel Mortensen, the School

Custodian, had his truck so adorned. The gang, which by now had grown significantly in numbers, was caught by the Head of the Junior School, Captain Robinson, who promptly brought out the cane and gave everyone involved "two of the best"; one for defacing School property and one for misuse of School property (chalk). The gang quickly dissolved. However this didn't mean an end to clever pranks and capers. As a grad student in 1956, Harker remembers that they were able to

Saints'

SHENANIGANS by Brian Lecky '65

32 â&#x20AC;˘ The Dragon

OUR STORIED PAST

purchase scarves seven foot long in the School's colours on which the name could be sewn for an extra 50 cents: "As the Convent of the Sacred Heart (now the Junior School) was close by, housing a number of attractive girls in their boarding facility, there was understandably a great deal of thought given to how one might gain access, at night, without being caught. Although this was never accomplished, a number of scouting expeditions did occur that involved the use of ladders, trees, and drainpipes. One morning, after yet another thwarted scouting mission, passers-by could not help but notice that there was something different about the statue that was located in a small niche high above the front entrance to the Convent; the Virgin Mary was now bedecked with the red, white, and black scarf of St. George's School. It took several days to get it down. The name had been removed." John Nicolls '78 remembers how fellow grad, Gord Fitzpatrick '78, painted a crosswalk between the School and the "smoke pit" complete with a student crossing sign "borrowed from another location". The same '78s showed up at a Crofton House assembly in full Crofton House School uniform, beautifully adorned with copious amounts of make-up and lipstick. They proceeded to read the morning announcements under the watchful eye of a thankfully tolerant Miss Addison. Meanwhile the Crofton girls were engaged in comparable activities at the Saints' assembly. A similar caper was organized in 1980, when John's brother Rod '80 took on the role of Crofton House Head Girl. He was given the honour because "he was the only one small enough to fit into the rather petite red jacket". In the mid Forties, Tom Lymbery '46 recounts how he and some of his fellow boarders tried to satisfy their parched palates: "I came up with the idea of making pumpkin brandy. This was achieved by filling a hollowed-out pumpkin with brown sugar and water. There was a cupboard in the middle of the top dorm, with a brick chimney at the back. This was the ideal warm place to allow fermentation to take place. It was started by floating a cake of yeast on a piece of toast in the sugary mix.

This began to work, creating a strong 'fermenting' smell, which the kids in the dorm blamed on the housemaster's room. The product was far from brandy, but produced a sort of 'pumpkinny' wine". Great stories, and such a variety: St. George, in full armour, rode into the Senior School closing ceremonies atop his trusty steed, Goofy (the Disney character) arrived on the School fields by helicopter, a staff room that mysteriously disappeared behind freshly plastered entrances. It seems the prowess that St. George's students have exhibited in academics, sports, and the arts over the past 75 years is also evident in their ability to formulate clever and elaborate pranks. Perhaps one of the finest examples is best related, in its entirety, here for the first time, by one of the perpetrators, David Docksteader '82. "The planned conversion of Alan Brown's rather static and sterile headmaster's office to an idyllic pastoral forestscape, including an in-ground duck pond complete with a mallard of the yellow rubber variety was hatched somewhat spur of the moment in the Spring of 1982. The actual adventure took place all within approximately four hours of late evening and early morning on the eve of "Annual Grub Day" (the tradition of wearing anything one chose including pyjamas or an ensemble similar to what Geof Stancombe '62 would wear at the Spring Fair for one Friday in the final term). It was that exciting night when four promising horticulturalists and graduating students (I will confess to having been one of them but refuse to rat out the others unless tortured and then I'll sing like a canary) borrowed several trees, shrubs, plants, and many yards of topsoil from the endowment lands property across the street and east of the former "smoke pit". We gained easy access, thanks to the phenomenal expertise of one of my co-conspirators, who had acquired the dubious skill of using a soap mould for cutting keys. This technique he had learned from studying unauthorized publications confiscated by his father in his professional duty as the commanding officer of the RCMP. By the way, this same artful dodger had also learned the art of alchemy required for the manufacturing of high-grade stink

bombsâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;strong enough that, on a completely different occasion, we did have to evacuate the entire School during class following full fire drill procedures. In any event, with copied master keys in hand, we carefully removed every stick of furniture and item visible in Alan Brown's office and stored them safely in another section of the School before setting out to lay a heavy coat of poly over his carpet so that no damage was caused. At least four different varieties of coniferous trees were carefully uprooted and then re-planted in the fully prepared and freshly landscaped Headmaster's office, thanks to the Herculean strength of another of the fellas, who in spite of his 'neon toeheadedness'(whoops another hint) managed to keep out of sight. In any event, that was only one of a number of other clever pranks performed by a whole class of ingenious lads from '82. The 12 hours or so of bright-eyed and fleet-of-foot adolescents harmlessly creating mischief ended with almost the entire Grade 12 class for that year camping out on Alan Brown's front lawn. I suppose what made the whole deal rather sterling was that the next morning at the School assembly, Alan Brown, in good spirit and style, complimented the work of "a group of interior decorators" and promised that he would not inquire as to who or how, but he required that everything be returned precisely to its place, and in its original condition by the end of lunch that day. It was done just as he asked and he never said anything to any of us." Shenanigans at their finest; yet these are but a small sampling of the capers, pranks, and stunts, successfully staged by the student body of St. George's over its colourful 76-year history. There is little doubt that an entire publication could be compiled based solely on such endeavours. It would be highly entertaining, but it would also require a great deal of time and research and, of course, the willingness of the various perpetrators to reveal the details of their ingenious exploits. I know you're out there! Be assured, that under the statute of limitations, it is now safe to confess to such misdeeds, as no disciplinary or retaliatory actions will be taken.

Fall 2007 â&#x20AC;˘ 33

The St. George’s Old Boys’ Association in partnership with St. George’s School recently launched the Georgian Honours to recognize the significant achievements and contributions that our Georgians make every day. On the following pages, you can read about this year’s recipients.

Honouring

GEORGIANS

34 • The Dragon

COVER STORY: HONOURING GEORGIANS

One of the leading figures in Canada's investment community, Peter is the founder and Chairman of Canaccord Capital Inc. Over the years, Peter has served on the boards of numerous private sector and Crown corporations. He is a past Chairman of UBC, the Vancouver Stock Exchange, BC Place Corporation, and BC Enterprise Corporation. He currently sits on the Board of Trustees for the Fraser Institute and the Finance Committee for VANOC, and is a member of the World Presidents' Organization. Peter has been a strong supporter of St. George's for many years, serving as a Governor of the School and Trustee of the Foundation.

PETER M. BROWN '58 Lifetime Achievement Georgian Award

You recently retired as President and Chief Executive Officer of Canaccord. As you reflect on your time at the helm, what do you consider to be your greatest achievements? For some years, I have been Chairman and CEO of Canaccord Capital Corporation. I recently passed on the title of CEO to Paul Reynolds, who is 44 years old and has been with me for 23 years. It has been said that one of the most important responsibilities of a CEO is to ensure for proper succession, which is something he should start thinking about his first day on the job. As far as my greatest achievement, I would say it is building the largest independent investment dealer in Canada from a small

Vancouver firm purchased in 1968 for $23,000. Today it is a public company with revenues approaching $1 billion. What was your biggest challenge? My biggest challenge, which took patience and time, was to build the right team, one which could both share a common vision and work in a culture that brought out their very best. No executive can build a company unless his partners and employees buy into its vision. Seeing as how this issue of The Dragon focuses on entrepreneurship, what advice would you give to those who are starting their own business? The most important requirement for an entrepreneur is to have a passion for the

enterprise and a network that can support it. It has been said that one man with passion is equal to 40 people merely interested. As an active Georgian, what do you see as the long-term mandate the Georgians and the St. George's Old Boys' Association, both collectively and individually? I am not an expert at running the Old Boys' Association, but it seems to me that the alumni of a school with the reputation of that of St. George's are important allies and assets. I think the School needs to employ every means to communicate with and involve every Georgian. The "every" means somebody who understands these issues better than I do.

Fall 2007 â&#x20AC;˘ 35

COVER STORY: HONOURING GEORGIANS

Ray Robinson entered government service in 1958 as Canada's youngest ever diplomat and rose to become one of the country's top environmental officials. Ray has had many significant leadership roles, including negotiating the first federal provincial air quality standards, spear-heading the decision to remove lead from gasoline, and drafting the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Ray was also Federal Administrator of the James Bay and Northern Quebec Agreement. In 1993, he was appointed an adjunct professor at SFU.

