Dilworth Old Boys & Alumni catch-up in Wellington

We enjoyed a fantastic get-together in Wellington last week with a group of Old Boys & Alumni from the Classes of 1962 through to the Class of 2023.
 
The evening was perfectly timed to include Dilworth’s Board Chair, Jonathan Mason, and Trustees John Morris and Ngaire Ashmore, who were in town for an Education conference. They joined Headmaster Dan Reddiex, Dilworth Trust CEO Ewen Anderson, and other senior staff at the get-together with Old Boys, where some great conversations took place.
 
Informal speeches were delivered in a conversational style.
 
Updating the gathering  about the school of today, Dan Reddiex, Headmaster, talked about the transformation that has taken place at Dilworth over the last six years:
 
“Students have the experience now that I believe James and Isabella intended, and we are starting to see the fruits of that transformation across all areas of our school.”
 
He said, “Students are part of the decision-making process; they feel they have a voice, are heard, and belong. Dilworth is a joyful place; this year we have received the largest number of applications in several years”.
 
Dan also noted the important work that continues with Dilworth’s Response and Redress programmes.
 
Old Boy Jeremy Clarke-Watson, Class of 1990, was up next, captivating the room with his talk about his incredible career in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) - as he described it, “His interesting life post Dilworth”.
 
Jeremy expressed his pride in being a Dilworth Old Boy, saying, “I stand on the shoulders of those who went before me and the Dilworth legacy.” 
 
He said that his time at Dilworth had taught him to work with people and across cultures and to be adaptable: “This is what we do, what I believe the Founders set us up to do”.
 
Addressing Dan Reddiex, he said current efforts to transform the School were absolutely worth it in his view:
 
“Don’t stop the effort, the legacy you are building now – the trees you plant now will provide shade for future generations”.
 
Jeremy has travelled the world, and his extraordinary career has spanned many diplomatic postings, including Ha Noi, Riyadh, Abu Dhabi, and Los Angeles, as well as managing MFAT’s Auckland Office.
 
Life for Jeremy is about to take another exciting turn. In a few weeks, he will take up a new role as Deputy Chief Executive, National Security and Resilience at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet (DPMC). This key leadership role oversees a group responsible for delivering DPMC’s national security, intelligence, risk governance, and resilience objectives. Jeremy will also serve as Deputy National Security Advisor.
 
This quite remarkable Dilworth Old Boy left those in the room with this thought.
 
“We can’t stand here and say every day at Dilworth was a good day. But I learned so much from people with different backgrounds. I learned how to manage conflict and the importance of relationships. I learned the life lesson that I believe has shaped my career – it is all about people”.
 
Thank you to those who attended this lively Old Boy Get-Together evening. We look forward to seeing our Old Boys & Alumni at other events in the future.