1964 Concordia Vol VI No 10 September
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WWTTP!• ?5"CffW!tZ""F"SC'M'Wf!MW1'i?M "Concordia" The Official Organ of The Old Xaverians' Association VOL. VI SEPTEMBER, 1964 No. 10 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Notice .is· hereby given that the ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING of the members of the Association will be held in the College Hall in Sunday, October 25th, at 3 p.m. All members arc kindly requested to make every effort to attend. A. N. Amura, Hon. Gen. Secretary. ASSOCIATION CALENDAR Date Event Venue Ti1iie Sun. 25th Oct. A.G.M. College Hall 3 p.m. Sat. 7th Nov. Autumn Dance Park Tavern 7.30 p.m .. Sun. 8th Nov. Annual Mass College Chapel 11 a.m. Sat. 26th Dec.· Football Match, Norbury 11 a.m. Cricketers v. Footballers 1965 Sat. 13th· Feb. Annual Dinner.& Dance Mostyn Hotel · 6.45 for 7.15 p.m. Sat. Feb. Football v. College Norbury 3 p.m. Sun. 14th M;ar< Lenten Retreat . Netherhall House Sat. lOth July Cricket v. College Norbury 2.30 p.rri. COMMITTEE OF THE ASSOCIATION 1963/64 Chairman: J. T. B. Crouch Vice-Chairman: P. J. Griffin . Secretary: A. N. Amura · Treasurer: . A. J. Morrish Immediate Past Chairman: R. E. -Lewis· Editor, Conc9rdia :. B. F. Schwenk Secretary: P. S. Leeder _Elected N!e1iz_bers: D. R. Quin; E. Hayter; D. Romain'e 1 Section Secretaries: Football : D. H. Rowe Cricket : C. E. Luke Tennis: P. J. R. Breslin Squash : M. J. Hayland Table Tennis: B. F. H. Sanders Club House: M. B. Ward Co-opted Member: Rev. Bro. Christopher C.F.X. CHAIRMAN'S REPORT Perhaps the most important event in a busy year, particularly to that generation of ·Old .Boys now approaching what is euphe- mistically described as middle age, was the informal opening of \ the at Norbury on Boxing mornil).g. The structure has been complete for some time; final touches were put to the heating and lighting, and due to the good offices of Freddy Bald- win, the legal formalities were completed in time for the annual football match between the Cricketers and Footballers, to be followed by the imbibing of some legally saleable liquor. No · speeches, no ceremonies, but perhaps it was fitting that the first · pint of draught beer drawn in the Clubhouse should be handed to, and consumed by, Brother Dunstan. This must indeed, have been a proud moment for Maurice Ward, since, although he. would be the first to admit the help which he has received, the guiding hand and the perseverance over many years of frus- tration has been his. More recently, a plaque has been placed on the wall of the Clubhouse commemorating its building, and recording the fact it was erected as a memorial to all Old Xaverians who gave their life during the two World wars. This splendid example of craftsmanship is entirely the work of Tony Brinn. Borrowing an excellent idea from "another place," \ve have started, with the approval of the Annual General last year, a system of Associate Membership. Briefly it works thus: the parents of all first year boys are invited to become Associate Members of the Association. They may exercise this privilege for the normal five years that their son is at the College, and they are invited to pay a subs·cription during their son's tenure of a place at Clapham. At the conclusion of the boy's education, he automatically becomes a member of the Association for five years without any further payment on his part. The results so far are heartening-twenty-five parents of boys in last year's first year, took part in the scheme. That the sc;heme has got off the .ground at all, is due, almost exclusively to the hard work which has been put in by Brother Christopher, who, as was briefly mentioned in Concordia last year, consented be co-opted on to the Commit- tee of the Association specifically to assist us in implementing this scheme. A measure of his assistance is indicated by the fact that in the spring of this year, he organised a day's outing 2 J ··pmm1nw Z? YF?P primarily for sons of Associate Members, and managed to fill a coach for a walk around the Sussex Downs. It was to the confusion of three members of the Committee, who accompanied him for prestige purposes, that his walk seemed to include very few of those havens of rest and refreshment so beloved of Old Xaverians. In the autumn of last year, I accepted an invitation from the Provincial, who is also Chairman of the Board, become a Governor of the College. It has been the feeling of the Com-· mittee for some time that a stage had been reached in our relationship with the. College when it might be useful to have a representative on the governing body. The