Milton High School

Selborne Avenue, Bulawayo

2016 Milton address and Speach by MOBA Chairman & School prefect 1999 Theodore Weale - 1 August 2016


Milton Address held on 1 August 2016, Guest of Honour speech, Head boy 1995 Mr. Taz Mtungwazi

Quit ye Like Men
He who would valiant be 'gainst all disaster,
Let him in constancy follow the Master.
There's no discouragement shall make him once relent
His first avowed intent to be a pilgrim.
Who so beset him round with dismal stories
Do but themselves confound - his strength the more is.
No foes shall stay his might; though he with giants fight,
He will make good his right to be a pilgrim.
Since, Lord, Thou dost defend us with thy spirit,
We know we at the end, shall life inherit.
Then fancies flee away! I'll fear not what men say,
I'll labour night and day to be a pilgrim.

The essence of this institution is founded on the exhortation by Paul to the church in Corinth in 1 Corinthians 16 v 13.

Quit ye like Men!

A man is known for 3 things

1. The master he serves
2. The essence of his character and associates he keeps
3. The cause he lives for.

In no small part these three aspects of my manhood were shaped in me at this institution between the years 1990 – 95. Most of my fondest memories of my youth are right here on these grounds.

The values, discipline I was taught and friends I kept here helped shaped my character. They helped prepare me for the lessons I would later learn in life. I left here 21 years ago most of you, if not all were not yet born. I hope to share some of those lessons with you today.

I have learned that every man has a master. Whatever masters you owns you. It shapes your thoughts, actions, habits, behavior and character. What you think about constantly will determine your actions, your actions form habits, your habits outline your behavior, your behavior forms your character and your character is what you will be known for. All of us here will be asked the question – who do you work for? We will carry that explanation to the grave. Some of you will leave here and will have alcohol as you master, you will be known as an alcoholic to your dying day! Women will master some, you will be known as a pauper and you will probably die young for they will finish your money and your body will waste away! Some will be mastered by your work, you will be known as workaholics. The master your serve will determine the master you become. The master you will serve is determined by a very powerful word called “CHOICE”. Your life is made up of choices and decisions you make. Those choices have consequences – you can choose your choices and path but you can not choose the consequences thereof. Foolish Choices are those based on what’s cool!! What’s cool today may not be cool tomorrow!

When I was here in school it was cool to have a Walkman – Walkman’s belong in the museum today. 40 years ago it was cool to have a “by air mail” envelope – now we have email! Email will give way to instant messaging.

When I was here it was cool to have girls, most of those that did are enjoying the coolness of the grave. The girls that were cool then are not so cool now! This ipad pro is cool now – it wont be so cool next year when the new one is out!

Only you can make the choice of who and what will master you. There is one master I have discovered who is, was, and will always be the same – ie Christ. He is the same yesterday , today and forever! When I was in school it was not so cool to follow Christ! There were better things to follow, friends, girls, money, gadgets etc – all those things came and went – Christ remains. As our school hymn says:

'Who so beset him round with dismal stories
Do but themselves confound - his strength the more is.

No foes shall stay his might; though he with giants fight,"

He will make good his right to be a pilgrim.

Part of being Quit ye Like men – is being able to stand in the midst of being teased, being thought of as uncool, being able to stand for what you believe.

Make your Choice wisely – chose who will be your master and who you be mastered by:

A pilgrim is mastered by Christ and becomes Christlike. It’s the courageous Choice!

Quit ye Like men!

What masters us shapes our Character. Character is more valuable than money. Discipline forms that basis of Character. The disciplined man will rule over the undisciplined. When I was here our years rugby team was probably the best in our 6 years here. We had so much potential and talent we didn’t look for coaches, coaches offered to coach us! By about form 3 other teams figured out how to beat us – PLAY Dirty. We would become upset, lose our discipline while they kept theirs – They began to beat us, not becoz they were better but just better disciplined. We blamed referees, fought – LOST! When we learnt discipline and played disciplined Rugby we were unstoppable. We beat Plumtree, CBC, Falcon at home on their old boys day walloped touring sides that walloped everyone else in the country.

Disciplined people succeed in life. Discipline builds your Character, your character is Gold. Long before banks invest in your business, they invest in your track record - your character. When you look for a job they will ask you for your character references! When you die your character will speak beyond the grave – for some if not most it will be dead silent becoz their character was worthless!

Your Character also helps shape the character of your community. Milton is a community with old boys dating back 106 years, a truly rich heritage. The way you behave today either maintains or destroys the integrity of that Heritage. Your stand on a rich heritage of integrity and Character – you have a responsibility to maintain that. My mentor and Pastor taught me it more difficult to maintain than it is to obtain. Maintaining involves taking responsibility and discipline.

Accounting firms used to come to this school to recruit articled clerks who would later become CA’s. the best results for a CA qualifying exam are held by a Miltonian. I got my first job becoz I came to this school. On that job I learnt most of the business skills that helped me start a business 6 years later and that I am still applying today. That came from being in this school – You have a responsibility to uphold that honor!

