Observing Remembrance Day is of importance to St Dunstan’s School, as they were founded in 1918 as a Memorial Diocesan School – a tribute to the fallen comrades.
The school was founded as a ‘living’ memorial to the fallen in the Great War. Years later, the school still honours the day by gathering to pay their respects to the fallen heroes.
Due to Covid-19 restrictions, this year only chairperson of council Lorraine Barry, previous chair of council Con Roux, heads of the three schools, Grade Six, Seven, Eight and Nine learners and staff gathered to honour the day.
The day was observed by Fr Joe, welcoming attendees, addressed by the college’s history teacher, Natalie Büser, under the theme Children, acknowledgement of past learners of the school who made sacrifices, roll of honour, choral item, reveille and last post.
“The school was founded as a result of causalities in the Great War. The journey began on February 4, 1918, when St Dunstan’s Memorial Diocesan School officially opened its doors on the grounds of St Dunstan’s Anglican Church,” said the head of campus marketing Mandy Lachenicht.
“This was the realisation of the dream of the founders, which was to create a ‘living memorial’ as a tribute to their comrades who lost their lives in the horror of the Great War.
“At the time, George Hills was governing body chairperson and one of the founders.”
Natalie Büser address:
“We gather here today, together, to pay our respects to those who went to war and never returned and to those who did return, many bearing the physical and mental scars of armed conflict.
“This Remembrance Commemoration reminds us of the need to build and maintain community spirit in times of adversity. Yet, what transpired in the trenches and on the battlefields of the First
World War, and conflicts ever since, continue to remind us that freedom has its price.
“When World War I broke out in 1914, children, like adults, were caught up in war fever. The Boy Scouts’ Association was one of the first youth organisations to provide practical assistance to the British war effort. Scouts guarded telephone and telegraph lines, railway stations, water reservoirs or any location that might be militarily important.
“From late 1917 many Scouts assisted with air raid duties, including sounding the all-clear signal after an attack. Some Scouts were even trained in firefighting. The Scout movement’s handbook, published before the war, instructed all Scouts to ‘be prepared…to die for your country if need be’.
“The Second World War brought many changes to the lives of children in Britain. For some, the war was a time of fear and confusion that meant separation from families, the destruction of a home or even the loss of a parent.
“In closing, while we will stand for the playing of The Last Post and the ensuing one minute’s silence, let us reflect on the red poppies that symbolise the bloodshed on battlefields by servicemen from across the globe. Lest we forget.”
ALSO READ:
Local entertainment partners with St Dunstan’s
