The Governorship Of CH

This section was setup in August 2018 in order to move the existing related discussions from other sections into this new section to group them together, and separate from the other CH-related topics.

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
robert totterdell
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 139
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:58 pm
Real Name: Mr Robert G S Totterdell

The Governorship Of CH

Post by robert totterdell »

I wrote this way back in February of this year to two colleagues who attended with me at a meeting with the HM and Business Manager.

I have redacted all names but thought you might like to see this below.

Can anyone answer my question who elects or appoints the Governors? How are they chosen?

Here below what I wrote:-

Hi (redacted)

Many thanks for your emails.

I have diverted from HM letters to look at the law concerning Governance in schools.

It's a bit of a minefield and there are distinct differences between 'Public' & 'State' schools.

However, the guidance is broadly the same and ALL current governors of any school what-so-ever must comply with certain laws.

A change was made to require current Governors of a school of any nature to take legal responsibility for their predecessors. However, this only applies when the governing council remains the same under the law. Thus what many schools have done is set up a new company (this can be a charity or foundation or an LTD company) and close the original organisation. This simply under law means that the failures of the old organisation do not pass to the new organisation i.e they do not have to take on any responsibility for historical issues.

However, (again) CH is a Crown Foundation under two charters and whilst they have split the basis of the school into the original foundation whilst setting up a new 'School Charity' they have been unable to close the original Foundation Charity - this can only be done by the Crown and requires a 'Petition to the Crown' which they can bring but would almost certainly not succeed. An 'Old Blue' however, might succeed.

OK, so there are also certain rules and requirements of Governors of 'any school' which must be met.

Diversity in the Governorship is a key point as is a 'leader of the Governing Council and/or Trustees' - this person must be in the post (situ) at all times or replaced and if this can not be done an acting Leader of the Council of Governors and Trustees must be appointed. If no one comes forward to take on the post then the 'entire board must resign' and a new board appointed under the direction of the 'Head and departmental representatives within the school'.

The reason that I am sending you this is firstly I don't think 'diversity' requirements are being met ( I need to really look into this) and secondly I have a serious question with regards to (redacted) (I think he has gone).

I'll update you shortly on this but (redacted) it raises some questions as to your comment 'would anyone of us 'non-elite' want to be a governor. Well, perhaps not but were we asked? How do they select the Governors?

I'll come back to you on all of this as soon as I can - it will be integral to the meeting.

Cheers

Rob



The point about diversity is I believe critical as when writing this of the 15 Governors on the Council representing a 50/50 gender pupil split, only two were women. Of the balance, in background, one had a legal background, one had an interest in music but both that one and all of the others were finance based. No one representing the Performing Arts, Science, Sport, Health, the Environment and so on.

I have been assured that they are changing this - well we will see.
Foureyes
Grecian
Posts: 926
Joined: Mon Dec 25, 2006 11:26 am
Real Name: David
Location: England

Re: The Governorship Of CH

Post by Foureyes »

Rob,
I suggest that you need to do more research on the governance of C.H.
Following a recent reorganisation, there are two bodies. The Court of Governors (the Court) comprises: the President (Duke of Gloucester), Vice President (Lord Mayor of London), 36 nominated representatives of the City of London, up to ten Special Vote Governors and an unlimited number of Donation Governors. These Donation Governors are men and women who make a donation to the school (currently in the region of £20K i believe) and are then voted onto the Court (virtually automatic if they have paid up). This gives them the right to 'present' two children to the school. They also attend Court meetings. But the Court as a whole elects a maximum of four of its number to be members of The Council, thus ensuring a strong Old Blue presence on the Council. Apart from those four on the Council the members of the Court are not 'governors' in the sense you mean, as they have no executive power. Once a powerful body, the Court is now basically a talking shop, but which can advise the Council.

The Council is the governing body and has fifteen members. four of whom are nominated by the Court of Governors (see above). Four, for traditional reasons are nominated by the Corporation of London. The remaining seven are nominated by the Council. Note that while the four men/women elected by the Court will almost always be Old Blues, there is no reason why any of the seven nominated by the Council may not also be Old Blues.

The leader of the Council is the Chairman, usually known by the traditional title of Treasurer, currently a man named Perricone, but shortly to be replaced by an Old Blue. The Treasurer is appointed by the Council. As a matter of interest the Head Master and Clerk attend Council meetings and obviously speak there, but they are not actually members and do not have a vote.

These are all matters of fact and not my opinion, but you should ask the Clerk to confirm them.

David :shock:
sejintenej
Button Grecian
Posts: 4092
Joined: Tue Feb 08, 2005 12:19 pm
Real Name: David Brown ColA '52-'61
Location: Essex

Re: The Governorship Of CH

Post by sejintenej »

robert totterdell wrote: Thu Sep 13, 2018 10:30 am
The point about diversity is I believe critical as when writing this of the 15 Governors on the Council representing a 50/50 gender pupil split, only two were women. Of the balance, in background, one had a legal background, one had an interest in music but both that one and all of the others were finance based. No one representing the Performing Arts, Science, Sport, Health, the Environment and so on.

