Die Skoollied

Daar bestaan gedokumenteerde bewyse dat die skool reeds vanaf die vroegste tye 'n skoollied gehad het. Soos die naam en wapen, het die skoollied ook oor die jare verander. Die eerste gedokumenteerde bewyse van die bestaan van 'n skoollied verskyn in die eerste Jaarblad wat in 1948 gepubliseer is. Dit wil voorkom asof die lied net een vers gehad het. Die lied verskyn dan ook in elke jaarblad tot en met die agste uitgawe wat in 1961 die lig gesien het. Die woorde van die lied is deur Mnr C. Mostert, een van die eerste onderwysers by die skool geskryf. Ek kon nie met sekerheid vasstel vir hoeveel jare Mnr Mostert verbonde was aan Hoërskool Goodwood - Epping nie. Daar veskyn egter 'n brief van hom in die 1948 jaarblad waarin hy van sy wedervaringe by die skool skryf en teken dit dan ook as redakteur van Die Jongspan, 'n kindertydskrif.

Daar bestaan geen rekords oor die wysie van die lied nie.

Eerste Skoollied

                                 

Dat die skoolied die 'n belangrike rol gespeel het in die skool se bestaan, kan duidelik afgelei word uit die feit dat dit in elke jaarblad vanaf die eerste in 1948 tot en met die Jubileum Uitgawe in 1961, verskyn. 'n Interressante variasie verskyn in die tweede jaarblad wat in 1949 verskyn het. In die tweede reël van die koor is die woord "sy ideaal" vervang met "die ideaal." Daar bestaan nie enige Engelse weergawe van die eerste skoollied nie.

Huidige skoollied: Deur R.K. Belscher 

Die eerste tekens van die huidige skoollied, met aanpassings, verskyn op die feesprogram van 1962. Die nuwe skoollied se woorde is geskryf deur R. K. (Ronnie) Belcher, in oud-leerling van die skool. Ronnie het die Senior Sertifikaat Eerste Klas, aan die einde van 1950 aan die Hoërskool Goodwood - Epping  behaal. Hy studeer verder aan die Universiteit van Stellenbosch waar hy die volgende grade verwerf: 'n BA- graad in 1956, BA Hons (1957), MA (1957) en D Litt. Hy het in 1962 gepromoveer as doktor in die lettere met die proefskrif "Die poëtiese-psigologiese grondslag van die sonnetvorm."

'n Jong Ronnie Belscher

Soos die skool se naam oor die jare verander het, is die woorde van die skoollied ook aangepas om by die naam te pas. Huidiglik is die woorde "Goodwood - Epping" vervang met "Goodwood Kollege." 
Belscher het 'n lied met drie verse en 'n koor geskryf. Die enigste bron waarop ek afgekom het wat al die verse vervat, is die wat op die 21ste Verjaarsdag Feesprogram van 19 Oktober 1962 verskyn. Die weergawe wat in die negende jaarblad van 1965 opgeneem is, bevat slegs die eerste vers en die koor. Vandag word net die eerste vers en die koor tydens saalbyeenkomste gesing. Dit wil voorkom asof die mense wat al lank betrokke is by die skool, onbewus is van die bestaan van die ander verse. 


Die musiek vir die nuwe skoollied is deur R.J. Douglas, 'n onderwyser verbonde aan die skool, gekomponeer terwyl dit voorkom dat Mnr P.J. Ehlers, die skoolhoof, verantwoordelik was vir die vertaling van die lied vanuit Afrikaans na Engels.

The Coat of Arms

1946 Version of Coat of Arms

Today I would like to pay some attention to the coat of arms (school badge) of the school. As I have mentioned in an earlier note, the school’s name has changed several times over the last 70 years. The coat of arms, however, remained relatively unchanged with only some cosmetic changes made to it. 

The earliest signs of a coat of arms dates back to 1946. I have found the following two examples of the existence of  a coat of arms:

• A concrete version on the front façade of the original school building which was occupied in 1946. It is still in the original position but needs attention in order to restore it to it’s original glory; and

Invitation Card

• One on the invitation to the official inauguration of the school building on Saturday 9^th March 1946.

The coat of arms consisted of a green shield with a maroon frame around it. On the shield are an open book, the letters H S G (for Hoërskool Goodwood High School) and a rising sun. The letters as well as the rising sun are in gold. Below the shield is a ribbon with the school’s motto: VAARDIGHEID – EFFICIENCY. 

