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THE REEDER 2020
#COMMUNITYFORLIFE
Welcome from Marcus Baker, OR President Marcus with OR Miles Harris at 2019 Leavers’ Drinks
It is hard to believe that I am now into my third term as OR President; in fact, with the extraordinary year that we have had so far, I have to say there are many things that are hard to believe! There has been so much adjustment to our lives, most of which none of us could have possibly foreseen, but I am so pleased that the core foundations of the Reed’s community remain strong, if not stronger than they have ever been. It is perhaps inspiring to think that we might all find hope for the future in looking within our own OR community. Our 1940s ORs, who are now celebrating 70 years plus since leaving school and have lived through bereavement, evacuation, war, rationing, unemployment, economic crises and natural disasters, still have the most wonderful spirits and, importantly, have each other’s friendships – shining examples of true Reed’s resilience. I also know that these strong bonds of friendship are not just limited to their year group, but that all ORs continue to build that #communityforlife. To illustrate this in a small way, one thing that has particularly pleased me is the response to the COVID-19 emergency fund appeal that went out to our community only a few months ago. This fund was to assist current Foundation pupils who found themselves having to return to even more distressing home environments because of the pandemic. Thank you to those of you who have supported this. I think I speak on behalf of all ORs when I say how proud we are to see our old School and the current generation of Reedonians rising above these unparalleled challenges. Despite the times, we felt that it was important to continue with the production of The Reeder which is one
of the key elements of this great community and, whilst this year’s edition may be a little slimmer than perhaps the 2019 edition, I know that it is packed with great content. For this, we have to thank Sharmaine Matthews and the team at the Development Office under Kathryn Bartram. Without Sharmaine’s steady hand on the tiller and her guidance, I certainly would not be able to do my job. In addition, I would also like to thank the alumni members of the OR Committee: Roger Mew (Bristowe 1959), Andy Wotton (Mullens 1975), Justin Herbert (Capel 1983), Clive Moon (Blathwayt 1994), Jerry Ross (Mullens 2008), Nick Gray (Blathwayt 1993), Rosie Pidgeon (Blathwayt 2015) and Sam Brandon (Capel 2008) who all dedicate a great deal of time, thought and expertise on a range of areas from financials to the Foundation, from the archive to online. Their skills make for a diverse group
but, in order to get a complete perspective on the OR community, we agreed this year to invite two Senior School Prefects on to the Committee. I would like to thank Emily Strong (Mullens 2020) and Miles Horwood (Bristowe 2020) for not only attending all of the meetings but also for their valuable contributions from the viewpoint of the current pupils; we wish them well as they become our newest ORs. I know that Mark Hoskins and I share similar views about the sense of community that is an important part of the fabric of Reed’s and the Old Reedonians. I have to say that I was incredibly grateful on a personal level for the amazing efforts undertaken by many of the Reed’s team to produce PPE equipment for local hospitals and care homes. This has been life changing, life saving and of extraordinary value in what have been very difficult times.
