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(For reasons of confidentiality, names of living persons have been removed from the web version of the minutes, by use of slight rewording or of substitution of XXXX for a name.)
Present: President, in the Chair, School Head, Vice-Chair, Hon. Secretary,Hon. Treasurer, past News Editor, News Distribution, Governor, Staff Rep and 33 others.
Apologies for absence were received from the new News Editor and 28 other members. (Their names were on display.)
Minutes of the previous meeting held on Saturday 4 October 2003 were approved by the meeting.
Matters arising from previous meeting None
President's Report The President thanked the Executive Committee for their work in the year, and particularly the retitring Editor for her eight years as News Editor; the Association owed her a great debt for all the time she had given to producing the Association News. The offer made by XXXX XXXX (section 47) to take over as News Editor had been gratefully accepted by the General Committee.The President also thanked the Head and the School for their continuing support and welcome, and mentioned the high regard the Head had for the Association, the informing of the girls about the Association by the Staff Representative, and the Database Officer's work on the database, the Amaryllian, and help in reunions and visits by former pupils
The President and Head, and the new Vice-Chair, had interviewed candidates for the Memorial Bursary. Each year the quality of the candidates made the decision more difficult. This year XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX had made an outstanding impression, but it was felt that XXXX XXXX and XXXX XXXX should not be excluded.
The Officers had decided it was time to update the database, which would occur over the next few years. Members were encouraged to send details of their current status, or indicate that their lives hadn't changed. There was no need to wait for a request for changes before sending in updates.
The life of the Association continued, but it was still not clear what members wanted - not many people currently younger than 50 came to meetings, and practically none under 40. If any had contact with younger members, it would be helpful, if any views were ascertained, if they could be fed back to the Officers.
The President would come to the end of her 5+3 year term in 2005. The names of any member that would accept a position on the Executive Committee, or might take on the Presidentship in the future, should be passed to an Officer.
The Treasurer commented that AROPS members, at the 2004 AROPS Conference, had been impressed by her description of the database and its use.
Hon. Secretary's Report
Deaths reported since the last meeting: Audrey Rogers (2); Betty Clay (Baden-Powell, left 1932); Ursula Gilmour (Wills, 4); Odette Wylie (Murray, 6); Jean Hewitt (Corn, 15); Pamela Fausset-Farquhar (16); xxxx xxxx (xxxx, 19); Salma Bodhan (Ikramullah, 25); Molly Strang (Francis, 41); Etsuko Sugiyama (61); Miss Ayres (Staff); Miss G M Lilley (Staff); Miss C M Scott-Smith (past Headmistress); Miss J Sproston (Staff); Dr Catherine Steele (staff, non-member); Miss B G Venning (Staff). The Association was represented at services for Miss Ayres, Miss Lilley, Miss Scott-Smith, Miss Sproston, and Miss Venning, all honorary members.
Section Representatives: sec 8 would be represented by the sec. 46 rep.; sec 31, sec 50, sec 57 and the Staff section had changed representatives. Section 73, cohort of 2004, had their first representative.
Reunions: At the 2004 Reunion Day there were celebrations of "50 years on" and also of "30 years on".
Hon. Treasurer's Report The Treasurer presented the examined accounts. The current balance was £19,733, including £1,082 held by the school towards future database costs, £2,000 allocated to the database and not yet passed to the school ( who had had £3,000 so far), and £5,678 Association News pre-payments. The Treasurer expressed concern about the costs of the News when compared with the price.
Interest rates had declined. The current rate was 3.60% It had not been possible to find an account with a better rate in which to hold the money; even the NS&I account could only be held by the Association because it had been opened when regulations for opening accounts were different.
The meeting agreed (with a vote of thanks) their appreciation to the Examiner.
Hon. Editor's Report Another year had passed successfully. The costs per posted copy were £4.93 in the UK, £5.10 for BFPO, £5.46 for the EU, and £6.14 for Zones 1 and 2. The section 47 representative was taking over as Editor.
