A Culture of Giving - Quarter 1 - 2021
Dear Hiltonians,
On 9 January 1961, a few weeks before his inauguration as the 35th President of the United States, John F. Kennedy famously exhorted, “for of those to whom much is given, much is required.” Kennedy’s oratory reminded America that great societies are built, in part, on the generosity of those that find themselves as beneficiaries of privilege.
In essence, what Kennedy hoped to instil was a culture of giving, no more eloquently captured than in his inauguration speech, where he challenged Americans by stating, “ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country”.
In November last year, a communication entitled Growing the Hilton College Endowment was sent to all Old Hiltonians and friends of Hilton College. The purpose of this letter was to engage Hilton’s stakeholders on the necessity of endowment and to encourage a culture of giving so as to ensure Hilton’s sustainability.
Like most leading schools all over the world, Hilton relies on endowment funding in order to thrive. For this reason, four separate funds have deliberately been established that cater to a variety of needs and to a diverse constituency of stakeholders with differing interests.
As a reminder, the four funds in need of endowment are as follows;
The “Lift Up Your Hearts Fund” – a Human Capital | Bursary | Scholarship Fund.
The purpose of this fund is to provide financial assistance to deserving Hilton boys.
The “Pinnacles” Fund – an Infrastructure Fund.
The purpose of this fund is to provide funding for the ongoing maintenance of the Hilton campus and to fund new infrastructure projects.
The “uMngeni” Fund – an Environmental | Estate Fund.
The purpose of this fund is to provide funding for environmental and conservation projects linked to the Hilton Estate.
The “Vula” Fund – a Community Outreach Fund.
The purpose of this fund is to provide funding for community outreach projects that are linked to the school, such as the highly acclaimed Vula Programme.
Our school has a rich history of generous benefaction, without which Hilton would not be what it is today.
However, Hilton’s greatest need is to build a meaningful endowment that is able to provide financial assistance to deserving pupils – including sons of Old Hiltonians.
For this reason, I urge you to embrace the culture of giving and consider making a financial contribution – no matter how big or small – to the Lift Up Your Hearts Fund at https://supporthiltoncollege.co.za/
150th anniversary of the founding of Hilton College
In 2022, Hilton celebrates its 150th year of existence. This is a significant milestone by South African standards and an opportunity for both celebration and reflection. A tremendous amount of planning is going into ensuring that this milestone is appropriately commemorated, led by the Chairman of the organising committee, Paul Rayner, and Brett Armstrong.
Further information can be found at https://hiltoncollege.com/150/.
As a reminder, the major celebratory events will take place from 27 April 2022 to 02 May 2022. Please diarise these dates – this will be a once in a lifetime opportunity for all Old Hiltonians. You are welcome to contact the event organiser, Brett Armstrong, at 150@hiltoncollege.com or at +27 (0) 82 774 5835 should you have any questions pertaining to the 150th anniversary celebrations.
Virtual Tour of Hilton
To quote from a short history of Hilton that was recently published in a book entitled ’20 South African Schools’:
“When F.B. Malim, Master of Wellington College in England, conducted an inspection tour of the independent schools of Canada, Australia, New Zealand and South Africa in 1938, he reported that ‘there can hardly be a nobler site for a country school … with its wide prospect of green hills, its seclusion from crowds, its vast and storm-swept sky’. “And when decades later a Hilton head boy was showing another overseas visitor around the white Cape-Dutch-style buildings, Romanesque stone chapel and tree-skirted sports facilities, admiringly the American had likened it to an Ivy League university. But it has taken nearly 150 years for a rustic schoolhouse to evolve into the singular South African school of today.”
Seeing is believing, and if ever a picture was worth a thousand words then this is it:
https://hiltoncollege.s3.eu-central-1.amazonaws.com/index.htm
A Life of Giving
We are reminded that the privilege of a Hilton education has been made possible by generous contributions of many people over the past 150 years. If ever there was someone who exemplified the culture of giving it was Tony Richter, legendary master at Hilton for two decades.
Tragically, Tony and his daughter Alice, lost their lives in a motor vehicle accident at the beginning of the year. The Hilton community mourns the loss of two exceptional people and our deepest sympathies go to Caro and Nathan who will forever remain part of the Hilton family.
As we look to the future, let us embrace the culture of giving exemplified by Tony by supporting our great school.
Yours sincerely,
Anton Jooste
Chairman, Old Hiltonian Club
