EAC Magazine - Alleyn's School

From the PresidentC l u bIt is with mixed feelings that Iapproach the conclusion of myyear in office. The many and variedfunctions I have attended duringthe year, and the numbers offormer (and current) pupils andstaff with whom I have met, haveundoubtedly given me anenormous amount of pleasure. It istherefore saddening to realise that,following the Club’s Annual Dinner(on Saturday 20 November, only afew weeks away now), theseevents will no longer be so readilyavailable! However, in contrast tosuch melancholic emotions is themore positive thought – reinforcedby much I have seen at thesegatherings – that the friendly and inclusive spirit of the Alleyn’scommunity lives on and can be appreciated and enjoyed by allwho are willing to share it. The task, as always, particularly tothe younger and more recent leavers, is to spread the wordand encourage as many as possible to become more involvedand connected with events and activities at both the Club andthe School.The carousel of Club events has continued to transport me onits hectic journey, unabated over the past six months.From participating in dignified remembrances of the passing oflong-time former pupils to witnessing the exuberance ofyouthful recent leavers, now as professional musiciansfeaturing in performances by ‘Bowjangles’ and ‘The SwingleSingers’; from attending the wonderfully well-supported andappreciated Reunion of the Decades (former pupils meetingtogether again after 20, 30 & 40 years since leaving) towatching the Lower School production of Grimm Tales in theMichael Croft Theatre; from the pleasure, at thecharacteristically informal andconvivial meeting our GolfSociety’s 200th Meeting, ofbeing privileged to present asplendid Club blazer to Dr ColinDiggory to mark his retirementas Headmaster, to sharing inthe more formal presentation toColin of the excellent portraitof him in oils, at the farewellfunction for him hosted by theCommon Room in the splendourof Saddler’s Hall.Most recently, at the party tocelebrate the beginning of thenew academic year, I andseveral officers of the Clubwere present to meet the incomingHeadmaster, Dr Gary Savage, and to hear hisenthusiastic and optimistic hopes for the future of Alleyn’s.We are all aware of the fine legacy that he has been left –a fitting tribute to the exceptional commitment and vision ofColin – and there is every confidence for continued success tocome. We extend our warmest welcome to Gary, and to hiswife Natalie, together with our very best wishes to him for amost happy and successful time as Headmaster.n e w sIt was heartening to find an increased number of former pupilspresent at another notable occasion this year – yes, word isbeginning to get about! This was the Annual RegimentalDinner, held in June and which this year also celebrated the150th anniversary of the Cadet movement. A splendid meal,enjoyed by 120 members and guests, was followed by anabsorbing speech given by Lt Gen Sir Robert Fulton KBE,President of the CCF Association. This event served as a worthyfarewell to Col Keith Ellen who retired at the end of the Trinityterm having given four years of valuable service asCommanding Officer of the Alleyn’s School CCF; during thistime the scope of activities and participation in all servicesections has shown steady improvement, noticeably with theresurrected Corps of Drums and the NCO Cadre course.Founder’s Day was blessed with fine weather once more,resulting in a bumper turn-out of Club members – and theinevitable exhaustion of all alcoholic supplies at their favouredmeeting point in the Pimm’s Tent. Presidential duties, perhapsnot wholly unfortunately, prevented my prolonged engagementthere with those enjoying the nostalgic atmosphere andconversation with contemporaries! Many thanks to Susie andMartha from the Alumni Office, and their team of hardworkingvolunteers from the Executive Committee headed up by chairmanJohn Battle, who all worked tirelessly throughout the afternoon.Speech Day earlier that same morning had seen Sir GusO’Donnell KCB, Cabinet Secretary and Head of the Home CivilService, give a very amusing, and candid, address beforepresenting prizes to the many pupils who had achievedparticular success during the year. However, as Colin Diggoryhad expressed in his remarks beforehand, the whole School –including ALL pupils – could take pride in the unprecedentedsuccess achieved, across all aspects of its activities, and inparticular of the academic standards reached this summer atGCSE and A level. It came as no surprise that, at the end of thishis final Speech Day address, Colin was given anoverwhelmingly long, loud, and heartfelt round of applause byall who were present.Before closing I must mention the recent and most importantdevelopment within the Club’s 125-year long history. Our longservingand immediate past chairman, John Dunley, has reportedin several previous issues of this Magazine on the integrationprocess – a matter that may not have attracted the eagerattention of our readers! However, the successful outcome ofthis process is the sole reason we can all look forward to acontinuation of the Edward Alleyn Club, and of the facilities andservices that it has been able to provide. Acknowledgements dueto those involved have been given by John in his earlier articles,but his personal contribution to the process has goneunrecognised except by those directly concerned. I take thisopportunity of recording our sincere gratitude to John for hisimmense effort and expertise in achieving a very successfulconclusion of the process. There remains the matter offormalising the necessary changes to our constitution, to reflectthe new relationship between the Club and School, and it ishoped that proposals will soon be in place for approval by ourmembers in due course.So finally it is with grateful thanks to you all of for making myyear so memorable that I now prepare to bid a fond farewell tothe Presidency in November, when I hope to see many of youpresent at the Annual Dinner.Neil French (Cribb’s, 1954-61)2