Hand drawn sketch 

 I came across some hand   drawn sketches of the coat of  arms which was used in the design of the cover page of the school’s first annual which was published in 1948. This design was used on all the annuals up to 1965. By that time the first annual was published in 1948, the school was known as Goodwood – Epping High School. This name change was however not reflected in the coat of arms. The only change to the original 1946 version, is an outstretched ribbon below the shield with the motto. 

The school's official 21st Anniversary Program dated 19 October 1962 had an interesting version of the coat of arms on the front. This is the only one which I could lay my hands on which suggests that the school's name is Goodwood - Epping High School. It also boasts a laurel-wreath on the sides above the motto. At the top, above the shield, are two hands locked in  handshake. I could not find any other source which suggests that this was an official change to the coat of arms. 

By 1976 the name of the school has changed to Epping High School.  The program issued at the retirement of Mr. V.A. Espost, a previous principal, in June 1976, shows this change in name but it still shows the original coat of arms which was first used by 1946. 

At some stage in the past, the school's passage floors were covered with lenoleum tiles.  Different colour tiles were used to lay the school's coat of arms in the foyer of the school. About four years ago the tiles in the foyer were lifted and replaced with ceramic tiles. The coat of arms was saved for future generations to come and a thick glass panel was put over it to protect it.  

The Education Department opened new high schools in the Goodwood area and eventually it was felt that the school's name should be changed to Epping High School, resulting in a change in the coat of arms. The G for Goodwood was replaced with an E for Epping. In the material I have available, I could not find an example of the "new" version but I am looking for one to include as an example in this blog.

De Ruyter

When the town was renamed from Epping-Gardens to Ruyterwacht, the school was renamed to De Ruyter High School. The coat of arms had to be adjusted to maken provision for the new name. The design remained unchanged with the E (Epping) replaced by DeR which stood for Hoërskool De Ruyter.  

Goodwood College

By the end of the previous century, the school's curriculum changed to a more vocational curriculum. New college subjects were introduced to prepare pupils for a career. The pupils offered three "school subjects" and three "college subjects." It was felt that it was necessary to change the name of the school to go with the new image of the school. It was decided to change it back to the original name of 1941 but. instead of Goodwood High School, it was renamed to Goodwood College in 1999. The circle has been completed and it became neccessary to make adjustments to the coat of arm once again.  The DeR for De Ruyter was taken out at the bottom and replaced with Goodwood Kollege / College below the rising sun. 

1941 tot 1948

Die periode tussen 1941 en 1948 is deur grootskaalse groei gekenmerk. Die skool het in 1941 begin met drie onderwysers en 38 leerlinge. Klasse is aangebied in huurhuise. In 1942 is 'n begin gemaak met die oprigting van die nuwe skoolgebou. Om die skool meer toegangklik te maak vir leerlinge uit Goodwood, is 'n spooroorgang aan die bo-end van Vascostraat opgerig. Die nuwe gebou is voltooi en vanaf Januarie 1943 deur die personeel en leeerlinge best. Die leerlinggetalle het skerp toegeneem en daar was teen hierdie tyd reeds 121 sekondêre leerlinge en 52 Standerd Ses-leerlinge ingeskryf. Die skoolgebou het bestaan uit ses klaskamers, 'n wetenskapkamer en laboratorium. Die personeel het uit agt leerkragte bestaan. 

Die skool se hoë standaarde het aandag getrek en die gemeenskap se vertroue gewen. aan die begin van 1944 verkry die skool hoërskool en beplanning vir die uitbreiding van die gebou is begin. Vyf nuwe klaskamers sou gebou word wat  'n hotwerk- en huishoudkundeklas insluit. Verder sou daar nuwe waskamers opgerig word vir die meisies. Die skoolgebou is amptelik op 6 Maart 1946 ingewy deur die S.G.O., Dr. W. de V. Malan. 
Op akademiese gebied het die skool ook goed presteer. Die eerste Standerd 10 klas het die Senior Sertifikaateksamen aan die einde van 1945 afgelê. Die klas het uit tien leerlinge bestaan. Ses leerlinge het die eksamen in die Eerste Klas geslaag terwyl drie dit in die tweede Klas geslaag het. 

