Skelm teer sy pad terug selle toe
‘n Ou skelm het Maandag spreekwoordelik in die leeu se bek ingestap toe hy ‘n...
On the evening of 23 October 2014, Overstrand wished its former Junior Town Council a fond farewell and welcomed the new team on board in a fitting manner. Quoting from renowned poet Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet, Mayor Nicolette Botha-Guthrie revisited a couple of truths about the relationship between the young and the old in her message to all present:
“Children are the sons and daughters of Life’s longing for itself. They come through you but not from you, and though they are with you yet they belong not to you. You may give them your love but not your thoughts, for they have their own thoughts.” Jokingly remarking that the ‘old folks’ will probably never understand what goes on in the young ones’ minds, she did say that it is the duty of those advanced in years to convey their thoughts to the young, and the duty of the young to take what they have learned from their parents, guardians, mentors and teachers and to build their own thinking around that.
With due recognition for the outgoing Junior Council’s efforts to help make Overstrand a centre of excellence for all it serves, she went on to thank the Enlighten Education Trust whom, from the very outset, has been tasked with facilitating this ‘thought-exchange’ process by equipping Overstrand’s young leaders with the knowledge and skills they need to take their rightful place in “the house of tomorrow”. Referencing Gibran’s On Children again, the Mayor’s message to the newly elected members was unequivocally to appreciate the stable bow from which they have been sent forth: “Fly with gladness, but remember where you come from”, she advised. On behalf of the outgoing junior council members, Sonwabile Calata expressed his thanks towards the municipality for the exposure his team enjoyed during the past year and for the opportunities they were afforded to help make a difference in the lives of the elderly and the youth. In turn, newly appointed Junior Mayor Johan van der Merwe (Gansbaai Academia) thanked Overstrand’s Council for the prospect of embarking on a daunting yet exciting journey. He assured everyone that under the expert guidance and mentorship of the Enlighten Education Trust, everyone on his team is more than willing and ready to make Overstrand proud of its junior leaders.
Noluthando Zweni
