From the Chaplains
The Unending Chain
The word “together” occurs almost 400 times in the Scriptures. One of my favourites describes God’s people being built together, into a place where God’s Spirit abides.
Ephesians 2:22 “And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit.”
We sing about being built, together, each time we sing our College Song,
‘new girls will follow in unending chain,
And Youth be renewed again and again’
What is the unending chain that renews us? 3 weeks ago we held our annual alumni Commemoration Service, where alumni of the past gather in the chapel to sing, to pray and enjoy being with each other. On this particular year, the class of 1960 were having their reunion- celebrating 65 years since left school. Yes, 65 years since they left Pymble.
Here is a photo of a group of them. Our acting Alumni Relations co-ordinator, Kate Murray, described how the morning was filled with laughter, in impromptu rendition of the school song, a cheers to “Knoxi” their principal, and sharing of memories- in particular about this- the Giant Stride. The girls, in their sports uniforms and bloomers would race up, grab one of the metal chain, each running around until they took off into the air. Apparently Sally was the queen of Giant Stride, while Anne had her teeth knocked out!
Anyway- I think it was a little too dangerous, so we no longer have the Giant Stride.
Seeing these women, now in their 80’s, come together, valuing the times they shared and still yet to share showed me what the unending chain is all about. It’s an unending chain of friendship that stretches from the school’s earliest days to the present, and it’s a legacy that each of you inherits and contributes to.
This week in Assembly, I encouraged our girls to look around, to see the student sitting right next them, and imagining the possibility that they will be a forever friend, someone with whom they will still giggle with in your 80’s. My encouragement to the girls was to remind them that are a link in that unending chain. To value one another, live in thanks for those travelling the Pymble journey alongside them, knowing even when the road gets rocky, still might be a lifer.
This chain is forged in shared experiences. It’s in the quiet moments of study in the library, the spirited cheers on the sports fields, and the nervous anticipation before a performance in the GMCPA. It’s the comfort of a friend’s shoulder after a tough day and the shared laughter that echoes through the corridors. These small, everyday moments are the links that make the chain so strong.
When a girl graduates from Pymble, she doesn’t break a link; she simply extends the chain into the world. The friendships made within the school’s walls often last a lifetime, evolving from schoolyard confidantes to lifelong supporters. Alumnae form new connections, too, finding common ground with fellow Pymble graduates who are decades apart, united by the shared experience of their time at the college.