Committee had also been aware of the sympathy with which Brother David, the Provincial; viewed our thoughts on matter. While there are already two other Old Boys on the governing body, none sits as an active member of the Old Xaverians' Association. Through this appointment I was happy to liaise between the Committee and the Governors in the mounting of a small local press cam- paign concerning the proposed new dining centre. A consider- able amount of interest has been engendered as a result of the work which we undertook, and my most recent information is that the likelihood of a dining centre actually being built, is closer than it has been for a long time. ' · The second annual careers evening was held in the College Hall this year, and thanks to the combined efforts of all who took part, but perl)aps particularly Brian Sanders, it was even more successful than its predecessor. This now looks like be- coming one of the most pleasurable duties which the Association · "' performs for the College. In the spring, I accepted the Headmaster's invitation to address the Vth and Vlth forms, and as a result, twenty seven boys applied for membership of the Association. The Committee feels well pleased with the combined recruitment from the top, through this annual visit to the senior boys, and the bottom, through the Associate membership scheme which I have already mentioned. · · Alas for the directory of Old Boys which has been now some two years in gestation. The sub-committee under Dennis Quin which has worked so hard on the project, is temporarily stymied by shortage of advertising support-a most necessary factor to be taken into consideration in the financing of the directory. It is now moderately certair. that the year 1964-1965 will ·see this long-cherished hope be'come reality. · · · As a result of certain happenings in the College last .the Committee, with the consent of_ the Headmaster and the approval of Brother ·Dunstan, drafted some simple rules for the 3 a\vard of the Dunstan Chemistry prize, and these will take effect next year. The customary cricket bat was presented by the Association to the College for award on Speech Day, and the Chairman was invited to propose a vote of thanks to Mgr. Tomlinson, guest of honour. Our attempts to entertain our Associate Members at Cricket· seem doomed to failure. Last year a minor mishap frustrated our efforts, and this year the weather took a serious hand and ·caused the postponement of the game by a month. However, all the arrangements were remade and a considerable number of parents, accompanied by their young sons, came to watch an exciting game, details of which are elsewhere iri the Magazine. The College has prospered this year under the Headmastership of Brother Ambrose, while Brother Peter has been on a working sabbatical around the U.S. Bro. Ambrose, I know, has been breathing sighs of relief at the prospect of · relinquishing his locum tenens, and ere you read these notes, Bro. Peter should, be back in the Headmaster's Office. The year at Clapham has been enlivened by the presence of an American Brother, Bro. Felan whom we were privileged to entertain' at our Annual Dinner and who, thereat, made a most amusing speech, which will remain for a long time in the memories of of us who were privileged to hear him. I cannot close this brief reference to the Brothers without remarking that in the summer, . Bro. Xavier finished his period of office as Superior at Clapham. He is to be succee_ded by Brother Peter, who will combine the of Headmaster and Superior. As many of you will know, Bro. Xavier has for some years now suffered a great· deal I of pain due to an arthritic hip, and some· severe digestive troubles. These troubles he has borne with great fortitude, and whenever one meets with him and speaks with him, one cannot help being enthused by his overwhelming interest in future of Clapham and the Brothers. ' None of the matters which I have mentioned in this report, save perhaps for the last paragraph, would have possible without the work of the and many· members who do not serve -on it. Although this article is ·titled a Chairman's Report, it is, in fact, an account of the stewardship of the Com- mittee of the Association. If anything has been achieved, and if any progress has been made, it is due entirely to the work which they, individually and collectively, have on your behalf. During the year, Steve Ward found it necessary for personal reasons and by virtue.of increased business commit- ments, to resign from the Treasurership, and the Committee was most grateful to Tony Morrish for taking over the accounts at very short notice.