At the heart of St. Andrew’s School stands its chapel. A building that not only serves as an Anglican church, which of course it is, but also represents traditions, heritage, and the culture of the school.
First consecrated in 1956, the chapel has been undergoing much-needed upgrades, from floor to ceiling, and even some modernising, thanks to the Anglican Church, the Harcourt-Vernon Trust, and also Stephen Kahts.
Kahts, an old-boy of the school, serves as the Head of the Physical Amenities Committee of the school through the School’s Governing Body, and also has a young son attending his alma mater.
“We are going through quite a process at the school to complete some upgrades, the chapel being one of them,” Kahts told Bloemfontein Courant. “We were very lucky to receive a generous donation from the Anglican Church, through the Harcourt-Vernon Trust, and through that we have been able to effect a lot of repairs that needed to be done for a long time.”
Upgrades are being made to the audio-visual system in the chapel, while new flooring has been installed and the existing woodwork and ironmongery has also been treated. The chapel bell and its mechanism has also been renovated.
Kahts speculates that the last time renovations in the chapel took place was when he was still at school in the 90s. “I believe that was the last time it was painted,” he said. The chapel did also receive a new lick of paint during recent renovations.
“The Chapel is the heart of our school, and is probably the most important building on campus,” explained the old-Andrean. “The boys will benefit from the chapel, as it becomes a place where the school’s Christian values are instilled, as well as good value systems.”
Kahts believes that the audio-visual changes will modernise the chapel, while its essence will remain as traditional as it has been. “We have the organ, and we still have the beautiful woodwork that is being restored and refurbished, and the solid brass ironmongery which are irreplaceable,” he said. “At the end of the day it remains a traditional building and we are trying to keep the heritage.”
As an old-boy, Kahts believes that the school, and the chapel, creates a brotherhood. “You realise as you get older that what you hold onto is the times you had with a group of guys who defined you. “Once you’ve walked through the school, it stays with you,” he concluded.
Warren Hawkins
