The Association of Representatives of Old Pupils’ Societies

www.arops.org.uk

Conference Report9th May 2015

held atThe Leys School

by kind invitation of the HeadmasterMartin Priestley

Represented at the 2015 Annual ConferenceBristol Grammar School 9th May 2015

Adcote AssociationBootham OSALuckley House SchoolMarlburian ClubOld Edwardians’ AssociationOld Greshamian ClubOld Martinians’ AssociationOld Palace AlumnaeOld Roedeanians Association

Ackworth Old Scholars’ AssociationArnoldians / InstoniansBethanians Society, TheCambridge Centre for Sixth Form StudiesCASE EuropeChanning Alumnae AssociationCity of London School for Girls OGAClifton High AlumniCornerstonesDragon SchoolFarleigh SocietyGuild of S Mary & S AnneHaileybury Society, TheKent College OGAKGS FriendsKing’s Ely SchoolLorettonian Society, TheMalvern St James School OGAOD Union (Old Diocesan Union)Old BerkhamstediansOld BirkoniansOld Blundellian ClubOld Bradfordians (London) ClubOld BristoliansOld Caterhamians AssociationOld Clayesmorian SocietyOld Columban AssociationOld Coventrians AssociationOld Cranleighan SocietyOld Decanian SocietyOld Etonian Association, The

Old Felicians’ ClubOld Foresters’ ClubOld Greshamian ClubOld Kimboltonians’ AssociationOld Kingstonian AssociationOld Lancing Club, TheOld Lawrentian SocietyOld Leysian SocietyOld Merchant Taylor’s SocietyOld NottinghamiansOld Oundelian Club, TheOld Pauline ClubOld Portmuthian ClubOld Priorian AssociationOld Queenswoodians AssociationOld Tonbridgian SocietyOld Tridents’ SocietyOld Wellingburian ClubOld WitleiansOldham Hulmeians Association, TheOSA (Old Shorehamers’ Association)Princess Helena College OGA, TheRoyal School Association, TheSalopian Club, TheSilcoatians’ Association, TheStephen Perse Foundation, TheStonyhurst AssociationWestonbirt AssociationWhitgiftian AssociationWycombe Abbey Seniors Association

Apologies for AbsenceOld Silcoatians AssociationOld Stoic Society, TheOld Wolvernian AssociationOld Wycliffian SocietyRed Maids’ SocietySociety of Old FramlinghamiansSt Paul’s LeagueSt Swithun’s School Old Girls Association

www.arops.org.ukAROPS does not take responsibility for the views and advice offered by speakers in this conference report

conference generously sponsored by Donor Strategy from Advanced NFP

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Opening of Conference

AROPS Chairman: Bill Gillen (Old Instonian and Old Arnoldian)

Bill Gillen welcomed everyone to the conference and explained that the day’s programme had been inspired by suggestions at the AGM.

He gave heartfelt thanks to The Leys School and in particular to the Headmaster, Martin Priestley, for making the time in his busy diary to join the

conference, to Claire Payne, the Director of Events, for her help in organising the venue, and to John Harding, Hon Secretary of the Old Leysian Society for his commitment to the day’s event.

Bill also thanked the AROPS committee for their painstaking efforts throughout the year and the administrator, Dina Stovell, who would be leaving in June, having given AROPS a whole new lease of life during her four years with the association, he said.

Graham Papenfus will also be leaving this year and was thanked for his tireless, patient and imaginative work for AROPS in setting up and running the highly successful regional meetings. He will be succeeded by Jan Butler who said she hoped to continue to increase the number of meetings, perhaps on a smaller scale with around 15 people attending. She asked members to contact AROPS if they could host a meeting.

Jan also introduced the new AROPS Cup, Old Girls’ Hockey Tournament which she is organising with King Henry VIII School and the Old Coventrians after realising at last year’s afternoon session on sports and music/art activities that there are very few alumni events for women. She is inviting ten teams of old girls to take part in the tournament on Sunday 13 September 2015 (contact arops@arops.org.uk for more information)

Finally, Bill thanked the speakers and the conference sponsors, Donor Strategy, and exhibitors, The Lavenham Press, for their time and generosity.

The Leys School Martin Priestley, Headmaster

Martin Priestley welcomed AROPS to The Leys, a school founded in 1875 by Methodists. There are now 560 pupils of whom 50% are full

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boarders, 20% home boarders and 30% day students. “I am trying to develop the idea of Cambridge boarding as a description of something qualitative we do at Cambridge, which is a fantastic city with unique advantages,” he said, also describing The Leys as a big small school rather than a small big school – big enough to offer

the students plenty of opportunities, small enough to get to know the individuals.

