My Reflecting

Reflecting on my time at Shore

T. G. George

ON JANUARY 29th, 2019, I had my first day at Shore. I remember my parents taking my photo out the front of the house, with my boater consuming the top of my head. Beside me now is that same boater, worn in and no longer rattling around my dome when I chase after the bus. To think that photo was only taken six years ago is quite remarkable. In my childhood, Shore was just a concept, an idea in a country 16,000 km from me. Now, Shore is a focal point in my life. My values, friendships, memories, and education have all been shaped comprehensively by this School and will stay with me forever. 

I have always been fond of Shore and have always dreamt big of what I could achieve here one day. However, life at Shore has not always been as enjoyable and rewarding as I find it now. In the early years, I had a squeaky, quite frankly annoying, American accent. I was in the lowest rugby team, was not majorly involved in the School, had no close friends, and found I hadn’t quite settled in. At some points, I dreaded walking through the Blue Street gate, just to spend another day on the outskirts of a group that was mostly uninterested in my company.

I think everything changed when my parents signed me up for the Boarding trial in Term 2 of Year 9. I protested and refused to go, but my parents weren’t having any of it. So, on Sunday the 6 June 2021, Mr Walker and Mrs Walker welcomed me into Robson House. It was perhaps a bit of a glorified sample week. No exams, and on the Wednesday night; pizza and doughnuts with a 50-6 Blues win to top it off. That alone would boost anyone’s spirits. Nonetheless, I found the close Boarding community highly refreshing. The jokes, the comradery, the activity. I went home that week smiling, ready to start the second half of my Shore journey in Boarding.

COVID passed, and I started Year 10 in a room with Jim Richardson, before moving into a room of four, with Tom McDonald and Alex Bishop joining us. The pranks, jokes and conversations we had in that upper wing of Robson House are some of the fondest memories I’ve made at this School.

In the classroom, I’ve been with the same group for five years now. I’ve heard far too many classic Suttsy quotes, and I’ve learned to tune out Matt George’s boisterous remarks. Stereotypically, set 1 is seen as the quiet, studious lot. I think Ms Oud would happen to disagree. Over the years, as we’ve gotten closer, some of the boys have tried to test the waters, and I think Jamie D’Arcy would take himself as a bit of a stuntman now. Nonetheless, I have been very fortunate to be surrounded by a dedicated group, encouraging me to do better.

Constantly bolstering, and often leading the encouragement, are the fantastic teachers, Housemasters, tutors and coaches I’ve been guided by. They all deserve my thanks.

Something particularly special about Shore is the opportunities that can come when you’re not expecting them. For me, moving to Boarding was just one example of great things arising from something I thought I’d hate. Another example is Cadets. I remember when Will Anderson told me the senior rank list was out, and that I was tech Sergeant of Pioneers. Knowing Will, or having no idea what a tech sergeant was, I thought it was a joke. It wasn’t, and for a while I was disappointed. I was somewhat humiliated entering the parade ground to start the new Term. And yet, the times I spent with the pioneers on camp are easily some of the best memories I’ve made at Shore, and the boys I spent them with are now my best mates.

There are so many more things I can speak about on my time at Shore. I encourage the younger boys to keep their heads up when things don’t go their way. I encourage my cohort to make the most of our final Term. Study hard, get around the Firsts Football and Rugby, and spend time with each other before we all go our separate ways.

Thank you Shore.