Francis Douglas Memorial College
Encyclopedia
Francis Douglas Memorial College (or FDMC) is an all-boys state integrated Catholic school
located in Westown
, New Plymouth
, New Zealand
. The college was founded in 1959 under the leadership of the De La Salle Brothers, a religious order of brothers based on the teachings of St. Jean-Baptiste de la Salle. The name of the school is dedicated to the memory of Father Francis Vernon Douglas
, a missionary
priest
who was killed while doing missionary work in the Philippines
during the Second World War. The school educates approximately 760 boys, 130 of whom are boarders
. The 50th Jubilee of Francis Douglas Memorial College was held on Queen's Birthday Weekend, 2009.
, other sports include cricket
, basketball
, soccer, and athletic events. Annually, the school plays a rugby match against rival school New Plymouth Boys' High School
, this being one of the major events on the school calendar.
Teachers such as Peter Ingram
have taught sport to the students and there have been notable sporting students such as Conrad Smith
.
Students have performed at the G-TARanaki Guitar Festival
and were shown guitar skills by Uli Jon Roth
.
.
The first inter-house Haka Competition was in 2010. Students register their names for the activity and each House performs their Haka
with the school as an audience. The winning house is chosen by a judge who is a popular figure from New Plymouth.
The school has a school Haka written by an ex-student Hemi Sundgrem which is about the founders of the school, Francis Douglas and the De La Salle Brothers.
The rugby jersey most identifiable as that of Francis Douglas Memorial College is royal blue with a thick red strip and thin gold trim strips across the chest. While this has been popularly adopted as the distinctive rugby strip of the school, it is only used in lower grades of competition.
Catholic school
Catholic schools are maintained parochial schools or education ministries of the Catholic Church. the Church operates the world's largest non-governmental school system...
located in Westown
Westown
Westown is a suburb of New Plymouth, in the western North Island of New Zealand. It is located to the southwest of the city centre and west of Frankleigh Park.The population was 3,399 in the 2006 Census, an increase of 108 from 2001....
, New Plymouth
New Plymouth
New Plymouth is the major city of the Taranaki Region on the west coast of the North Island of New Zealand. It is named after Plymouth, Devon, England, from where the first English settlers migrated....
, New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
. The college was founded in 1959 under the leadership of the De La Salle Brothers, a religious order of brothers based on the teachings of St. Jean-Baptiste de la Salle. The name of the school is dedicated to the memory of Father Francis Vernon Douglas
Francis Douglas (priest)
Vernon Francis Douglas was a priest of the Missionary Society of St. Columban who was killed in the Philippines by Japanese soldiers in 1943. Douglas was from Wellington and trained for the Catholic priesthood at Holy Cross Seminary, Mosgiel. Within a few months of his ordination, at the end of...
, a missionary
Missionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
who was killed while doing missionary work in the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
during the Second World War. The school educates approximately 760 boys, 130 of whom are boarders
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
. The 50th Jubilee of Francis Douglas Memorial College was held on Queen's Birthday Weekend, 2009.
Sporting
80% of students participate in at least one sport. The most popular sport at the school is rugby unionRugby union
Rugby union, often simply referred to as rugby, is a full contact team sport which originated in England in the early 19th century. One of the two codes of rugby football, it is based on running with the ball in hand...
, other sports include cricket
Cricket
Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of 11 players on an oval-shaped field, at the centre of which is a rectangular 22-yard long pitch. One team bats, trying to score as many runs as possible while the other team bowls and fields, trying to dismiss the batsmen and thus limit the...
, basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
, soccer, and athletic events. Annually, the school plays a rugby match against rival school New Plymouth Boys' High School
New Plymouth Boys' High School
New Plymouth Boys' High School is a single-sex boys' state secondary school in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand. It was founded in 1882 and celebrated its 125th Jubilee in 2007....
, this being one of the major events on the school calendar.
Teachers such as Peter Ingram
Peter Ingram
Peter John Ingram is a cricket player from New Zealand, who plays for Central Districts. He is a right-handed batsman who has enjoyed considerable success on the domestic scene in recent seasons. He is a right arm off spin bowler. He also plays for Taranaki in the Hawke Cup...
have taught sport to the students and there have been notable sporting students such as Conrad Smith
Conrad Smith
Conrad Gerard Smith is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He is a midfield back and plays outside centre . He had been in many Taranaki age group teams. He moved to Wellington where he completed an LLB at Victoria University of Wellington...