RAYMOND M. ROBINSON '54 Distinguished Georgian Award

As a former public servant and as a champion of the environment, what do you consider to be your greatest achievement? I played a significant or leading role in resolving three of Canada's most important environmental problems severe Great Lakes pollution, lead in gasoline and acid rain and helped make major changes in the way in which the Government of Canada meets its environmental responsibilities. [a] While still a diplomat and as Coordinator of the Canadian team negotiating the 1972 Great Lakes Quality Agreement, I helped design the review mechanism that gave the agreement its teeth. It established an independent Canada–US body to report publicly on achieving the Agreement's initial targets and, as scientific knowledge grew, to recommend tightening and expanding the Agreement. The result has been at least three new ever more comprehensive Agreements and much healthier lakes. [b] As head of Canada's Environmental Protection Service, I initiated in 1978 a successful five-year battle to get lead out of gasoline. UBC researchers had shown me how severe were the effects of low levels of lead in the blood on children's motor development and that hundreds of thousands of children living on busy streets or near freeways were at risk. [c] I persuaded the US Carter Administration to join us in developing a plan to control trans-boundary acid rain affecting tens of thousands of lakes and millions of hectares of forest. We reached virtual agreement but the new President, Reagan, repudiated all of it. In response, I initiated a long but ultimately successful campaign in the US to persuade

36 • The Dragon

Americans that combating acid rain was in their interest. After Reagan's re-election, a Canada–US agreement on acid rain, reflecting our work with the Carter Administration, was finally signed. [d] As head of Canada's environmental assessment agency, I led the development over several years of what is now the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act which mandates a rigorous and public assessment of the environmental effects of all projects requiring federal approval. The result has been to open governmental decision-making to fuller public scrutiny and to build environmental planning and sensitivity into programs across government. It is court-enforceable and therefore resistant to undue political intervention. There are those who say that environmentalists are being alarmist and that human-made climate change is a myth. How do you respond? The same scepticism surrounded Great Lakes clean-up, lead in gas, and acid rain. In the 1700s, at the dawn of the industrial age, CO2 concentration in the air was 280 ppm. Today it's 380 ppm. Physics tells us that more heat will as a result be retained within the atmosphere and recent temperature trends, especially at the poles, appear to bear this out. It is already too late to prevent significant change but we can prevent catastrophic change (e.g. melting polar ice-caps) which is predicted to occur between 450 ppm and 550 ppm of CO2 concentration. The correlation between the growth in emissions and in concentrations of CO2 over the decades is too close for the phenomenon to be other than primarily man-made. How would you rate the progress that governments have made in tackling the issue of climate change?

Avoiding catastrophic change will require emission reductions two to three times higher than currently contemplated, costing about 1.5 per cent of gross global product. That is far less than the cost of the most benign catastrophic scenarios. Yet I fear it will take many more destructive storms, floods, droughts, fires, famines, infestations and other extreme events to move the World's peoples and governments into effective action. I am encouraged that many business leaders seem to be ahead of the politicians in recognizing the need to act. However, it is the government which must set the example and produce an effective plan. Our leaders should take heart from Canada's earlier successes in not only overcoming Great Lakes pollution and acid rain but also persuading our giant neighbour to do the same. In what way did your time at St. George's impact your later life? What advice would you give to your fellow Georgians? The one word answer is language—the ability to communicate orally and in writing with logic, precision and clarity. The study of grammar, composition, Latin etc. encourages the mind to think and express itself in an orderly manner. In my work I presented to the political level the findings of science and explained to the scientists what the politicians needed to know. I had little scientific training but I could cut through jargon and determine what was fact and what was assumption. We are blessed by speaking the World's most widely used language. I say to my fellow Georgians master that language, respect its beauty, structure and power and it will matter much less what else you learn.

COVER STORY: HONOURING GEORGIANS

Recognized as a foremost appellate counsel in Western Canada, Angus is a partner at Borden Ladner Gervais, LLP. He has also been Adjunct Professor of Law at UBC and in 2005 he received the first Adam Albright Award for Outstanding Teaching by an Adjunct Professor. He holds the distinction of being one of the few Georgians to have been both Head Boy of the Junior School and School Captain of the Senior School.

