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ST EDWARD’S
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President’s Report
Georgina Dennis
(D, 1986-1988)
It has been a busy year of OSE events and
planning since the last edition of
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and you will all have received the new OSE
and Martyrs Events card for 2016. Many
thanks go to all OSE who completed and
returned the survey which was sent out last
year. The information gathered is invaluable
in helping the OSE office to keep in touch
with you and in shaping future events. One
thing that came across in your feedback is a
desire to balance more traditional gatherings
with career based meet-ups to ensure
events appeal to all generations of OSE in
the future – the Committee and OSE office
is on to it!
The 2015 House Reunion for
Macnamara’s was particularly nice for me
as it is my old House. It took place on
a beautiful sunny day in September and
provided a great opportunity to meet old
friends and new and to tour the House
which has transformed beyond recognition
since my time there in the late 1980s. A
highlight for me was a tour of new parts of
the School with two current sixth formers
who seemed at the same time achingly
young and extremely mature! We were
lucky enough to have Theodor Abrahamsen
(D, 1933-1939) among us who presented
new members of the 1st XV with their shirts
before their debut match. House photos
from across the generations provided much
amusement during the delicious tea. It is
Apsley’s turn this coming September and in
2017 we plan a reunion of the girls’ Houses.
The Society has been able to support a
number of exciting projects this year. The
Cowell Gates onto the Woodstock Road
have been refurbished and rehung and only
await the cups and daggers for completion.
Instigated by Theodor Abrahamsen, who
knew Wilfred Cowell during his time at
school, the gates were cleaned and re-
painted with the support of Theodor, Hugh
Pelham (F, 1980-1985) and the Society, and
a new brass plaque now hangs beside them
to replace the worn stone one originally
carved to celebrate the opening of the
gates by the Princess Royal in 1939. It was
particularly fitting that Theodor was able to
come from Norway to cut the ribbon on the
gates during the Mac’s House Reunion.
The Society has also supported a
‘Readers make Leaders’ event in Oxford
by donating T-shirts to all the participants.
Students from a number of Oxford schools,
including St Edward’s, came together to
encourage reading in primary schools in
deprived parts of Oxford. The event was
such a success that an even larger one is
planned for this year. In addition, we have
donated two new outdoor clocks which
are situated down by the Astro pitches. No
more excuses for being late back to school!
We are also delighted that we will be able
to sponsor the Ensemble Room in the new
Music School opening in the next academic
year. We are in the process of planning
an OSE music event and hope that
OSE musicians and singers will reunite to
play in an informal concert to celebrate
the opening of this exciting new building.
If you would be interested in finding out
more, or in taking part, please contact the
OSE Office.
Last year when writing my piece for
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I could not believe that a year had
gone past since I became President. The
second year has gone even faster and now
I am about to hand over to Mike Palau (B,
1959-1964). It was a huge honour to be
asked to be the first female president of
the St Edward’s School Society and it is a
role that, although entered into with some
trepidation, I have thoroughly enjoyed. This
is because of two things; firstly, because
of you, the OSE, who are always fun and
interesting to meet and, secondly, because
the School is so welcoming to us all and
supportive of our events. I have been
truly overwhelmed by the support for the
first woman to head the Society and I am
enormously grateful for that. I wish Mike
well and hope he enjoys his time at the helm
of the Society as much as I have done.
Georgina Dennis
S O C I E T Y
Refurbished Cowell Gates