.
Music
Francis Douglas Memorial College has a music department where bands develop their talents.Students have performed at the G-TARanaki Guitar Festival
G-TARanaki Guitar Festival
GTaranaki also known as G-TARanaki was New Zealand's first international guitar festival held in New Plymouth, Taranaki, New Zealand annually from July 2008. The week long festival brings some of worlds best guitarists to Taranaki to perform, educate and inspire Kiwi guitarists and music fans...
and were shown guitar skills by Uli Jon Roth
Ulrich Roth
Ulrich Roth , more commonly known as Uli Jon Roth, is a Germanguitarist and one of the earliest contributors to the neo-classical metal genre. He is also the founder of Sky Academy and inventor of the Sky Guitar. He is the older brother of fellow guitarist and artist Zeno Roth.-Career:In the early...
.
Maori culture
The school runs cultural activities, such as the Annual Inter-house Haka Competition, and school camping trips to a maraeMarae
A marae malae , malae , is a communal or sacred place which serves religious and social purposes in Polynesian societies...
.
The first inter-house Haka Competition was in 2010. Students register their names for the activity and each House performs their Haka
Haka
Haka is a traditional ancestral war cry, dance or challenge from the Māori people of New Zealand. It is a posture dance performed by a group, with vigorous movements and stamping of the feet with rhythmically shouted accompaniment...
with the school as an audience. The winning house is chosen by a judge who is a popular figure from New Plymouth.
The school has a school Haka written by an ex-student Hemi Sundgrem which is about the founders of the school, Francis Douglas and the De La Salle Brothers.
Colours
- First XV rugby: red jerseys with gold trim.
- First XI soccer: red shirt, white shorts and red socks.
The rugby jersey most identifiable as that of Francis Douglas Memorial College is royal blue with a thick red strip and thin gold trim strips across the chest. While this has been popularly adopted as the distinctive rugby strip of the school, it is only used in lower grades of competition.
Notable alumni
- Patrick Gower - journalist for New Zealand Herald and TV3TV3 (New Zealand)TV3 is a New Zealand commercial television network, owned by MediaWorks New Zealand. Launched on 26 November 1989, the first private television network in New Zealand...
journalist. - Steven JoyceSteven JoyceSteven Leonard Joyce is a New Zealand politician, who entered the New Zealand House of Representatives in 2008 as a member of the New Zealand National Party...
- broadcasting entrepreneur and Minister of Transport - John MitchellJohn Mitchell (rugby player)John Eric Paul Mitchell, is a noted former rugby union player and former coach for the New Zealand All Blacks. Mitchell's rugby career blossomed with the club side Fraser-Tech after he moved from King Country in 1984 and was soon elected Waikato Colts captain...
- former All BlacksAll BlacksThe New Zealand men's national rugby union team, known as the All Blacks, represent New Zealand in what is regarded as its national sport....
coach, currentWestern ForceWestern ForceWestern Force is a rugby union team based in Perth, Western Australia playing in the international Super Rugby competition. They first competed in the 2006 season and finished with the wooden spoon in that year, however their performances greatly improved in 2007. In 2008 they finished in 8th...
Super 14Super 14Super Rugby is the largest and pre-eminent professional Rugby union competition in the Southern Hemisphere...
team coach - Conrad SmithConrad SmithConrad Gerard Smith is a New Zealand rugby union footballer. He is a midfield back and plays outside centre . He had been in many Taranaki age group teams. He moved to Wellington where he completed an LLB at Victoria University of Wellington...
- All Black - Frank van HattumFrank van HattumFrancesco van Hattum is a former New Zealand football player who was a goalkeeper during the country's first World Cup finals tournament in 1982...
- New Zealand football (soccer) international - Deacon ManuDeacon ManuDeacon Tehanakore Manu is a New Zealand-born Fijian rugby union footballer. He plays as a prop for the Scarlets in the Celtic League, having signed from the Chiefs in 2006.-Career:...
- New Zealand Maori Rugby and Fijian International.