Keeping the Grammar tradition alive - Miller Hawkesby '15
Thursday, 21 January 2021
The Auckland Grammar Rowing Squad has a strong contingent of rowers from all year levels. The squad competes at various races and regattas across the year, including the Aon Maadi Cup, the largest schools sports event in the southern hemisphere. The pinnacle of this competition is the Under 18 Eight race, one of the last contests of the week-long regatta.

Those students new to rowing take part in the Learn to Row programme, where junior students learn the different aspects and techniques from seniors, in the hopes that they will join the rowing squad later on, and it was through this programme that Miller Hawkesby '15 found his love and passion for rowing.

There were two main factors contributing to Miller’s decision to join the rowing squad. He missed out on the chance to pick up a specialised sport at intermediate, and if he joined, he would have the full support of his parents, especially his father Duncan (himself an Old Boy from the class of 1988), who wasn’t able to participate as a student.

"While I was growing up, my dad would tell me about how he desperately desired to row at Grammar but his own parents always refused his requests. Dad always reassured me however that if I decided to row, he would support me in full."

It was also the perfect sport for anyone to pick up, no matter their age or level of experience. "Rowing is an ideal sport, as everyone else would also be new to the sport and we would all start on an even playing field. It also suited me quite well as it requires very little hand-eye coordination - not my strong suit!"

With upwards of 18 hours of rowing training each week during the summer sports season - which he says is more like "six extracurricular activities rolled into one" - Miller always maintained a strong academic record, starting in 3C and ending in 7C, as well as being an active participant in other areas of School life. "I have been able to take part in the philosophy group, World Vision, and play rugby and volleyball."

Miller encountered some very entertaining masters over his time, none more so that History master and Associate Headmaster of the Junior School, Ben Skeen. "In Form 3, Mr Skeen took my Social Studies class once a week, and right off the bat I noticed how unique his teaching style was. Every lesson would start more or less the same, we would have seven questions to recap our last lesson - why seven? Well, that was how old he was when he first had his heart broken!"

It was through his method of teaching and showing him the importance of building a legacy that inspired Miller to apply for the biennial India Immersion Programme. "Applying for the programme has so far been once the best choices I made throughout my time at Grammar. Mr Skeen showed me the importance of legacy, more specifically building a legacy that is a force for positive change."

"The programme itself is far more than just a month-long trip to India, the year building up to it is filled with meetings where students and staff would get to know each other, and we would all together reflect on various sources of wisdom - TED talks, poems or speakers such as Mr Skeen, Mr Simento and past members of the programme. The people involved and the ability to make a group of teenage boys sit around and just talk about life - that’s pretty cool."

Miller is a very proud Grammar Old Boy, coming from a long-line of Grammar men. "My great grandfather, Cliff Hart ’39, gave me his Grammar cap before I started at Grammar. I realised the pride I would develop for my School, the School of my brothers, my cousins, my father, my father's cousins, my grandfather, and my great grandfather."

"This deep connection I have paired with my utmost pride of being a Grammar man, following in the footsteps of past Old Boys along the Grammar Way is why I feel so honoured to be able to celebrate the School's sesquicentenary."

In 2019, Miller was honoured to be named Head Prefect for the School's 150th year and will relish the opportunity to continue the tradition of Grammar men to walk through the hallowed gates with pride.

Working hard to be the best one can be is part of the Grammar ethos, something that every student strives for, and something that Miller remembered every time he stepped into the skiff. "Our culture is fundamentally based around making the entire squad being the best it can be, achieved by each individual not only working his hardest to make his own crews go fast, but also being as helpful and supportive of our other crews as possible."

"I would strongly recommend that all students embrace every opportunity and work hard. I have learnt that if you study hard and put lots of effort into extracurricular activities at the same time, you will learn to love both of these things, so you will find yourself wishing you had more to do in your spare time."