From the OBA President

From the OBA President

Written by Cameron Feltham ’86 BGSOBA President

This year held personal significance for me as my youngest son graduated Year 12, marking the end of my time as a BGS parent.

It was a privilege to address the graduating Class of 2023 and present the boys with their Old Boy Ties at the final assembly. Knowing many of them since they were five-years-old and witnessing their journey to become the remarkable young men they are today, is truly an honour.

What stands out to me is their resilience, humility, integrity and support for one another. As both a BGS parent and an Old Boy, these qualities make me incredibly proud.

To the 2023 seniors, congratulations on the end of your BGS journey and the start of a new chapter within the Old Boys’ Association. You are now part of a wider network of 15,000 Old Boys spread across the world. We all aim to engage, question, challenge, mentor and contribute to the wider community. I hope you seize the opportunity to be part of this remarkable group.

2024 is shaping up to be another busy year for the association. Our first Business Breakfast, scheduled for 17 April, will feature award-winning investigative journalist, author, podcaster and past parent Hedley Thomas.

Hedley will share insights into his remarkable career, including his true crime podcast The Teacher’s Pet, which earned him the Gold Walkley. Our Business Breakfasts are open to the entire BGS community, and we encourage you to join us.

On 7 March, we are hosting a Creative Industries Professional Networking Night for younger Old Boys. The panel will feature accomplished Old Boys working in the creative industries, including DDB Group President and CEO Andrew Little ’87, Alt VFX Founder and Director Takeshi Takada ‘93, Brainheart Founder Rem Bruijn ‘85 and Content Lion Founder and Director Max Hinton ‘13. This night will be a fantastic opportunity for Old Boys in advertising, brand development and digital marketing to expand their strategic network to foster relationships, seek mentors or mentees and gain insights from an expert panel on the challenges and opportunities in this thriving industry.

Old Boys commemorating Milestone Reunions need to mark their diaries for the weekend of 26-27 July for the highly anticipated “Back to BGS Weekend.”

As we begin a new school year, I express my gratitude for Mr Micallef, the Board of Trustees and BGS staff for their continuous support of the Old Boys’ Association and our various networking events.

I thank my fellow committee members, both on the OBA Committee and the Brisbane Grammarians Rowing Club Sub-Committee. The planning and execution of our events, along with administration and management responsibilities, involve a tremendous amount of effort, and I am humbled by their dedication.