Interview with Jean-Paul Renouprez – 1990
Jean-Paul came to St David’s in 1979 in grade 1 in Mrs Scaafsma’s class. Jean-Paul recalls she was a
combination of a battle axe and enforcer of the law being very strict with a good memory. Jean-Paul’s son
started his career at St David’s in grade 1 in the very same classroom.
As Jean-Paul suffered from bad asthma, he was not that good at sport and it wasn’t a big feature in his life
at that time, He played some soccer, was thrown into the baby pool and learnt to swim. There was he
recalls, a pecking order in the cricket practices which were held where the hockey field is now. He wasn’t
very competitive but remembers participating in the prep standard 5, inter-house general knowledge quiz.
He remembered Willy Castle and playing in an U7 D soccer match under threat. Mr Manolius was the prep
school headmaster, Mr Coetzee his standard 5 teacher who had a big, booming voice, Mrs Hurley taught
Music and organised the nativity plays in which Jean-Paul took part, Heather Joseph taught Art and Mr
Bronkhorst was the sports teacher for the C and D teams who took him under his wing, positioning him as
the goalkeeper.
Jean-Paul has memories of racing down to the tuck shop near the present D & T centre to buy some food
before it sold out.
On entering the high school, Jean-Paul had overcome his problem with asthma and made the 3rd team in
rugby, C and D teams for cricket and was a member of the swimming team.
Mr Olivier was a Maths teacher who made a difference; The Computer Science teacher and class teacher,
Mr Schafer died during his matric year; Mr Webster was the sports master and class master during
standard 6 and 7 and took great delight in holding water-polo practices in the unheated swimming pool
during August. Mr Finlayson was the History teacher and coached 1st team rugby, sport and PE, he was a
former Springbok, Zimbabwean squash player was absolutely feared in the high school and no-one wanted
to be in Benedict house. Jean-Paul enjoyed Religious Instruction which led the Brothers to, at one stage
believe that he may become a Brother. He enjoyed a trip to Slough meeting Br Anthony and used to help
make soup in the kitchen at St David’s .Mr Davies was the headmaster from 1989 until his matric but Mr
Murphy stands out as Jean-Paul was involved in a fund raising drive which entailed licking envelopes and
Mr Murphy told the boys that the resin was made from Camel’s hooves.
Richard Girdwood took over from Trudy Elliot in 1989 and Jean-Paul enjoyed helping with special effects
with various productions such as Hamlet and Julius Caesar and got in a lot of practice setting up lighting
and building sets in the area now occupied by the high school library. He was also involved with some
acting roles and put together a play for Osmond house for the inter-house plays competition. He also took
part in inter-house debating which he enjoyed. Apart from that he really enjoyed the war cries and attending
1st team rugby matches. A memorable and proud moment for Jean-Paul was when his uncle, a former
rugby Springbok and leading businessman, was asked to address the school at the prize giving ceremony.
A month into his matric year, Jean-Paul, together with Denis O’Regan was appointed a prefect and was
awarded a Champagnat Medal at the annual prize giving.
On their last day one of the boys went off in his car and brought back ciders which some of the boys drank
at the back of the pool. Jean-Paul went to the matric dances in standard 11 and in his matric year.
After matriculating Jean-Paul went on to study engineering at Wits University. Working for Altech he made
detonators for the mining industry, was active on the regulatory committee at Wits and in 1999 studied fulltime
for an MBA at UCT. He then spent 4 years with Dimension Data followed by a period in the
pharmaceutical industry and joined South African Breweries in 2007. He has four different roles within
operations and logistics management and is involved with packaging at the Newlands and Rosslyn
Breweries.
Jean-Paul felt that school was a good place, a safe place to be and gave him a special grounding. He
wasn’t particularly good at anything but would repeat his school career again. He is married and has a son
currently in Grade at St David’s, is a member of MOBS and is a member of the MOBS committee.
JLE March 2014

Ryan Roseveare – Marist Old Boys – Speech – 05-06-2015
Thanks for having me here today,
The last speech I gave at this school was a “how to speech” its Title was “How to successfully Bunk school” – it was greeted with mixed reviews.
I will dispense with the normal formalities by greeting everything based of a social hierarchy, because I want to speak to you guys one on one in this massive gathering, so too all of you thanks for having me here today.
Who am I – Ryan Roseveare class of 1990 there were 29 of us - been married for 14 years to Gayle have 3 children Regan, Connor and Emma, no you can’t date any of my daughters.
What have I done, who is this guy!
I am famous for IT nerd but you have NEVER heard of me, work has made me well off but I dress like this, it’s given me choices and made me able to do things in life, but it all started right here !