ANGUS M. GUNN '86 Young Georgian Award

The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms celebrated its 25th anniversary earlier this year. In your opinion, how has the Charter changed the country? The Charter's impact on Canada has been enormous. Foremost is the enhanced protection civil liberties have received under the Constitution since 1982. As one consequence, the Canadian criminal justice system has been transformed. As another, the centre of gravity for the debate on many issues of importance to Canadians has moved away from the legislatures and toward the courts. For example until 1982, arguments over equality, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and language rights might have been regarded as matters of politics. Today, those issues have been constitutionalized; bringing enhanced public profile not only to the issues themselves, but also to the appointed judiciary that adjudicates them. Whether you view these developments as positive or negative for our country, there is no denying the Charter's transformative effect on Canadian society. Some have said that the judiciary has now adopted a role as a protector of constitutional rights and freedoms, and in doing so, is engaging in judicial activism. How would you respond? It's true that the Canadian judiciary has enthusiastically taken up the challenge of

interpreting and applying the Charter. It's equally true that that job has entailed the protection of fundamental rights and freedoms, given that the Charter (as with other modern bills of rights) pursues a civil libertarian agenda. Have judges adopted that role or has it been thrust upon them? Under section 52 of the Constitution Act, 1982, the Charter forms part of the "supreme law of Canada". In light of the supremacy given to the rights and freedoms guaranteed by the Charter, any law inconsistent with those rights and freedoms must be struck down. The judiciary thus plays an inevitable role in the functioning of the Charter. In my view, the judiciary has acquired that role by parliamentary choice rather than by usurpation: legislators and not judges authored the Constitution Act, 1982. What are the biggest challenges facing the legal community today? Access to justice is a formidable challenge for the modern legal profession. Litigation is prohibitively expensive for many Canadians and in many cases, civil disputes with a value of less than $100,000 are scarcely cost effective to litigate. This, in fact, renders the civil justice system inaccessible to a wide band of society for the resolution of disputes. The solution to this problem is complex but it needs to be tackled.

Another ongoing challenge for lawyers is diversity within the profession's ranks. The profession has made strides, yet women and minorities still remain underrepresented in leadership positions. A third challenge for the legal community flows from its growth. The hallmarks of professionalism include collegiality and mentoring. These values are strained as the profession expands and the business climate becomes ever more competitive. The legal profession must ensure that its finest traditions survive these pressures. As a successful lawyer, you are expected to think laterally and on your feet. To what extent would you say that St. George's prepared you for the demands of your current profession? Many Saintsâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; graduates have achieved tremendous success in their chosen careers. Success can be variously defined, but on any view it draws on qualities that Saints has emphasized since its inception: dedication, perseverance, hard work, integrity, and the importance of citizenship in its broadest sense. None of the educational institutions I've attended has more profoundly defined my trajectory in adulthood than Saints. Any success realized since then has built on the lessons learned at this great school.

Fall 2007 â&#x20AC;˘ 37

SAINTS’ NOTES 1969

1997

In August of this year, Charles Parker began a two-year assignment as Counsellor (Development) at the Canadian High Commission in Colombo, Sri Lanka. He will be the senior representative of the Canadian International Development Agency there, where CIDA is quite engaged at the moment with tsunami reconstruction work, in addition to its ongoing programs in the country. This will be his fourth diplomatic assignment earlier postings were in Kathmandu, Islamabad, and Rome.

Neil Chantler was called to the Bar of British Columbia on September 5, 2007, after completing his law degree at Dalhousie University and his articles at the law firm McQuarrie Hunter. He will be continuing on as an associate with McQuarrie Hunter and practising in the area of civil litigation.

In February of this year, Brent J. Sauder became Assistant Deputy Minister, Research, Technology and Innovation Division at the Ministry of Advanced Education for the Province of British Columbia. In this new role Brent will foster and promote superior research and innovation initiatives supporting economic and social development within the Province. Prior to taking on this position Brent had been Director, Office of Research Services at the University of British Columbia.

1993 Andrew Ponsford has been promoted to BC Sales Manager at Charton Hobbs from his former position of BC Retail Sales Manager. Charton Hobbs is the largest importer of wine and third largest importer of spirits in Canada. In this new role, he manages the company's provincial sales team and Charton Hobbs' retail and restaurant and nightclub business in BC.

