Quest for a crest by Kristen Beever

Quest for a

Crest

2015/16 inter-house Crest design competition

A presentation to Heads of House

All about the Quest

ackground

The House system at Girton Grammar is the foundation on which all Pastoral Care is based. As a school steeped in history, the 6 houses are much-loved by students and teachers alike, fostering a sense of connectedness to the wider school community. The traditions of loyalty, pride and involvement are nurtured through the House system, with each House having its own distinct character and personality. Every student becomes well known by their Head of House and House Tutor in all aspects of daily life: academic performance; cocurricular involvement; social cohesiveness; behavior and the students’ interests outside school. Aherne, Frew, Jenkin, Jones, Millward and Riley; the names alone carry so much meaning for every Girton student and teacher, and yet, it is so much more than the name and colour of each House that defines the character, history and aspirations of each of these tribal groups.

Quest for a Crest

All about the Quest

he mission

The time has come for each House to cease being defined by colour and name alone. These elements only tell part of the story of each House and something more powerful is needed. The mission of each House is to develop a Crest and Motto that will, forever more describe and define the house and its history. This is an opportunity to be part of a significant moment in the School’s history. It is a chance to help leave a legacy that will forever express what it is that makes your House unique. You will be creating the tangible base on which your House’s reputation will grow over time. Each Head of House will be charged with the responsibility of involving the members of their House in a design competition to develop the emblem and motto that best represents their House. This will require research, vision, wordsmithing, ideas and co-operation from anyone from Prep to Year 12 who wishes to leave their mark on the history of their House, and indeed, on the School.

Quest for a Crest

All about the Quest

he Competition

Throughout history, crests have been used to symbolise groups. Girton Grammar School is represented by a crest featuring part of the Southern Cross, linking the School to its motto, “Through Hardship to the Stars”, or “Per Aspera Ad Astra” in Latin. The House Crest that you develop should capture the fundamental defining traits of your House. You will need to research the history of your House, including its founder, and think about the elements of a crest that best capture the essence of your House. The crest that ultimately comes to represent your House will need to stand the test of time. It is intended that the House Crests become as synonymous to every House as its current name and colour and that they become embedded in the fabric of the School’s history. The following guidelines will help you to develop the perfect emblem and motto for your House for consideration by the Headmaster and Deputy Head, who will have the final say on each House Crest design. Once the winning design(s) for each house are chosen, they will be given to a professional graphic designer who will produce the finished products based on the winning designs.

Quest for a Crest

All about All aboutthe the Quest

imeline

2015 Aug Brief HOH & AHOH Brief all staff Brief House Captains and Vice Captains (SS & JS) LAUNCH TO WHOLE SCHOOL Sep

Entries open Regular updates and promotion to end of year and through January

2016 Feb Entries close HOH & AHOH filter top 10 entries and submit to HM & DHM Top 3 entries per house selected for 5 minutes interviews with HM DHM HOMD and respective HOH Mar Crest is designed and refined Apr EMBARGO May Launch at Foundation Day Dec Speech Night, Girtonian, House Captain badges etc.

Quest for a Crest

All about the Quest

esign guidelines

A Crest template will be provided with the bulk of the design to be placed within a shield shape. Designs may be submitted in any format, from a sketch to a painting, to an electronic design in any program. The Headmaster and Deputy Head will consider Crest designs against the following six criteria: 1: SIMPLICITY The idea is to create a symbol that is simple so that you automatically evoke a particular perception or feeling. A great Crest will give people an instant idea of what your House is all about and this will automatically lead to an understanding, without the need for explanation. 2: UNIQUENESS This is your chance to stand out and create something that you believe is different from anything already out there. The Crest design should be easily recognised and distinctive. 3: CONTEXT The House Crests ultimately need to reflect the School’s own values and history to remain relevant through time. You will need to consider the rich history of traditions that define Girton Grammar in order to create crests that ‘speak to’ the bigger picture. This is the key to creating a symbol that will endure.

