In 1966, Kingswood College became an official foundation member of the Eastern Independent Schools Melbourne (EISM) – the largest sports association of any independent school grouping in Victoria.

First gathering together in 1964, the founding member schools were: Aquinas College (Ringwood), St Leos College (Box Hill), Whitefriars College (Donvale), Luther College (Croydon) and Kingswood College.

Initially the competition was for boys only and the only sport that was offered was Australian Rules Football. However it soon developed to include athletics, cross-country, swimming carnivals, cricket, tennis and debating.

George Wilson – a popular and enthusiastic teacher who was employed in the junior school in 1958 before becoming sports master – was instrumental in the founding of EISM.

He’d revitalised the house system during the last years of the Walker era and in 1965 introduced new house names: Gwyton, Brunning, New and Walker. By 1970 there were three football, soccer, baseball and tennis teams.

Sport was not compulsory and the status of success was not seen – at least by Norman – as essential to the school’s development.

‘Traditional education leaves too many kids out. It becomes a screening process when it should be an affirming thing,’ he once said.