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