e-Newsletter - 13th
January 2008
Dear Old Cambrian,
A belated Happy New Year to you and your
family, and here’s to a happy and healthy 2008!!
The Old Cambrian Society worldwide
continues to thrive, with lots of reunions and mini-reunions being held
throughout 2007, and many planned for this year. The web site is very much the
focal point of all of our activities, and I’m pleased to say that visits
to the site are on the increase all the time ……… 2007 saw a
21% increase to just over 2.67 million “hits” which equates to an
average of an amazing 7,320 visits per day!!
I am a little behind with publishing
material on the web site, but I hope to have a “catch-up” month
quite soon, so please bear with me if you have submitted something that
hasn’t yet found its way on to the site. Priority is given to new
registrations on the Alumni page, and answering e-mails from people (not just OCs) who wish to be put in touch with long lost friends.
With the terrible problems that are
afflicting Kenya at present,
our thoughts and prayers go out to all the millions of ordinary people in Kenya who are
being adversely affected in some way by the skirmishes and violence that have
erupted since the announcement of the Presidential election results in the last
couple of days of 2007. We all know that it will take a very long time for life
to return to “normal”, and we send our best wishes to Kenya-based Old
Cambrians and their families at this very worrying time.
2008 is likely to be the busiest year to
date in the Old Cambrian Society “world”, and it really is all very
exciting. I have a number of specific items to draw to your attention, so here goes .............
Reunion Announcement - Old
Cambrian Society (UK) - Annual Dinner - Friday 11th April
2008 at the RAF Club, Piccadilly, London
Once again we're heading back to the very
popular Royal Air Force Club, Piccadilly, London. As in previous years, Alan
Murdoch (Rhodes 1945-1950) who is a Club member, is
hosting us for the evening. Tickets are priced at £36 each, and we have a limit
on numbers 120 - ten tables each with up to twelve people. I have a provisional
listing of 53 people who have reserved places, but these now need to be
confirmed, So, to avoid disappointment, please contact me as soon as possible
with your reservations. I hope to have a new stock of OCS
ties for sale, as well as OCS blazer badges and lapel
badges.
Details of the dinner, menu and booking
form can be found on the web site at: http://www.oldcambrians.com/events2008dinner.html
Report - Old
Cambrian Society (South Africa)
Reunion
Sunday 23rd
September 2007 - Stonehaven Castle,
Shongweni
Valley, nr. Durban, South
Africa
By all accounts, this
was a very special event, and thanks must go to Dave Leslie (Hawke 1960-1965)
who not only made the magnificent venue available but also did all of the
preparation and organisation for the event. Brief report and photos can be
found at - http://www.oldcambrians.com/Photos-Reunion2007Durban.html
- and I hope to have the full report soon so that it can be published on that
page.
Report - Old
Cambrian Society (Kenya) Reunion`
Friday 28th
September 2007 – Barbeque/Dinner-Dance at the Impala Club, Nairobi.
What a fantastic night was had by all those
who attended this event. I certainly had a fantastic evening, and sincere
thanks must go to the main organizers for the tremendous amount of time and
attention to detail that it took - Sam Odera Agutu (Grigg 1970-5) and Zack Oloo (Grigg
1970-5), many thanks from all of us who just turned up. Full report and photos
can be found at - http://www.oldcambrians.com/Photos-Reunion2007Nairobi.html
Report - Old
Cambrian Society (Australia)
Reunion (as part of the 8th
Annual East African All Schools’ Picnic)
Sunday 21st
October 2007 – at the Lane Cove River National Park, Sydney,
Australia
Our Aussie branch seem
to know how to hold quite fabulous gatherings, and grateful thanks must go to
Old Yorkist Dave Lichtenstein who is the one how
pulled this whole event together. Photos and captions can be found at - http://www.oldcambrians.com/Photos-Reunion2007Sydney2.html
Retirement of the
Treasurer of the Old Cambrian Society (UK Branch)
If have recently received notice from Ian
Beaty (Clive 1954-1959) that he wishes to stand down as Treasurer of the Old
Cambrian Society (UK Branch). Ian has been Treasurer since late 1987 when the
previous holder of that position (John Reid) retired,
and we indebted to him for 20 years of devoted service to our society. Thank
you, Ian, and we hope to see you at our events for very many years to come.
So, we are now looking for a new
Treasurer, who is willing to take over the position with effect from the Annual
Dinner on 11th April at the RAF Club. With the development of the
Trust fund and other money-raising initiatives that members will be dreaming up
in the future, the position is likely to require a few hours input each month.
I have a few people in mind so I will be badgering them over the coming weeks,
but if anyone out there would like to volunteer for the job, please contact me.
Old Cambrian Society Trust
fund
We have a few volunteers working on this
at present, and I am keen that once all the legal work has been completed, we
will be able to launch the Trust officially during 2008. The aim is to raise
money to help to support the school with projects to provide students and
teachers with the facilities to enhance the learning experience on offer, and
also to support able and needy students with fees to ensure they are able to
complete their studies.
