At our recent Founder’s Day event, Old Carey Grammarian Ray Reed (1949) addressed the guests to talk about why he believes in celebrating the day.
Ray is a member of the Carey Heritage Committee, and in 2018 published the book Carey Was Our Home, detailing the history of Carey’s boarding house, which was in operation from 1923 to 1951. As an active and engaged member of the Carey community, Ray was delighted to come back and share his story and what Founder’s Day means to him. The following is an abridged version of his address to guests at Founder’s Day.
‘I attended Carey from 1946 to 1949 as a boarder. There were 46 boarders when I started, with the total number of students at the School less than 400. Not everyone liked being a boarder, but I did. From that point onwards Carey has been an important part of my life. It has been truly rewarding being on the OCGA council, playing football for Old Carey, being a member of the Heritage Committee for the last 20 years and carrying out research for the archives, and finally, being married to Judy by Scott Bramley in the school chapel.
‘One of the important traditions of Carey is the celebration of Founder’s Day. Since leaving school in 1949 I have attended many Founder’s Day assemblies. My early view of Founder’s Day was purely a day when we celebrate and remember those that recognised the need for a Baptist school and those who brought this dream to fruition. As the years roll by, I’ve realised that this is a narrow view and that the school is constantly changing and developing. Today in the year 2020, we are celebrating the fact that Carey has within it the capacity to constantly evolve, and that all members of the Carey community since the school was established are in some way founders of the Carey of today.
‘During my time on the heritage committee I have had the opportunity to research in detail the early days of Carey, so on Founder's Day I firstly remember those many devoted country and city Baptists who would have discussed the need for a Baptist school. Like any good cause it needs individuals that believe in it and are prepared to dedicate their time to it.
‘The House system at Carey recognises the leading figures of that time, so we are all aware of Rev. Leonard Tranter and his knowledge, determination, and fund-raising capacity that was paramount at that time. Dr Moore, the President of the School Council; Rev. Cartwright, the great fund raiser in 1924/25; Carey’s first Headmaster, Steele; the first House Master and later Headmaster, Hickman; and the first deputy, Sutton. I could talk about each individual but no doubt much will be said in the next few years about the founders of Carey as we approach the centenary. This group of people and those that worked with them should always be remembered on this day.
‘I am fortunate to have known all the principals of Carey and am very aware of the special contribution each has made to the school together with the co-operation of a very dedicated staff. Today we are witnessing the beginning of another founding period of Carey with our new principal, Jonathan Walter, taking the beliefs of all previous founders to another level.
‘Rev. Hedley Sutton once wrote, ‘spirituality and scholarship should be our aim, by fostering laudable aspirations after the best things that modern education can offer.’ Going forward to today, Carey is certainly carrying out the aspirations of its original founders.
‘Founder’s Day to me is the day on which we remember and celebrate our past, but, more importantly, to provide the opportunity to look to the future of our great school.’
