Assembly Notes 12.06.26

College Assembly – 12th June 2026

Kia ora school, e noho please be seated.

I'd like to invite Service Prefect, Isaac Dann, forward to deliver today's reading.

Today's reading comes from Proverbs 10:9 & 11:3

Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but whoever takes crooked paths will be found out. The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.

This is the word of the Lord (thanks be to God)

Rector Comments:

Thank you, Isaac.

There's something powerful in that idea, that integrity doesn't just describe who you are… it guides you. It shapes your direction and determines your path.

Over the past few weeks, I've been writing character references for some of our old boys. Soon, many of our Year 13s will be asking for the same as they apply for university and halls of residence.

And every time I sit down to write one, I'm reminded of something:

It's easy to list achievements, results, teams, leadership, awards.

What's much harder, and much more important, is answering this question:

What kind of person is he, really?

Because character isn't something you turn on for an interview.

It shows up every day.

In the small moments:

• how you speak to others
• whether you do the right thing when no one is watching
• how you respond when things don't go your way

When I write about students, it's rarely the big moments I remember, it's the consistent ones.

The reliability. The standards. The way they treat others.

That's character.

And when you leave here, people aren't just looking for capable individuals, they're looking for good people.

They want to know:

• Can you be trusted?
• Will you contribute?
• Will you look after others?

The strongest references I write aren't about the most talented students, they're about those who consistently do the right thing.

That's why Lindisfarne's focus on character matters so much.

We don't leave it to chance. We name it and expect it through our Character Flags:

Courage, Honesty, Respect, Integrity, Service, and Kindness.

But character isn't built in big moments.

It's built in habits, choosing courage over comfort, honesty over excuses, and kindness over indifference.

To our seniors: when the time comes to ask for a reference, make it easy for someone to write it.

Live in a way where they don't have to search for examples, they just know.

They know you show up, do the right thing, and contribute to something bigger than yourself.

We talk about being Driven by Character.

Not driven just by results, or comparison, but by being the kind of person others can rely on.

Because in the end, long after results fade, what people remember, and what they write about, is your character.

So here's the challenge:

Live in a way that makes it easy for someone to speak highly of who you are, not just what you've done.

Please join me in singing the hymn: I Vow to Thee

HYMN: I Vow to Thee

Colours Award: Rowing

It is with pleasure that I present a Colours Award in rowing to Ashton Bell. Ashton represented his club with distinction at the New Zealand Club Championships, earning a bronze medal in both the Men's Intermediate Coxed Quad Sculls and the Men's Intermediate Coxed Quad Four.

Can Ashton please come forward to receive his colours for Rowing

Rector Comments:

I will now invite Gus Denton forward to update us on the latest Arts and Cultural news.

Cultural Report

HB District Round of the NZ Chamber Music Competition

Lindisfarne College chamber musicians Ethan Xu (violin), Max Han (cello), and Oliver Kee (piano) performed excellently at last week's HB Chamber music competition. The boys made it through to Friday evening's final, which included only 8 of the 34 groups from around the Hawke's Bay. In the final they were awarded a Highly Commended Award, placing them in the top four performances of the competition.

Could Max, Ethan, and Oliver please come forward to receive their certificates.

Year 7/8 Cultural Lunchtime

Last week all year 7/8 students involved in the Thursday Cultural Lunch Hour performed to each other in the Chapel. It was great to see the chanter group, drum line, junior vocal ensemble, junior wind band, and the drama group perform what they have been learning throughout the year. Congratulations to all the students making the most of this opportunity.

Concert at Gracelands

Last Thursday Lindisfarne musicians entertained residents at Gracelands Retirement Village. Performers included Fergus Denton (bagpipes), Oscar Zhao (piano), chamber musicians Ethan Xu, Max Han, Oliver Kee, Peter Mitchell (guitar), and HGHS student Summer Gifkins (flute). The residents at Gracelands thoroughly enjoyed the experience, and it was a fantastic opportunity for our students to perform to the public.

Hawke's Bay Orchestral Society Scholarship

Lindisfarne College trumpeter James McDougal has been awarded a Hawke's Bay Orchestral Society Scholarship, which covers James' fees for a year, donated by Freemasons New Zealand. In receiving this, James becomes a leader and mentor within the orchestra. Congratulations James.

Thank you, Dr Kristensen. I will now invite Sports Prefect, Andrew Wakefield, forward to update us on the latest Sports news.

Sports Report

In Shooting

Results from the Central & Lower North Island Secondary School competition held at the Hawkes Bay Clay Target Club are as follows:

In the Skeet event, Josh Snijders shot 24/25 to finish second and in the Single Rise Gus Denton shot 20/20, finishing 3rd after a shoot-off. In Points Score Josh shot 54/60, Oscar Hunter 51/60 & Duncan Logan 50/60 for the A-Squad whilst for the B squad, Will Hunt shot 58/60 to win the competition with Zac Dalton finishing 3rd. Individual scores saw Oscar Von Dadelszen finish on a HOA of 89/100.

Well done to the B-Squad on winning the overall competition ahead of the A-Squad who finished 2nd.

