PDF Newsletters – February 2011
Monday, January 31st, 2011Headmasters Letter – February 2011
Archive for January, 2011
AGM Notice – February 2011
Monday, January 31st, 2011ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING.
The Annual General Meeting of the Association will be held at 7.30 pm. prompt on Monday 21st February 2011 at the Bath Cricket Club, North Parade, by kind permission of the Cricket Club. Your attention is drawn to Rule 15, under which any member wishing to move a resolution or nominate an Officer at the Annual General Meeting must give notice of their intention in writing to the Honorary Secretary, not less than seven days before the meeting.
P D Powell Honorary Secretary
AGENDA
1 Apologies
2 Minutes of 2010 AGM
3 Matters arising
4 Hon. Secretary’s Report
5 Hon. Treasurer’s Report
6 Election of Officers:
a. President—Nomination: R J Wood Esq.,
b. Vice Presidents
c. Hon. Secretary
d. Hon. Treasurer
e. Hon. Social Secretary
f. Hon. Correspondent
g. Hon. Auditors
h. Trustees
i. Executive Committee
7. Any other business.
Hon. Secretary’s Report
In October 2010 we saw the publication of ‘Basement to Beechen Cliff’, a task undertaken by a small team of Old Sulians’ which has proved to be not only popular but profitable. The profits have now been donated to the School for the purchase of books for the library.
We shall try to arrange new events but to do so we need input from members. You will note from the newsletter that we are going to have lunch at various venues (with wives).
Any Old Sulian is welcome to attend Committee Meetings at the Bath Cricket Club on the 2nd Tuesday of each month.
Looking back to past minutes, in December 1955 the minutes show that the Headmaster, L H Scott, suggested that the Association should consider awarding prizes. We agreed to present 2 prizes at a cost of One Guinea each to boys in Form 2 and 4 who showed the most progress in the year, evidenced by exam results.
Graham Mower was President followed by T A W Palmer, with a strong Committee containing amongst others, Freddie Burt, Bill Oatley, John New, Bill Wood, Tom Archard, Ken Ruddick and John Ruddick, Brian Dawes, Jim Sagar and ‘Spud’ Gardner. It is interesting to note that whist drives were held jointly with the Parents Association.
The Headmaster was a regular attendee at Committee Meetings. The Annual Dinner held in December 1955 showed a profit of £12-19-8p. The first Old Boy elected as Mayor of Bath was S A Smith. And finally a Motor Rally was held attended by 73 competitors at 10/6p a head, which included dinner, organised by Maurice Robinson and Fred Burt. It made a loss of 1/8d.!
P D Powell Hon Secretary.
Hon. Treasurer’s Report
I can report another successful year for the Association helped largely by the sales of The Book and a good crowd for the Annual Dinner. The Auditor has passed the books and produced the Balance Sheet in a revised format which will be available at the AGM as usual. We would have shown a profit of about £150 on the year but for 2 items. We donated the sum of £1000 to the Headmaster for books for the Library, and we wrote off the £1000 loan to The School towards the organ fund that was made many years ago. John New and the then Treasurer Bill Wood, arranged it as a loan because of the uncertain future of the school under the political masters of the time. Plus ca change! But Beechen Cliff is in a much more stable position today and your Committee decided that the continued state of the loan as an Association asset was anachronistic. I am grateful to our Hon Auditor John Foster for his continued advice and support.
