PNBHS NEWS

Assembly Presentation to Mrs Shorter

 
Picture of Gerard Atkin
Assembly Presentation to Mrs Shorter
by Gerard Atkin - Tuesday, 31 October 2017, 12:28 PM
 

At the Head Prefect's assembly this morning, Prefect Hamzah Arafeh delivered a presentation about leadership and made a presentation to the 'mother of the school', Mrs Barbara Shorter, from the Student Support Centre.  Below is the text of Hamzah's presentation:


"Leadership.  What is being a leader? And what is it that makes someone a leader?

Good morning boys, today I’ll be giving a leadership presentation on leadership itself. Today I’ll be tackling Leadership at its very source and hopefully give you a clearer understanding of what it means to be a leader. 

Throughout history we’ve had multitudes of leaders, some great ones and some not so great. We’ve all heard names like Lincoln, Gandhi, and Churchill. 

While in their own respects they are great leaders, it can be argued that the greatest leaders are not the ones we know. But the ones we don’t know.

It’s the people doing good for their communities, their friends and their family.  They see that it’s something they can do to make the world around them a better place.

These individuals lead because they don't only do what society requires of them, they go above and beyond. They walk that extra mile, and they are ultimately those who put others first. And this leadership through service is leadership in its purest form.

In all honesty boys you can learn all you want about leadership, but at the end of the day you can only ever learn about it.

In order to become a leader you yourself must take action to walk that extra mile and to go above and beyond for the sake of others.

But leadership in itself isn't restricted to any one type, leadership is a spectrum, much like Ice cream there are many differing types, flavours and models of leadership, but they all have service as a common core. like vanilla. 

You’ll meet all different types of leaders, those who leed from the front, those who leed from the back and everyone in between.

The takeaway from this is that anyone in this hall has what it takes to be a leader.

And this brings me to talk about who I think embodies this model of leadership the most. 

Its someone we all know, someone whos been the heart and soul of this fine establishment, and someone whom without palmy boys would no longer be palmy boys.

The greatest leader in this school that fits this model isn’t Mr, Bovey. It not Patrick or Greg. It's not even me or any of the prefects.

The greatest example I could find for this type of leadership is Mrs. Shorter. Mrs Shorter through her years of service has demonstrated leadership and service beyond just her duty.

I’ve heard from some of you a lot about Mrs Shorter, how she always greets you warmly, how if you’re sick she’d look after you, she’d make sure you were ok, she’d walk you over to the sick bay.

 Whenever you forgot your P.E. Gear, she’d sort you out and I’m sure that everyone in this hall has had at least one encounter with Mrs. Shorter that they’d remember.

In a sense Mrs shorter is like the mum of this school, treating each and everyone of us like we were here own sons.

All this and so much more is why today, on your behalf I’d like to invite Mrs Shorter up on stage to be recognized for her service, and to receive a small token of our appreciation and gratitude for her. 

This year, we’ve had the largest prefect group in the history of PB, and as such we’ve officially run some of the most successful events in this school's history. We raised the most we’ve ever raised for Relay for life at $6090. 

We held the most successful ball in the history of Palmy Boys, over 700 in attendance, and with a budget of $24,000. The world Vision crew raised around $15,000. The forum and PTA  raised $19,000 though the raffle.

In sporting success -We beat the teachers in the relay on athletics day, we won both games against girls high and overall we’ve had a really solid year.

That’s thanks not only to the prefects but to everyone in this hall that’s helped us make all of this possible. And on behalf of the prefects Id just like to thank you for all of your contributions, and for letting us serve you. 

In these last days uphold the standards and continue to represent yourselves and the school in best light. 

Remember we are lions boys. And lions care little for the opinions of sheep. Keep looking after one another and trust in PB and the brotherhood…. You will not be betrayed.

To the year 13’s; we’ve done it men, five years pretty much done and dusted. Well done. Together we’ve survived 946 days in each others company. Together we’ve been through it all. The good. The bad and the downright ugly. 

Some of us will not cross paths again. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed growing up with all of you. it’s been an honour and a delight to have transformed together from boys to men.

One day when I grow old, and my memory isn’t the sharpest, I'll measure my time here not in the classes I took, and the results I got. but by the friendships I've made. 

Some were pretty casual and others were much closer but I’ll treasure every single one, and remember each fondly, as I’m sure you will too.

I just wanted to say thanks to everyone in this hall. Sincerely and from the bottom of my heart its been an absolute honour and a privilege to have known you boys.

I want to set you all a challenge. Never stop growing, never stop learning and never stop doing. Work with pride and humility. And finally be exceptional. 

And so here we stand boys, at the end of a great year, full of positives and great memories.

Some people can count their friends on their hands,

Some have no friends. Only brothers.

And the best part about coming to PB is waking up every morning, and coming to school with 1,800 brothers.

And knowing that though we all have our differences, that not anyone of you would think twice about having my back and that anyone of you would dive in head first to defend the school, and our home at its gates. 

I don’t know where it goes from here. 

Not for me, not for you. Not for anyone. 

I don’t know what the stars have in store for the men of pb, but know that your stars shine bright. 

I wish you all the very best in each of your journeys and I’m humbled that I had men like you to be a part of mine.

Wherever we go, and whatever we do may we always be brothers when we meet again. 

Nihil Boni Sine Labore."