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TOBA President’s Report
As always, it is with great pleasure that I provide this report on the year that has been for the Trinity College & CBC Perth Old Boys’ Association (TOBA).
The TOBA diary seems to get busier every year and this year has been no exception. The sentiment from 2012s fifty year celebrations for Trinity College flowed into 2013. These celebrations provided an opportunity for TOBA to reflect on the wonderful history of the College and its antecessor, CBC Perth.
The association has a long and rich history. This year we added to that proud history. In an Extraordinary Meeting of Members held in July 2013, members resolved to change the official name of the Association from the Trinity College Old Boys’ Association to the Trinity College & CBC Perth Old Boys’ Association. This is in recognition of the College’s antecessor, CBC Perth, and to acknowledge the full and combined histories of Trinity College dating back to 1962, CBC Perth dating back to 1894, and also the association which commenced in 1903.
As President of TOBA I received many votes of thanks from Old Boys of the Terrace who commended the members for making such a decision.
As mentioned in my 2012 report, three honour boards dedicated to Old Boys who were killed or who remain missing in action during times of war, were initially presented by TOBA to Trinity College at the Rickataka 2012 reunion. Through the hard work of Vice President Terry Jones (’70), committee member John Hansen (’58) and Robyn Jennison, the honour boards were further populated and officially presented to the College during the year in a full school assembly held on Anzac Day. The ANZAC Day assembly was a very moving event and based on feedback from students and staff, this sentiment appeared to be shared by the wider Trinity community. TOBA was fortunate enough to have a number of dignitaries at the event, far too many to recount here but included the Catholic Archbishop of Perth, federal and state ministers and Old Boy senior ranking officers within all the armed forces.
We thank them very much for their attendance and support on such a special occasion for the College and TOBA.
TOBA is renowned for its reunions and, safe to say, 2013 lived up to the famous TOBA reputation. There were a number of class reunions during the year, with classes celebrating all the key milestones including a sixty year reunion for the Class of 1953! Reunions were also held in Melbourne and Sydney and I thank the Headmaster, Ivan Banks, for his attendance and ‘flying the flag’ on behalf of TOBA.
The new Honour Boards are presented at the ANZAC Day ceremony
We welcomed a new batch of youngsters into the Golden Heritage Club (Old Boys who graduated fifty or more years ago). The new batch assumed this status with pleasure and it is so very pleasing to see so many willing to participate and contribute to the Golden Heritage events throughout the year. The current students at the College welcome the opportunity to meet and speak with Golden Heritage members and it’s pleasing to see the boys taking a keen interest in the stories and history provided by the Old Boys.
The TOBA Sportsmen’s Lunch was again held at the Duxton Hotel on 28 June. As usual, it was a huge success and reaffirmed the tremendous bond that exists amongst Old Boys and their love of Trinity.
The Winter and Summer Sports days, where Old Boys relive their youth by playing the senior teams across all codes, were held again with great success. There appears to be a yearly trend of TOBA taking out the overall points at the Winter Sports Day and the current students winning back victory at the Summer Sports Day. It may be a function of the older boys becoming more tired as the year progresses! The true winner on the day was the now famous TC Spirit and fine sportsmanship shown by current students and Old Boys alike.
The motto of TOBA is ‘Keeping the Spirit Alive’. Not only do we endeavour to keep the TC Spirit alive, we also do our part in instilling this Spirit from the beginning, starting with the boys in Junior School. It is always a pleasure to present the TOBA President’s Award each month to the Junior School student who has best demonstrated the TC Spirit. I would like to thank the TOBA Vice Presidents, Peter Torre (’89) and Terry Jones (’70), for their assistance in making these presentations throughout the year on the occasions that I have not been able to attend.
We say farewell to Mark Hackett (‘75) who has been Head of the Junior School for the past twelve years. Mark is an Old Boy and has made a significant contribution to Trinity College and to Catholic education over many years and we wish him all the very best in his future endeavours. It is pleasing to see that Mark is being replaced by another Old Boy, Martin Tucker (‘87). So, the Junior School will continue be well looked after in an Old Boy’s hands. We look forward to continuing our relationship with the Junior School and with Martin now that he is taking up the reins in 2014 and beyond.
