The first quarterly newsletter of the Association is now available to download, in PDF format, with thanks to Simon Hird.
Q4 Newsletter
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Category Archives: Association
Annual Dinner 2011
The 2011 Old Bournemouthians Dinner will be held on Friday 16th September 2011 at the Queen’s Hotel Bournemouth. If you would like to attend, please complete this form (PDF).
January Meeting Minutes
The minutes from the Old Bournemouthian Association’s January meeting are now available here.
Minutes of the EGM: Association to survive
Here are the minutes of the EGM held on Thursday 25th November. Attendance was good and the objective of the meeting – gaining new, active members of the Committee – was largely met.
Simon would like to thank all those who attended on the night, and also those who expressed their concerns at the issues facing the Association. As you can see from the notes, the discussion was quite far ranging and touched on many points. Several themes stand out however:
- The objective of the OBA must be reviewed and confirmed;
- The relevance of the OBA to potential members must be increased and a less fusty image cultivated;
- Members must actually do something to keep it alive or it will die. Simon shall not make the efforts to keep it afloat in 12 months time that Simon has done this year.
Dates for the next Committee meeting were mentioned on the night; with Christmas coming up, the first date that would look appropriate would be January 12th 2011. At this meeting we can confirm the dates for the subsequent meetings and the AGM. Unless we hear otherwise, John Underwood and Simon Hird will confirm the venue for the 12th and send out an agenda beforehand.
EGM – 25th November 2010
Resolution: This Association needs a viable Committee – without that it cannot function and therefore becomes a dinner club or will be dissolved.
After the AGM held on 6th October, the Association was unable to elect a Committee. The Chairman and Treasurer put themselves forward for re-election and were duly elected, but the Secretary had asked to stand down and none present wished to put themselves forward the role. As such, we were unable to elect a viable committee and so elections to the other positions were abandoned and an EGM called.
Running the Association requires the dedication of a couple of hours of your time on 4 evenings a year for the committee meetings plus the AGM. The make-up of the committee has remained largely static for a considerable amount of time. As such, it has naturally become less productive and is desperately in need of new blood to inject new ideas and purpose into the whole organisation. Over the last few years, events sponsored by the association have become fewer and fewer, be it due to a lack of support or events such as the Charity Golf day reaching the natural end of their life.
The EGM is an appeal for younger members of the association (e.g. who have left the school since 1990-95) to get involved at any level to keep it going; the committee will not object to it being pointed out that they are all getting on a bit. Without feedback it’s members, potential members or soon to be ex-pupils, it ceases to be a viable concern and so itself will reach the end of its natural life. In a time when people seem keen to build networks, whether social or professional, this association is an excellent starting point from which to build. Local businesses looking to build their turnover or make new contacts, pupils looking for career advice, friends looking to trace each other are just some of the benefits that members can provide each other.
Please attend this event on 25th November at 7:30pm at the West Hants Tennis Club, Roslin Road South, Bournemouth, BH3 7EF otherwise the Old Bournemouthians’ Association WILL be wound up.
Dissolution of the Old Bournemouthians Association
On 6th October the AGM for the Old Bournemouthians’ Association was held. Unfortunately although the Committee was able to elect a Chairman and a Treasurer the position of Secretary remains vacant and so therefore we could not elect a committee to continue running the Association.
Despite frequent previous appeals to the general membership for new blood and new ideas, the most recent being at the Annual Dinner, those present were the ‘old faithfuls’ who have been attending these meetings for many years, but are now either no longer in a position to or willing to go on swimming against the tide in trying to keep the Association running.
It was decided to write to the membership in one last attempt to resolve the situation and call an EGM for 25th November at 7:30pm, provisionally to be held at the West Hants Tennis Club, where unless others are willing to take on responsibility for it’s running, the Association in its present form will be wound up. A decision will also be made on the night as to whether the 2011 dinner will be held.
Book now for the OBA 2010 dinner
The 2010 Old Bournemouthians Association Dinner will be held on Friday 17th September 2010 at the Queen’s Hotel. The event will be open to Members and their guests. To apply for spaces, please use this form.
2010 Pre-Dinner Golf Trophy
A year on – come and show us you can improve on that score from last year! To all you past players in this event, I look forward to our annual meet-up. You know the drill but here are a few reminders and a welcome to new OBA folks who I hope will join us on Friday 17th September at Highcliffe Castle Golf Club, near Christchurch.
This is an 18-hole Stableford competition with full handicap. No handicap certificate will be asked for and if you do not hold one then please do not be too generous! This event is open to all regular golfers as well as the occasional, casual player – so please let me have your entries (and cheques) soon.
