Minimbi leads Marist charge
Marist Brothers’ High School’s (MBHS) newlyappointed head prefect Christopher Minimbi yesterday called on his peers to work together in achieving their goals for 2018.
“Being trusted to lead is no small task. So brothers ignite the fire that has been burning within you. Light the way for our brothers to follow, by leading by example and leading from the front,” Christopher said. He made the call during the school’s induction for prefects yesterday at Lambert Hall, Flagstaff, Suva.
Chief guest was national sevens rugby coach Gareth Baber. Christopher, 18, who has been at MBHS for the past four years, yesterday encouraged his colleagues that all their goals could be achieved if they all worked together as a family.
An all-rounder, Christopher was very humble about his appointment.
As the ceremony started, Christopher took his position facing the audience but minus the traditional, colourful garland which is synonymous with such auspicious occasions.
He looked very ordinary without the garland compared to those around him. The other prefects wore traditional Fijian ones, a few wore the Rotuman tefui, and one turned up in a Samoan ula fala, strung from the dried fruit of the pandanus and dipped in scarlet paint.
The garlands signify the deep appreciation mothers have for their sons on important days of their lives. Being badged as a prefect is no exception.
As the audience watched, Christopher’s badging proceeded without the ceremonial garland. Then a parent of a prefect standing next to Christopher came forward and garlanded him.
The announcement of his appointment came as a surprise to his older sister, Yuanna Minimbi.
She would have brought a garland for Christopher had she known earlier. He had kept the secret of being badged as head prefect to himself.
“I expected him to get a badge, but not to go all the way up to the Head Prefect’s (Head Boy) position,” Ms Minimbi said.
However, she said her brother followed in the footsteps of their late father, Augustine.
He was also a former headboy of Kooralbyn International in Queensland, Australia.
Christopher’s father died 10 years ago.
According to his sister, his appointment was a very memorable one. It marks a proud moment for their family.
“Ever since then we were brought up by our mother, Leah, whose support and love carried us all through for the past 10 years,” Ms Minimbi said.
The siblings have been living in Fiji for the past four years for study purposes.
Highlights of yesterday’s induction included the singing of the school anthem Marisi e Macala, a repertoire of hymns including
Walk in the Light and Ko Bau na Yanuyanu.
Earlier in the piece, parents of gold badge recipients were invited to sit with their sons on stage. It is the school’s way of acknowledging parents’ nurturing and fostering of good habits that enable their sons to receive the highest accolades yesterday.
Procession of the Torch: This is when the 2017 Head Prefect, his deputies and assistant prefects handed over the Leadership Flame symbolic of this all-boys school to the Head Prefect and his team for 2018.