When I was attending school our English teacher Mr Morgan gave us three pieces of critical advice, he said boys
 Rush – I did not follow that one
 Wife – I did not follow that one
 Speech is like a Cat – Let’s give it a Go!
I pass this advice onto you now, to do with it, what you want – Probably just ignore it
So faithfully following Mr Morgan’s advice - Why am I here? I am here to confess - It was me who threw the phosphorus in the pool ! But it was Gary’s idea and it had to be done !
I matriculated 25 years ago for those who can do basic maths, When I look back it seems far shorter more like 10 years’ time does fly so use your time wisely
I got my old school tie out last night and counted the number of jacks I got “elaborate” from Grade 6 to 12 it was the impressive number of 76 that’s one caning every 9.7657 repeating naturally - school days
So what’s changed? Well there are no more jacks and my record will stand into eternity – But in one word “everything” but actually “nothing”
 Apartheid,
 Tell Wing bus story,
 Internet it connects everyone,
 The power actually never went off,
 Tuck shop was under R 5 for a toasted ham and cheese, coke and packed of chips.
But what has not changed, is something all of us here have in common, we are all have attended this school and you know what - it makes us special !
But a quick story to demonstrate this – as fate would have it I was in a very high level meeting a few weeks back and during a break we got talking as you do about school, life, university and the like.
When one person asked me “Where did you go to school” and said St David’s and they said….
I knew it ! – It made me think…. Erm, why and I have been thinking about it for a while
We are DIFFERENT! – Use It !
You are right now part of a small social group or a community made up from people from different walks of life, in which you may have friends, Fren-A -me’s maybe, “guys you know”,
As the great MC Hammer once said “let’s stop”…. Look to you left… and right…. See these guys!
You will probably know them for the rest of your life, when you are half grey like me these guys around you will be in your life if you want it! How do I know… because that’s my experience!
You are all lucky to be here in this environment, IT makes you special in the race of life, you have a head start use it to make a difference in this world !
QingQile (Wing), Jean Paul (JP), Peter (Landdale), Gary (Gster), Adrian (The Lady), Brendan (OB), Chris (Wart)
I see these guys all the time, we are each other’s children’s god parents, we have walked log roads together, driven Bikes across Africa, walked across Europe, literally climbed mountains, drank too much, Raced fast cars across Europe - in the case of Wing and JP walked the road with serious things like cancer, Gary and Brendan virtually for every Springboks rugby game and many times travelled and watch games live, going to weddings and let’s not forget the bachelors in countries all over the world –
Keep these connections it’s what makes you great!
To get serious for a bit:
Look around at this place we are in… what has been given to you has been given to you for a reason, life if hard right… you will experience some pain and hardships will happen to you.
These things believe it or not happen to everyone, but it’s how you respond that makes you stand out, this school taught me to respond with power, passion, pride and energy!
Pause
Your times short, Matic’s soon you will be “free” some of you will be in university some might be going overseas, gap years, jobs, all of you
These people here right now (Your teachers) who are the people you should leverage from as much as possible.
People will pull down, but it’s in the getting up that you become a success, never giving in always pushing to the end this is something I learnt at this school ! – Writing lines for being a little naughty
All of you don’t forget – the lessons you have and will learn here! They will stand you in good stead and make your shine!
There are two types of people in this world when it comes to attitude and thought process
Now the first set of people – Wait for opportunities to come to them so they can “Quote un Quote” take them and they wait endlessly for some mirage or oasis to magically appear yet it never comes!
And they end up in some job they have no need to be in - doing some tinny task they have no desire doing
All because they were not willing to – Risk It or even Try
And the second set of people, these are the ones who find a way to create opportunities, these are the ones who make their own luck “so to speak”
 Live life on your terms
 Live life as you want to
 Live life as you envision
 Failure is a step forward, not backward
And what I have become to understand is the only difference is fear because those who are not afraid to go after something are the ones who turn out to be successful,
Success in life, school and relationships Whatever ! is often a result of not being afraid to accomplish Anything it’s going to be the guys you would never expect that make the biggest difference!
You are your own driving engine and your own break.
To the matric’s –
PAUSE !
Make a statement to the universe I am capable and powerful, there are gifts you have in your life that only you can tap into - Use them.
Have a irrational, illogical, passion in what you do ! I don’t know what your passion is but believe in it
You have the strength and the passion inside of you NOW to change the world.
Pause
Soon you will be an Old Boy! Remember what you have learnt here apply it keep your connections.
Thank you for your time!
And in conclusion!
Remember! - 76!