Quest for a Crest

4: HISTORY AND TRADITION With more than 130 years of school history, the House Crests are intended to remain relevant for at least another 130 years. The Crest should reflect heraldry (think, Coat of Arms with symbols of heritage), no gimmicks please! 5: CHARACTER Capture the defining personality of your House. Perhaps write down what you think about the House “brand”. You could create a mood board with imagery that reminds you of the ideology that defines your House. Think about who your House is named after, what they represented and the year your House was founded. 6: APPLICATION You will need to consider the range of ways that the House Crests might be used. For example, from large banners used at Sports Days to embroidery on House T-shirts or metal badges worn on blazers. This is where simplicity and uniqueness become important. The top 10 Crest designs for each House will be submitted to the Headmaster and Deputy Head. Three of the ten will be selected for presentation to the Headmaster and Deputy Head by their designer/s. The designers will need to be able to speak about the designs in terms of the guidelines provided, in an interview scenario.

All about the Quest

nd a Motto…

Each House is also charged with the mission of developing a Motto to capture the spirit of each House.

The motto should instil a sense of pride in your House and a sense of belonging for all those who are a part of it. Early mottos were war cries from the period of the Crusades. This is a chance to show your House’s fighting spirit! The main consideration for the motto is SIMPLICITY. All mottos need to be positioned in such a way that they can be easily isolated from the Crest so that for particular applications, the Crest alone can be used to represent each House. This will mean, generally, positioning the House Motto on a scroll, or similar device, that sits below or above the crest.

Quest for a Crest

otto guidelines: All Mottos will need to appear on the House Crest in Latin.

A great motto will fulfil the following criteria: • Underscore the House’s general philosophy. What is the worth of your House? • Define a promise. What does your House promise to each of its members? What are its aspirations? • The shorter the motto the more memorable. • Rhythm, rhyme and ring can be effective. Fluid sounding mottos are more recognizable and memorable. • The motto should complement, not compete, with the Crest design. Remember, your motto must sit in such a way that it can be removed from the Crest design without taking away meaning from your House Crest.

All about All aboutthe the Quest

resenting to your House

The steps of the Quest have been set into an abridged version of this document for you to present to your houses. The Quest will be launched to the whole school on the same day.

Quest

Template The bulk of the design should be within this shield but elements of the design may go behind or slightly outside of the template.

for a

Crest Research

Like this:

Or this:

Research your House’s history • Who is it named after? • What is that person known for? • How does that person influence your House today? • What does being in ______ House mean to you? • What year was your house founded?

Criteria The design: • Must reflect heraldry (Google it) • Must be timeless/enduring • Must be scaleable - down the size of a 5c piece, up to a large banner • Must translate to print, embroidery, badges, ........ • Can be in ANY MEDIA - from a sketch, to a painting, to an electronic submission designed in any program (eg Photoshop) • Use the basic shield template in this document

Winners • Please be aware that a single element or elements of a submission may be selected from an entry. • For example, a motto from one design, a shield from another entry. • The top 3 entries from each house will be interviewed about their design by the Headmaster and Deputy Head. • The final decision rests with the Headmaster.

The motto: • Must be short and must work in Latin and English

Quest for a Crest

All about All aboutthe the Quest

note on judging

The decision on the final Crest design and Motto for each House will be at the discretion of the Headmaster and Deputy Head. It is up to each Head of House to decide how best to run their design competition to include all interested students and teachers from both Junior School and Senior School. Brainstorming sessions with interested people are highly recommended so that a cohesive idea of the philosophy of each House is clear from the outset to guide appropriate design and words. Please be aware that single elements from various designs that are submitted may be selected and combined with other elements, or modified. The revised design will be presented back to the relevant Head of House for final consultation.

Quest for a Crest

All about All aboutthe the Quest

final word

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity! The House Crests developed through this Quest for a Crest project are intended to remain within the fabric of Girton Grammar’s history forever. Making marks or symbols for military purposes can be found going back to the earliest man. The Greeks put marks on their shields long before Christianity. Even African warriors painted their wooden shields with symbols of heritage. Anyone who has had the privilege of witnessing House competitions of any kind at Girton Grammar will understand the significance of the spirit of competition and cohesiveness that the House system embraces, and thus the pride of place that House Crests will take for generations to come.

uestions?

At any time during the Quest for a Crest project, should you have any questions, please contact Head of Marketing, Mark Beever: markbeever@girton.vic.edu.au

Quest for a Crest