History / Geskiedenis

Name of the school

The founding of Welkom-Gimnasium came about as a result of the incredible pace of development that occurred in the pulsating Free State Goldfields that was seemingly transformed from bare veld into a sprawling city by a magic wand. The staff and school commission felt that the amount of high schools would increase dramatically in future decades, and therefore deliberated on a name that would set them apart. The input given by the spouse of one of the staff members (Mr. M.J. van der Vyver) to name the school “Gimnasium” was immediately ratified, because the Gimnasia were the first and oldest high schools in the European school system – this first high school in Welkom would be known as “Welkom-Gimnasium”.

The staff committed themselves through instilling the famous traditions of the European Gimnasia in an unassuming way at Welkom-Gimnasium. namely:

Firstly, the Greek tradition of:

• Cultural forming
• Physical education
• Play

Secondly,

• the Western-European tradition of educational tuition of the various high schools in Holland, Germany and Scandinavia.
• the school will, with all aspects considered, combine work and play into a harmonious unit and aspire to teach the learners the correlation between the two.

Our new school badge and motto

The old school badge, that was instated in 1953 by the first temporary staff members, was aesthetically pleasing, however the strange emblems and heraldic design did not suit an Afrikaans-medium school. As the school colours were already changed under the previous dispensation of the parallel-medium school, it was decided to maintain a “status quo” until the separation between the Afrikaans and English medium sectors of the school was completed.

With the school becoming exclusively Afrikaans in January 1957, a competition was launched for the design of a new school badge. Over a 100 designs were received by a neutral committee who tirelessly scrutinized all the entries. The design of Mrs. J.J Fourie, the wife of the current principal was chosen. 

Historical relation

The two emblems in the shield, the torch and the iconic pillar, are both of Greek origin and have a historical connection to the name “Gimnasium”. This lends a strong unity and form to the badge. 

Motto

A strong and powerful motto, with inner meaning: “Be strong, there’s work!”

Symbolism

The two emblems strongly accentuate a twofold meaning of the motto: “Be strong, there’s work”. Strength is the first or qualifying part of the motto: strength is needed because there is an intrinsic duty. The second part of the motto refers to strength: physical strength (the Greek ideal of games in the Gimnasia), but also strength in faith – the might of a strong character as well as the might of education! This is the foundation of the motto; while the badge is the pillar that symbolises the supporting strength of the community. The emphasis in the motto is on the subsequent part “there’s work”, symbolised by the bright flame that keeps burning in anticipation of duty – a duty toward education and the improvement of the youth of our country. A third motive is symbolised by the firm hand with a tight grip on the torch, namely: we take this motto out into the world.

School song

Net so ferm soos die leuse is, so fors is die skoollied wat, volgens ‘n persverklaring van mnr. D.H. Maree, onderhoof van die skool, “die stryd en strewe van die skool en die dinamiese lewe in Welkom”, vertolk. Vir ‘n skool soos hierdie wat ‘n baie harde stryd in sy wordingsjare gehad het en uit die “polsende lewe” van ‘n worderde stad in aansyn geroep is, kan en mag daar niks idillies en landeliks in sy skoollied wees nie.

Daar moet vuur en krag uit elke versreël straal. Let veral op die kontrastering in die eerste twee versreëls van die lied wat op die eerste bladsy van hierdie Jaarblad geplaas is: die skool word met die harde rots vergelyk waaruit die kosbare fyn goud gehaal word. Dit verleen nie slegs lokale kleur aan die lied van ‘n Goudveldse hoërskool nie, maar sinspeel veral op die krag van die skool waaruit die kosbare skat van die opvoeding gehaal moet word, d.i. die fyn goud (opvoedingsideaal van verfyning en kultuur) uit die sterk rots. Dit kan ook verder vertolk word dat die skool se harde geskiedenis hom sterk en lewenskragtig gemaak het ….”Sterk soos die rots ….” Die orige versreëls spreek vir hulself – veral ook die middelste gedeelte (in ‘n mineurtoonaard) wat op die ideale van die Afrikaans-medium-skool sinspeel, en die woordspelings in die laaste strofe en die refrein wat om die beurt deur seuns en dogters afsonderlik gesing moet word, om na ‘n groot gesamentlike klimaks op te werk. Die woorde van die lied is die digterlike skepping van iemand wat die veelbewoë geskiedenis van hierdie skool baie intiem en intens deurleef het en wie se hele strewe opgegaan het in die verhewe ideale wat hy vir hierdie Afrikaans-medium-skool koester – ons skoolhoof, Dr. J.J. Fourie. Mnr. Dirkie de Villiers, Sang-inspekteur van die Vrystaat, het vir die eerste musiek gesorg. In 1963 word die musiek herskryf om dit meer singbaar te maak. Die musiek word deur mnr. Louis Fourie, ‘n musiekonderwyser van daardie tyd, gedoen …. die opdrag kom vanaf die Skoolhoof, mnr. Piet Clase. Oor die heerlike musiek en toonsetting van die lied het Dr. Fourie hom soos volg uitgelaat in ‘n brief aan die komponis: “Dis iets groots, iets heerliks, besield en vol besieling, tegnies tot in die fynste besonderhede afgewerk en afgerond, en elke noot het vir my net die regte gevoelswaarde. Die sterk marsritme, afgewissel deur die ernstige en byna gewyde dog nietemin forse middelste gedeelte in die mineurtoonaard (“Trou aan ons taal, aan die God van ons vad’re ….”), die kragtige gevoelsopwelling in die note en die ruising van die triomf dwarsdeur die lied, die variasies in die herhaling van die tema – alles is groots en geïnspireerd, en vertolk vir my presies daardie gevoel wat ek vir ‘n lang tyd in my omgedra het as ‘n ideaal vir ons Gimnasiumskoollied ….. totdat die Muse een nag my hart ontsluit, die woorde op my lippe gelê het, en baie sterk in my ore gefluister het: “Gaan na Mnr. de Villiers! Hy sal jou help en jou die taal van die musiek gee wat jou ideaal sal bevredig en soos ‘n magtige ruising tot die hart van jou skool sal spreek!”