I have been assured that they are changing this - well we will see.
Robert. I hope I have not misread your message and that of Foureyes. According to him the "Governors" are principaly the fund raisers who elect four people to the Council. The majority of Governors are those who have paid about £20,000 each for presentations; even now, and despite anybody's wishes it is the men who tend to make substantial charitable donations (perhaps "guided" by their ladies.
The Council is another matter entirely. It can suggest its desire that the Corporation of the City of London and the Governors appoint a representative proportion of ladies and/or that such representatives have a variety of backgrounds. However it itself elects seven of the fifteen members so it is perfectly able to choose more ladies and those of disparate studies. I fear that it will prove more difficult to recruit ladies rather than men; that is the current way of the world

You write that "things are changing". I don't know what the Corporation does for the school "behind the scenes" but I would hate for the Council be able to elect a majority of its members allowing it to be self-perpetuating - those who raise the money should at least have a decent share of the Council seats
What happens if a politician drowns in a river? That is pollution.
What happens if all of them drown? That is solution!!!
Foureyes
Grecian
Posts: 926
Joined: Mon Dec 25, 2006 11:26 am
Real Name: David
Location: England

Re: The Governorship Of CH

Post by Foureyes »

I am not clear why the question of gender equality on the current Council is relevant to the issue of historical abuse. If any Old Blue feels that the gender composition of the Council does not reflect the gender balance of today's school then there are already many means of bringing this to the attention of the Council. First, the OB could become a Governor and, having done so, raise the subject at a Court meeting. Second, the OB could find a governor who shares his/her views and get them to raise it. The OB could also write to the Clerk or the Treasurer. I personally raised an issue some years ago, which was turned down by the Heritage Committee, so I appealed to the Council, where, although I did not appear in person, my case was put forward by one of the Council members and discussed at length. The question of gender equality could be handled in the same way. [I should add that the Council found against me, which upset me greatly at the time, but at least I had some satisfaction in knowing that it had been fully discussed at the highest level.]

Secondly, if the subject of gender inequality is introduced into any discussion of historical abuse, many of those present will seize on it as an easier and less emotive subject to discuss and spend most of what time is available concentrating on that rather than the more important and difficult subject of abuse. Anyone familiar with committee work will have seen this happen time and again. as the members veer off at a tangent ignoring the subject on the agenda and concentrating on trivia.

Finally, although I admit that I have not seen all the papers, I do not see why the composition of the Council would have effected the historical abuse issue. Indeed, from what I have read it is alleged that there were female teachers and a female deputy headmistress who knew something of what was going on and failed to act.

So, I do not challenge that the subject of gender inequality or the backgrounds of members of the Council is a fit matter for discussion, but I suggest that it should be kept well separate from the abuse issue and, indeed, merit its own thread on this Forum.

David :shock:
robert totterdell
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 139
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:58 pm
Real Name: Mr Robert G S Totterdell

Re: The Governorship Of CH

Post by robert totterdell »

OK, you are both right - it does not lead directly to the sexual abuse issue.

However, a balanced Governship Council is more likely to look at appointments and the background of both staff and senior staff.

I am a man. Gender equality can be of extreme importance as the participation of the female actually controls the 'arrogance' of the male of our disgusting species.

A correct balance between the two sex's is more likely to arrest a situation of 'perverted male domination' - which is exactly what CH had for many years. Get it and deal with it!

Diversification within the Council (and clearly some of you do not know how the current system runs - the Governors do NOT contribute significant finance any longer) is about bringing a new thought process to ensure that 'children' are educated not just under the 3 R's system of which, of course, two do not start with the letter R, but have a broad and safe education. WAKE UP!

As for putting a question 'second hand' to the Council - well I would suggest that you had put it first hand and perhaps something might have been done. Shame on you! It is the Treasurer and Chair of the Governors who allowed consistent and extreme sexual abuse at the school over 32 years but which I will show is some 66 years.

LOOK AT TH£E FACTS AND STOP MAKING EXCUSES.
robert totterdell
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 139
Joined: Mon Jun 25, 2018 4:58 pm
Real Name: Mr Robert G S Totterdell

Re: The Governorship Of CH

Post by robert totterdell »

I've re-read all your posts but I do not change my mind. The Governorship needs to change which has been my point at the start but it was the Governorship that allowed Burr to rape me.
Simples!
Foureyes
Grecian
Posts: 926
Joined: Mon Dec 25, 2006 11:26 am
Real Name: David
Location: England

Re: The Governorship Of CH

Post by Foureyes »

Robert,
I assume that your remark is directed at me: "As for putting a question 'second hand' to the Council - well I would suggest that you had put it first hand and perhaps something might have been done. Shame on you! "

Thank you. I have always tried to get through life by being polite to others and as I am now aged 80 it seems to have worked pretty well so far. What I did not put in my previous posting was that I waited two years and then achieved exactly what I had wanted, but this time without reference to the Council of Almoners.

David :shock:
Golfer
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 183
Joined: Sat Jul 07, 2018 5:13 pm
Real Name: Tim Askew

Re: The Governorship Of CH

Post by Golfer »

Without minimising the harm done to you...
Is it not possible to say that every governor of every boarding school, and probably every private school, before, say, 2000 was negligent?
Post Reply