Billy Graham and Leadership Week

HBHS Leadership week ran from Monday 17^th September through to Friday 21^st September, the second year the event has been run. To encourage leadership in the school the prefect’s leadership committee organised guest speakers to come and speak at the school’s year level assemblies. The idea behind leadership week was to organise speakers who had a unique and exciting story to share and who had themselves made a very real difference to the community of which they are apart. The week culminated with guest speaker Billy Graham, former New Zealand and Australasian Light Welter Weight Boxing Champion.

Billy spoke at the school’s year 10 assembly where he talked about his experiences as a child growing up in Naenae, Lower Hutt. After getting a less than ideal education he was taken under the wing of his boxing coach and mentor who taught him “not to break the rules.” He has now taken up the mantle of mentoring others himself through setting up his own boxing academy in Naenae. The gym is credited with helping transform the lives of troubled young men as a result of the guidance and encouragement that Billy gives them. Billy’s highly enthusiastic talk captivated his audience and ended with a challenge to students to always think about “what is the right decision.”

After the assembly Billy had lunch with some of the students in the school’s mentoring programme. Here, Billy shared his own story of personal transformation and students were able to ask questions in a one on one setting.

The school wishes to thank Fuji Xerox for sponsoring Billy to come and speak and this very successful event.

On October 16 Billy will be doing a presentation open to the general public at 6.30pm at Hamilton Boys' High School. Tickets can be purchased from the Hamilton Boys’ High School’s School shop for $10 each.