The Andrea and Gerry Pennells

11 May 2012Mr. John Allpress

The following is the text of an address delivered by Mr. John Allpress, Deputy Head of School of Brentwood College, at the Christening of a new racing shell, The Andrea and Gerry Pennells, at the Brentwood Regatta, Saturday, April 28.

Good afternooon, Ladies and Gentlemen.  My name is John Allpress, I am the Deputy Head of Brentwood College. Our Head of School knows most things Brentwood well in advance, but this Rowing Club initiative may catch her by surprise.

Andrea and Gerry Pennells will retire from Brentwood this summer after 30 years on our faculty, or, as Andrea prefers to state it, after 60 years of combined service to Brentwood. In appreciation and recognition of their support for Brentwood Rowing, the club is today christening a coxed 4+ the Andrea and Gerry Pennell.  So Andrea would you join Gerry and do the honours…

Gerry was appointed Director of University Counseling in 2000 and in the past decade, in consultation with Tim Zenker and Rick Rodrigues, has placed dozens of students in top rowing programs both in Canada and the US.

From 2001 when Malcolm Howard stepped into a Harvard boat and Amy Bensted into a Princeton shell, through to this year when Claire Vanelli has been rowing for Duke, Addie Backer for Harvard and Andrew Crowley for Cal Berkley.  These athletes, and all those in between, would want me to thank Gerry and his team for working with them and their coaches to secure outstanding university opportunities.

As Head of School since 2000, and Assistant Head for many years prior, the coaches, in particular, will be very aware of Andrea’s stewardship of the Brentwood Rowing program and the support she has provided both athletes and coaches in the scheduling process.

While the Pennells will be taking a well-earned retirement,  the Andrea and Gerry Pennells that will grace the shelves in the Brentwood Boat House has years of training and racing ahead of her. Please join me in thanking Andrea and Gerry and wishing them well, as they christen the shell in their name.

Ladies and gentlemen, the organization of Brentwood Regatta is quite an undertaking and I want to acknowledge our facilities crew, students and faculty, all of whom takes a task in the running of this event. There is 100m of start line dock out there on a 16 foot tidal draw, and believe me, in itself, that is a huge task.  

On Friday afternoon, however, we hand over the regatta course to a team of umpires, largely from Rowing Canada.  In addition there are four referees from the USRA and one from Quebec. Without these referees, many of whom have served in this volunteer role for many years, our regatta could not function.  Wayne Van Osterhaus has attended in excess of 30 Brentwood regattas.  Mike Bagshawe and Sam Fisher are in their high 20’s.  It represents a tremendous commitment to youth sport and a loyal contribution to rowing.

Would you join me in thanking Wayne, Sam, Mike and all our umpires who operate this race schedule so efficiently and safely.

John Allpress, Deputy Head of Brentwood College