Pictured from left to right are grads from 2007: Chris Barrett, Conor Trainor and Alex Perrin. The boys were part of the BC U18 Rugby team that captured the National Championship in Newfoundland. Zahid Jethani (Grade 11) and Ross Yellowlees (Grade 11) were part of the BC U16 team that also won the National Championship. Zahid was the captain and selected as flag bearer for the entire BC contingent.

38 • The Dragon

1998 Rehman Campbell recently moved to Ottawa after accepting a position with the Department of National Defence Policy Group. Bryce M. Cheng is currently living and working in Hong Kong as the Service Manager and Head English Teacher for the Quarry Bay Branch of Wall Street Institute. He is hoping to be in Canada for the class 10-year reunion.

2001 Riaz J. Kara has been appointed Manager, Knowledge Transfer at the Metropolis Project housed within Citizenship and Immigration Canada. His duties will include mobilizing and transferring research findings from the project's research team to the various policy makers within the federal funding consortium. He will be bridging the gap between researchers and policy makers and developers through innovative communications strategies, including: the web and various conferences.

2002 Scott Walter, graduated Phi Beta Kappa, with Distinction, from Stanford University in June of this year, receiving the Joseph H. Greenberg Award for Academic Excellence and co-terminal BA and MSc degrees in Anthropological Sciences. As one of the top 20 students in his graduating class, Scott was honoured to present former biology teacher and Saints' faculty member (1974–2001) Paul Baumann with the J.E. Wallace Sterling Award and a vacation prize from Stanford recognizing Mr. Baumann's influential role in Scott's early scholastic career. Scott proceeds to the University of Pennsylvania, where he will pursue doctoral studies in medicine.

Anthony Wright is a member of the Canadian Field Hockey team that just won the gold medal at the Pan-Am Games. That means Canada now qualifies for the Olympics in the sport.

2004 Adam Goldenberg writes: In the Spring 2007 issue of The Dragon, I was very glad to be informed about the School's myriad achievements in rowing ("The Re-Birth of Rowing at Saints," p. 12), ice hockey ("Saints on Ice," p. 15), ultimate frisbee ("Ultimate Champions," p. 30), field hockey ("Fielding World-Class Players," p. 31), and sailing ("Olympic Fever," p. 39). I read with great interest the articles on the School's traditions of rugby ("The Georgian Rugby Football Club," p. 16), military service ("The Saints at War Project," p. 7; "A Georgian at Sea," p. 24; "A Georgian in Kandahar," p. 26), and sports cars ("The Car," p. 20). To my mind, however, something was very conspicuously missing from the issue: namely, any mention whatsoever of current students' non-athletic pursuits. Is there really nothing worth celebrating, nothing worth the attention of the School's alumni, parents, and friends that doesn't involve breaking a sweat? (The metaphorical notwithstanding, of course.) It wasn't long ago that I graduated from St. George's, never having had athletics as a major extracurricular commitment. Like most boys, I competed on a few School teams below the varsity level, but I was always much more at home in a theatrical production or debate tournament than at a meet, match, or regatta. I have a hard time believing that there aren't still a good number of students like me roaming the halls of the school; reading The Dragon, however, you wouldn't know it. St. George's consistently boasts about its commitment to producing the "wellrounded boy." It's a commitment to a delicate balancing act, by nature doomed to fail in as many individual cases as in which it succeeds. Emphasizing athletics is not, however, emphasizing well-roundedness. Quite the contrary, to assume away students' and the School's commitment to academics, the arts, and the whole gamut of extracurricular activities, while spotlighting the triumphs of the

SAINTS’ NOTES School's young sportsmen, sends a disappointing and ultimately detrimental message not only to those of us who have left St. George's, but also to the students who have yet to graduate. If the highest recognition at St. George's is reserved for its athletes, we all have ample cause for concern. I look forward to reading about more of the School's athletic successes—and more of its colourful history—in future issues of The Dragon. I sincerely hope, however, that the triumphs of the School's scholars, artists, musicians, debaters, and others take their rightful place, as well.

BIRTHS Prentice W. Durbin '89 and his wife, Toni, a son, William Callum, born September 1, 2007. Prentice is the Secretary of the Georgians' Association. Robert B. McMahon '88 and his wife Alison, a daughter, Cameron Alexandria, born May 22, 2007. A grandchild for Ward A. McMahon '62. Jill Penner (Junior School Faculty) and her husband David, a daughter, Claire Annabella Penner came three and a half weeks early on August 18 at 1:25 am weighing 6lbs 15ozs and measuring 21 inches long. Peter Shrimpton '79 and his wife Susan, a daughter, Kiara, born May 26, 2007. Michael Skene '85 and his wife Andie, a son, William Talisker Pearson Skene, born March 15, 2007. Michael is a Director of the Georgians’ Association.

