Old Godhelmian Association Newsletter (5) February 2020 Dear Old Godhelmian, Here we are in a New Year and a New Decade with lots of positive things in store for the OGA in 2020. Membership • To date (February 2020) 382 people have confirmed their membership of the OGA. However, only 33 people have registered on the Website. • Please register on the website (www.theoga.org) in order to access the full range of information and photographs. Godalming County Grammar School 90th Anniversary Reunion 2020 • The College buildings have been booked for Saturday October 17th 2020 – details of timings and activities to be confirmed later. • The Reunion will be a full day event. We hope that as many people as possible will be able to come to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the foundation of the school. • Here is a possible structure for the day (not set in stone). Please let us know what you think: o 10.30 to 11.15 - an optional Founders’ Day service at St Peter and St Paul Godalming. We already have two possible organists to play a couple of hymns and perhaps something rousing like Widor’s toccata, but we are still looking for bell ringers. o 11.30 to 12.30 - meet at Godalming College – general mixing and chatting, perhaps looking at exhibits, perhaps having a tour around the buildings. o 12.30 to 2.00 – lunch – probably a buffet with a hot main course, salads and desserts – hopefully provided by the College caterers who did an excellent job in 2017 – served in the College canteen. o 2.00 to 4.00 – opportunity for Skype calls, further tours of the college, photo call, speeches, cake. o 4.00 to 7.00 – break while the evening activities are set up. o 7.00 to 11.00 – disco/music/bar at the College (or Inn on the Lake) with snacks. • Here are some of the suggestions sent to us already. Please let us know what you think: 1. Skype video calls to people living far away or overseas or those unable to make the journey to Godalming. Let us know if you would like to be involved with this. 2. A memory board/ memory book/ memory tree – printed or virtual - or on the day ??? where people can leave their memories of being at the school. So, for example sounds, smells, food, classrooms, friendships - how it felt to be there. We will invite any format including prose (up to 500 words), artwork, a poem, a song, a formula, etc. In addition, rather than just being a memory of the school, the contributions could be anything from our lives past, present or future. The contributions can showcase our alumni diversity, talents and experience, for example, if someone has travelled, or been a carpenter or swum the channel - stories of personal achievement or endeavour. 3. An exhibition of people's surviving memorabilia. 4. An auction for those who are happy to give up their items to raise money for a school charity. 5. A booklet with a fuller history of the school (architecture, ethos, WW2, traditions) than appears on the website. 6. On the spot website membership – with a lap top. 7. Walking Football exhibition/tournament - a team of England players play a Godalming or other team. Unfortunately, throwing it open to Old Godhelmians who might like to form a team on the day is a bit of an insurance minefield. Normally clubs insure their members, so Godalming or another club would be covered, but an ad hoc team would not be. 8. An evening disco at the College with live music and a bar. We would have to get a licence for both aspects. 9. An informal get together at the Inn on the Lake in the evening. 10. VIP invites (i) The Mayor of Godalming (ii) The Principal of Godalming College (iii) Descendants of the founders (iv) Ben Elton and any other celebrity OGs 11. Tee-shirts 12. School Song - get the College students to rewrite the words to the school song. 13. Good quality group photos. • There will obviously be a cost involved (tba) which will depend on which activities you wish to take part in. • We welcome any further suggestions you may have for the programme. Essential Information Finances • We would like to thank you for the kind donations which have been made so far. • You can now make donations through the website using the secure Stripe system. Just follow the instructions on the screen. • If you prefer, however, you can send your donation electronically to: o Account name: Old Godhelmian Association o Sort Code: 08 92 99 o Account number: 65719682 o Please identify yourself and use OGA as the reference. • If you prefer to send a cheque, please make it out to Old Godhelmian Association and send to: o Mrs Caroline Brooks, 2 Treloar Road, Hayling Island, Hants, PO11 9SE. Website • The website (www.theoga.org) has been updated by Richard Hindle with support from Mary Pugh and is now live. • Archive material (photographs, obituaries, history, etc.) from the original website has mostly been retained. Archive • We would be grateful for GGS images, in high definition. Until further notice, please send in digital form to Eleanor ([email protected]). Social Media • Currently there are three Facebook pages for ex-pupils of Godalming Grammar School: o GGS School Reunion 2017 (a closed group set up for that specific purpose) o Godalming Grammar School Reunion (a public group set up for a specific reunion) o Godalming Grammar School (a closed general group) • Godalming College has a Facebook page. • There is another interesting Facebook page for Godalming Town Past & Present. • Twitter - @Godalming Grammar School, @ Godalming College • Instagram – Godalming College The OGA committee Eleanor Andrews (née Whitcombe) – Secretary Caroline Brooks (née Bailey) - Treasurer Shirley Coleman – President Hazel Freeston (née White) David Hayes 65 – 72 66 – 71 65 – 72 47 - 54 66 - 71 Susan Hindle (née Potts) Mary Pugh (née Pout) – IT Co-ordinator Marta Riddle (née Grabiec) Judy Stoker (née Bennett) Steve Teague 65 – 72 65 – 72 65 – 72 55 – 62 70 - 77