The ethos of the school stems from three foundation stones: academic, wider curriculum and pastoral care, but the greatest of the three is pastoral care which is not to the detriment of the other foundations but a springboard to academic success. It means the students feel well supported and comfortable in their environment so they will be willing to take risks outside their comfort zones, experiencing the exhilarating feeling of “Wow, I never thought I would be able to do that!”.

The Headmaster also thanked the Old Leysians whose generosity had helped to build the new Great Hall where the conference was held. This houses a full size theatre and drama studios and increases the opportunities for the wider curriculum at the school.

The Old Leysian Society John Harding

Speaking on behalf of The Old Leysian Society and as the school’s historian, John Harding explained that when he joined the society it was a small organisation, subscription based and making no contact with anyone who wasn’t a member. John helped to set up the development office with the society, making membership free to all old pupils, financed by a grant from the school equivalent to a full boarder’s fee each year. The OL Society works in the same office as the development director and shares the services of an events manager and database manager. “We make it clear that OL friendraising events have no fundraising element,” he said. “If there is a fundraising event the development director takes the lead, but the team works on both types of event.” There are now 4000 active Old Leysians in contact with the society and school.

First Session

Creating a Harmonious Relationship between the Head, School and Alumni Society

Patricia Woodhouse, Headmistress, Malvern St James Girls’ School

Bill Gillen introduced Trish Woodhouse who had trained as a musician before entering the teaching profession where her rise to headship was meteoric, being appointed Headmistress of Malvern St James School in 2010 when it had been newly formed from the merger of five girls schools.

Trish said that in many respects Malvern St James (MSJ) was not a typical school and perhaps for this reason they were not afraid to do things differently to the prescribed route. “We have faced some particular challenges which have required careful navigation,” she said “and we are really pleased to find ourselves today with one unified vision shared by myself, the Chair of Governors, the Chairman of the OGA and the Development Executive.”

Malvern St James was born in 2006, the final product of various mergers started in the mid 1990s of five all-girls schools – Malvern Girls’ College, St James’s School, The Abbey, St James’s & The Abbey and Lawnside – and between them they shared a long tradition and excellent pedigree of all-girls boarding accommodation in Malvern but, inevitably, there was a fairly fierce rivalry between them. Each school had a strong individual identity, a tremendous student loyalty and its own long-established alumni group.

By 2006 there were two schools, Malvern Girls’ College and St James’s School (now incorporating the three other schools). These two eventually merged in August that year to become Malvern St James Girls’ School, facing a number of challenges:

• AsanewschoolMalvernStJamesdidnotresonatewithanyoftheold girls groups• MSJ was based in the old Malvern Girls’ College building so thestrong emotional pull of place was lost for all but one of the alumni groups• Thesenseofanongoingschool,aplacewherethefamiliartraditionsand routines still live and breathe, was lost• Allformerschoolshadlosttheirname

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• Schoolrivalriesrandeep(andthatextendedtothealumnigroups)• Whileeachschoolhadanalumnigroup,therewerediscrepanciesin database systems, subscription criteria and financial viability

The task ahead was to create a new and harmonious school identity; and also to create one new and harmonious amalgamated Old Girls’ Association.

Trish introduced the MSJ team who had been pivotal to the success of the merger.

Anne Borrowdale, Chairman of the School Council (governing body) and an old girl of Malvern Girls’ College (MGC), explained how the challenges for the alumni had been overcome, first by establishing connections between the MGC and St James’s alumni to form the Malvern St James OGA. It proved enormously beneficial to concentrate on the history of the five schools as there proved to be many historic links between them.

Fortunately Anne and another member of the MGC were also governors before the merger so could promote the needs of the alumni at the time of the new school’s creation. The new amalgamated OGA has worked hard to be open and transparent to all former schools, she said, welcoming the heads of all the schools as patrons and reaching out to key members of the different alumni groups to encourage a good representation on the committee of former pupils from all the founding schools. A formal constitution was adopted in 2007 and, although communication and personal relationships between different members has been key to success, it has been good to have some formality in the background. The body of Trustees, including alumni from three of the founding schools, has lent stability and continuity throughout the period of change.

One of the most challenging aspects was the merger of the different alumni databases. By 2009 there was a past chairman from St James’s OGA working with an OGA Secretary from MGC to try and pull the databases together, with help from the school.