Parallel medium

In April 1994 the first democratic elections took place in SA and the 46 years of Afrikaner dominance ended when the ANC (African National Congress) became the political leaders in the country. The inequalities in eg. education were immediately addressed. In 1996 the Governing body (after much consultation with parents and learners) decided that the school must once again become a parallel-medium institution (Afrikaans and English).

The reasons for this decision was:

1. 1. The demography of Welkom changed immediately and black people bought houses on a large scale. And the Afrikaans-speaking learners were becoming fewer and fewer.
   2. Past pupils returned every year to say that they struggle at university because a lot of the work is in English and their second language is underdeveloped.
   3. Welkom high School is overwhelmed by black learners and white English speaking parents approached the Governing Body to start English classes so that they can have an alternative to Welkom High.

It was however decided that:

1. 1. • The school’s name will remain “Welkom-Gimnasium” and will not be translated.
      • The school colours and uniform will remain the same.
      • The second and third verse of the school song will be translated into English by ms. Theron (music teacher) and ms. Redpath (English teacher).
      • The school badge will remain the same but the motto will be changed to Latin “Persevera et Labora” (“Wees sterk, daar’s werk”; “Be strong in your work”; “Persevere in your work”). The Latin links back to the European background of the Gimnasia and the school’s ideals stays the same.

In the first year of parallel medium two English classes, gr 8 and 9, were take in. The best of it all is that the white English community responded immediately by sending their children to Welkom-Gimnasium.

Principals & governing body chair persons

Principals

Dr J J Fourie	1954 – 1959	6 year
D J Coetzee	1961 – 1962	1yr 7 mnt
J S v d Walt	1963 – 1965	3 yearr
P J Clase	1966 – 1974	7yr 8 mnt
R G Fourie	1974 – 1979	5 yr 3 mnt
C R Peyper	1980 – 1987	8 year
C R Peyper	1988 – 1991	3yr 5 mnt
RPJJ Cloete	1992

Acting Principals

F H D Bedfird	1 Jan – 31 Des 1953	12 months
D Maree	1 Jan – 31 Des 1960	12 months
J C de Klerk	6 Jul – 31 Des 1962	6 months
P F Rautenbach	1 Jan – 1 Jul 1966	6 months
R G Fourie	4 Feb – 8 Okt 1974	8 months
J J van Rensburg	1 Aug – 31 Des 1979	5 months
E H Schoeman	1 Jan – 31 Jul 1988	7 months
R P J J Cloete	1 Jan – 30 Mai 1992	5 months

Governing Body Chairpersons

Chairperson	Date	Term
Ds D W Krynauw	1953	6 months
Mnr A I Beck	1953 – 1955	2.5 years
Ds J J van der Walt	1955 – 1958	3 years
Mnr H S van der Merwe	1958 – 1961	3 years
Mnr R J N Brits	1961 – 1964	3 years
Ds H L M du Plessis	1964 – 1966	2 years
Ds P T Jacobs	1966 – 1970	4 years
Ds M Kruger	1971 – 1974	3 years
Dr P Zwiegers	1974 – 1977	4 years
Mnr RPG Dreyer	1977 – 1980	3 years
Ds D J van der Merwe	1980 – 1981	1.5 years
Dr P J C Nel	1981 – 1985	3.5 years
Mnr G F P Cronjè	1985 – 1986	1 years
Ds D W S Bester	1986 – 1990	4 years
Mnr W M van Heerden	1990 – 1993	3 years
Mnr F A du Toit	1993 – 1997	4 years
Dr J J Langeveld	1997 – 2000	4 years
Dr J S Marais	2000 – 2006	6 years
Ds LM Foot	2006 – 2010	5 years
Mr H Collins	2011 –

