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President’s Report
Michael Palau
(B, 1959-1964)
My year as President starts at The Society
AGM/ Annual Dinner on the 19th March
2016. Georgie Dennis bows out by
conducting the AGM and then speaking
eloquently at the Dinner. In the previous ten
days prior to that I had also attended the
sporting arm of The Society, The Martyrs
AGM, where the President Phil Blanchard
musters the various Reps’ reports which
cover cricket, rugby, hockey, soccer, golf,
rowing (now fast growing thanks to our
Hon. Sec.) together with newer activities
such as clay pigeon shooting, real tennis and
even the revival of the Martyrs St Moritz
Toboggan Club. There is news of support
for a netball tour in Barbados and a boys
hockey tour in Philadelphia. Having The
Martyrs in such good form is a testament
to the hard work being carried out by the
various Reps, the President and the Vice
President and it is much appreciated.
The Society itself is striding forward after
being put on a firmer footing with a steadily
increasing income and thus with more choice
with regard to projects to enhance the
School. The prime improvement now open
is the exceptional new Music School. The
Society is privileged to be able to sponsor
the main Ensemble Room. Up until this
opportunity we had a number of projects,
some one-offs like the refurbishment of the
Cowell Gates, a clock by the Astroturf and
a re-ordering of remembrance plaques in
the Chapel and others which may become
annual committments owing to their success
such as providing the T-shirts for the
‘Readers Make Leaders’ day (a ‘readathon’
which involves a number of local schools).
Other matters that have attracted generous
support and activity are the digitisation of
the sports shields (thanks to Nigel Phelps)
and our new coat of arms (thanks to
David Lewis). More recently we have gone
ahead with a different type of project : the
underwriting of expenses for a conference
to be held in The North Wall (celebrating
its first 10 years) with the title: “Girls Write
the Future”. As it is 35 years since the first
girl attended Teddies and 20 years since
we became fully co-ed it is timely and
indeed there is a Girls’ Reunion on the 17th
September together with an exhibition of
the work of female OSE artists.
The usual reunion dinners and lunches
were held across the country and I managed
to attend in Cardiff, the Midlands and the
North West, not forgetting ‘Rhubarb on
the Rocks’ in Sydney. The energy of our
current Warden and Hon. Sec. is evident
in their levels of attendance. We also see
John Wiggins’s university visits as vital in the
thread of support for young OSE and the
continuity of the link helps provide a good
number of returners for the 5-year leavers
events which are also run by the OSE team
with support from the School. This year it
will be the 2012 leavers who return to talk
with the Sixth Form. The aim is to extend this
collaboration by way of OSE gatherings which
are more focused in a vocational/disciplinary
way. Last year’s innovation was a Military
Dinner in March and this year a professional
gathering is being planned for Property
Professionals (Simon Talbot-Williams and
Lucy Yorke-Long are your contacts for this
one). There will be others as the consensus
is that similar occupations are a good starting
point for providing a real discussion of current
experience and practice.
There are a number of other
anniversaries to mention: last year The
Martyrs happily celebrated 80 years and
the 50 + year leavers came back in good
numbers in June for a Special Gaudy. This
year it is the 90th birthday of the Boat
House and The Society itself celebrates 125
years. Floreas et floreamus, Eduardienses!
It only remains for me to thank the
OSE team, John Wiggins, Rebecca Ting,
Emma Grounds and Laura Hill, for their
redoubtable efforts over the last year and to
extend a warm welcome to Charles Cooper,
Vice-President.
Michael Palau
S O C I E T Y
The Society was pleased to provide T-shirts for the 2016 ‘Readers Make Leaders’ event.