Trish agreed that one of the solid foundations already in place when she arrived in 2010 was the fact that alumni from two schools were working together successfully. As incoming Head with no affiliation to any of the merged schools, Trish could capitalise on her new role by getting out and about and hosting events at the school, meeting old

girls and old staff and explaining her vision for the school and the OGA moving ahead, which paid dividends. She also personally invited the former headmistresses of the founding schools to come back to OGA events and to participate actively in the OGA. There are now five heads who regularly attend events and in many ways are instrumental in engaging the old girls.

Other initiatives include an annual OGA lecture by one of the distinguished alumni, an old girl to present at prizegiving, an OGA prefect in Year 13 who helps with events and ‘evangelises’ the organisation to her peer group, an OGA fees discount and asking old girls who have received a travel award to come back to talk to current students. An OGA Bursary Trust has also been set up to support girls who need financial assistance.

There is now an Alumni Liaison Officer rather than an OGA Secretary, whose role is to build the relationship between the school and the alumni. It is a part time role funded by the school which includes making events happen, identifying speakers, issuing communications and invitations, as well as writing the OGA magazines, putting girls in touch with each other and handling the OGA admin. The school has also recently taken on some of the financial burden of the OGA by handling the day to day accounting under the supervision of the OGA Committee.

l to r: Carol Bawden, Matt Jupp, Trish Woodhouse, Cecily Hewlett and Anne Borrowdale

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In 2015 the school is flourishing, said Trish, with a 28% increase in pupil numbers and the OGA now has more than 4000 members, based all over the world, from every generation and from each of the founding schools.

Cecily Hewlett, Chairman of the OGA, was an old girl of MGC, leaving in 2002. She didn’t have much involvement with the school until 2011 when she was asked to become a Trustee and then became chairman with the strong belief that the association is a fantastic resource both for its members and for the school. Her key aim has been to create a more modern organisation and to convince all the members of its relevance to them. A strong, open and friendly network of old girls is very much in keeping with the school’s ethos and character, she said.

Cecily is the youngest chairman to date and realises that achieving a balance on the committee of representatives from different age groups, as well as from across the founding schools, is key to ensuring that the members feel they are very much part of the organisation. Trish pointed out that parents have also attended the events with their daughters which has made her appreciate the importance of the current

parent body – “We must embrace them to help them understand the life-long commitment, care and value that their daughter will receive, both at school and then through the OGA,” she said.

Matt Jupp, Director of Communications explained that the school’s partnering and collaborative approach is reflected in the recent creation of a communications department which integrates the functions of marketing, admissions, alumni and development. A Development Executive has been formed recently with the alumni liaison officer and the OGA chairman as members, as well as a governor, current and past parents, a retired housemistress, the headmistress and the director of communications. The Chairman of the Executive is Carol Bawden, also a governor, who said that their objective is for organic growth, establishing mutually beneficial relationships throughout the whole school community. For MSJ this means that rather than setting up a separate development office with a separate charitable foundation, the best model is to include alumni relations and development under the communications banner.This, she said, will enable the OGA and the school to create a lifetime picture of every alumna and, if they so wish, provide friendship and support throughout their lives.

Second Session

How Societies and Development can Work Harmoniously

Susie Bromwich, Development Director, King’s School, Ely

Susie comes from a background of setting up development programmes at Bristol Grammar School, Loughborough Endowed Schools (a foundation of a prep school, a boys’ school and a girls’ high school where she was working with two alumni associations, three parents associations and two heads) and now King’s School, Ely.

As an old girl of three independent schools, she announced that only one had kept in touch with her and for the others she had become a ‘lost girl’, having left before the sixth form then marrying and changing her name which, she said, are the two biggest problems for associations trying to locate alumni. She recommended starting with the current students who are your future members.

“At King’s Ely we embrace our students and their families as part of our community,” she said, “but, as with any parent, we have to let them go and our job is to put in place the strands of connection which bring them back over the years. But we must remember that in their wider worlds their allegiance is first and foremost to the school and their memories of the teachers, the staff, friends, sports teams and other experiences.

“The development office and alumni society are mechanisms for keeping those strands of connection and affinity and should work together with the one aim of fellowship. Fellowship should be at the forefront of everything we do, so should feature large in your constitution.”

Both at Loughborough and Bristol Grammar School, the chairs of the alumni societies were involved in Susie’s appointment as development director and this was important. Nevertheless there were concerns and she had heard members of the alumni societies worrying “will this woman take over?” to which her answer was that as long as the society is serving its membership there shouldn’t be any concern and the best initiatives are those that are shared.