Whilst a primary objective of TOBA is to foster a true spirit of alma mater in the association members, it is also committed to promoting the general welfare of Trinity College and TOBA members. It has taken the College’s leaders, staff, parents, Old Boys and students over more than a century to create and continuously improve the College’s programs to form the Four Pillars that now support the life of the College.
Two very important TOBA objectives are to assist in the spiritual welfare of its members and to assist members in time of adversity. This assistance is provided in the form of spiritual support and the facilitation of various ceremonies on a weekly, monthly and annual basis at the College, all of which are open to members and the general College community to attend.
During the year, TOBA set up a direct link to the College Chaplain, Fra Oscar, to discuss any spiritual aspect of members’ lives for which they may require assistance or guidance. TOBA has also provided a direct link to the Man Therapy webpage which provides additional support and guidance to men in need. These services are strictly in confidence and I urge members to make use of them when they feel the need to do so.
On 24 October 2013 I had the pleasure of addressing another TOBA Year 12 Leavers Breakfast. This was a special occasion for me as it was also the graduation of my youngest son, Conall. I have had the privilege of knowing this year’s graduates from when they commenced at the College and it was an honour to welcome them into the TOBA community.
As always, Old Boys can remain up-to-date with all TOBA reunions and events by logging onto the TOBA website at www.toba.net.au. The website is regularly updated with news, events and photos and is a great way to stay in touch. TOBA also actively participates in all social media including Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn and Instagram.
The Trinity College community flourishes on the reciprocal principle – everyone helps everyone! Everyone within the community pitches in and TOBA is fortunately entrenched into this community. TOBA is indebted to Headmaster Ivan Banks and his staff for the many opportunities granted to the association throughout the year, without which, TOBA would not be able to maintain a day-to-day presence within the College.
There are so many individuals who assist TOBA throughout the year. Listing them all would soon fill my report! It would be an injustice to name only a few as there are so many who have assisted in reunions, special events, sports days and work behind the scenes that no-one ever sees. To each and every one of you, TOBA thanks you for your continued support and looks forward to your ongoing involvement.
However, I would like to specifically thank the TOBA Executive Committee for their dedication and contribution to the association.
In particular, the effort of the Executive Officer, Diane Millar, requires special recognition. As I noted earlier, each year TOBA seems to get busier, and each year Diane manages the association with professionalism and poise. Anything ‘TOBA’ is managed and has had Diane’s input. On behalf of the Executive Committee and membership base, I thank her for her continued drive and passion.
I take this opportunity to thank two very long serving members of the 2012/13 committee who retired during the year. Firstly, to Mark Scully (‘89) who served as Association Secretary for fourteen years and secondly, to Chris Flamer (‘58), who served for many years and was both Vice President and committeeman in recent years. I wish both these gentlemen the very best in their retired life from the committee and know that both will continue to support TOBA and will never be too far away.
In closing, as it is my intention to step down at our next AGM, I would like to thank the association membership for the trust they have shown in me during my time as President. It would be fair to say there have been some ups and downs over the past nine years I have held the position. Sometimes controversial and sometimes not, but always with the best of intentions for the College and the association at heart. I have enjoyed every minute of it and wish my incumbent every success in the future and know that he will receive, and can count on, the huge support of the Headmaster, College staff, parents and students alike.
May the road rise up to meet you. May the wind be always at your back. And may you be half an hour in heaven before the Devil knows you’re dead. God bless! Mr Darren Taggart (’83) President, Trinity College & CBC Perth Old Boys’ Association
Tim McMillan (’92) gives students a few hints at the Year 12 Graduation Breakfast
Last game of the PSA 2013 winter calendar against Guildford, Sam (‘09) and Noah (’13) Harris
The Taggart family enjoy the Year 12 Graduation Breakfast with graduating student Conall Taggart