There are still a few copies of Basement to Beechen Cliff available and we also have a good stock of ties. £10 each, with postage an extra £2.50 for the book
R J Wood Hon Treasurer
Newsletter – February 2011
Monday, January 31st, 2011H John New 1915—2010
Since 1925 when it was formed, the Association has been blessed with many distinguished and long serving Sulians. None more so than John New who sadly passed away on 23rd December 2010 at the grand age of 95. He had not been in good health for a while but his recall of the ‘old’ days was still quite sharp. He came from a large family with 5 sisters and a brother. He left School in 1933 having been present at the laying of the foundation stone for the ‘new’ school at Beechen Cliff. He served his time with the Army mostly in Africa. Active in both the Association, serving as President in 1951 and also as Secretary and Treasurer and Trustee, and in the Rugby Club, where he was one of the group instrumental in the acquisition of the ground at Lansdown. He served as 1st XV Captain in 1937 as well as Secretary, Treasurer and ultimately Life President. As a Legal Clerk with Stone, King and Wardle he knew ‘everyone’ in Bath and he was involved with almost every organisation in Saltford. Many will recall him sailing majestically between Bath and Saltford on his Honda moped. ‘Stately as a Galleon’ are the words that spring to mind! Always calm and considered, John was a true Gentleman in a time conspicuously short of that rare breed. We send our sincere condolences to Peter and the other members of his family.
News
Informal Lunch
It has been decided to trial a series of informal lunch meets for members and their wives, starting at The Stag, Hinton Charterhouse at Midday on Wednesday, 11th of May. Dates will be added for June and July and listed in the May newsletter.
Make your own arrangements, pay your own bills but take the opportunity to meet up with friends and give yourselves a well deserved treat!
School Events
The President did the honours for the Association at Presentation Evening at the Assembly Rooms where former International Referee Tony Spreadbury was the main guest. Along with the Rose Bowl and cups we give commemorative medals and book tokens. And at the Annual Carol Service Mike Hucker read ‘The Word’ on behalf of The Association for the first time following negotiations with School by Alan Blake. A good collection of Sulian Ties were present at The Abbey for a wonderful evening.
Reunions
I understand that Mike Hucker is also co-ordinating another ‘49ers meet this summer. Strictly for those that did School Cert in 1949, if you are not already on Mike or Alan Blake’s list, get in touch.
Also I have had a number of requests to arrange another visit to School at the end of the summer term from some who were unable to go last year. I have not approached the Head yet but let me know if you are interested and I’ll see what can be done.
Old Sulians’ Rugby Club
The 1st XV are currently about mid-table in Somerset 1 and doing better than last year with coaching help from Bath RFC and the University. A very successful Old Players lunch was held in November but the weather in December and early January did rather hamper efforts on the normally sunny lush green grass sward of Lansdown. I can also report that Billy Hallett is improving steadily and Tony Slee is still finding the going a bit tough.
Golf
Association v NHSOB. This year is away on Thursday 9th June – Mick Moore will be handling the selection and you will receive The Call if needed.
Association Golf Day As usual at Bath Golf Club, Sham Castle on Friday 17th June . This year it is afternoon only. Meet at 12.30, dinner at 7pm (ish)
Contact Mike Wood at: mike@systemagic.co.uk or 01225 742184
Open to all Sulian golfers, please endeavour to give your support to keep this event alive. Numbers have been falling off of late, Now is the time to put it in the diary, book your leave or arrange to send flowers to the ‘boss’!
Annual Dinner
Put the date in your diary now, Saturday 15th October 2011 at the Bath Cricket Club.
Membership Lists
I get occasional requests for lists of members from those trying to reclaim their white fivers! If you would like to peruse the current list it is available free by e-mail in .pdf format from: committee@oldsulians.org.uk or in exchange for 2 stamps by post from the Hon. Correspondent listed below. If you do not wish to have your details disclosed let me know and you will be redacted! If MI5 can do it……
And we also welcome to membership A R Mills (1960)
Obits
Sadly I also report the passing of Alan Garrett (1939), Brian Hamilton (1948)and Charlie Ruff.
And Finally in the last newsletter was a chitty for the dinner containing my e-mail address. When I copied the chit onto our web page I forgot to change the usual @ sign for ‘at’, which helps to stop spammers getting hold of your address. Within 2 days I was getting 50—100 extra e-mails each day offering me all sorts of pills, devices and services that I didn’t learn about at School! And offers from Ukranian ladies that Mother warned me about! And a lot of people want to give me money! If I’m not here next time you’ll know why!
