Formality and fun at Founders’ Dinner
23 Feb 2021
Attending the annual Founders’ Dinner is a rite of passage for College’s Year 13 students.
It’s a chance to mark their progress through the school, celebrate College’s history and traditions, interact in a formal dining setting and consider their own legacy.
This year’s dinner was held in the Dining Hall on Thursday 11 February, a very hot evening, boarders and dayboys being introduced to the fundamentals, and the expected behaviours and manners demonstrated at formal events. For many it also provided a chance to practise dinner table conversation.
Head Prefect Jack Belcher and Deputy Head Prefect Jamie Barr introduced the guest speakers Mike Percasky, visionary property developer and entrepreneur, and Sam Wheelans, a chartered accountant with overseas experience. Also at the top table was President of the CCOBA Richard Polson and Board member and Old Boy Tim Kerr.
Mike traced his journey from his gap year to his university studies, which were largely financed by his creative buying and selling endeavours, skills which were easily transported to his subsequent large commercial developments including Little High and the Riverside Market.
Sam also took a gap year on finishing College, and undertook university studies, before heading overseas for a variety of interesting business opportunities in management accounting and corporate finance, including three years in Hong Kong. He is now with Ashton Wheelans in Christchurch.
