Vaucluse Boys' High School
Class of 1968
When Vaucluse Boys' High School was opened in 1960 it took as its emblem the nearby Macquarie Lighthouse (designed by convict architect Francis Greenway) and adopted as its motto "Lumen Scientiae" - the Light of Learning - for just as the lighthouse guides ships into the harbour, so the light of learning, as taught at the school, guides its students into the harbour of a secure adulthood.
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V G "Jerry" Jeřábek
Mr Jerabek, originally a Czechoslovakian national, started as a French teacher in the very early (possibly in the earliest) days of VBHS. He was elevated to Languages Master during the late 60s.
Jerry was Prefect master during our time and curiously, also, served as an officer of cadets, with the rank of lieutenant. Those who served under him will remember that his speciality was paperwork.
In private life, Mr Jerabek was president of the RSPCA.
He was a man of a thousand slogans, many of them pretty original.
Jerryisms
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"Put him in." (Into the impo book)
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"I vipe ze floor viz you."
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"I drop ze stick on you."
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"Built-in vardrobe" (compound French words such as de + le = du)
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"Smart cookies"
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[Further contributions are requested.]
Jerabek impersonation
"The attached sound file was transmitted over the school PA at year end. Voice impression was recorded by Steve Levy.
"After our initial success, a further announcement was made by Dick Persson (as I recall). Thanks to John Allen and the rest of the form for standing together so that I wasn't expelled.
"Tech note: We wanted to take over the school PA but we couldn't exactly walk into the admin office. I tapped into the system by wiring an old and heavy Quad valve power amplifier behind a speaker in an empty classroom.
"Steve Levy was known for his impressions and we recorded the announcement on a portable Phillips reporters cassette (very state of the art at that time)."
Les Pongrass
Kindness Club
Going through an old box in the shed on the weekend I found amongst the snails, dead bugs, and rat droppings my old Kindness Club badge from 1966. I was a member and recalled feeling really good about the Kindness Club during its short life. Who could forget that it was started in Canada by Mrs. Fleming, the Humanitarian of the Year, and wife of the former Premier of Canada?
The aim of the Kindness Club was to try to develop kindness, moral attitudes and tolerance of racial and religious differences. The organisation believed that world was gradually degenerating. They were attempting to change this by the education of youth. From Canada it spread with great popularity to the United States, then to England, India and Africa with the late Albert Schweitzer as its president.
Finally it came to Australia and in February 1966 Mr Jerabek organised the first branch in Australia at Vaucluse Boys' High. Soon there were 300 members all over the state. Mr Jerabek acquired a five minute program on Channel 7 on Saturdays at 10:15.
The Kindness Club also had the backing of the World League for the Protection of Animals, among others. Mr Jerabek said he hoped that the boys from our school would form the core of the organisation in Australia. Regrettably, few clues remain that it ever existed.
Gary Jackson