A full version of this talk is available on the AROPS website www.arops.org.uk

An alumni society’s concerns are about communication and finances, data, fundraising, activities, ownership and identity. When Susie joined Loughborough she discussed with the societies, in an informal setting, the practicalities of working harmoniously and together they drew up a formal working agreement including a detailed and defined status, ring-fenced income, admin support, shared data, joint projects such as web development, committee representation and an annual plan for shared events and communications.

She stressed the importance of being clear on communications – “a slip up can wreck so much”, she said.

The Foundations development committee to which Susie reported had representatives on it from the Old Loughburians Association and Old Girls Association and decisions were made on such topics as the finances and subsidies for events, shared activities and agreeing who would lead on each event, ensuring there was no clash of messages or mailings and finally there was a regular review to see what had worked and what needed adjusting. Most importantly, it was invaluable for the development team and the societies to get to know each other well and to enjoy working together.

“The old girls were in need of practical support so we helped them produce a constitution that the committee was happy with,” she said. “We helped them create a logo to give them a sense of identity and also helped to find new committee members. We ran a survey of members to ask what they wanted from their association and together with the old girls we undertook a project to find alumni. Old girl volunteers came into our office and we went through register after register to build up the database. We systematically targeted key year groups and sent postcards to the students’ last known address which resulted in finding

hundreds of alumni. It took a term or two but it grew our data and we did it together which improved our communications.”

This and other activities also brought the OLA and the OGA closer together through joint events, a shared website and a joint

formal dinner instead of the Old Loughburians’ old boys dinner. “These things made practical sense and they strengthened the associations but with no loss of identity,” she said.

The benefit for the associations is the help in finding lost alumni and providing day to day admin support. For many associations it’s very difficult to find volunteers; and this is where the development department can help. “From a practical point of view there’s no point in running separate databases,” said Susie. “We increased the database at Loughborough from 11,000 to 23,000 by the time I left. At King’s Ely we manage the data for the Old Eleans and they make a contribution to our office for that service”. Also, working with the development office in the school creates link with the current students who will be the future members of the association.

The benefit for the school is co-operation and endorsement from a respected group within the school community, who can provide contacts and access to the network. “If done creatively and sensitively it creates the right foundation for fundraising, benefitting from a resource for professional advice, careers help, governors and future parents and the strength from unity,” said Susie.

When she worked at Bristol Grammar School a joint initiative with the Old Bristolians led to the establishment of careers conferences and dinners for the Old Bristolians, parents and students in the Years 9 to 11. The formal dinner was a new experience for the students so the school prepared them for it, the Old Bristolians were delighted to meet young people and the parents were proud of their children and delighted at the added value from the school.

Although girls had been at the school for 25 years, in 2004/5 when Susie was there, the perception in Bristol was that the BGS was a boys school and few girls came to the alumni dinners. The Old Bristolians whole-heartedly supported the school’s 25 years celebrations, including a champagne reception. The development office helped to locate the female alumni and the dinner was a very different occasion with a

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wonderful mix of ages and proved a great success. The OB President made it his mission to involve more girls in future events and family fun days were introduced.

At Loughborough regional events, organised jointly with the alumni association, included Oxbridge dinners – alternating between Oxford and Cambridge – lunches in the south west, south east and Scotland, and drinks evenings in cities where there was a good number of under-graduates. The school had an itinerant group of choristers who toured the cathedrals of England. “We invited all the local alumni and held a party for them and for parents,” said Susie. Programming, admin and hosting for these events were shared with the associations and there was always equal billing.

At King’s Ely the joint initiatives have included an antiques valuation day, a rowing regatta on the same day as the annual dinner and a London event at the Old Tea House in Aldgate where offered free drinks were offered from 6 to 8pm and large numbers have turned up. There was a great atmosphere.

“The issue of fundraising is always a matter of concern for alumni societies,” said Susie. “If fundraising is planned and shared with the association and carried out sensitively, in my experience the alumni are proud to be asked. At fellowship events we don’t fundraise. The Head will thank donors and give news on fundraising but there will be no active fundraising. If there is an event that is specifically for fundraising we will state our purpose very clearly. It’s all about working together and tackling common issues together.”

ird Session

Discussion Groups and Workshops

Group A: Digitisation of Archives

Philip Gale, Head of the Independent Archives Team The National Archives, Kew

Chairing: Tim Cunis (Old Pauline Club) Scribe: Caroline Scallon (The Royal School Association)

Philip Gale examined how digitisation projects fit into the wider archive sector as part of the general management of an individual

archive collection, particularly for alumni organisations and schools and highlighted the issues that might be encountered.

One delegate suggested it was important to identify who is going to benefit from archiving and that selection of material, dates, quality, quantity, sizing, categories of paper, sensitivity of material, history of the school and books all have to be taken into account.

