Saturday 11 June 2016

Queen’s Birthday Honours: Tony Pope

Sometimes in life you meet people who inspire you and Tony Pope is one such person.  Many years ago I had a brain aneursym and I didn't know if I would ever be able to teach full time again.  Through a lot of determination it did happen... but Tony was the Principal who took a risk in hiring me. 

I remember him offering me a full time teaching position and having to tell him that I wasn't sure if I was up to it.  He simply said... do your best and if it's not working come and see me and we'll make some adjustments.  So I took on the position and never looked back.

I worked with Tony for a number of years and he became not only my Principal but also a mentor and friend.  I'm so very proud to know him and it was wonderful to see him get acknowledged in the Queen's Birthday Honours.

Former Rotorua principal Tony Pope is made a member of the New Zealand Order of Merit.

Check out this newspaper article to get all the details.

At the end of each school year Tony used to do a speech for the students moving onto Intermediate school and almost every year he included this great quote from John Wesley:

“Do all the good you can. By all the means you can. In all the ways you can. In all the places you can. At all the times you can. To all the people you can. As long as ever you can.”


John Wesley

I don't know how many of the kids remember this quote but it's stayed with me and continues to inspire me.

3 comments:

  1. Great to hear an inspiring person being acknowledged. Cara x

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  2. How wonderful to see your friend and mentor honoured Shell.
    Blessings
    Maxine

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  3. Congratulations to Tony. Sometimes it just takes that little bit of trust someone gives to us that starts the self trust. Yeah you - yeah Tony.

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