From Crumpets to Crepes

By Gerry Bird

Fall in Lakefield means shortening days, trees ablaze with colour, and the departure of the LCS delegation for the annual Round Square International Conference. This year's conference was hosted by Wellington College, a reputable British boarding school about 80 km southwest of London, from October 17 - 23. The LCS delegation, consisting of Devon Cole, Natalie Green, Maddie Greenwood, Jasmine Kheawok-Ashfield, Stephanie Paoli, and Shannon Scrocchi was accompanied by Gerry Bird, while Theresa Butler-Porter (who was already in London for an alumni function) greeted the group at Heathrow Airport when they arrived.

The Pre-Conference Tour, which was organized by Ermitage International School in France, was to involve a six day cultural and historic tour of Paris and the Loire Valley. A highlight of this year's Round Square Conference was that it would be officially opened by Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh and Duke of York. It was only fitting then, that soon after arriving in London, the students caught a hop on/hop off bus for a tour that included a stop at Buckingham Palace, as well as up-close views of such iconic landmarks as Big Ben, St. Paul's Cathedral, Westminster Abbey, and breathtaking sunset views of the city from the London Eye. Here they were met and had a quick visit with LCS alum, Suzy Lee ('09), who is attending King's College at the University of London.

The next morning, the group caught a Eurostar train to Paris where they met delegations from six other Round Square Schools, four from Australia and two from South Africa, at the Ibis Hotel, which was to be their home base for five of the next six nights. The next few days were a blur of informative guided walks through narrow streets, flanked with cafes, centuries-old architecture and sculptures, jostling their way through crowded Metro stations, only to be rewarded by breath-taking tours of Paris landmarks like the Louvre, Cathedral Notre Dame, Arc de Triomphe, and the Chateau de Versailles. The group also spent a day and a half in the Loire Valley, visiting such historic sites as Chateau de Chambord, the city of Tours, and enjoying a memorable 20 km bike ride through the French countryside, passing quaint villages and the picturesque castle, Chenonceau, which spans the Loire River.

Returning to Paris, they managed to squeeze in some time for shopping and sight-seeing along the famed Champs Elysees, capped off with a boat tour on the Seine and a sumptuous dinner atop (or at least mid-way up) the Eiffel Tower! Meeting them at the tower was LCS alum, Alexis Ravet '91, who lives and works in Paris, and who enjoyed sharing memories of his six years at the Grove with the current students, along with his former Head of House, Mr. Bird.

The next morning, the group returned to London, where they bid farewell to Ms. Butler-Porter, who had to return to LCS, before taking an hour long van ride to Wellington College. Upon arrival, they checked into their residence houses in preparation for what promised to be an amazing six days of fun, cross-cultural sharing, and personal challenges - given that the theme for this year's conference was "Reaching Beyond Your Limits". Following a very moving flag ceremony, in which LCS delegate Stephanie Paoli proudly carried the school flag - along with students from over 85 other Round Square schools - HM Queen Elizabeth, the Duke of Edinburgh, and Duke of York arrived at Wellington's lavishly decorated gymnasium. Making their way down the aisle, the royal entourage passed so close to the LCS delegation that they could have shaken hands (had protocol permitted it), before all three spryly ascended the stage, where the Queen gave a brief address and declared the conference officially opened. A short time later, they adjourned to a nearby auditorium where all three members of the royal family were introduced to a delegate from each of the Round Square School in attendance. Devon Cole had the honour of representing Lakefield College School at this meeting, a moment which was a little surreal, but made all the more memorable by the Queen's warm smile and cheerful greeting. In the days that followed, the conference's keynote speakers shared their own stories of how they had "reached beyond their limits". Especially moving was an address by Karen Darke, who as a young woman had suffered a fall in a climbing accident that left her a parapalegic, but who subsequently triumphed in such unbelievable physical challenges as skiing across Greenland, cycling through the Himalayas, and is now a member of the British Special Olympics Cycling Team. Equally inspiring, was well known British athlete, Colin Jackson, three-time World Champion in the 110m hurdles, who gripped the audience's attention as he recounted what it took for him to capture a silver medal, and to consistently rank among the best hurdlers in the world over the course of his twelve year career.

 

Other highlights of the conference included the Adventure and Service Days, in which delegates participated in some challenging, but worthwhile service and adventure activities - from tackling the obstacle course at the Sandhurst Military Academy, to clearing brush in a conservation area, to a river walk and clean-up along the Thames. After each busy, rewarding day, the delegates would gather in the sports hall to enjoy a student talent showcase or an evening of cultural dances performed by member schools. The 600+ student delegates even recorded their own music video of a song written specially for the conference, called "Hand in Hand", to raise funds for the Masoyi Special Care Centre for Children in South Africa. Other memorable events were the regular Barazza group meetings (i.e. small-group discussions which followed each keynote address, and involving students and staff from schools around the world), a traditional village fete, an impressive field gun demonstration, a medieval dinner, balloon launching ceremony, and a spirited final night Proms dance, after which the students enjoyed a fireworks display and said tearful goodbyes to the many new friends they had made from all over the globe. The moment was especially poignant for LCS delegate, Maddie Greenwood, who would be leaving directly from the conference for a two-month exchange visit to Bunbury Cathedral Grammar School in Western Australia.

Because Round Square has now grown to the size where few schools are able to accommodate the entire organization at a single gathering, next year's international conference will be split between two host schools, Brook House in Nairobi, Kenya (in March 2012) and Penryn College in Mpumalanga, South Africa, in October 2012. LCS will participate in the South African conference next fall. Mr. Bird will be inviting applications from interested students in a few months' time - likely during April or May. With the opportunities it provides for enhancing cultural understanding and personal growth, there is no doubt that participation in a Round Square International Conference can be a life-changing experience. Please contact Mr. Bird if you would like to be notified when it's time for delegate selection and registration.