Claire Annabella Penner

Conrad Drew '00 and Theresa Danielson Peterson Yap '97, and his wife, Anne, a son, Percival Andrei Yap, born September 5, 2007.

Philip van Aerssen '94 to Nadia Haj Mohammad on July 21, 2007 in Amsterdam.

MARRIAGES

Conrad Dew '00 to Theresa Danielson on July 28, 2007 in Vancouver BC. Best Man, Chris Marriage '01, Groomsman, Jack Hall '01, Emcee Gavin Dew '02.

David "Buck" McPhedran '93 to Nikole King on June 9, 2007 in Manhattan. His two best men were Russell Ritchie '93 and Allan Merrill '93.

Brian Grant '94 to Katherine Alexandra McClellan on August 4, 2007 in Vancouver BC.

Brian Grant '94 and Katherine Alexandra McClellan

Fall 2007 • 39

SAINTSâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; NOTES STAFF David Darling leaves St. George's after 21 years of service to assume the position of Senior School Principal at St. John's School.

PASSINGS

JOHN MACDOUGALL '44 The St. George's community was saddened to learn of the passing of John MacDougall, who was heavily involved with both the School and the St. George's Old Boys' Association. John was a three-term President of the Georgians from 1968 to 1974 and continued to serve on the Board of the Georgians after 1977. On November 28, 1979, he was elected as a Governor of the School. John was a founding member of the St. George's School Foundation and also served as Chairman of the Foundation. He was one of the founders of the annual Hamper Drive and was very involved with the School's scouting program. John is the father of Jock '76, Bruce '77, and Timothy '85.

Clark A. Macdonald '59 on May 18, 2007 at Vancouver, BC John MacDougall '44 on August 12, 2007 at Vancouver, BC.

Gordon McKenzie-Smith on July 12, 2007 at Vancouver, BC. Gordon was a Governor of the School during the 1970s and he played an important role in the "Big Move." He is father of Guy '75, Michael '85, and James '87. David Long '75 on August 30, 2007 at Vancouver, BC. 40 â&#x20AC;˘ The Dragon

Georgian

HONOURS

CALLING FOR NOMINATIONS Do you know of a: • Georgian who has made a difference? • Georgian who is a leader of his industry? • Georgian who is a rising star? If so, please let us know by nominating him. We will be accepting nominations until February 29, 2008. • Young Georgian Award This award recognizes a Georgian who has reached a significant level of success but has not yet reached the age of 40. He must have demonstrated vision and leadership and made a contribution to the community. • Distinguished Georgian Award This award recognizes outstanding achievement in a particular field or industry and dedication and service to the community. • Lifetime Achievement Georgian Award This award recognizes and honours a Georgian’s lifetime of outstanding achievement in a particular field or industry and his significant involvement with the St. George’s community by furthering the mission of the School and the Georgians. For more information or to download an electronic copy of the nomination form, please visit www.georgianhonours.ca. To have a nomination form mailed to you, please call Bryan Ide ’99, Manager of Georgian Relations, at (604) 221-3885 or email at bide@stgeorges.bc.ca.

REUNIONS

The classes of 1957, 1977, and 1997 held reunions off-campus earlier this year. The year of '57 held their reunion in Delta, '77 was at the Vancouver Lawn and Tennis Club, and '97 was on Locarno Beach.