Meeting with the Principal
On Saturday 29th September 2007
(the morning after the reunion at the Impala Club), I and six other Old
Cambrians met with the Principal of the school, Mr. Robert Masese.
The meeting took place at the school and lasted well over three hours and
included a comprehensive tour of the school and lunch. We were shown a very
good and comprehensive strategic plan for the development of the school moving
forward for the next 5-10 years, and this dealt very much with the fabric and
infrastructure which of course is extremely important to ensure that pupils at
the school in the future are given the very best facilities to enable them to
learn effectively and be nurtured to become valuable citizens. However, we were
in unanimous agreement that money is not the answer to all of the problems
currently facing the school. It was evident from our tour that much needs to be
done to reinstate some of the traditions and practices that have disappeared in
recent years, and it is important that pupils take on a greater sense of
responsibility and “ownership” of everything around them, and that
they take an active part in keeping the school grounds and buildings tidy and
well maintained. The staff will need the help of the Old Cambrian Society to achieve
this, and we hope that much can be done on this score during 2008 before money
is made available for specific projects at the school.
For Auction -
Prince of Wales
School Medal
Dave Masheder (Clive 1965-1970) has very kindly
donated this unique piece of Prince of Wales School memorabilia, and he wishes
the proceeds raised by its auction to go to the Trust fund. The copper medal is
38mm (1½ inches) in diameter and was presented from the 1930s for achievement
particularly in sport. The medal is “blank” and was given to Dave
by the Bursar in November 1970; why, he doesn’t know. Anyway, it has now
turned up and here is an opportunity for Old Cambrians to acquire something
quite exquisite and unique.
To see images of the medal, please go to –
http://www.oldcambrians.com/POWMedal-Auction.html
Bids for the medal can be sent to me, and
final bids will be taken at the Annual Dinner on 11th April at the
RAF Club, Piccadilly, London.
The first bid is £50
(from me), so if you wish to own this superb medal, send a higher bid to me, or
make your bid at the dinner on 11th April. I will keep the web page updated with the
highest bid …….. bids came remain
anonymous if that is your wish, and only you and I will know your identity.
Back copies of
Newsletters
If you want to read through past
Newsletters, then they can be found on the web site at - http://www.oldcambrians.com/Newsletters.html
. In the directory, you will also be able to see pdf
copies of the “snail mail” Newsletters I send out just once a year
to all Old Cambrians who do not have access to the Internet. These “old
boys” now number just 42, but I am gratified by the many letters I
receive each year thanking me for keeping them in the loop. Incidentally, this
e-Newsletter will be sent out to 1,460 Old Cambrians that I currently have in
my OCS database.
Kenya Elections
Reports coming in have identified that
there are at least three Old Cambrians who have been successful in the recent
Parliamentary elections in Kenya.
- Shakeel Shabbir Ahmed
(Rhodes 1966-1971)
- Evanson J. Imanyara
Gitobu (Scott 1968-1973) – Head of Scott House 1973
- Musalia Mudavadi (Grigg
1974-1979) – Head of Kirinyaga/Grigg House
1979
2008 Kenya calendars
A superb calendar “Kenya in Old
Postcards 2008” has been produced by Kevin Patience. It is very well
produced, and adorns my office wall at home giving me a constant reminder of
how it was all those years ago in Kenya. For a preview and details
for purchasing one, please go to - http://www.oldcambrians.com/2008KenyaCalendar.pdf
Does anyone remember Llewellyn
Bramwell Lewis "Bill" Evans?
I have received an e-mail from a Robert
Evans informing me that his grandfather, Bill Evans, has died. Bill (or he
could have been known as Lewis) was an Old Cambrian, and from a little research
through old Impala magazines, we believe that he started at the school in 1932
and left 1935 or 1936. We do not know what house he was in. I have created an
Obituary page for him - http://www.oldcambrians.com/Obituary-Evans,Llewellyn.html
– and I would be interested to hear from anyone who remembers him or the family
whilst they were in East Africa.
Does anyone remember Henry
Clark Hartson?
I have received an e-mail from a Maureen
O’Donnell which reads as follows: “I have been
trying to trace anything about my father. I believe he was a
master at The Prince of Wales Boys
School sometime in the early 1930's. He then joined the Army during
the war. Can you give me any help as to where I
can find anything about him at that time. He
walked out on my mother and sisters in the 1940's when
we were very young. When my mother died he never
came near us so we were in foster homes for 5 years until we were
adopted by an aunt in England.
It is only recently that I have managed to get my
mother's death certificate detailing her age and date
of death with reason for the death. He had a brother Clive Harston
who was in Nairobi at the same time – in
Education and subsequently became head of Church Schools in England. Any
help you can give me would be so much appreciated”
I have gone through the earliest editions of
the Impala magazines, but cannot see Henry Clark Hartson’s
name anywhere. Is there anyone out there who might remember him
or the rest of the family, or maybe your parents knew each other and you have
some recollections. Please let me know.
That's all for now!
Steve Le Feuvre
Webmaster - http://www.oldcambrians.com
& Secretary, Old Cambrian Society (UK)
