2009 Witley Reunion

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Gwyn Phillips reported on a successful year of OW events, especially sports. Although the mixed tennis did not happen, we hope it will be supported next year. Overseas, 30 younger OWs met in Hong Kong and others in Thailand. A small group will meet in Edinburgh on November 7^th. Now that we have a large number of German OWs there will be reunions in Germany too.

An innovation has been the introduction of Reps at 14 UK universities who are able to give advice and hold gatherings for new OWs joining. Jessamy Mott has been very been helpful in promoting this through Facebook. We are in debt to John Stead for all his work on the website.

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Chris Lack proposed that the finance held in the Scholarship Fund should be put to greater use in the present critical time and therefore the contribution to bursaries should be doubled next year making £16 000 available. Margaret Melrose seconded this and so it was agreed.

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The Headmaster introduced his school report by saying that he had not expected that this would be his last OW reunion, but how pleased he was that combining the AGM with lunch had made a much more worthwhile event. Like the association, the school goes from strength to strength and is academically sound with improving exam results. Beyond that the education aims at enrichment with a wide variety of trips and visits and the co-curricular programme, which is the envy of many schools. By fundraising and visits with practical projects, the pupils support schools in Malawi, Thailand and the Indian Himalayas. The main frustration is the governments’ intransigence in failing to support children who need boarding education in the way it did thirty years ago.

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Bertie Mawer spoke to thank the Old Witleians who had contributed to the gift to celebrate his 60 years association with the school, so he was able to enjoy a visit to Paris, including a performance at the Bastille Opera.