Philip explained that legacy items are those currently in the archives and future items must also be identified.

When asked if archiving is to be a marketing tool or past pupil nostalgia, since the criteria may differ between the society and the school, Philip replied that it would be helpful to support multiple narratives and thereby provide more interest. The cost of archiving increases with the technical difficulty involved which will depend on the physical condition of the items. A conservation audit should be carried out to determine the condition of items.

Chairing the meeting, Tim Cunis remarked that archiving books should be done with great care and specialist equipment to avoid damage to spines, for example with 90 degree copying. If an item is too delicate to photocopy a photograph could be taken without use of flash.

Philip was asked if low grade artefacts should be thrown away. His advice was to keep a hard copy. He also advised that the broader the narrative the better the archive. However, benign neglect is always an option. Digital records do have to be maintained and timescale is an important factor.

A member with six school archives to handle finds that creating a pdf makes for easier retrieval and Philip suggested that a good relationship with the school’s IT department is always helpful but recommended having a clear written agreement over access and legal (copyright) aspects of any such arrangements.

Third Session

Conference 2015

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Group B: Involving Young People

Chairing: Peter Jakobek (Old Bristolians Society) Scribe: Jan Butler (Old Coventrians Association)

Peter Jakobek introduced the student panel now studying at Cambridge University. From Bristol Grammar School: Michaela Hine (Modern Languages 1st year) and Gavin O’Connell (Engineering 2nd year) and from King Henry VIII School Coventry: Ed Gazeley (Classics 2nd year and Amy Oliver (Law 3rd year).

Peter said that most societies have problems involving recent leavers and younger alumni and immediately opened up a Q and A session.

How did the panel come to be involved in today’s event?In all four cases it was a personal invitation – immediate networking.What have you been involved with since you left school?KH: Thames Harriers Cross Country and OCA races. BGS: Meeting up with others from BGS in the same year group informally, but would be happy to meet formally.

Do you arrange regional dinners? A few said they did.

What did you know about your association/society before you left?KH: There was very little to know about at KH as the OCA was just reforming. BGS: Not a lot. The name ‘Old’ is a bit confusing. They don’t feel ‘old’.

He outlined a project plan or framework to include objectives; the audience(s); who does what (eg finance or legal concerns); how the project supports the narrative (eg WW1); a strong technical section; careful preparation; a references index; long term care; work flow during stages of the project; access to archive; website management; governance and oversight of the project; budget; potential partners re funding perhaps, and a timetable.

In answer to a question, Philip said that the laws surrounding copyright have changed and the Intellectual Property Office will advise, but the subject is complicated. He said copyright is a risk management decision depending on content and likely audience. With photos of sports teams, for example, it would be advisable to take reasonable steps to contact those involved. Similarly, data protection depends on the audience. If for internal reproduction, the risk would be low. Passwords for access are a good idea.

To a suggestion that care should be taken when republishing over many years information which may contain embarrassing material, Philip advised that the archivist should provide context if content may be tricky.

Tim Cunis commented that archives could include cine film, glass plate negatives and with technology updating regularly, all media need to be considered, but a hard copy should be kept since files may not always be accessible.

In relation to storing the archives, Philip said that plastic is bad news and polyester folders are better. Storage should be dry, secure, at a steady temperature, good quality, and carefully thought out. Susannah Goodbody (Princess Helena College OGA) recommended use of archive boxes plus fireproof filing cabinets for storage.

Philip said that the records of the present time should not be overlooked and Tim added that today’s ephemera are tomorrow’s archives. Philip also drew attention to the need for disaster planning, having adequate back-up of the archive with suitable access available.

Philip Gales’ workshop notes are available on the AROPS website: www.arops.org.uk

Useful comments from the panellists included:• People click ‘going’ for an event tobe kept in touch with information about it. ‘Going’ does not mean they are going to the event.• Trytofinda‘catalyst’personfromayear group to get others to come along to an event; Facebook is a good way to contact people. • Studentsmaynotwanttobe‘friends’with a former teacher or alumni officer, but may be happy to get a message – sadly, this takes a lot of time if numbers are large.• Changesofemailaddressescauseabreakdownofcommunicationbut Facebook accounts tend to remain.• HaveaFacebookPageratherthanaGroup.• Youcanboostapagefor£4.95anditcanreallygetamessageout.

What events might you attend and when?After discussion, the panel felt 5 and 10 years would be good for a class reunion at school, but for the 5 year: ‘Please do something students like doing’, such as cocktails, not a BBQ. Just ‘drinks’ would be acceptable.KH: Good if sports and other things fill in the gap.

