St Pius X College Old Boys Association Annual Dinner 2014

Friday 5^th December marked the St Pius X College Old Boys Association Annual Dinner at the Chatswood Club. The assembled alumni were led in prayer by Old Boy Priest Fr Paul Roberts (College Captain ‘79), before our own Mr Couani provided a well received and informative address on the state of the College.

A good time was had by all on the night, with many a connection made or reinvigorated among our Old Boys, young and old. Guests of honour included head of the Chatswood Christian Brothers community, Br John Henry Thornber, SPX Board Chair Mr Peter Hughes, P & F President, Mr Paul Hunt (’89), Professor Simon Darcy (‘81), Mr Bob Heath (Class of ’51), and Br David Curtin (’68).

MC Mr Adrian Brannan (College Captain ‘90) gave a brief summary of the 2014 Brothers Rugby season to date.

Mr Sean Brannan (OBA exec & ’86) then introduced a report on our recent Papua New Guinea, Kokoda and EREA Callan Services Immersion Expedition which inspired overwhelming interest in the proposed 2016 Expedition from the gathered throng.

SPX Old Boys Association President Mr David Bullard (‘82) spoke about the many opportunities and various contributions of the SPX OBA to the college including Student Academic Scholarships, Science Forum, Kokoda Expedition, Snowy Hike, Sports and Music student sponsorships, as well as running student leader speechcraft courses, grants to sports for coaching and Queensland Tours, and building and capital expenditure contributions.

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If you have some news on SPX Old Boys please let us know at; info@spxoldboys.org.au

 Photo’s and Memories

If you have some memories and or photo’s you would like to share please send to: info@spxoldboys.org.au

 In Memoria

If you have news of the passing of an Old Boy, teacher or person connected with the SPX community please let us know at: info@spxoldboys.org.au

 St Pius X College Old Boys Presidents Report 2014

Click here to download the report.

“Pius in Profile” is the bi annual college magazine relating many interesting stories on current students, events at the College and Old Boys.

To view Pius in Profile

Woodchatta is the College’s weekly news letter which come out on Wednesday afternoons.

To view Woodchatta

Br Coll MacDonald (Br Mac)

Bernard John Carter 1912 – 2004

Br Des Kelly cfc

Peter McDonald 1964

John Brennan Class of 68

Br Francis Eymard Rogers

David Micó – Class of 64

Gary Somers – Class of 83

Christopher Dell’Aquilla – Class of 81

Chris Searson – Class of 82

St Pius X College Inaugural Kokoda Expedition

“Experience of a life time”

Click photo to enlarge

The St Pius X College, Chatswood inaugural Kokoda Expedition took place in July.  Thirty two students (Year 9 – Year 12), siblings, fathers and staff undertook the demanding trek and immersion and have returned with memories they will savour for the rest of their lives describing it as the “experience of a lifetime”.

Expedition Leader, Sean Brannan said “To say that our group learned a lot and were changed by the experience of this expedition and immersion is an understatement. It was certainly a significant time of adversity, challenge, bonding and learning for us all – students, parents, siblings and staff – on the Track, in the towns and at Gerehu Special Education Resource Centre. We would encourage anyone to take up a similar challenge”.

The Party undertook ten months of solid preparation and planning to meet the rigours of the terrain, research the historical significance of the Track, and to gain a better understanding of contemporary Papua New Guinea.

The Party walked in the footsteps of Maroubra Force and the 21^st, 25^th and 16^th Brigades of the Australian Army, over the Owen Stanley Mountain Range from Ower’s Corner to Kokoda and then beyond to Popondetta, Gona, Port Moresby, Bomana War Cemetery, St Joseph’s, Boroka, Sogeri and Gerehu.

The Party visited a plaque laid 34 years ago by Kokoda veteran, Bede Tongs OAM, at Eora Crossing. to honour his 3^rd Bn. Mr Tongs visited the College earlier in the year to speak to the boys as part of their Kokoda preparations.  On the Track, the Party remembered Jacob DeSisto and Anthony Gillespie two ex-students of St Pius (CBC) Chatswood who were tragically killed in WWII as well as recently deceased PNG veteran and great SPX supporter David Curtin Snr.

“At the Isurava Battlefield Memorial the words Mateship, Endurance, Courage and Sacrifice are inscribed on granite pillars. We have  a new appreciation of what these values mean having walked in the footsteps of Australian soliders, some of them the same age as our students.” Mr Brannan said.