BAND AND OLD BLUES DAY

[Richard Ruck]

all sounds a bit political.....

Probably is, probably shouldn't be.

[Mrs C.]

I think I`m right in saying that Howard H. posted a while ago, giving the reasons there couldn`t be an annual OB day and explaining how every weekend is accounted for.
Although I too think it would be great to have one every year, please spare a thought for the staff here who would , yet again, find their own time taken up, as many would feel obliged to contribute and participate in some way.

[Richard Ruck]

I think I`m right in saying that Howard H. posted a while ago, giving the reasons there couldn`t be an annual OB day and explaining how every weekend is accounted for.
Although I too think it would be great to have one every year, please spare a thought for the staff here who would , yet again, find their own time taken up, as many would feel obliged to contribute and participate in some way.

He did, and the school calendar does seem to be a bit crowded these days.

The CHA did announce that Old Blues Day would be held every two years.

I was just wondering, given that Old Blues Day would seem to have to make room for another event every second year, which event will be making way for Old Blues Day in the years in which it does take place?

[J.R.]

I'm be-mused. How can C.H.'s calendar suddenly become smaller ? There are alway 52 weeks to a year, and you can't tell me that The Orrifice has managed to fill EVERY day with some glowing event.

This smacks of, 'Stuff the O.B.'s. We've educated 'em, now lets forget 'em unless they want to make a donation !'

Sorry guys and gals, but thats just the way I see it.

Incidently, RR - Is that a long lasting tube of trombone slide cream ?? I've heard it called many things, but never that ! Don't the Yanks call it YK, or something similar ?

[Great Plum]

I think I`m right in saying that Howard H. posted a while ago, giving the reasons there couldn`t be an annual OB day and explaining how every weekend is accounted for.
Although I too think it would be great to have one every year, please spare a thought for the staff here who would , yet again, find their own time taken up, as many would feel obliged to contribute and participate in some way.

Maybe an OB's day could be staffed by OB volunteers - I wouldn't mind doing that?

Or why not combine it with Parents' Day?

[UserRemovedAccount]

Janet,
You say:

I think I`m right in saying that Howard H. posted a while ago, giving the reasons there couldn`t be an annual OB day and explaining how every weekend is accounted for. Although I too think it would be great to have one every year, please spare a thought for the staff here who would , yet again, find their own time taken up, as many would feel obliged to contribute and participate in some way.

That is very true, but on the other hand I would point that the by far the largest source of outside support, especially financial, comes from Old Blues. And, every time there is a financial crisis - about once every ten years in my experience! - the Foundation/School run to Old Blues, collecting-box in hand. Unfortunately, the School (and I mean this collectively rather than any specific individual) gives the impression that it cannot really be bothered with Old Blues and that we are all a rather tiresome group of old fogies, except, of course, for those few moments when we have our cheque books in hand!

Apart from being lukewarm about Old Blues days, the school (again collectively) is terrible at answering letters. I could quote you six cases immediately of people who have written to the school offering gifts or other assistance and have never received a reply in any shape or form. One person I know offered a very valuable set of personal papers of a very distinguished Old Blue and having received no reply to two letters, presented them to the British Library.

I am fully aware that some Old Blues can be a bit of a bother and I also know that the staff at the school have many other things to do. However, if the Foundation/School wants money and other support from Old Blues then they really have to treat them with a bit of consideration and make them feel a little bit more welcome. This is one of the reasons why there was a school rep on the CH Club Committee and now on the CHAAB - to try to liaise between the two groups and ensure that the school was/is as helpful as it could be, whilst also ensuring that Old Blues did not impinge too much on the school. Sadly, the school rep's chair is empty more often than not, even when the meetings are held on-site at C.H.

In fact, this is a role which you have somehow sliipped into through your active, very welcome and much respected contribution to the Forum, where you regularly put the school point-of-view to Old Blues.

Now, to all of this is added the present upheavals in the CHA, and it is scarcely surprising that Old Blue morale is low.

I am sorry to bang-on at such length, especially on what (down here in Newton Abbot (remember us?) is a beautfiul sunny Spring Monday!

[Richard Ruck]

Incidently, RR - Is that a long lasting tube of trombone slide cream ?? I've heard it called many things, but never that ! Don't the Yanks call it YK, or something similar ?

Oh dear, plumbing the depths again!!

[HowardH]

JR -steady on, please.
Petard - nearly a case of being hoisted, methinks. Please do not tar every individual who works for the school or the Foundation with the same brush. There are those of us who pride ourselves with making as swift a response as possible to all requests or inquiries. It is a pity when standards slip and I would suggest that someone needs to be accountable. One would like to think that in general terms our responses from the school would equate favourably with those from a bank or from any public company.

