Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

Re. the time to replace, this is always going to be dependent on the communication mechanisms available.
In order to be fair to all possible applicants, we have to wait until at least one global posting (i.e. Housey, or The Old Blue) in order to ensure that non-IT-enabled people have a chance to apply.
So we have to wait for that mailing, and then also allow a reasonable time for responses to be sent and received.

J

jtaylor wrote:Re. the time to replace, this is always going to be dependent on the communication mechanisms available.
In order to be fair to all possible applicants, we have to wait until at least one global posting (i.e. Housey, or The Old Blue) in order to ensure that non-IT-enabled people have a chance to apply.
So we have to wait for that mailing, and then also allow a reasonable time for responses to be sent and received.

J

When is the next Old Blue due to be published?

All the best to Zoe Mitchell if she still looks in here.

Mid A 15 wrote:

jtaylor wrote:Re. the time to replace, this is always going to be dependent on the communication mechanisms available.
In order to be fair to all possible applicants, we have to wait until at least one global posting (i.e. Housey, or The Old Blue) in order to ensure that non-IT-enabled people have a chance to apply.
So we have to wait for that mailing, and then also allow a reasonable time for responses to be sent and received.

J

When is the next Old Blue due to be published?

All the best to Zoe Mitchell if she still looks in here.

The next Old Blue is at the stage where the office looks at the proofs as sent by the person who sets it into a format usable by the printers. (Quark for those who understand these things). Given that the office is now short staffed and about to enter the holiday period, there will undoubtedly be a small delay.

SMALL delay?
I gather that Wendy (and who could criticise her...) is now off on leave for two weeks or more - and that in her absence there is no-one dealing with Old Blue affairs. Good luck to Wendy.. she most certainly deseves a break. But who is running the Association in the meantime? And even when Wendy (with or without someone else) is in the office, surely she has more pressing things to attend to than proof reading the Old Blue?
As I have often said, and in other forums, I Despair.....!
Where will this end?

kerrensimmonds wrote:SMALL delay?
I gather that Wendy (and who could criticise her...) is now off on leave for two weeks or more - and that in her absence there is no-one dealing with Old Blue affairs. Good luck to Wendy.. she most certainly deseves a break. But who is running the Association in the meantime? And even when Wendy (with or without someone else) is in the office, surely she has more pressing things to attend to than proof reading the Old Blue?
As I have often said, and in other forums, I Despair.....!
Where will this end?

Looking at the "structure of the CHA " I see a certain amount of duplication in that Richard Ruck has the same duties as Kerren had (ie events) so at least in theory that should be covered until a successor is appointed.

I see also that in The Blue for December 2006 there should have been a (further) call for self-nomination to the CHA Advisory Committee. Accepting that Kerren would also have had some feeling for the old CHCOGA, were there no such self-nominees who could be invited to help out even if only for a limited period and would still be willing? Alternatively if Steve Webb was a co-opted member/chairman for so long cannot the Advisory Committee co-opt a replacement - perhaps from our own ranks?

With Zoe gone to pastures sure to be greener and Wendy away (I hope it is not sick leave) isn't Sam Rider around to run the office (or has he gone also?)? Given his responsibilities I would have thought that he would have a keen interest in ensuring that anything being circulated to OBs including the Old Blue is word perfect.

sejintenej wrote:"Wth Zoe gone to pastures sure to be greener and Wendy away (I hope it is not sick leave) isn't Sam Rider around to run the office (or has he gone also?)? Given his responsibilities I would have thought that he would have a keen interest in ensuring that anything being circulated to OBs including the Old Blue is word perfect."

Sentinej may wish to rephrase that in view of the fact that "Sam" is short for "Samantha" rather than for "Samuel"!!! Be that as it may, it doesn't make too much difference as she goes on leave on Friday as well. thus leaving the CHA totally barren of staff for at least two weeks.

Foureyes wrote:

sejintenej wrote:"Wth Zoe gone to pastures sure to be greener and Wendy away (I hope it is not sick leave) isn't Sam Rider around to run the office (or has he gone also?)? Given his responsibilities I would have thought that he would have a keen interest in ensuring that anything being circulated to OBs including the Old Blue is word perfect."

Sentinej may wish to rephrase that in view of the fact that "Sam" is short for "Samantha" rather than for "Samuel"!!! Be that as it may, it doesn't make too much difference as she goes on leave on Friday as well. thus leaving the CHA totally barren of staff for at least two weeks.