1928 tot 1941

Daar bestaan nie veel inligting oor die voor-geskiedenis van die skool nie. Daar was egter geen sekondêre skool in die Goodwood-area nie. Op 1 Augustus 1929 het Mnr I.J. Smuts, hoof van die laerskool, deur middel van sy skoolkomitee vertoë tot Dorpstraat 6 (die destydse hoofkwartier van die Onderwys Departement), gerig om toestemming te kry dat sy Standerd Ses-leerlinge in sy skool mag aanbly vir die Standerd Sewe-kursus. Sy versoek is egter deur die Onderwysdepartement van die hand gewys. Die antwoord was: "Die Onderwysdepartement bou aparte skole vir sekondêre leerlinge." Die gevolg was dat sekondêre leerlinge steeds elders moes gaan en "hul deel bydra om ander skole te voed en op te bou." 

In 1936 het Mnr J.N. de Villiers, ere-sekretaris van die Goodwoodse Skoolkomitee weereens die saak van sekondêre onderwysgeriewe in Goodwood met die owerhede op geneem. Daar is aangetoon dat die Goodwoodse bevolking "geweldig toegeneem" het. In 1937 het Bellville egter 'n sekondêre skool gekry ten spyte van die feit dat die aantal leerlinge in daardie gebied ongeveer ''die helfte van dié van Goodwood was." 

Van owerheidskant is die behoefte aan sekondêre onderwys in die Goodwood-area ingesien en 'n bedrag van £6 000 is by die 1938 - 39 begroting ingesluit vir die oprigting van 'n sekondêre skool in Goodwood. 

A new problem however arose in the quest to establish a secondary school in the Goodwood area. A suitable location for a secondary school had to be found which was accessible as well as central for pupils in the area. The Town Council offered an area of four acres between Main Road and the airport to the Administration. The parents however turned it down because they felt that it was not suitable for a school. Their reasons were:

•  the area was too noisy ("Hoe kan skoolkinders op hul skoolwerk konsentreer as vliegtuie oor hul hoofde 'n oorverdowende lawaai maak?"
• the land was not easily accessible to the majority of pupils

 The Town Council approached the Railway Administration to obtain a piece of land on the south side of the railway line. The Railway Administration however turned the offer down. Although the local golf club was considered as a suitable venue, the owners of the club were not prepared to part with it.

In 1938 Mr. P.J.H. Hofmeyr and Rev. H.J. Snyders approached the Urban Housing Bond (Stedelike Behuisingsbond) to make a piece of their land available for the building of a secondary school. On 20 May 1939, Mr de Villiers wrote a letter on behalf of the School Committee to the Urban Housing Bond: "Mr. Martin Adams, Jnr., kindly provided the attached sketch of a strip of ground which was inspected by my Committee and which is considered  suitable for the erection of the school. The ground is centrally situated in so far as the whole area, the school is to serve, is concerned and there should be no objection to its situation ..... the Committee shall be pleased if your company could see it way clear in providing the piece of land to the Cape School Board for the erection of the school .... my committee shall esteem it very much if the piece of land adjoining the suggested school site, could be reserved as playing  fields for the school."
As an interim arrangement, it was suggested that, without success, the Goodwood Town Hall should be rented at  £7 10s per month to serve as school. 
When the schools reopened at the beginning of 1940. there was still no secondary school in Goodwood. The press reported on 11 December 1940 that Mr Smuts led a deputation to the Administrator of the Cape Province, Capt F.A. Joubert. who was very surprised that the community had to wait, without success, for 11 years to get secondary school and promised that the problem would be addressed with urgency.
When the school reopened at the beginning of 1941, Goodwood Secondary School was one of them. They expected to start with 72 Standard Seven (Grade 9) pupils but only 38 enrolled. The school was housed in seven houses in Epping-Gardens. Pupils who did not live close to the school, had to travel by train or bus to Vasco station from where they had to walk towards the school. Three temporary teachers were employed to teach at the school. They were Mr. P.A. Van Der Spuy (acting principal),  Miss A. Visser and Mrs Van Rooyen. Mr van der Spuy and Mrs van Rooyen left the school at the end of March and were replaced by Mr P.J. Ehlers and Miss Smit. Mr Ehlers became the first official principal of the new school. 


Bron: Hoërskool Goodwood-Epping Jaarblad:m 1948

Celebration of 70 Years

Goodwood College is celebrating 70 years of excellence. We would like to use this blog to share the history of the school with all the people who were involved with the school in one way or another. I would be adding posts and pictures to celebrate the past 70 years and would like to invite interested parties to share their memories with us along this way.