Hon. Secretary: Peter Powell
11 Kennet Park, Bathampton, Bath BA2 6SS 01225 466608
Hon. Treasurer: Richard Wood
63 Caledonian Road, East Twerton, Bath, BA2 3RD 01225 422210
Hon. Correspondent: Roger Wood.
101 Hansford Square, Combe Down, Bath, BA2 5LL 01225 832207
Headmasters Letter – February 2011
Monday, January 31st, 2011Dear Old Sulian,
A definite transformation is taking place in one or two ‘spots’ on the old site. The 1st XVs 1930’s – 1960’s rugby pitch will soon have a shining new Music Centre residing on the halfway line and ready for occupation in August. In addition we will also greet the summer with a new artificial playing surface on the site of the redgra. In some ways this is a shame as I was enjoying the variety of mosses and other flora and fauna which have developed on the site ….
The recent ‘league tables’ demonstrated again how well the school is doing in academic terms. Nationally around 9% of boys achieved the ‘baccalaureate’ which the Minister of Education has created. At Beechen Cliff the figure stands at 31% – not bad for a target we didn’t even know was expected of us! At both GCSE and A Level our pupils demonstrated their many talents again – scoring at, or near the top, of each of the key rankings for the county.
Sporting success has come ‘thick and fast’ over the last week. County wins in the rugby for our Under 13, Under 14 and Under 16 boyswere much welcomed, although a final defeat of our Under 15s to a strong St Gregory’s team was a disappointment. Hockey victories for our Under 13 against Millfield (4-0) and Monkton (2-1) have also been much appreciated. The trophy shelves in my study have been groaning under the weight of new additions – this week supplemented by trophies for indoor athletics (the Under 12 winners) and runners up in the Under 13 category at the County Indoor Championships.
The football season is now underway and I hope to bring you news of success in this area in the next newsletter, the rugby season having ended on something of a ‘damp squib’ with the cancellation of so many December games in the wake of snow and ice covering pitches so frequently.
Shakespeare House took the honours for the Autumn Term and it was the ‘blue flag’ which flew over the school for a fourth time out of five terms of competition. It is becoming quite a formidable House!
More success has been achieved in other fields of interest recently. The Craft Guild’s Young National Chef of the Year (at 23), Mark Stinchcombe, is an old boy of the school. He received an award from Heston Blumenthal recently and also came into school to open our newly refurbished food room. The Times also announced its photograph of the Year last week and we feature again! David Bebber, old boy (1998) was given the award for the quality of his work. When at Beechen Cliff he undertook a great deal of the photographic work for the school.
I hope to bring you news of other exciting developments and achievements in the next Old Sulians’ newsletter although I should extend an open invitation regarding the school play “Around the World in Eighty Days”, due to take place in March, along with the Spring Concert in the same month.
May I wish all Old Sulians’ well and thank you for your ongoing support of the school.
Yours sincerely,
Andrew Davies
Headmaster
D Charles Ruff
Monday, January 17th, 2011Charlie Ruff sadly passed away last week. Well known to the Rugby players and golfers of the Association, the funeral will be in Chandlers Ford on Friday 28th January. A number of members are travelling down from Bath, if you want to join them I can put you in touch. Contact : committee@oldsulians.org.uk
Roger W.
John New
Sunday, January 9th, 2011Sadly I have to inform you that John New died on the 23rd
December. He was 95. I think John was the oldest Sulian and probably
known by all in the Association and the Rugby Club.
The funeral will take place at St Mary’s Church, Saltford, at 12 noon on Thursday 13th January. And afterwards at Haycombe.
For those with Satnav the details are as follows:
St Mary’s Church,
Queen Square
Saltford,
Bristol,
Avon
BS31 3EL
01225 872 275
Family flowers only, donations to Mencap, c/o L J Guyan, 12 Charlton Road, Keynsham, Bristol. BS31 2JA
Roger W.