Apologies to Samantha Rider - never having met nor, prior to recent researches, having even heard the name I suppose it was chauvanism to use "he" rather than a 30 word clause encompassing all possible forms.

I have to assume that the remaining two being away at the same time was arranged prior to Zoe's resignation though I would have thought they would have allowed for possible sickness by ensuring that two people would be present at all times. The repeated reference to "at least" two weeks makes one wonder if this actually routine summer holidays.

(I won't assume that Ms Rider followed normal business practice for senior staff and took the work to do at home during the past week or so).

Please excuse me if I'm being incredibly thick, but does this in fact mean that there is NO-ONE dealing with any C.H.A. issues now for an unknown period of time ?

This seems a rather haphazzard approach by the Association, if true.

J.R. wrote:Please excuse me if I'm being incredibly thick, but does this in fact mean that there is NO-ONE dealing with any C.H.A. issues now for an unknown period of time ?

This seems a rather haphazzard approach by the Association, if true.

No, John, I think you have got it wrong.

Wendy's return date seems a bit uncertain, yes, but Samantha is due back two weeks from next Monday. Therefore we can state with some certainty that there is NO-ONE in the office dealing with any C.H.A. issues for a while and possibly for the two weeks commencing Friday. However I have little doubt that the Advisory Committee will rally round, man the fort, fight the good fight to the last man or woman, leave no stone unturned, get DRW Memorial Service invites out to all the CH Hertford girls who who knew her but didn't receive them and try to ensure that the place does not collapse over their heads.

I'll get me armour

I have just had a bounceback message from Wendy's e mail, saying she will be in the office again on Wednesday 15 August.

kerrensimmonds wrote:I have just had a bounceback message from Wendy's e mail, saying she will be in the office again on Wednesday 15 August.

2 weeks today !

sejintenej wrote:However I have little doubt that the Advisory Committee will rally round, man the fort, fight the good fight to the last man or woman, leave no stone unturned, get DRW Memorial Service invites out to all the CH Hertford girls who who knew her but didn't receive them and try to ensure that the place does not collapse over their heads.

...and pigs may fly!

Foureyes wrote:

sejintenej wrote:However I have little doubt that the Advisory Committee will rally round, man the fort, fight the good fight to the last man or woman, leave no stone unturned, get DRW Memorial Service invites out to all the CH Hertford girls who who knew her but didn't receive them and try to ensure that the place does not collapse over their heads.

...and pigs may fly!

and I have just received an email from Zoe timed at 19.59:22 UK time today with the CHA August Newsletter - someone is working late on her address. Having done that The Blue should be debugged and with the printers within the next day or so - I hope

I see that Kerren got an automated reply from Wendy's email address - many companies insist on such steps being taken and it suggests that Wendy may really be on a holiday with a fixed return date. No doubt Kerren will hear from her on that date or we will hear about it ( yes, Kerren? OK so don't answer that one)

PS you should know that although (officially) I have nothing to do with the Memorial Service for Miss West, I have been sent the list of people to whom the snail mail invitation was issued, and I have been given a supply of the printed invitations. Although it was suggested that 'everyone else' should be able to access the invitation via the CHA website, I did identify some 'gaps' and have both opened up a 'general' invitation on a differernt thread on this Forum, and have sent snail mail printed invitations to several others who I thought would want to know about it, if they have the opportunity to be there - even if I suspected that they would not be accessing either this Forum or the CHA website. So if there is a problem now with the CHA office being 'unmanned' for a while, there should be no difficulty over the right people being invited to the Memorial Service. However, if people who have received the invitation have queries, their phone or e mail messages will go unanswered until at least 15 August.
And this is just one of the ongoing projects with which the CHA office would be involved.....

Well I am glad that you received your CHA August Newsletter anyway, even eventually. I haven't.... and I have not had it since June (I used to get one to my work e mail, and one to my home). Having heard about others receiving it, I queried the lack of the Newsletter for me in July and was assured that it had been sent (it was suggested that it had gone into my spam folders, though I knew that this was unlikely as I check them several times daily). However I have had a number of e mails from 'mates' today and looks as if, although the August Newslettere is now published, I've been left out again. It feels as if, on my resignation from the Board, my access to anything/everything was 'cut off'.. It was about my lack of even one (let alone two) of the August Newsletter that I e mailed Wendy today (knowing she was not there), and got the bounceback message about 15 August.
Kerren