Graham Anderson

A former student of Shawnigan Lake School, Graham Anderson began teaching at the School in 1957. Currently, he is the longest serving staff member at Shawnigan, where he holds the title of Senior Master Emeritus. As a Housemaster for 29 years, the caretaker of our chapel organ, and as a teacher of everything from history to yearbook to riflery skills, his contribution to the School is difficult to measure or to match.

For teachers, ideas must never lose their wonder. Anderson's ongoing fascination with his subject has made him a perpetual student of history and has preserved and informed the spirit of his teaching. He is often asked by other teachers to appear as a guest lecturer in their classes. "He never stops learning," one colleague observes of him, "and he never loses his passion for sharing his knowledge. When you watch him, you're watching a man discover the nature of the present from the puzzle pieces of history." It is Anderson's love of history that makes him a remarkable teacher.

Anderson's contributions do not end at the gates of Shawnigan Lake School, however. He also gives his talents to the community. He has been a member of the local John Howard Society, for example, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Heraldry Society of Canada in 1988. He has been a consultant to the Canadian Heraldic Authority since its inception the same year. In 1999 he was appointed one of Canada's seven heralds-the only one west of the Great Lakes. In 1992 he was awarded the Commemorative Medal for the 125th Anniversary of the Confederation of Canada. More recently he received Queen Elizabeth's Golden Jubilee Medal.

In his days as a Housemaster, Anderson often told his students, "You must lead by example." Anyone who has enjoyed the privilege of being taught by Graham Anderson will understand that he has achieved great leadership through his own outstanding example.