Fall 2007 • 41

HELP FIND AN OLD BOY! Not all of the almost 5,000 Georgians worldwide are reading this issue of The Dragon. Thatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s because we have lost touch with them over the years. If you know the whereabouts of anyone on this list, please let us know how we can get in touch with them. Anything at all with help; address, telephone, email, work information... Please email Bryan Ide '99 at bide@stgeorges.bc.ca or call (604) 221-3885. THANK YOU! 1934 Van-Hoose "Van" Smith 1935 Leslie "Les" Bevington William "Bill" D. Gordon John Jameson C. Gerry Royston 1936 Edward H. Barker Don E. Berry C. Lloyd R. Garrett Edward G. Parker 1937 Keith S.C. Allen Temple P. Cornwall Robert M. Dafoe R. Billington Jackson J.G. Beverley Penney 1938 J. Berton Clark Michael A. Considine William A. Dafoe Neil M. Fleishman Cedric S. Haslett 1939 James "Jimmie" B. Buchanan G. Emerson "Emmie" Gudewill Bryan W. Manley John A. Sparks 1940 Stephen H. Jackson Alexander "Bud" C. Munro John K. Sloan 1941 Daniel Considine James "Michael" M.D. Fell Richard "Dick" F. Gosse David R. Greaves Peter Whalley H. Richard "Dick" Whittall 1942 E. Jackson Browning J. Conrad Mackenzie Robert Thomson Peter A.R. Watson 1943 Michael F. Angus Guy G. Kirkpatrick David Williamson

42 â&#x20AC;˘ The Dragon

1944 Harry D. Boyle William "Bill" G. Haskett Donald L. McLauchlin Michael W. Stacey Stuart H. Wallace 1945 Brian P. Baker David W. Clark Richard "Dick" S. Coleman Don A. MacDougall Roderick K. Peck John F. Spencer 1946 George J. Armstrong Jack Auerbach David A.G. Beech Edwin J. Curtis 1947 Stuart J.A. Arnett Edward "Ron" J.R. Boulter Brian Davies Kenneth M. Field William F. Harrison Alfred Jacoby Laurence Ortengren Clarke "Ted" Edsell Peck Hugh B. Sutherland Robert E. Switzer Kenneth Peter Vaughan William "Bill" A. Walley 1948 W. David Fenton Gerald C. Hale D.S. Paddy McCarthy William "David" Middleton James "Jim" Minty George W. O'Brien Richard "Dick" F.St.J. Sendall Donald "Mouse" R. Smith David G. Sweny 1949 J. William "Bill" Adam Robert "Bob" Buscombe James "Jim" C. Butler D. Roy Davies David G. Grant John P. Harrison Peter R. Hunt Michael J. King Ronald R. Ortengen W. Peter Scott

1950 James "Jim" A. Burrows James C. Cree James "Jim" Eccott Robert Jacoby Arthur "Art" B. Lander Robert M. O'Brien Karl A. Riedemann 1951 Denis C. Clarke Joseph E. Hargitt Curtis J. Hutcheson C. Ross Lander Graeme McDougall William "Bill" G. McLuckie Graham C. Munn C. Mac Norris Timothy W. Thorman William Weir 1952 Graeme Cooper Edward "Ted" M. Edwards Michael M. Harrison John W. Jewitt Jack R. Neely John T. Pottie 1953 Gray Boardman Edwin B. Cahill Michael W. McAllister

1957 David N.P. Baxter W. Benjamin Gilmore Henry O. Hewitt Richard S. Hunt 1958 Edward S. Arnold Kenneth E. Brandly Ronald W. Brown Dennis W. Butler Ian G. Forbes Brian L. McDermott J. Douglas McNeil John Siderfin John A. Stewart-Williams 1959 Malcolm P. Burke John C. Campbell E. Edward Cochrane L.P. Jake Eckhart John W. Edwards Christopher R.D. Fox J. David Kennedy Grant Q. Knudsen W. David Madeley Edward L. Quinn Gary R.C. Rainbow Brian A. Rogers Robert G. Siderfin

1954 John Butterfield John C. Gage Robert C. Knudsen J. Anthony Lockhart Robert L. Mansbridge Paul V. Stanton 1955 Peter B. Crysdale Anthony H. Griffin Sterling "Bill" O. Holman Ronald V. Kirby Robert W. Parker Joseph R. Wilkinson Philip "Dean" Winram 1956 Brian M.F. Dolman E. Michael S. Frost Peter Ommandsen Ronald R. Roxburgh

For a complete list of lost Georgians, please visit our webpage at www.lostgeorgians.ca

A FINAL WORD ON ENTREPRENEURSHIP...

he year was 1987. I was in Grade 7 and I remember being sent to Mr. John Blackmore's office with another class mate. We were in trouble and I was sure we were going to be punished, so I was preparing for the consequences. I remember Mr. Blackmore's calm and humble, yet authoritative, stature as he was standing beside his desk thumbing through a stack of papers as he called us in. I will admit I was intimidated by what was going to happen. I was new to the School and had no idea what to expect.

