THE•OLD •REDINGENSIAN• February•2006 A L e t t e r f rom Michael Mau l e President 2005 Chairman of the OR Council 2005/6 Change, Communications, Culture, Challenge, his authoritative assistance in accounting and company law Campaigns and Activities were the cornerstones of my matters. In all of this he has been a stalwart of the OR Association first President’s letter and there has been no reason to and his loss in Council will certainly be noticed. change the focus but I certainly did not fully appreciate the involvement required from all of our Executive Council A specific challenge at this time and requiring an immediate team to make ‘things’ happen - for which I give my thanks review is the subject of The Old Redingensian publication and and appreciation. particularly the impending retirement of John Oakes, our erudite and very committed Editor. After a decade of hard work as Editor When I accepted the role of President in late November 2004 in Chief John officially retired. We all thought that we had identified I had to face the fact that I had no Vice President identified for his replacement but that regretfully was not to be. So overnight, my year in office and succession planning over several of the like the proverbial phoenix, John returned to the role, very ably key executive roles was not in place, simply due to the fact that supported by Chris Widdows, so that the jewel in our OR crown the OR Association had either not been able to identify anyone could be protected for a further twelve months. John has now or had no bank of willing volunteers. I am delighted that Gareth indicated that he wishes to step down as soon as we identify (Buffy) Price was nominated at the AGM on 26th November and his replacement and l am sure that John would not want to have has accepted the position of President for 2006. Buffy will be as many curtain calls as Frank Sinatra so we have to work fast known to many ORs for his contribution to our Association over to identify his successor. Chris Widdows with all of his other several decades and is more than capable of developing all of OR responsibilities simply does not have the time to commit to our current OR initiatives. more than a support role. I fully appreciate that at times like this a potential candidate would like to know more before throwing his I am also very pleased to hat into the ring, so please contact either myself, John Oakes, confirm that as part of our Gareth Price or Chris Widdows for more details. succession planning this year’s Vice President is Lt. Col. Neale In general the editorial copy and style has been evolving, so Jouques OBE. He is aged in as to reflect the readership profile, which inevitably includes an his very early 40’s, rather than extremely wide age range from 18-95 years. In my belief, based like me born in the early 40’s on my own personal straw poll, each issue reflects not only our and will, at a stroke, provide culture and heritage but at the same time accurately reflects a significantly stronger link to today’s activities within Reading School and the OR Association the younger ORs. Neale is on and very interesting profiles on our membership. active service in Afghanistan at the time of writing. He is, With the recent senior appointments at the School I can confirm in my view, an individual with that very worthwhile links have already been established with the the skills and vision to expand interim Head Teacher, Mrs. Patricia Daniels, and Deputy Head, our appeal to the younger ORs Mr. Ashley Robson. They have both attended our OR Council Neale Jouques and thus secure our future. meetings and the Annual Dinner and are very eager to develop active links with the OR Association. Sadly three members of the Council executive retired from office at the last AGM, namely Social Secretary Brian Titchener and I am delighted to confirm that OR support to the School has Hon. Sec. Phil Smith and Rudolph Bissolotti. Brian requires no continued to grow this year with greater contribution to the introduction to any member of the OR Association due to his annual Enterprise Awards Scheme both financially and in terms long involvement with all of us and his personal contribution has of pupil numbers. We have also been involved in sponsorship and always will be highly valued. Within the last month Council for equipment and sports clothing for School Rugby and cricket Member Adrian Leach has volunteered for the role of Social teams and various fund raising activities. We have already Secretary and continuity is therefore guaranteed and I am sure pledged financial support for a Rugby tour in 2006 to South the OR Association will wish him well in this new role. America and a cricket tour to St. Kitts. We have staged the annual ‘Question Time’ at School when the sixth form students Phil Smith always made it clear that he could only offer Hon. Sec. put difficult questions to a panel of distinguished ORs. All of support for twelve months for which we are all grateful and I am this support is very worthwhile. It also increases the OR visibility pleased to confirm that our new Hon. Sec. is David Cox who has throughout the School with both the teaching staff and the pupils already begun to make a very active contribution. More details alike and should result in additional OR membership once the on David appear in this issue of the Old Redingensian but once pupils have left School. again we are in a safe pair of hands. Since my last President’s letter I have attended the extremely For a long time Rudolph had been Hon. Secretary of the Old popular West Sussex Reunion at the Boat House, Amberley, Redingensans Golf Association. He retired recently in favour near to Arundel, the annual Cricket Week and the Spring of Will and Rodney Lunn who have taken on the role jointly. Golf Meeting, all of which provided an opportunity for OR’s to Rudolph was latterly a full member of Council and we will miss participate and socialise. 1 In September we featured the second of our annual Rugby Festivals based on a 7’s tournament which was very ably controlled by Bob Lewis. I am delighted to confirm that both player and spectator attendance increased to over 100 ORs and the combination of dry but cold weather, a quality beer tent and the opportunity to picnic in front of the School resulted in a memorable day for everyone. In closing could I please emphasise the plea for volunteers? I realise that personal time is at a premium but if you value the OR Association even a few hours a month spreads the work load of the very hard working few and enables the Association to reflect your expectations and we therefore can guarantee the future and strengthen still the bulwarks of the nation. Question Time 14th December 2005 Back Row: Robin Edgar, Cedric /Scroggs, Gareth Price Floreat Redingensis Front Row: John Illman (Chairman), Mike Evans, John Oakes Michael Maule Notes and News Remembrance Sunday 13th November 2005 The President, Michael Maule, and Council members joined a congregation of 60 or more at the Annual Remembrance Sunday service in the School Chapel. The service was led by the Ven. Peter Coombs, the Honorary Chaplain to the ORs, and the sermon was delivered by the Rev. David Hemsley OR. The Head Teacher, Patricia Daniels, was present as was Mary Chaplin JP, representing the School Governors. Wing Commander Tom Walter, the CCF Contingent Commander and Wing Commander Remembrance Sunday 13th November 2005 Clive Cousins also attended and one of the wreaths was The Ven Peter Coombs (Honorary Chaplain), Mrs Patricia Daniels laid by a CCF cadet. (Head Teacher), Mr Michael Maule (President), The Rev David Hemsley The Annual Dinner 26th November 2005 Gareth Price presided and John Redwood MP was the principal speaker at the annual dinner which was held in Thames Valley University Catering Department. The Head Teacher, Patricia Daniels, who was accompanied by her husband, also spoke. The Captain of School, Will McCallum, gave a gracious speech to thank Gareth Price, the OR President 2006, for the gift to the School of £250. The predominance of ORs under 50 this year gave the event a great deal of zest and Rhodri Price delivered a speech, during which he revealed a number of hitherto secret escapades of his time as a boarder in South House. Fortunately he was sitting at his old House Master’s table. Perhaps he was, therefore, more discrete than he might well have been! The Annual Dinner 26th November 2005 This was Brian Titchener’s last Annual Dinner as Social Secretary. Jim Webb with Mrs Patricia Daniels (Head Teacher) He receives the grateful thanks of the President and the Council Michael Maule & Brian Titchener (Background) for his remarkable service to the Association. 2 Church News Greetings from the USA Two eminent OR churchmen The message from the USA Branch to the Annual Dinner have been engaged in work arrived too late to be read out by the President. It is always on the bible from differing, very much appreciated and so it is included here: but none the less important, perspectives; one being of To: a missionary, some might The President, President-Elect, Officers and Members say evangelical, nature and Old Redingensians Association the other liturgical.