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Interview with Rick Wilson – 2013– Farewell speech by Willy Castle
Mr Rick Wilson a summary of 18 years.
I am one of those(probably unusual) people whose favourite part of any function is the speeches.
Normal conversation ceases, times becomes momentarily suspended and people are joined together
to listen, laugh, cry and share in a personal story.
I have 3 goals for this speech
1 Not to cry
2 Make Mr Wilson cry
3 Make sure all of you know how important Mr Rick Wilson’s contribution of 18 years at St David’s
Marist Preparatory School has been.
How do you condense 18 years not easily so sit back and relax because it is going to take a while.
Mr Warwick BruceWilson was born in Zimbabwe......Married to Gerry and has two grown up sons,
Bruce and Andrew. We all know that Mr Wilson is a lover of dogs and now has two dogs, he loves
the Kruger Park and we have some great days in the park together, a brilliant golfer and now a keen
mountain bike fanatic. Oh yes and Pizza and chilli are Mr Wilson’s favourite food, just ask Col Chetio
at Blue Bird shopping centre.
Good evening to all you special guests who have gathered here to celebrate the life of a man who
has had a remarkable influence on all, our lives not to mention 18 years as headmaster of this
wonderful preparatory school which would equate to teaching approximately 1500 new pupils
entering St David’s.
To try and find out what Mr Wilson headmaster does all day we hired the heavies from Gr0 and
asked them what Mr Wilson does all day and here are some of the answers...
“He works on his computer all day and drinks tea”
“He’s ticking work”
“He watches the children on camera”
“He does gymnastics in his office”
Just before leaving my house this evening I phoned Linda who unfortunately cannot be here as she
is in America and said to her “Lin did you ever think in your wildest dreams that I’d be standing
before hundreds of people making a speech” and I could hear a giggle and she said “Wily you don’t
appear in my wildest dreams”
It was on a chilly day in August 1995 when we were busy with our annual inter-house cross country
on the College rugby fields when Mr Edey came down the dreaded First rugby team stairs with a
gentleman in tow wearing a green jacket. We all thought he was going to introduce us to the recent
winner of the Masters in Augusta but no such luck, we were introduced to Mr Rick Wilson our new
headmaster.
My first memory of Rick was on the side of the football flled in East London when he was teaching
and coaching St Stithian’s . Little did he know that he would still go on football tour to East London
for another 21 years and fall among thieves on and off the train. Mr Sinclair or Captain Morgan as he
was known on these trips will remember them as the highlight of the year. What happens on tour
stays on tour.
It is not widely known that on Saturdays Mr Wilson wears red underpants not in case he has a bad
golf game but o support his favourite football team which at the moment the name escapes me. Rick
also, unbeknown to most people won the “Cow and Gate Beautiful Baby Competition”, when he was
months old. I leave it to your imagination whether he looked like the cow or the gate! By the way it
was the girls’ category!
In no time at all we were as staff introduced to SWOT analysis, new strategies and the effective use
of technology in education. During this time we embraced technology, our teaching methods
changed and we came to understand that schools don’t in fact exist for the sake of teaching, but for
the sake of learning.
During this time Rick guided us through this most exciting phase of growth and development. Rick
has assembled a great team of professionals and sees hi srole as one of servant leadership where we
are rigorous, but not ruthless.
Rick’s own claim to technological fame is winning the staff technology award for shredding his tie in
the shredding machine while Mrs Donaldson and Mrs Mackenzie were overcome with emotion.
We all know how important assemblies are to Rick and how without fail, a dog comes into the story
– which reminds me of a story....
One evening after Mass a priest was just about to leave the church, noticed a man with a dog. He
went up to the man and asked him “What are you doing here with a dog?” The man replied “The
dog has come to pray”. “Dogs don’t pray” said the priest. “This one does” said Rick. “I don’t believe
you” said the priest, “It’s absolutely true” said Rick. “OK” said the priest, “Then show me what the
dog can do”. “OK” said Rick and the dog got into the pew, knelt down, took a Missal from under his
collar and started praying. The priest shocked listened for a full 15 minutes, speechless and so
impressed with the dog and the quality of the prayer. When he regained composure the priest said
to Rick “I have never seen anything like it; do you think your dog would consider joining the
seminary?” Rick, throwing his hands up in disgust said “You talk to him, he wants to be a doctor”.
We all know Mr Wilson is a prankster of some note – always interfering in equipment and switching
off sound systems and hiding diaries, keys and anything just to stir with someone.
He has however been caught out himself. A few weeks after Rick and Gerry had moved onto the
school property, Linda and I were walking past Rick’s driveway next to the back of the Music room.
They had just come back to the house because they had left something behind and needed to get it.
Their car was parked outside the gate with the keys in the ignition – what an opportunity! I climbed
into the car and drove it around the front of the now Music room. We waited until Rick came out of
the house and then it started: “Gerry the car is gone! I told you we are now living in Gauteng!! Beep,
beep, beep!” Rick ran up to the gate to speak to the guard to see if he had seen his car drive out. The
guard looked at Rick as if he were on drugs. By this time we could not be quiet and Rick heard us
laughing and discovered his car parked own by the tennis courts.
On another occasion Rick had just lit his Weber braai and put the meat on when I happened to pass
the gate. I saw that it was unattended and nipped in and wheeled his braai out to the road and
waited for him to go crazy when he came out to turn the meat.
When my Combi was stolen during Mass at Rosebank one Sunday, I walked back from church
straight to Rick’s house and said to him “Okay where’s my Combi?” I am still looking for it.
Gerry you took the pranks in your stride and also gave us Rick whenever we needed him at school
functions. We thank you for giving up your family time and sharing the many school occasions with
Rick and supporting all the different activities including feeding the geese, ducks and birds. We
would like you to accept this small token of appreciation from all of us.
We would also like to thank Rick’s school wife , tea girl, file finder, and someone who helped us on
many occasions into getting off campus when we needed to get him away. Mrs Coleen Donaldson,
please come and receive a gift on behalf of Rick and all of us. Good luck, for I believe the headmaster
for next year is quite a difficult pain in the neck!
We all know Rick enjoys a good party, loves his music and is very knowledgeable about different
genre of music. After one of our pub crawls through the property (we used to start at the pavilion
and then go to Mac’s flat, then Fr Brewer’s and a few other houses), on returning home after a pizza
fight at my house, Rick slipped and fell in his house. Gerry called me and off we went to Sandton
Clinic for Rick to have 38 stitches in his head. The next morning when Rick went into a Grade 5 class
one of the boys said “Good morning Sir, you look like a baseball”.
Rick is well known for his assemblies, Grade 7 luncheon speeches are legendary and each year the
boys look forward to him including all of them in his story.
Mr Wilson has given unselfishly of his time to support the boys and parents in all the activities in
which they participate, namely academics, cultural and sporting. Your presence has really been
appreciated by all of us.
On behalf of the pupils, parents and staff, we would like to thank you for your commitment and
dedication to St David’s Marist Inanda.
We all say thank you and wish you a fantastic retirement until you get bored and start the next stage
of your life. Our prayers go with you and Gerry. We are really going to miss you. Thank you.
Please will you all stand and join me in a toast to Rick and Gerry.
Willy Castle 2013