In Canoe Polo

Congratulations to our Intermediate A team who have progressed to the final of their competition having beaten NIS Hammerheads and HNI Dolphins 7-1 and 5-1 respectively.

In total we had twelve boys compete in the National League representing Hawke's Bay. Ollie Fritchley and Thomas Griffiths team finished fifth in the B-grade. Xavier Fitness, Luke Dodd, and Charlie Baker's team, finished fifth in the C-grade.

Danyon Dohmen and George Glover's team, competing in the D-grade, came first at the Palmerston North round, second at the Hastings round, and third at the Wellington round. This earned them a spot in the final, which they won 4-3.

Leo Baker's team who finished fifth in Palmerston North, first in Hastings, and first in Wellington, played in the final finishing second. Oscar Fitness, in the Wellington round, scored 15 goals.

Can Danyon, George and Leo please come forward to receive their medals

In Athletics/Surf Lifesaving & Swimming

Flynn Dobson raced the 10km event at the Hawkes Bay Marathon and placed 1st for the 10km run in his age category (10-14yrs) in a time of 37.38. At the Noosa Marathon, he placed 1st for the 5km run in the same age category in a time of 18.05. Competing in the Noosa open water ocean swim over 2km, Flynn came 1st for his age group in a time of 30.02. More good news followed when it was announced that he won the Waimarama Surf Lifesaving male ocean athlete of the season. Our congratulations are extended to Flynn on these fine achievements.

In League

Congratulations are extended to Bobby John-Heta who was selected to the Junior Warriors Under 15 team to take on the Wellington Orcas in a curtain raiser to the Warriors / Dolphins clash.

In Hockey

Congratulations to Hamish Butler and Max Allen on their selection to the Hawke's Bay U18 team that will compete in the National Tournament in July.

Our 1st XI played against NBHS 1st XI in the return match and secured an excellent 4-1 win that saw the boys turn the first-round result around. The Intermediate A team have also enjoyed a successful season thus far with their most recent match against Woodford Y7&8 ending with a 10-0 victory.

In Swimming

Sam Skidmore represented New Zealand in the Open Age Category at the Oceania Championships in Fiji.

He returned with one silver medal and three bronze medals from outstanding swims in four New Zealand relay teams. Individually, Sam made A finals in 50m, 100m and 200m Freestyle events. His best individual result being 5th in the A final of 100m Free. Sam has since been selected for the NZ Swim Team to swim in Perth at the Tri Series in July. A huge achievement!

In Volleyball

Congratulations to Kunwar Puri who was recently selected for the Hawkes Bay U17 volleyball team to compete in the national regional tournament over the Kings Birthday weekend.

In Orienteering

The Hawke's Bay Schools Orienteering Championships had a strong group of Lindisfarne Year 7/8 boys taking part across Standard and Championship grades. In the Standard grade, Spencer Hope ran a brilliant race to finish 1st in 26:44, Henry Garner 2nd in 33:07, and Greyson Pentreath 3rd in 47:09. In the Championship grade, Flynn Webber placed 6th in 19:45, Toby Lockington 8th in 21:14, and Elliot Lewin 11th in 27:53. A great effort from all boys across a demanding rural course.

In Basketball

Congratulations to Ardie J Smith who was selected to the Hawkes Bay U 18 A team that came 2nd at regionals with the team going down to Taranaki in the final.

Our Senior A team took on Karamu High School on Monday evening and with Karamu being on top of the table, it was pleasing to see the boys produce a strong performance to secure a 78-71 win. Our Junior Red team, playing against HBHS Red Dragons, won 35-34 in what was a late comeback.

In Rugby

It was a busy weekend for the Rugby Club with no fewer than four teams, [1st XV, 3rd XV, Division 3 (White) and Division 7 (White)], playing against St John's. All four teams secured fine wins with the 1st XV outscoring their opponents by 64-3. The 2nd XV also had a good win over Te Aute 1st XV with the result being 56-5.

In Football

The first round of qualifying for the National tournament commenced on Friday evening with the 1st XI taking on St John's College. After a slow start, the team put on a good second half performance to secure a 5-0 win. The Intermediate teams enjoyed fine wins against Hereworth U12 A and NCR Royals with the scores being 5-0 and 1-0 respectively. The Junior B team played well to beat KHS A 2-1 and post their first win of the season whilst the 2nd XI continued their unbeaten run, beating HBHS 2nd XI 12-0.

Rector Comments:

Thank you, Andrew.

Congratulations to everyone whose been recognised today.

Whether it's on the stage, in the pool, on the field, or out on the water, the cultural and sporting life of this school is a reflection of who we are. It takes commitment, courage, and teamwork, and it is another place where character is formed and revealed.

We are proud of the way you represent yourselves, your peers, and this college.

Let's carry that same spirit into all that we do in the weeks to come.

I'd now like to invite Jasper Jamieson up to close the formal part of our assembly in prayer.

Rector Comments:

The Rock band Miscellania are forward performing tomorrow night in the HB Final of the Smokefree Rockquest at Toitoi. Today the boys will perform two songs to conclude today's assembly. Please welcome Miscellania.