Gordon Paterson gave us an inspiring presentation on his family’s involvement with schools in South Africa.
His great, great grandfather John Paterson was recruited from Scotland to teach at the secondary school level in the Cape Colony, South Africa. He opened a Senior Free Government School at Port Elizabeth in 1841 and served that town for 38 years. In 1925 Paterson had a school in Schauderville, Port Elizabeth, named after him. The school educates a roll of 1,100 pupils.
Additionally, John Paterson launched a newspaper that still delivers today, established the first municipal council, the library, the town hall, the Guardian Trust, harbour company, irrigation company, railway company and founded the Standard Bank in South AfricaPaterson drowned at sea in 1880 aged 58 years.
Gordon recently visited the school and is aiming to raise funds to commemorate its centenary.
This was a very interesting and inspiring presentation and the Editor thoroughly recommends other clubs consider Gordon Paterson as a future speaker. Gordon first visited NZ during 1970 as a Rotary Exchange Scholar hosted by the Havelock North Club. Gordon returned and settled in NZ in 1994.