For a 5 year reunion, is it the school or the people that are the draw?BGS: A larger event at school please and meeting the teachers is good.Scribe’s note: For a boarding school, London may be more convenient.

Timing is crucial, so is there a ‘best time’ for a big event?June, September or Christmas seemed viable and between Christmas and New Year was good for BGS. The third weekend of June was popular elsewhere for a drinks evening.

Is there a role for the association or club in finding accommodation (eg in London)?This was considered a dubious or weird idea. Informal networks are already in use, so no thanks!Comment: Some societies do act as a ‘broker’ by advertising vacancies or putting people in touch.

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KH agreed – ‘old ‘is a bit of a problem as we could only remember seeing very old alumni at school and didn’t relate to them as being in the same club.

Didn’t younger alumni come to careers events at your school? Yes, but we didn’t really connect them with the society.

Should you have had contact with the Association or Society before leaving?KH: Yes, that could be something for the future but make it look as if there are young people involved!

Do you and others feel a connection with your school?KH: A few like us, yes, but others don’t feel a strong attachment. BGS felt the same. Appeal to good memories. The best memories are often not in the classroom, but in extra- curricular activities. Arts and drama enthusiasts tend to miss out as it is more complicated to organise events.

Comments from delegates: • Specialistgroupswithinanassociation,suchasrunners,willmeetand do things together. • Sportisagoodwaytogetsuchgroupsbacktogether:‘Playtogether,stay together’.• Acarolservicecanbeagreatwayofdrawingpeopletogetherbutitis likely that a key member of staff would be needed to pull it together.• KH:Itwouldbenicetohaveadramaday–workshop/rehearsalofa play on the day and an informal performance in the evening.• Industry (professional) groups, networking in London, can beuseful and of interest to recent leavers.

Would being mentored interest you?BGS: The general feeling was that one to one would be ‘too full on’ and personal and a group would be much better. It would also be less helpful to those unsure of their future career plans.KH: Would maybe get involved, but thought it would be better to start while at school in years 12 or 13.

How can social media best be used in communications? Both schools have a Facebook page although it was not much viewed by the panel. It might be used more if it was rebranded for careers networking, but LinkedIn can provide that.

Devon. Numbers range from 40 to more than 200 and we charge about £70tocovercosts.Agroupphotoistakenandcirculatedtoguestsandused in our newsletter or magazine.

“An annual OEA Lecture is given at the Royal Geographical Society in LondonbyanOEspeaker.Wecharge£35whichcoverstheRGShirecosts and a drinks party beforehand. We advertise the lecture in our publications and invite OEs and parents by e-mail (our publications are sent to current Eton parents as well as to OEs).

“In addition there are house reunions and overseas gatherings going on all the time which are organised by old boys themselves with support from the OEA office. We have worldwide Old Etonian Association regional representatives who organise annual events for OEs in the US, Middle East, India, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia.

“Occasionally we will organise a dinner at Eton for a particular group of OEs such as those who edited the school magazine or won a particular prize, or to celebrate the anniversary of something. Like regional dinners, these work well because we get a broad range of ages together who all have something in common.

“There are a number of old, well established OE Societies (mostly sport related) such as the Ramblers (cricketers) and Vikings (rowers), the OE Association Football Club, Racquets & Tennis, and Golf Clubs. Increased communication and social interaction between OEs has led to a dramatic increase in the number of OE societies in recent years. A full list is available on the OEA section of etoncollege.com

“As well as even more sporting groups (such as rugby and polo) we also have new societies representing people in the same profession, with a shared interest such as the theatre or art, OEs working in food and drink, and those who work, or have an interest in Russia, and another

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Group C: Planning a successful programme of events and setting up interest groups

Jackie Tarrant-Barton, Clerk to the Old Etonian Association Chairing: Jill Dixon (City of London OGA)

Scribe: Jill Dixon

“For the last 17 years, I have been running the Old Etonian Association at Eton College,” said Jackie Tarrant-Barton. “During that time, there have been many changes in the way the Association operates, particularly with increased communication and a programme of annual events. This has led to my overseeing more than 20 new OE societies with varied interests.

“Our members receive a printed communication from us by post each term. Our calendar of events features very prominently. We set our dates 8-12 months in advance so that people have plenty of warning.

“The mainstay of our events programme is a series of dinners and drinks parties held throughout the year in term time, based on leaving year anniversaries. This year we have drinks parties (in London) for OEs who left 5, 10 and 15 years ago, black tie dinners at Eton for those who left 20, 30, 40 and 50 years ago and a lunch for those who left 60 years ago.

