Connections Archive

The Avondale College Alumni Association surprised the recipients of its highest award by keeping their names secret until the official presentation at Homecoming (August 24-26).

Members of the association's committee voted in April to present the Outstanding Alumni Award to Dr Barry and Desmryna Taylor. However, they revealed the names only during the worship service in the Avondale College Seventh-day Adventist Church this past Saturday. This meant distributing the Taylors' citation as an insert rather than publishing it in the Homecoming information booklet. The award recognises the Taylor's contribution to medical research--in physical therapy and biochemistry--their dedication to Adventist tertiary education--at Loma Linda University (California, USA)--and their contribution to the local community.

Barry reviewed the history of Loma Linda during the inaugural Alumni Lecture on the Friday of Homecoming. The institution's reorganisation as a health sciences university brought focus and clarity to its mission--research had a greater emphasis. Loma Linda formalised this new mission in 2000, appointing Barry as the first vice-president for research affairs. The next six years saw a doubling--to USD40 million a year--of external funding for research. "Research is no longer a luxury of privileged faculty but an affirmed mission for all," said Barry. He concluded by noting the change in mission of Adventist education to include "a clearer vision for academic excellence" that would not detract from promoting "spiritual transformation in the lives of our students."

Desmryna attended Homecoming as a member of the 1957 honour year. She spoke during the association's luncheon on Friday about the 100,000 kilograms of food she has collected and distributed over the past two decades for people who are homeless and for victims of domestic violence.

Nine other alumni joined the Taylors as award recipients.

Eight were members of each honour year. Receiving citations from their classmates were: retired minister Wal Hammond (1937); caretaker and custodian of "Sunnyside" and South Sea Islands Museum Keith Frauenfelder (1947); retired lecturer and teacher Beverley Reye (1957); director of choirs and chair of the Music Department at Columbia Union College James Bingham (1967); minister and president of Rivers Community Church and Rock Community Care Jenny Spyve (1977); minister of Southside Community Church and president and executive director of The Spot Community Services Ken Houliston (1982); creative director of Rocfish Karyn Fua (1987); and businesswoman Charmaine Bazley (1997).
Arthur Patrick and Tom Ludowici presented a posthumous award to the ninth, Dr Alwyn Salom, an honorary senior research fellow at Avondale. Alwyn died in February this year. The award recognised the "initial impulse and continuing guidance" of the "quiet, scholarly little man" when the class of 1957 "envisioned Jacaranda as the first Avondale annual." Alwyn's wife, Audrey, accepted the award.

Pastor Roger Nixon will continue serving as alumni president after his re-election during the association's annual general meeting on Friday afternoon.

Jean Carter and David Lawson, members of the 1982 and 1957 honour years, preached the vespers and the worship service sermons. "If there was no history at the cross [and] no mystery of Christ rising from the dead . . . there would be no victory," said Jean. While acknowledging "we will wade through waters of fire," David reminded alumni "God is with us all the time. . . . That's the source of strength and stay for our trembling hearts."

Three returned to Avondale to perform during vespers on Friday evening. Harry Halliday, Karen Thrift (1977) and Heather Ferguson (1977) formed the folk trio sitting around a fire on a secondary teachers' club camp while studying at college.

The Idea of North received a standing ovation during the concert on Saturday. The quality and range of music, which included gospel, hymn, jazz, pop and soul, and the a cappella quartet's sense of humou--it played a Bach fugue using kazoos--entertained a 600-strong audience.

A change from Saturday this past year to Sunday this year, and warm and sunny weather, doubled the number of people at the Sanitarium Health Food Company brunch on Sunday morning. More than 100 people visited the Land of the Pharaohs exhibition in Avondale Library.

And 23 competitors, including eight students, entered the golf classic at the Toronto Country Club, also on Sunday. The tournament takes the Ambrose format where both players in a team tee off, select the best shot and hit again. Students Jonathan Roennfeldt and Adrian Timmermans won with a one over par 73. Jonathan also won closest to the pin. Shayne Ward and Brendan Vaughan (70.5) won on handicap. Jared Kelloway won the longest drive.