Honouring the most deserving
During the Christian Brothers’ era the PPA annually awarded a handsome bronze medal that was presented at Speech Day to the departing pupil who had been deemed to have had the most successful school career. As such, as far as I can recall, it was presented to the most recently departed Head Boy.
My plan is that the restored medal be awarded annually at Speech Day not to a departing pupil but to a member of the Association deemed to be the most deserving. Now, why do I want to do this? In my view the aim of the medal is to bring to the general notice of the school and the PPA an alumnus whose achievements most particularly exemplify those values and principles that Prior Park Schools are seeking to instil into their pupils. This is with a view to:
a) acting as an inspiration to current pupils and alumni
b) honouring the efforts of an alumnus whose exploits might otherwise go unrecognised
c) honouring, by association, the PPA.
I believe that the qualifications for selection are as set out in the Prior Park Schools website, namely: consideration, compassion, kindness and service. Please note that for someone to demonstrate these qualities does not necessarily mean that they will have also achieved significant financial or career success. A person who has been toiling away in a modestly paid job in a charity or some such is as likely to be deserving of selection as a captain of industry – perhaps more so.
How are we to select the recipient? Well that is largely down to you. Based upon the selection criteria, I invite you all to nominate the person you feel is most deserving. Nominate yourself if you want to! In your e-mail tell us who you are nominating, the years he or she was at Prior and your reasons for nominating them.
A shortlist will be presented to the PPA Committee in time for the members to vote in the January committee meeting. Once the recipient is announced, he or she will be called to attend the presentation.
There will, of course, be a full report on the recipient and the reasons for the award in The Gossip Bowl. So over to you. I hope you will consider this a positive development and get involved. I am looking forward to hearing from you.
Simon Morgan (PPA 1974), Chairman, PPA.