OLD GIRLS

MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF

MALVERN ST JAMES OLD GIRLS' ASSOCIATION

held at Malvern St James

on Saturday 21 May 2011 at 12.30pm in the Lawnside Room

Present:

Mrs Trish Woodhouse (Headmistress of Malvern St James and Honorary President), Mrs Hannah Rice (Chairman), Mrs Elisabeth Rambridge (Secretary), 3 Patrons, 6 Honorary Vice Presidents, 7 Honorary Members and 28 Members.

1. Chairman's Report

Hannah thanked Dinah Cramp for the flowers, Steve Ewence and his team for setting up the Reunion and Anita Fisher for the catering arrangements; and Trish Woodhouse, the Headmistress for her warm welcome.

Hannah spoke about the website, which has been kept up to date with all that is going on. She thanked Elisabeth for all that she has done and said that together they had worked hard on ‘friend-raising'. There had been a great deal going on, with the very successful Salisbury reunion last weekend, which had resulted from the meeting of the Area Representatives in November. In March, 60 former members of staff had been welcomed to MSJ. Jen Murray was holding the annual Norfolk reunion, which she had done for more years than she cared to remember. A reunion was being planned for the 1980s leavers. Abbey Old Girls from the Class of 1962 had held a reunion. Hannah ended by saying that the plans were to continue developing relationships.

The Headmistress Mrs Trish Woodhouse addressed the AGM and said how privileged she was to be the Headmistress. She felt she had a special opportunity to lead the School. She described a School's alumni as the bedrock of a school and said how much she embraced the OGA. She had very much enjoyed meeting Old Girls on her trip to the Hong Kong and also that she would be looking forward to Commemoration when the speaker was an Old Girl of Lawnside, Lady Rosalind Morrison. She said how much she had enjoyed the reunions she has attended so far and sent a warm invitation to those who could not be here, to visit when they could.

Hannah thanked Trish and commented on the remarkable achievement that the School has grown by more than 50 girls in the past 2 years.

2. Secretary's Report

Elisabeth Rambridge gave this report:

A very warm welcome to you all and my sincere thanks for your support. I hope you have looked at the notice board to see the news cuttings which I always alert the staff to and display on the OGA notice board in its prominent position at the top of the stairs to the York Hall.

Quite simply we go from strength to strength. I hope the OGA News 2011, as well as the emails I am now sending out each half term, with a link to the School newsletter, are together giving you a very good feel of what has been going on at School and in the OGA.

It feels like since the newsletter was finished in early February that we really haven't stopped.

A wonderful coffee morning took place for staff early in March; then mid March saw the final reunion of the Old Lawnsidian society when the Old Lawnsidians confirmed their request to merge with the MSJ OGA. A very happy outcome of the reception held for the Committee and Area Representatives in November was the decision to hold a joint Salisbury reunion by the Wiltshire, Dorset and Hampshire representatives. Trish and I, with Steve and Andrew and Tricia Wilkinson attended the lunch they organised at Wilton House, which was a super success.

There is much interest in the history of our schools. Last year was the anniversary of Girlguiding UK and this year the centenary of Girl Guiding in Malvern. I attended the Thinking Day service, which was also attended by June Roundhill. I also went to an exhibition by the excellent Guiding Archivist Heather Talbot and was very interested to read letters of reminiscences sent in by Old Girls. I have been interviewed by Hereford and Worcester radio for a series on historic buildings in Hereford and Worcester, which was spread out over many weeks. Last year was the 150^th anniversary of the founding of Malvern railway station but next year is the 150^th anniversary of this building. This interest in the Archives was reflected at AROPS where the key speaker was Rita Boswell the Archivist at Harrow School and now consultant archivist to Westminster school. She confirmed how much can be done to promote the current school through its past.

However the other key speaker was Nick Akerman from the Old Decanian Society and he gave a brilliant insight into the minds of our younger members. He said ‘We need to dance with these young people' and also advised having a ‘translator' in our team – we are so lucky to have our former Head Girls, the representatives from the 2000s and now the 2010s and our Chairman herself to help with this and to keep our ‘young at heart' members up to speed.

So these are interesting times as we balance our pride in the past, with our pride in the future. But I think we are a great group of jugglers!

I want to pay tribute to Hannah for her continued support and to Trish for her great interest in the OGA and willingness to attend all the OG events there have been. I must thank Penny Smith who has a knack of popping in when I'm feeling a bit squashed or when I need someone to mull thinks over with. I'd like to thank you all for your support and I know you will be delighted to hear already that the offers of help for the Careers Fair are coming in.

My rallying call to the Salisbury Reunion is the same to you –

Please send me your news. Please send me your email addresses. Please fly the flag for us!

3. Honorary Treasurer's Report

Elisabeth Rambridge read out this report by Margaret Wood:

I am sorry that I am not here in person to answer any queries anyone may have about the accounts. I had every intention of being present, but then I received an invitation to a family wedding, consequently I shall be back in Yorkshire.

As you can see from the figures, the results of the year to 31^st October 2010 are a little disappointing, almost wholly due to the loss on disposal of various investments. The trustees have moved our portfolio from Barclays Wealth to Charles Stanley. We do rely on their advice, so I am sure they will have good reason in advising us to dispose of the respective stocks.

In addition, the costs of producing and mailing the newsletter have increased by 20%. We also have a new annual charge for managing our investment portfolio.

I would like to thank Andy Robinson, the Financial Director of Malvern St James for looking at the yearly figures.

4. Any other Business

• The Treasurer's Report was proposed by Penny Smith and seconded by Julia Hodgkins 
• 1970s Representative: Jane Mason (Coles, MGC 1970) was proposed by Tricia Wilkinson and seconded by Anne Borrowdale. 
• 2010s Representative: Laurel Buchanan (MSJ 2010) was proposed by Di Cooley and seconded by Ros Hayes. 
• The Old Lawnsidian Society: we invite Old Lawnsidians to become members of the Malvern St James Old Girls' Association. This was proposed by Libby Anson and seconded by Anne Borrowdale. 
• Hannah invited Miss Duseline Stewart to be a Patron of the Malvern St James Old Girls' Association. 
• Miss Elizabeth Mullenger talked about the planned Founders' Garden at Batsford. She had written to David Austin Roses and had been delighted that they had made a donation of 24 roses, which were being looked after by Duseline Stewart. Duseline Stewart and Val Payne had designed the garden and Elizabeth spoke about the flowers and their colours which would represent the schools. A bird bath would have the names of the schools inscribed and a bronze sculpture, commissioned from a Lawnside Old Girl would be placed in the gardens. Elizabeth invited donations – which should be given to the Old Girls' Association Secretary. 
• Arrangements for the rest of the day were outlined. After lunch the Headmistress would give a presentation about the School, which could be attended by all present. Then there would be tours of the School. During this time a historic presentation would be shown in Lawnside. The concert was at 3.30pm, after which there would be tea. Batsford would be open from 4.30 to 5.15pm 

The meeting ended at 1pm.