Head's Report This year's examination results have been excellent, and the school was near the top of the 2nd column of the Times league table, after 5 years of improvement. The girls worked hard, and the staff worked extremely hard. Use was made of a computer programme to determine a minimum target grade for A-level for each girl. A higher grade indicated "value added", a lower grade would be unacceptable. The girls and the staff understood the system; the parents were starting to understand it. The school was not a hothouse, but aimed at enabling each girl to achieve at least her potential, while also enabling them to be at ease with each other and with adults. Nearly all girls went on to university, most taking gap years first.
Eight staff had retired or left for other jobs. It had not been too difficult to attract good academic staff. All the new Head of Classics's GCSE group had gained A*. Finding good house staff was more difficult for a boarding school, but the pastoral care was currently good. 5 years ago, the school had had 185 pupils, last year, 242, and this year 226. It was hoped that numbers would increase next year, but a lot of marketing was required. About 25% came from overseas (Far East, Germany, Africa, South America, Spain). There were 96 pupils at Querns. 2 daughters of past pupils were at Westonbirt; it would be nice if more were able to come. The work on the new pool had started; it was still hoped to build a sports hall, but that depended on selling the walled garden.
XXXX XXXX had sadly lost two fingers in a lawnmower accident, and could no longer play the organ and clarinet. Two pupils of XXXX XXXX were among the 5 with the highest marks in A-level Art, and received special letters from the examining board.
It was very important that the Governing Body was a mix of Old Girls and others. An Away Day had enabled Governors to discuss the way forward.
Representative from the Governing Body's Report The governing body had 18 members including the headmistress, four of whom were new this year (3 women and one man). They met as a full governing body at least once a term. The 9 subcommittees: Executive, Estate Strategy, Finance, Disciplinary Appeals, Marketing, Trees and Garden, Education and Bursaries, Fundraising and Personnel and Remuneration met as necessary, often not on the same day as the full governing body. The 18 members included 4 former pupils (from sections 28, 31, 45 and 47.) The Association's Representative to the Governing Body was always happy to hear from members interested in the school's future.
The President added that the Governors were seeking a new vice-chair as XXXX XXXX was retiring, being past 70. There was a question as to whether it was time to prepare for the first female chairman. Anyone who felt strongly on this point should write to the Chairman of the Governors. The Governors were about 50% male, 50% female.
AROPS: The conference report was on display. The Treasurer had attended.
Date / venue / format for the 2005 Reunion Day The Reunion Day would be Saturday 1 October 2005 at the School. The Executive Committee was given authority to plan the format, and said that they would appreciate suggestions and wishes.
Any Other Business
Honorary Membership The General Committee had agreed to offer Honorary Membership to Mrs XXXX XXXX and Mrs XXXX XXXX. Mrs XXXX accepted with pleasure (Mrs XXXX was not at the meeting.)
Silver Tassie This tournament had been played since 1961 with a team from Westonbirt entering since 1969. XXXX XXXX (section 42) had taken over as captain from XXXX XXXX(section 27) whom she thanked for her magnificent organisation for 11 years and captained the team for the past 11 years, and the competition was moving from Sunningdale Ladies to St George's Hill Golf Club. For Westonbirt to continue entering a team, some "new " blood, low(ish) handicap golfers, was needed. XXXX XXXX, or XXXX XXXX (section 44), should be approached by those interested.
Archive material. Memories of what the school was like in the past, and photographs, should be sent to the Secretary, but only when no longer wanted by the member (since archive material could get mislaid), and would, where possible, be collated chronologically in ring binders. Copies of old uniform lists or Association address lists from the 1940s (other than 1946), or 1950s, would be appreciated.
Magazine copies. A member asked why there were so many unsold copies of the Magazine. It was explained that allowance was made for late orders (or payments).
The meeting ended at 15.45pm.
page last updated 25 October 2005