While you are young you ask each 'where do you go to school? 'when you are older you are asked "nwhere do you work?" – People want to know who or what to associate you with, your answer determines their perception. They measure your character by the character of your associations!

Your wealth is in your relationships, not just in your brains. Look at your associations! Will they progress you or do the opposite and will you progress them or do the opposite. Your character determines the relationship you keep and those you don’t.

Although we live in the Information Age where Information Technology is important. It must never replace our social etiquette and humanity.

We are making a life of smiling for a selfie but can not talk or smile at a neighbor, posting out lives of Facebook but can not live transparently with one another. Projecting and image of importance and maturity on social media but can not take responsibility for living day by day. Airing our opinions on social media but can not have crucial conversations and correct one another in private. Airing our desired beliefs in public but can not hold onto conviction privately. Cyber character driven by likes, followers and hits is becoming weightier than Personal Character made up of honesty, loyalty, faithfulness, trustworthiness and integrity.

Until a man has discovered something he will die for, he has not found a reason to live. A cause to live for is more really what you will give your service to. Mostly it involves serving others and making their lives better. Servant Leadership builds people and makes them better. Leadership without service leads to dictatorship, oppression and eventually brutality - we understand that well in Zimbabwe. Ask your self how can I be of service not how can I be served?

The greatest honor and call is the call to service. That’s why we say –“ he has been called to serve his nation” in reference to those who respond to the call of military service or public office. That’s why those that distinguish them selves in it get medals of honor. Your are not called to lead as much as you are called to serve and as you serve , you lead! I was headboy of this school and some of the things we did I am ashamed of, I thought leadership was every lighti serving us, bullying lighties and imposing our respect! That’s the lowest level of leading and no one except the oppressor likes it. It much more difficult to get people to willingly follow you out of respect – that what makes men like Nelson Mandela, Martin Luther King, men like my own Pastor Tom Deushle great. They won our respect through laying their lives for a cause to serve man and a greater good. Today men still follow them.

That is also what makes Jesus Christ the greatest leader that ever lived, He laid his life down and served you and I so we may follow Him and become real men of courage. 2000 years after he died men like Sir William Milton were still following him and doing good works when they established this great school you and I benefit from. Christ is in the foundation of Milton and will forever be. Today this school is still serving many. My prayer is that you understand that. You understand that you a men who are called to be courageous, men of integrity, men who will make a differences in our nation and beyond, men of service – Men of Honor

Quit ye like Men.
If there are any such men, in here of if your desire to be that kind of man – stand to your feet!

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Speech by MOBA Chairman & School prefect 1999 Theodore Weale -Milton Address 1 August 2016

Milton Old Boys' Association (MOBA) is an Association with the objective of uniting all former students with the school authorities, parents and current students, to revive and strengthen the school that we all love so much.

We would like to begin by expressing a hearty good afternoon to the School Headmaster, invited guests, distinguished ladies and gentlemen, school staff and students; it gives us great pleasure to be present at the occasion, it is truly appreciated. The Milton High School motto begins with the words “Quit ye like me”; we the people of Milton High School do ordain that this school has made us men indeed. This noble concept is, however, not yet complete if this statement is not a reality. Milton High School has inspired numerous people that are now in many parts of the world to acquit themselves as men in everything that we undertake.

For 106 years this great institution has educated, grown, established, groomed and built-up countless people. As Old Boys of Milton High School our work would be incomplete if we did not “give back” to the school. I stand before you this afternoon to sustain a commitment that our Milton Old Boys Association is behind the schools leadership, Headmasters, staff and students at large to ensure that the dream of uplifting the school’s image, infrastructure, education, sports, arts and culture all become a reality in the near future.

We want to embrace a larger vision that will deliver Milton High School from its current trials to a school that is the envy of all educational institutions in our region and Zimbabwe as a whole. In order to attain our goals we need ACTION! We must pursue it. We must hunt it. We must catch it. As Milton Old boys our current goal is to renovate the Sixth form block. We have already begun our work in the block and we will be painting the labs shortly. We want to create a learning environment that is conducive to produce the best that both the students and members of staff have to offer. MOBA members are working tirelessly to ensure that this happens. From the Milton Old Boys Association, a renovated Sixth form block is our birthday present to this fine school.

To Milton High School and all those associated with the school, we say HAPPY 106th BIRTHDAY and we wish our great school all the best for the future. Kindly allow me this opportunity to thank all those old boys who contribute financially to our initiatives. We would also like to take this opportunity to commend efforts being made by the SDA and the school authorities in keeping the school “alive”. We would like to encourage, not only the current crop of students, but also the parents, headmasters, the teachers and the overall staff contingent to join in MOBA Finally, I would like to thank our Guest of Honour Mr. Mtungwazi, our School Head boy in 1995, for agreeing to and gracing this wonderful occasion with his presence. Thanking you for finding the time in your busy schedule. In closing I would like to say to you all,


"Quit ye like men, be strong, be strong." Thank you