If there is a general impresssion that Old Blues feel unwanted, then I would respond with the statement that there could be nothing further from the truth. My post last year talked about the pressures on Saturdays in particular. This would appear to be the most popular day for visits and functions with Old Blues. It also happens to be the busiest for the school. Last term was 11 weeks long, but with half-term and two exeats the pupils were only present for 7 of them. Next term is 10 weeks long but with 2 exeats, a half-term Saturday, in addition to Speech Day and Retreat Saturdays again there are very few that are clear. The pattern of the Michaelmas Term is now such that with a two-week half-term three Saturdays are lost; two more go to Exeats; two Saturdays are taken up with 6th Form Admissions and one to a combination of Lord Mayor's Show and Initial Assessments.
I trust that this explains again how difficult it is to find suitable dates which satisfy all concerned.

Please contact me off list if you wish to discuss any issues further.

[englishangel]

I am not going to get political, but I would march and whistle, if only to show my son (a drill prizewinner while an Army Cadet) that there is life in the old girl yet - and that she knows her left from her right.

[DavebytheSea]

My post last year talked about the pressures on Saturdays in particular. This would appear to be the most popular day for visits and functions with Old Blues. It also happens to be the busiest for the school.

OK - how about a Sunday then? I know there is no dinner parade/band on a Sunday - perhaps the OBs could supply both if the kids were unwilling!

As I mentioned earlier, I think that the OB cricket match AND the McKelvey memorial are on a Sunday (18th June). I realise that now is probably far too late in the day for organising a proper shindig, but would the school allow a sort of unofficial OB day run (unofficially, of course) by volunteers from the Unofficial Ch forum? Of course there would have to be close liaison with the school to make sure that we did nothing to disturb a quiet Sunday at Housey, but we still have an excellent friend to OBs in Wendy, do we not?

[Richard Ruck]

If there is a general impresssion that Old Blues feel unwanted, then I would respond with the statement that there could be nothing further from the truth.

I'm sure that, if truth be told, this is the case.

However, there is feeling of uncertainty in the air at the moment (CHA situation, stories of belt-tightening, changes at the top etc.) which may give rise to such feelings.

If you add to this to this the fact that communications between some elements of the School / Foundation and Old Blues do not seem to be all that they might be at the moment (despite the initiatives of recent years, such as Who's Blue, Housey! and the CHA), it's understandable that a certain malaise or, more accurately, a sense of frustration persists.

As you will be only too aware yourself Old Blues can be a bit of a feisty bunch, and a lot of us do care very deeply for C.H. and all that it represents.

A little reassurance on the part of the School and / or Foundation would probably go a long way help, although I'm probably not in a position to suggest what form this should take or how it could be communicated.

I suppose that one could argue that discussions on a forum such as this can lead to unwarranted rumour-mongering and accentuate any strongly-held opinions, but I don't think that the thoughts which are circulated here are unique to the forum.

In any case, any news often breaks here, and for many of us this forum has become our first port of call when we want to know something.

This reflects the success of the 'unofficial' nature of the forum, but at the same time may highlight the difficulties experienced in the 'official' lines of communication which have already been mentioned.

[Richard Ruck]

Dave - just read your post.

I think the 'volunteer' thing was discussed a little on the thread last year, but I have to agree with you that it's certainly worth stressing. To make it work, Old Blues HAVE to be very involved on the day.

As Howard and Mrs. C. point out, staff and pupils have very full lives anyway, but if enough Old Blues can be persuaded to get off their rumps and pitch in a good precedent might be set for many successful Old Blues Days to come.

[Mrs C.]

I think the main problem is that OBs would want to do things like go into the boarding houses, classrooms, etc and see how things have changed since their time here. After all, if they are making the journey to come , are they just going to come and watch a cricket match?? And if they are being asked for money, then surely they ought to be able to see where that money will go. If these buildings were to be open , then a number of staff would need to be involved as a presence in the rooms. This happens quite effectively on Parents Days - and therefore, as suggested, if OB Day could be merged, it would "kill 2 birds with 1 stone" so to speak.
I do think that certain "events" during the day could be organised by OBs - not just for OBs , but to show current pupils that OBs are still involved, and want to be involved with the school.

[Mrs C.]

. Sadly, the school rep's chair is empty more often than not, even when the meetings are held on-site at C.H.

In fact, this is a role which you have somehow sliipped into through your active, very welcome and much respected contribution to the Forum, where you regularly put the school point-of-view to Old Blues.


I am sorry to bang-on at such length, especially on what (down here in Newton Abbot (remember us?) is a beautfiul sunny Spring Monday!

I hope you`re not trying to suggest something - the answer would be a most definite "NO"!!

(We had snow this morning! Back to winter. But the spring flowers are almost as pretty as in Devon banks!)

[Richard Ruck]

After all, if they are making the journey to come , are they just going to come and watch a cricket match??

No, they're not. It would probably be rained off anyway (and the rugby was cancelled last time out as well).

Plenty of suggestions can be found on last year's thread.

Perhaps Julian or Simon might want to copy this discussion over there.

Re. visiting boarding houses - I've never done this so don't know how long these things last. 30 mins? 40 mins?