Wykeham Journal 2016 | Page 39

Having found great pleasure in returning to teaching , Andrew has , thankfully , ensured that the vast and wholly unique experiences that he gained in his many years of service , are fully accessible to the boys .

The next few minutes , no doubt met with an attention fit for the most accomplished diplomats , were a warning to tomorrow ’ s future leaders . Drawing attention to the role of well-known social media sites , connecting through the ‘ untrue facts ’ that were disseminated prior to the US Presidential election , Andrew drew the congregation towards the value of humanity – not as a concept , but rather at its most simple level , as a value amid increasing economic competition and the rise of automation . The value of true knowledge , its intelligent application , and its fearless defence , must have been advocated many a time in the 600 odd years that Chapel has been in continuous use . The value of that timelessness is all too well appreciated by Andrew , and he has particularly enjoyed enveloping himself into the history of the school , and the inevitable eccentricities that it holds dear . Particular enthusiasm is expressed for tea in College . “ To be initiated into College chamber teas , you really feel tremendously part of something very valuable .” For someone who , inevitably , knows a thing or two about being part of , and indeed leading , the most valuable institutions of the country , this is to be taken as quite some accolade . It is , I am sure , no surprise to those who have got to know Andrew , whether as their don or their colleague , that he is thoroughly enjoying spending this current phase of his hugely accomplished career at Winchester , where a certain peace is enjoyed after years of seeing the very real continuing conflicts of the world today . He enjoys making it a home for his thoughts , his experiences , and helping boys make themselves at home with the great power they possess . “ Conflict arises ,” he says , “ at its root , from dispossession .” Those who have seen such dispossession , whether in one person or in many , would not disagree . It is not unknown for men and women who have journeyed through Win Coll , or who have worked there , or who are associated with it in any way on their different paths , to put the tangible value of their work above and beyond their position . That invaluable motto , ‘ Manners Makyth Man ’, is particularly in keeping with one of Andrew ’ s most important observations – that , at the end of the day , the value of knowledge is the capacity to use it for the wider community . ‘ Knowledge is power ’ is true in itself , but in the political sphere raw power and knowledge are not always married . When they aren ’ t , things fall apart . To quote Andrew himself , “ You see , as an Ambassador , what power is about ”.
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