“Invitations to all these events are sent by post with a follow up by e-mail. For lunch/dinner events we ask guests to return a reply card giving dietary requirements and preferred first name (for badges, place card, guest list etc). A full seating plan is emailed so guests can pick who they would like to sit with. A group photograph is taken which we send out by post afterwards and a contact list of attendees is emailed. Enclosed with the invitation is a list of people from that leaving year group with whom we have lost touch, asking members to let us know if they have contact details for them. This has proved an effective way of tracing lost members and re-establishing contact. We use an events management programme on our database but we also rely on our trusty box file of replies to cross-reference everything. This all requires a lot of time and effort and needs to be resourced accordingly.

“Leaving year events are complemented by an annual regional dinner (last Friday in April) aimed at those who live far away from Eton - so far we have held dinners in Scotland, Wales, East Anglia, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire, Herefordshire and Dorset. Next year we hope to go down to

with a shared interest in the Christian faith (many are members of the Clergy), named after an Eton missionary (and martyr): John Coleridge Patteson. We are in the process of establishing a new society for OEs who have classic cars and another for those who work in education.

“All these societies have been instigated by OEs themselves, rather than by the OEA. This demonstrates the range and variety of groups interested in coming together. We facilitate the establishment of these via our publications and database, but they are run by committees of OEs. Each OE society submits a report for our annual magazine which, in turn, attracts new members and ideas. Some have their own website. We use our Facebook and LinkedIn pages to promote new societies and their events and produce a pdf newsletter for some which we send out via email to their members.

“We manage membership lists for most OE societies by tagging people appropriately on our database so OEs only need to inform us of any changes rather than the secretary of any society to which they belong. We hold an annual drinks party in London for those who run Old Etonian societies - an ideal way to share ideas and experiences.

“I have become very well engaged with Eton’s former and retired staff group. We maintain a contact list on our database and organise a tea party for them every two years. We send them our publications and e-bulletins and ensure they are promptly informed of any news about the school and one another which is very much appreciated by them. I often get to know people better after they have retired than when we were colleagues!”

Jackie was asked how many members there are – 16,000. On leaving the school each boy gets a membership pack (OE socks, tie, List of Members, login/website details etc.) delivered to them at their home address. The membership fee is collected termly and in addition some of the OE Clubs levy their own yearly fee. OEs go back to the school to offer careers advice and mentoring and to speak to school societies. The OEA does not have regional reps in the UK but does have reps abroad who organise events for OEs.

Points brought up in general discussion were that dinners appear to be the preferred event for old boys. Weekend reunions at schools are successful. At some schools non old boys are recruited in to swell numbers, particularly for rugby and hockey. Some schools have a nominated sports manager who notes interested sports players before

they leave on a database and, together with alumni organisers, access this when forming and maintaining teams. Payment for events was discussed and at the moment online payments are difficult (it was suggested BACS and PayPal could be used).

Group D: Modern Communications

Anthony Phillips (Old Lancing Club) Scribe: Keith Balkham (KGS Friends)

Anthony Phillips introduced the session by saying that in communicating with alumni we have not only the common factor of an audience aged from 18 to 100+ but very differing backgrounds and setups. It was established that members attending this group represented all-girls, all-boys, day, mixed and boarding schools. A number of groups represented are responsible for their own communication and administration, but others have either some administrative support from the school or are run from the development office having close contact with a committee of alumni.

It was agreed that it is necessary to open and create means of communication between pupils and schools for the benefit of former pupils.

Why Communicate?

It was very clear that all felt it is essential for the main reason behind OP societies communicating with their members is to facilitate what is known by many as friend-raising – it is not the place generally for OP societies to appeal to their members for funds, apart from expenses for events. Fund-raising is to be left to the

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development office of the school and should be very clearly highlighted as such. In many cases where the administration of a society is carried out via the school some of the same people involved will have a dual friend-raising/fund-raising role but should be very clear in which role they are speaking. Some societies might take an active role in raising funds for a particular purpose, for example funds for a bursary.

What to Communicate?

Many would have joined their alumni society to further social and sporting contacts although increasingly all former pupils (and staff) are members of the alumni society on leaving school. Some schools make pupils a member of the alumni society on entering the school.

Consider whether you wish to send the communication to all or a targeted group. Rowers are unlikely to be interested in a hockey themed event, similarly a reunion for a particular year group is unlikely to appeal to leavers from other years. Both these example groups though might be interested in seeing a report, perhaps on your website. There is of course the danger of being too insular and every effort must be made to influence the wider community. It was pointed out that women are less likely to be interested in attending a sports related event once they have left school and university but a more family friendly event is always popular.

