SACS

We are at the halfway mark of restoring the Michaelis conservatory back to its former glory. It will now make that space functional again for the boarders.

Little did six Matric boys at the old SACS in Cape Town in 1921 – 99 years ago – realise, while enjoying their sandwiches at the top of The Avenue, that they were making a pact which would become a tradition and be honoured by their successors in the years to come!

It was at a lunch break in 1921 that Ken Howes-Howell, Pat Dale, Max Raphaely, Norman Flegg, William Cuthbert and Arthur Keppel-Jones, all members of the newly established (1919) SACS Mountain Club asked one another what they proposed to do after leaving school. “Well”, said one (and no one could remember who) “whatever I do, I shall carry on climbing.” “How do we know you will,” said another and so they made a pact to meet ten years hence at MACLEAR’S BEACON at noon on the last Sunday in March.

Ten years passed and unbidden by anyone they made their way to the appointed spot at the appointed hour and kept their pact – all except Keppel-Jones, who was overseas. Fortuitously one of them invited the school Mountain Club and in so doing a tradition was born. In 1940 the weather caused a postponed meet and with the War on the gathering was small. 1950 saw a larger gathering and 80 attended the 1960 event. In 1970 110 people including Mr Leibbrandt and Mr Bean who were Mountain Club founder members in 1919! The 1980 gathering was a tremendous success but sadly the only living member of the original ‘6’, Arthur Keppel-Jones, who was then Professor of History at Queens University in Ontario, Canada was unable to attend.