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John Crawford Memorial
 
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John Crawford Memorial Trophy for Leadership and Initiative in the Outdoors

Barbara Fitzsimons —

If you are in the foyer of the LPHS gym, look out for this newly crafted cabinet positioned just above the defibrillator.

It houses the The John Crawford Memorial trophy awarded each year to deserving Year 10 students for Leadership and Initiative in the Outdoors. John Crawford taught Chemistry, Science and Outdoor Education among other subjects, at Logan Park High School from 1978 until his death in October 2004, resulting from a fall while rock-climbing with Year 12 pupils at Mount Somers in mid-Canterbury. In 1988 he designed and implemented the Year 12 and 13 Outdoor Education courses and subsequently Outdoor Education courses for international students. In 2003, he was awarded a National Excellence in Teaching Award for his work in Outdoor Education.

Following his death, The John Crawford Memorial Fund for Outdoor Education was established as a practical way to support Year 12 and 13 students at Logan Park High School in their pursuit of challenging educational outdoor courses and activities.

The trophy was donated to Logan Park High School by the John Crawford Memorial Fund for Outdoor Education Charitable Trust in 2011 to recognise students who show leadership and initiative in the outdoors. It was created by a JCMFOE Trustee, Bill Randall, (another former teacher from LPHS) from Fiordland granite and Southland beech. It has been on display in the administration block foyer, but now it has been placed where it will be seen by more students, staff and visitors to the school, in a beautiful cabinet designed by Bill Randall and built by Andy Parsons.

Barbara Fitzsimons has been the school liaison trustee for the John Crawford Memorial Fund for Outdoor Education Charitable Trust since its beginning, and while remaining a trustee, she is delighted to welcome a new trustee, Catherine Craik, to the school liaison role from 2022 onwards. You will be familiar with seeing Catherine in the Food Technology room, and she is the daughter of Bill Randall. John Crawford's daughter, Ingrid Crawford, is also a recently elected Trustee, and it is great to see the next generation carrying on the work of the Trust. Over the last two years there has been less opportunity for Years 12 and 13 students to apply to the JCMFOE Trust for funding to help with Outward Bound and Spirit of New Zealand Outdoor education challenges, but the Trust will still be there to help in post-pandemic times.