Hard copies of newsletters and the annual magazine are increasingly giving way to electronic means of communication. The annual magazine of seventy-plus pages, while often providing an historical record of the past year’s activities, is out of date even before it is published owing to the time scale needed to produce it. Similarly, a termly newsletter can also be out of date before publication and deadlines and dates need to be carefully monitored.

Most groups represented at the session use an e-newsletter but recognise that a proportion of their members do not receive this because the alumni society does not have an up to date email address.

Another factor moving groups away from hard copies is not so much the cost of preparation and printing the copy but the cost of postage. If you do need to post, consider how many items you can include at the same time and remember that use of a franking machine costs less than a postage stamp.

E-newsletters need to be read easily with short punchy text that does not immediately get deleted on arrival. Longer reports and large amounts of photos can be placed on the society’s website with a link provided in the newsletter. (Note: Make sure the link works)

All societies should have web pages, ideally as an easily accessible part of the school’s website, where even a page linking to your own maintained site provides a connection between the alumni society and the school. Wherever you have your pages, make sure they are regularly updated.

Consider seriously making use of Twitter and other social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn which are used by many, especially younger, members. In the case of Facebook, consider setting up a profile that your alumni can add to so you do not have to do all the work but make it clear that you monitor this profile and expect a standard of behaviour.

Questions and Answers

Chairing: Jane Pendry, Dragon School

Booking events onlineEventbrite was recommended as being free to use initially. You register your alumni’s email address and bank details so you can accept donations or make ticket sales. It sends funds every weeks and holds 25% as refund if the event doesn’t take place. It was pointed out that Raiser’s Edge also has this facility.

Insuring officers of the committee against liabilityOne member society insures its trustees with Hiscox at a cost of about £800 a year. Another uses Royal Sun Alliance to protect directors,officers and committee members.

It was also recommended to look at the society’s rules to see if members of the committee are indemnified. The Charity Commission website apparently has useful information on this.

Under what grounds can you make an association into a charitable association?Charitable purposes are defined under the Charities Act and the Charity Commission will help.

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Selling advertising to cover the print and production costs of magazinesA handful of people at the conference use advertising in the society magazine as a way of making income, but stressed it is important to find advertisers who match the ethos of the school. One society uses an

agent, paid by commission, to sell advertising but it was agreed that cost of postage is the biggest drawback with hard-copy publications. Commercial fliers as inserts are another useful form of advertising.

The problem of finding content for magazines was raised with a warning against producing “death magazines” filled mostly with obituaries. One magazine editor has a network of regional correspondents around the UK and abroad to send in news reports; another will interview alumni with a story; an entrepreneur, for example.

Relationship between alumni society and the schoolMatt Jupp felt it was no different from other relationships and that there is a mutual and reciprocal value for the school and the society.

Jane Pendry, as chair of the session, asked how many of those present felt that the relationship between the school and the society had got closer in recent years. There was a significant show of hands. Jane also stressed the importance of good communications and Trish Woodhouse warned that things can go wrong when there is too much self interest.

Continuity between changes of head teachersThe questioner asked how the society could help the transition. Courting the governors was one suggestion, so they understand what the society is about. A large number of the societies present have either representation on the board of governors or one of the school governors has responsibility for the alumni.

The best method of communication for legaciesThose needing to secure legacies suggested a gentle process including brochures and letters and the introduction of a legators’ club.

Closing of Conference

Bill Gillen closed the conference by warmly thanking the speakers for their contribution and the delegates for their enthusiasm, hoping they would take away a few good ideas from the day. “The exchange of views has been remarkable,” he said.

The next AGM will take place at Queen’s Gate School, South Kensington, London on Thursday 8th October 2015 and the 2016 annual conference on Saturday 14th May will be at Malvern St James School in Great Malvern.

Conference Dinner

The conference dinner took place in the auspicious surroundings of Gonville & Caius College by kind permission of Prof David Abulafia. The drinks reception was held in the Lord Colyton Hall and the splendid dinner was served in the Fellows Dining Room.

The fifty diners greatly appreciated the thought provoking and witty after dinner talk given by John Harding, the Hon Secretary of The Old Leysian Society, distinguished historian and former head of history at the Leys, and editor of the Old Leysian newsletter.

A vote of thanks was proposed by the Chairman who made a small presentation to the guest speaker on behalf of AROPS, both for his presence at the dinner and his significant contribution to the whole conference.

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Scribe: Bill Gillen

All reports by Dina Stovell except where the scribe is named. Photographs: Eric Stovell