THEY REPRESENT SOUTH AFRICA

Willem Roos	Boks	Jacobus Liebenberg	Karate
Piet Herbst	Vierkamp	Johan Coetzee	Karate
Gerrie Sonekus	Rugby	Johannes Kemp	Karate
Marinda v Wyk	Pistoolskiet	Stephanus Kemp	Karate
Elize Kapp	Driekamp	C Bosman	Atletiekr
Tjaart Schoeman	Valskerm	Mark Buter	Karate
Elinda Rademeyer	Atletiek	Marius Wessels	Karate
Christo Ferreira	Rugby	Stanley van Zyl	Hengel
Linda Olivier	Gholf/Krieket	Nico Groenewald	Atletiek
Frans v Vuuren	Stoei	Anel Cronje	Hokkie
Bennie Greyling	Atletiek	Nadia Combrinck	Atletiek
Katinka Minnaar	Hokkie	Lizelle J v Rensburg	Netbal
Heine Bense	Akro Gim	Willem Rademeyer	Tennis
Tobie de Jager	Akro Gim	Lodewyk Joubert	Atletiek
C J Steyn	Akro Gim	Andre de Klerk	Karate
Sampie Botha	Karate	Piet Bezuidenhout	Stoei
Guniel Viljoen	Hengel	Ludwig Steyl	Musiek
Wayne de Haas	Gholf	Esmaret Hartman	Atletiek
Renier Nel	Hengel	Andrew v Huysteen	Atletiek
Lilly-Ann Louw	Karate	Nicolaas Geldenhuys	Expo
Adriaan Kriel	O/W hokkie	Hendrik de Villiers	Tweekamp
Michael Adendorff	L/redding	Cindy van Zyl	Judo
Johannes Bezuidenhout	Karate	Thinus Koekemoer	Atletiek
Louis-Dawid vd Merwe	Karate	Thomas Liversage	Tennis
Geraldine Wood	Karate	Theresa Lombaard	Atletiek
Emile Fouche	Karate	Jonathan v Vuuren	Moto GP
Nick Steyn	Hengel	Jaco Steynberg	Vliegkuns
Riaan Beuken	Stoei	Marieta Viljoen	Pistoolskiet
Lucas v Biljon	Rugby	Nico le Roux	Hengel
Louis Schlebusch	Atletiek	Hendrik Zwiegelaa	Hokkie
Melt du Toit	Atletiek	Ryk Pienaar	Hokkie
Christo Badenhorst	Atletiek	Morne de Jager	Fietsry
Loezytha Westraad	Atletiek	Michelle Havenga	Karate
Jaco v Zyl	Gholf	Augustinus Mokoebetane	Karate
Theuns Pieterse	Gholf	Ina Pittendrigh	Stoei
Ralph Prior	Swem	Chantelle de Beer	Karate
Bennie Esterhuizen	Boks	Aubrey de Wet	Musiek
Nico Jacobs	Stoei	Marinda Potgieter	Atletiek
Gideon Jacobs	Stoei	Wilma du Toit	Atletiek
Johan Rademan	Stoei	Marietha Holtzhauzen	Atletiek
Billie Nel	Stoei	Hennie Bosman	Atletiek
Petrus Jacobs	Stoei	Leon de Jager	Atletiek
Patrick Karpakis	Stoei	Susan Wagner	Atletiek
George Fullagar	Karate	Angelique Martin	Karate
Hennie Smit	Stoei	Thelani du Plessis	Netbal
Johan Dreyer	L/redding	Henti Pretorius	Atletiek
L van Staden	Judo	Lourens Prinsloo	Atletiek
J Lehman	Judo	Annelie Steyn	Netbal
Chad Nel	Karate	Griffin Nieuwoudt	Krieket
Gezelle J v Rensburg	Krieket	Eric Claassen	Karate
Marius Theron	Rugby	Andries Kotze	Military games
Calvin Kühn	Hokkie	Jessica Tlali	Netbal
Mirium Lelimo	Expo	Bianca Erwee	Atletiek
Jeanri Coetzee	Netbal	Danelle Erwee	Atletiek
Elri Neethling	Stoei	Peet Marais	Rugby
Jandré Marais	Rugby	Deidre Erwee	Netbal
Joani Podbielski	Mev. SA	Andries Marais	Atletiek
Pierre van den Berg	Stoei	JJ van Zyl	Uitv. Kunste
Lourens Koekemoer	Rugby