Challenge
Updating a school history without repeating it
By the time Royal St. George’s College began planning for its 50th anniversary in 2014, they already had a published history. But it was a dated account that many reported they found formal, traditional, and not especially readable.
The school leadership didn’t just want to document another milestone or line the library shelves with another dusty tome. They wanted to breathe life into this historical moment.
Headmaster Stephen Beatty challenged his team and ours to explore a more essential question: What does it mean to be a Georgian?
The school’s leadership recognized the power of storytelling to:
- Celebrate their unique school spirit
- Showcase the values that shape Georgian boys
- Honour the past without sounding like a yearbook
- Share the “alchemy” that happens inside those walls
- Rally alumni, families, and students around their future
They weren’t starting from scratch. Just starting fresh.
(And they’re not alone. Schools often come to us with existing histories that feel stiff or incomplete. This project helped us build a playbook for reworking legacy material into something that actually works.)
Solution
School stories, not just school history
We knew we had to do more than update names and dates.
This wasn’t an ivory tower story. It was a boys’ school story. Messy, real, dynamic — and unapologetically full of character.
We worked closely with a committed book committee to surface memorable moments, untold anecdotes, and personal reflections. We structured the narrative around:
- The values and quirks that define a Georgian boy
- The traditions worth keeping and the ones they’ve outgrown
- The architectural and institutional evolution of the campus
- The ethos behind “Manners Maketh Men”
To keep things engaging, we drew inspiration from Ken Burns-style documentaries and previous Echo books like PNE’s 100 Years of Fun.
Then we layered in the voices of students, teachers, alumni, and parents throughout.
And the design? We kept it playful, mixing archival photos with graphic elements that nodded to the school’s branding over the decades. Georgian blue featured prominently, and each chapter felt more like a scrapbook than a school report.
Result
A book that felt like the school itself
The finished book, The Best Version: 50 Years a Georgian, launched at the school’s 50th anniversary gala in 2015.
It was a proud moment for the committee and a powerful piece for donors, alumni, and current families.
Proceeds from book sales supported the Manners Maketh Men Scholarship and Bursary Fund.
Since publication, the book has helped strengthen community ties and rekindled school pride. It’s also become a model for other institutions wrestling with how to reframe their history without rewriting it.
One more cool thing...
A headmaster’s secret weapon
RSGC had recently completed several branding projects. We used the book to celebrate the evolution of those visual identities, rather than freezing the school in its current logo set.
To complement the book, the school released a short film featuring Headmaster Stephen Beatty reflecting on the meaning of being a Georgian.
It’s warm, honest, and heartfelt — just like the book. Watch it below.
Want to celebrate your institution’s legacy with clarity and impact?
The Best Version: 50 Years a Georgian is one of several school anniversary books we’ve reimagined — each one rooted in truth, voice, and emotional clarity. If you’re sitting on a draft that isn’t quite singing, or you know there’s a better way to celebrate your community’s values and legacy, let’s talk.
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