WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO BE ‘GREEN’?
I guess if you directed that question at a group of people anywhere in the world you would receive many and varied answers.
BRIAN ROWE
Shepherd Housemaster
The scientist would tell you it is the colour between blue and yellow on the spectrum, green like the colour of grass or emeralds. The environmentalist may say it is about saving the planet’s resources through recycling or using alternate energy. The American soldier may well say it’s about him/her as they wear green and are referred to as ‘being green’. Those brought up on Sesame Street may have Kermit spring to mind and the fact that “it’s not easy being green”. And the sci-fi fanatics may even say it’s about the ‘little green men from Mars’. But ask a young man at TSS Prep, Southport, and there is no question it’s about being in SHEPHERD HOUSE. To those in Shepherd House, green is more than a colour. It is a synonym for effort, commitment, mateship and service. To them it symbolises being in a family of sorts, and being a team player, inside the wider family and team that is TSS. We in the Green Machine take the many facets of being a ‘Shepherdite’ very seriously. We take seriously our commitment to service, and through the extravaganza that is the annual Shepherd House Cake Stall we raised a record amount of $4,075 for this purpose. This year the boys allocated $1,145 to support Nit Marady, our Cambodian student, through until July next year, to allow him to finish his secondary education. They also allocated $1,514 to the Kids Cancer Project to support research into childhood cancer, as Australia has one of the highest incidences of childhood cancer in the world, and currently childhood cancer is the leading cause of death by disease in Australian children. And $1,514 to Cystic Fibrosis Queensland, as they need to raise over $1 million a year to provide essential services such as counselling, free equipment hire, home physiotherapy, accommodation, advocacy, education
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THE SOUTHPORT SCHOOL SOUTHPORTONIAN 2015
programs and support for children during hospital stays The boys made the choices and I know are proud that in their own small and special way they have made a difference to those in need. Effort, commitment and mateship are all wrapped up in the House activities. We won House Music, House Swimming and House Cricket; at the time of writing the results of House Debating and Chess are not yet known; and continued to be competitive (and attempted to be hard to beat!) in House Touch, Tennis, Basketball, Soccer, Athletics and Cross Country. Truly it was an all-round good year, with many all-round good results. Congratulations also to those from our House who won individual awards and to those that went on to represent at the school, district, region and State level. There has been so much attempted and achieved in 2015 of which we can be immensely proud. Every House member has made a contribution to the team at some time, at some stage, and for that I sincerely thank you. Whether being ‘Mean and Green’ or ‘S–H–E–P–H–E–R–D’ – you have done well. To our Year 6s that now continue their remaining TSS journey over the road – a special ‘Well done!’ You have ‘greened up’ well! You have made a commitment to your House that I believe was even greater than the challenge you set yourselves way back in January. You can be well satisfied. You certainly did not let the Green of Shepherd fade under your watch. To our Captain, Louis Chabert, and his loyal and hardworking Vice-captains, Dane Lehndorf, Jordan Yoo and Ewan Stanich – please accept my thanks and those of all other Shepherdites. You have led your House well – be well pleased. So – what does it mean to be green? It really is that feeling; that pride; that enthusiasm; that raucous team spirit; that ‘awhoo-whoo-whoo whoo’; which is only known to the lucky boys that wear the green stripe down the righthand side of their sports uniform – the men who serve under the ram. GO GREEN!!!!
