From the Board

Ten years is an interesting measure of time.

Long enough for Year 3 students to become College leavers. Long enough for new buildings to become familiar landmarks. Long enough for countless concerts, productions, sports games, Prizegivings, Board meetings, and conversations to become part of the fabric of College life.

At the College’s 109th Annual General Meeting in June, I announced I would be stepping down from the Board in September, after 10 years of service, including the past five as Board Chair.

As this is my final contribution to Regulus, I found myself wondering what to write. It would be easy to list the milestones of the past decade. There have been many, and I am immensely proud of what our community has achieved together.

But time has a way of sorting what really matters. It comes back to people. It is the students who remind us every day why schools exist. It is the staff who quietly change lives without seeking recognition. It is the parents who entrust us with what matters most to them. It is our wider community who weave their story into the fabric. And it is the governors who generously give their time because they believe deeply in this College and its future.

Perhaps that has been my greatest lesson over the past 10 years. While facilities and resources matter, the true strength of the College lies in something less tangible: a shared commitment to helping young people become capable, confident, curious, and compassionate young adults.

That belief has shaped the Board’s thinking, including the Property Master Plan which is now underway. While it will ultimately guide the future development of our campus, it is not simply about buildings. It begins with educational beliefs, special character and identity, how students experience the College, how they develop a sense of belonging, and how our learning environments can best support their well-being and growth. In many ways, it is governance at its best: making decisions not for next term or next year, but for students we have not yet met.

Every year brings a new group of students experiencing College life for the first time. Each new cohort inherits a College shaped by people they have never known. People do come and go, yet the College endures as we each add our own small piece to strengthen what has come before.

My own journey with the College began when our eldest son started in Year 7.

Both of our boys flourished during their time at St Andrew’s, leaving with a strong sense of belonging and personal growth. As a family, we have much to be grateful for, and serving on the Board has been one way of giving something back to a community which has given us so much.

As one chapter closes, another begins. I am delighted that Nick Letham will take over as Board Chair in September, with Peter Nelson becoming Deputy Chair. Nick is an Old Collegian (OC 2001) and has served the College community in a number of capacities, including as the staff-nominated member of the Board for the past seven years. Professionally, Nick is a corporate law partner at Chapman Tripp. Peter, also an Old Collegian (OC 1974), has served on the Board for the past five years. Peter is an elder at Cashmere Presbyterian Church, has been a businessman with years of experience in the corporate sector, and Chairs the Canterbury Rugby Referees Board.

Both are thoughtful, experienced leaders who care deeply about the College, and I know it will be in very capable hands.

It has been a genuine privilege to serve this community over the past decade. Thank you for the trust which has been placed in me, and for the friendships, conversations, and experiences I will always value. I wish the Board, our staff, our students, and every member of our College community every success in the years ahead.

Felicity Odlin
Board Chair
On behalf of the Board of Governors