We remained standing and Mr. Blackmore asked us how we were doing. As our eyes started to migrate towards the floor, we answered swiftly to his simple command. "Heads up gentlemen", he said. "Yes sir" we replied. He gently proceeded to tell us his childhood story in South Africa and spoke about his relationship with other students during his own school days. His story was light, deep, and with a hint of humour, and also profoundly touching.

The Gift of the Sower

How Saints prepared me to be an entrepreneur

We listened fascinated for about 20 minutes, as he continued with his story. We were waiting for the punch line to describe what punishment he had received. However, that punishment never materialized, nor did he ever bring up the subject or reprimand us for what we had done. All the time we were in the office, he had been judging how sincere we were about how we felt. Looking at us straight in the eye, he said: "Maybe it's about time you boys apologize to one another?" I was floored. I had entered his office timid and insecure, but walked out changed and enlightened. It was a pivotal point of my life. What John Blackmore had exhibited was a lesson in responsibility and respect for our fellow man by telling us a powerful story.

I believe selecting the right employees was the same as admitting quality students to St. George's School. John Blackmore had trusted us and at the tender age of 13, I aspired to be a better person as a result. I did not realize it then, but the most important aspect of my experience in that office was the reflection of trust that ran deep emanating from the leadership of the School and I have remained inspired by this legacy from St. George's ever since.

“

Respect, trust, and integrity; these are the principal seeds John Blackmore planted and nourished during my years at Saints.

“

During the course of my life, I have remembered this penetrating lesson. Unknowingly, it evolved as the centre of my business practice as an entrepreneur. I had learned that respect for our fellow man was also trusting your employees, valuing relationships, and instilling a culture in the workplace, where respect is paramount. If an employee needed to be reprimanded for the first time, I would be sure not to chip at that person's character. As the leader I would also be hurting myself, by running a company of people who did not love their work, whose potential was suppressed, and who worked in an atmosphere of fear and non-creativity.

by William B. Choi '93

So, over the past few years, I have dipped my hand in several business ventures. Eventually I became a consultant to companies which I had helped to acquire or to start. This is now called CB Williams Business Advisors Group and is my most purposeful venture to date. As one of the youngest accredited affiliates in the world's largest independent consulting network, CB Williams Business Advisors Group has taken on a life of its own to help small- to medium-sized businesses, CEOs, and business executives from multinational firms to achieve their goals. Being an entrepreneur is considered risky, but it is offset by a passion to realize success. There is the myth that the unknown brings instability. However, the journey of life is anything but stable and each person holds the key to their own destiny. Seize each day and embrace a dream! Yet, understanding the delicate balance of engagement and letting go, is the true test of one's character and leadership capabilities. Therefore, the only one who can answer that question is none other than himself. Respect, trust, and integrity; these are the principal seeds John Blackmore planted and nourished during my years at Saints.

Fall 2007 • 43

St. George's School is pleased to offer a limited number of Full Boarding Scholarships which include Tuition, Boarding, and many Extras. These scholarships are open to new national and international boarding applicants to St. George’s School who meet the following requirements: • a student in Grade 6 to12 • a strong academic record • previous success in Athletics and the Arts • demonstrated interests outside the classroom • leadership potential These scholarships are renewable. St. George's School awards in excess of $900,000 in scholarships and financial assistance every year. For information on the Full Boarding Scholarship, other scholarships, or financial assistance, please visit our website at:

www.stgeorges.bc.ca

First Full Boarding Scholarship Recipient

Norman Walczak (2003) • Honours with Distinction Standing (2003-2007) • 100% on National Latin Exam (2003) • 2nd in Canada, 1st in Region – Le Grand Concours National French Examination (2007) • 3rd Place – German Consulate Writing Contest (06) • 2nd Place – German Consulate Travel Contest (07) • End of Year Language Prize (2003-2005) • German 12 Provincial Exam- 100% • Academic Excellence Medal – Top ten academic standing (2007) • Math Contests: Assorted Certificates of Distinction (for top 25% + finishes), including AMC 10, AMC 12.

RETURN ALL UNDELIVERABLE CANADIAN ADDRESSES TO:

St. George’s School 3851 West 29th Avenue, Vancouver BC V6S 1T6 Canada 40580507