The Highcliffe Course takes around 3 hours for a playing round (slow play will not happen this year, please!) Playing a shorter course than one of Championship length, should give us time for a chat and trophy/prizes presentation at the end. As a reminder and for our newcomers, please look at the Club web site, where you can see the course and golf club etiquette/rules regarding dress code. There are showers at the club, so you may want to bring a towel.
Start times will be around 8 minutes difference ( but could be speeded up) with first off at 11 am so please let me know your preferred time and I will do my best to allocate as close as possible.
Depending on numbers entering, then each match will be a 3 or 4 ball so if there were around 20/24 players then last off should be around noon. Please get to the course at least 30 minutes before your start time. Good catering at the Club and I recommend the all day breakfast.
Unfortunately Highcliffe Castle does not allow buggies except for anyone with a disabled certificate and brings their own buggy. Please let me know if this applies. However it is a flat course and usually takes about 3/3.5 hours to navigate so no problem with a trolley (pull or electric) or if you carry.
The green fee is £26 for which I need a cheque ( payable to Alan Carver) and then on arrival £2 or £3 (depending on entries) to be paid for the prize kitty which wll be split 50% to the winner and 25% each to runner up and the winner of ‘nearest the pin’.
To secure a place, please send your contacts details, handicap, preferred start time and a cheque for £26 (payable to Alan Carver) to Alan Carver at 1 Osprey Close. Mudeford, Christchurch, Dorset, BH23 4RX. If you have not had a confirmation of your start time by 12th September, please contact Alan by phone (01202 487011) or email.
Directions to Highcliffe Castle Golf Club Tel. 01425 – 272210- from Sainsbury’s end of Christchurch by pass take road towards Highcliffe -after a mile the course is on your right.
Old Bournemouthian Dinner Report, 2009
This event was without doubt one of the best dinners to date. The format remained consistent with 138 gathering at the Queens Hotel for an evening of convivial entertainment. There was much anticipation regarding the presence of our new OBA President and Headmaster of Bournemouth School – Dr Dorian Lewis.
Following grace said by Mr Bryant Sanders MBE, the audience tucked into Smooth chicken liver parfait followed by roast leg of English lamb and to fill the remaining corners profiteroles with chocolate sauce. There may have been some alcoholic accompaniment also in evidence!
Again about 40 non-members swelled our ranks and it would be great if all attending non-members became member. Staff members in attendance included Mr Lenton, Mr Sanders, Mr Stokoe, Mr Hawkins and Mr Spencer.
The school continues to be in fine fettle according to the real life version of events from the School Captain – Lewis Wedgewood. The highlight of the evening however was the inaugural speech given by Dr Lewis. It was agreed that as headmasters do not change every year that to mark the occasion Dr Lewis would be asked to introduce himself and set out his vision for the school.
He gave an entertaining and commanding talk setting out his values and belief in the Grammar School system. It was clear that the school was in good hands and the audience gave Dr Lewis the respect he deserved.
We were pleased to be joined once again by the Old Tauntonians who as ever enjoyed themselves in the spirit of the event.
The evening closed with the usual popular raffle and the committee would like to thank all those that contributed.
We look forward to this year’s event which will be held on September 17th – same time, same place.
Parent’s Association Annual Quiz
Phil Brightwell writes:
In November 2008, we entered a team in the Parents Association Annual Quiz, which was held at the School one Friday night. Our team comprised Neil Bichard, Malick Kudmany, David Bryant, Pat Stokes (I think), my wife Gwen and me – and, possibly, A.N. Other. (Sorry, my memory is not too good at this distance!) In the end, we won from about 12 other teams – by six or seven points, if my memory serves me right, and were rewarded with a bottle of wine each. To add insult to injury (for the other contestants), Dave Bryant won 1st Prize in the Raffle – a magnificent Marks & Spencers’ Christmas Hamper, no less. Before last year’s contest, The Association donated a trophy for this event. Unfortunately, because the 2009 Quiz date clashed with other commitments that Neil Bichard and Dave Sidwick were involved with, and Pat Stokes couldn’t get back from Yorkshire in time, we ended up with a team of just four people – Simon Hird, Bill Brocklesby, Gwen & me. Despite a valiant effort on our part, we lost by a mere one point to a team with about 12 players in it, with a very broad age span. Let’s hope we can win the trophy back, this year.
The Quiz usually happens on a Friday in mid-November – so, if you want to be on our team, keep your eye on the website in early October and let me know of your interest as early as possible. The entry fee is about £6 a head, and that includes a fish-and-chip supper. There is a bar, and soft drinks are available. I look forward to hearing from you budding ‘quizzers’ in due course.