On Saturday 25 March Director of Advancement, Paul Galea kicked off his 2023 Capital City Reunion Tour with a trip to our nation’s capital where he was welcomed with open arms by 40 IGS Alums, teachers, ex-teachers and ex-After Care workers.
Here Paul reflects on his trip to connect with the IGS community in Canberra:
It was a harrowing drive to our nation’s capital last Saturday. The rain came down so hard that I thought we might be washed into the fullest Lake George I have ever seen.
“We better pull over till this eases off!” said my driver and IGS legend, David Miller.
“No,” I cried. “We cannot be late for the 4 pm start to the Canberra Reunion!”
“But we don’t know if anyone is coming,” David replied.
He was right. IGS Alums are typical young people. They have a massive FOMO and prefer not to commit to anything for fear of something better coming along. And let’s face it, meeting a few of your old teachers is not exactly an earth-shattering social occasion.
We had faith that (maybe) some would show up.
“ Drive on, Dave. It will be ok”
And with that Dave drove resolutely through the monsoon and we arrived at the Capital Brewery in Fyshwick just on 4 pm.
Dave was nervous. I was very nervous. I could see my reunion-organising life flashing before me. What I did not properly consider was how great our IGS Alums are. As we walked in we were greeted with hugs and handshakes by eight younger ex-students of IGS.
PHEW!
In the end, we had a great turnout: three teachers, two ex-teachers, an ex-After Care worker and 34 Alums.
They came from a variety of different year groups; 2012, 2013, 2015, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022, all smiling, some living and working in Canberra, some going to The ANU, some visiting a mate or a partner.
It was wonderful to see them and equally wonderful to see them enjoying catching up with each other. What I found particularly interesting was that many had no idea that some of their friends were in Canberra, so it was nice to connect them.
Most of the ‘youngies’ stayed for two or three hours; some had to go to work and some had other (cooler) places to be but we old blokes were really grateful that they’d taken the time and made the effort to turn up.
Yes, they are young people but they are good people who all of us teachers were proud to have had something to do with.
P.s. the oldies finished much later…but that’s a story for another time.
