Three Old Boys presented with St Michael Award

13 June 2023

Michaelhouse has presented the St Michael Award to three of the school’s Old Boys: Charles Phillips, Peter Oscroft and Chris McBride. The Award recognises the contributions of living Old Boys to their fellow man.

Charles Phillips

Charles Phillips (right, in photo) was recognised for his contribution to firefighting in the Western Cape over the past quarter-of-a-century.

He was, furthermore, recognised for his work in rehabilitating penguins which had suffered from oil pollution. Phillips’ voluntary service at the MTN Science Centre was also noted.

Peter Oscroft

Peter Oscroft (left, in photo) received the Award for the impact he has made on the lives of others through his leadership of various associations for the physically disabled in the Western Cape.

Oscroft, Head of School in 1965, and a member of the 1^st XI cricket team and 1^st XV rugby side, had his sporting career ended by an undiagnosed neuro-muscular condition. He, then, turned his attention to assisting people with physical disabilities.

As a volunteer, he served the Cape Town Association for the Physically Disabled from 1989 to 2011, including as Chairman for 12 years. He was, also, a member of the National Council for People with Physical Disabilities that visited China in 2000, and he chaired the Accessibility Committee of the National Council of and for Persons with Disabilities.

Chris McBride

Chris McBride (middle, in photo), the third recipient of the Saint Michael Award, is recognised as a world authority on lions. He has written a number of books on the subject, including Living with Lions, The White Lions of Timbavati, Operation White Lion and Lion Tide.

He was recognised for his contribution to wildlife conservation, especially due to the attention he brought to leucistic (white) lions. During the presentation of the Awards, McBride stunned the boys with his imitation of the roars of the male and female lions.

Criteria

The criteria for the Saint Michael Award are as follows:

•  The candidate must be a living Old Boy of Michaelhouse.

•  He must have devoted a considerable period of his life to serving his fellow man and the services so rendered shall be of an exceptional and selfless nature.

• The candidate should not have been motivated by personal gain or fame.

•  Some element of personal sacrifice, although not essential, may well provide evidence of the selflessness of the contribution which the candidate has made.

•  The last characteristic has to do with St Michael himself. St Michael is one of the seven Archangels and also one of the three mentioned by name in the scriptures, twice in the Old Testament and twice in the New. The name Michael is a variation of Micah, meaning in Hebrew, Who is Like God?

•  In framing the criteria for the award, the St Michael candidate will ideally display the characteristics exemplified by St Michael: courage, compassion and a willingness to fight for truth and justice.