Griffith High School; its very odd traditions (+Yr 12 Ball photo)

“I, fresh with glory, ever newly one shall grow” – the English translation of our school motto. How the hell I remember this, or even knew it in the first place, is beyond me. No idea what it means either. We weren’t a school big on pride, closest we got to school spirit was singing the national anthem at assembly.

But having said that, at Griffith High we used to have a number of rather strange traditions. At the time they were the most normal thing in the world but now they just seem odd. And lets be honest, we are going back a few years here. I started at Griffith High in 85 when Cyndi Lauper as top of the charts and finished in 1990 when John Farnham was still cool.

Year 12 lawn

I loved school. Loved it! And I was quite the nerd and quasi-athlete. In fact I think I achieved more between the ages of 12 and 18 then I have since. All that constant re-enforcement did wonders for my already substantial ego. But just to put it in perspective, we worked out at our Year 12 graduation that approximately 1/3 of the girls we started Yr 7 with had had babies by the time we did the HSC. Two sets of twins as well, very proud. Speaking of Yr 12 Graduation…

At Griffith High back then the Year 12 Graduation Ball was an incredibly formal affair. Not sure where the tradition stemmed from but all the girls wore ankle length white gowns and all the boys in matching suits. So glamorous! In 1990 us boys chose a sparkling jade cummerbund and matching bow tie to go with our black tails. So hot! My partner for the presentation waltz was my dear dear friend Alana, and she looked spectacular, jaw-droppingly so! Her dress was very Princess Di and, I hope she won’t mind me saying this, she had the biggest hair I’ve ever seen. We still joke about it every time we see each other. I so clearly remember driving back in the next day from the after-party at someone’s farm and Alana’s hair was still touching the roof of my Datsun 180B.

Alana & I. She is so gonna kill me!

We were also very big on ‘giving away’ at GHS. At the Yr 10 Dance you had someone from Yr 9 give you away, and then again at the Yr 12 Final Assembly you had someone from Yr 11. Quite odd really, something about following in your footsteps, passing the baton, who the hell knows. But it was always cause for much discussion and angst. At Yr 10 Dance I had my first ever girlfriend from 4^th class, Tanya, give me away. I think she had to pin a ribbon on me or something, and I’m sure Bon Jovi were playing. Yr 12 it was the legendary Bobbie M who got to push me out the door. She was incoming Vice-Captain so the honour was forced on her. 

Yr 12 Quad

I was on the Yr 10 Social Committee but for the life of me I can not remember what we were organising. I think our primary function was to feel cool about ourselves. The big annual fundraiser was Slave Day – completely politically incorrect now of course. The committee got dressed up in hessian bags and on a stage in the middle of the Quad we were auctioned off one by one. We were then a slave for the day for the top bidder. I remember I was caught in a bidding war between the Yr 9 girls and the Yr 7 boys, what does that say about my target market???

Nugan Shield was this sporting comp we had against our arch-rival school, Wade High. They were from the posh side of town, at Grffith High we were considerably ‘rougher’. There was a Nugan Shield for winter sports and summer, and all held in one day. The competition was fierce, especially in Yr 7 and 8 when it was actually about sport. Yr 9 and 10 it was about checking out the hotties from the other school. You know the grass is always greener on the other side.

Ahhhh… good times! So many good memories. 

Didn't have the big black fence when I was there!