Old Pauline Club News

The OPC President Brian Jones (1961-66) comments on the Club’s initiatives, events and news in the last six months.

While lockdown restrictions have meant that Old Paulines have not been able to meet in person, I am delighted that this has not called a halt to Club activities.

Late in 2020 the Main Committee met to discuss a report from The Strategic Review Group. The most immediate impact of a number of proposals agreed was the setting up of a working party to propose changes to the Club’s governance and structure. I hope this will lead to changes being introduced that mean the leadership of the Club is more diverse and better able to engage across our membership, particularly with younger OPs.

The OPC has worked alongside the School by taking events on line. OPs of all ages and background have been involved in the popular Topical Tuesdays webinars.

I was delighted that we were able to hold a virtual Feast Service in early February, maintaining a 350-year tradition through a modern medium. Matthew Knox the School Chaplain led the service and there were contributions from the High Master, the Chairman of Governors, the Captain of School and OP clergy. The tradition of making a presentation to the rare books collection in the School’s Kayton Library was maintained, also virtually, at the end of the Feast. The book this year was a signed original copy of Fun and Fantasy: a book of drawings by OP EH Shepard (189496). (A recording of the Feast service and the Order of Service are available to view on the OPC website). I hope we will be back in the Cathedral and at Mercers’ Hall in 2022. As has become traditional for retiring High Masters, the Club commissioned a portrait of Professor Mark Bailey to hang in the Montgomery Room. This was completed in time for the planned unveiling at the Annual Dinner last June but unfortunately this fell victim to the pandemic restrictions as have subsequent efforts. I hope the unveiling can take place soon.

After two decades of service Tim Cunis (1955-60) has retired from his position as OPC Archivist. The Club is immensely grateful for the tremendous commitment that he has brought to this role and the contribution he has made. The Club has appointed Ginny Dawe-Woodings, the St Paul’s School Archivist, to succeed him. Ginny has already started the process of sorting and cataloguing the Club’s archives, which will be stored alongside the school archives in the temperature and humidity controlled archive room in the Kayton Library. This will result in our archives being available for research and enquiry.

The Old Pauline Club, as well as innumerable individual Old Paulines, owe a huge debt to Basil Moss, who died in November at the age of 85. Basil was President of the Old Pauline Club from 1991 to 1993. The two OP organisations closest to his heart were Colets at Thames Ditton, which he helped to set up in the late 1970s and then served as Director and Chief Executive for 40 years; and the Pauline Meetings, the charity which ran weekly Sunday Meetings, Easter and Summer House Parties and other activities for St Paul’s pupils in conjunction with the St Paul’s School Christian Union. In the 1960s and 1970s he was captain and inspiration behind innumerable OPFC rugby teams. When the OPAFC was established in the 1990s Basil was delighted to be its first President.

The OPC enters its 150th year in the summer. A committee has been set up to organise events in celebration.  Old Pauline Club

Committee List 2021

President B M Jones

Deputy President

The Rt Hon the Lord Vaizey of Didcot

Past Presidents

C D L Hogbin, C J W Madge, F W Neate, Sir Alexander Graham GBE DCL, R C Cunis, Professor the Rt Hon Lord McColl of Dulwich, The Rt Hon the Lord Baker of Dorking CH, J M Dennis, J H M East, Sir Nigel Thompson KCMG CBE, R J Smith

Vice Presidents

P R A Baker, Professor M D Bailey, R S Baldock, J S Beastall CB, S C H Bishop, J R Blair CBE, Sir David Brewer CMG, CVO, N St J Brooks, R D Burton, W M A Carroll, Professor P A Cartledge, M A Colato, R K Compton, T J D Cunis, A C Day, S J Dennis MBE, Sir Lloyd Dorfman CBE, C R Dring, C G Duckworth, A R Duncan, J A H Ellis, R A Engel, D H P Etherton, The Rt Hon the Lord Etherton of Marylebone PC, Sir Brian Fall GCVO KCMG, B R Girvan, T J R Goode, D J Gordon-Smith, Lt Gen Sir Peter Graham KCB CBE, Professor F D M Haldane, S A Hyman, S R Harding, R J G Holman, J A Howard, S D Kerrigan, P J King, T G Knight, B Lowe, J W S Lyons, I C MacDougall, Professor C P Mayer, R R G McIntosh, A R M McLean CLH, I C McNicol, A K Nigam, The Rt Hon George Osborne, T B Peters, D M Porteus, The Rt Hon the Lord Razzall of Mortlake CBE, The Rt Hon the Lord Renwick of Clifton KCMG, B M Roberts, J M Robertson, J E Rolfe, M K Seigel, J C F Simpson CBE, D R Snow MBE, S S Strauss, A G Summers, R Summers, J L Thorn, R Ticciati OBE, Sir Mark Walport FRS, Professor the Lord Winston of Hammersmith

Honorary Secretary

S B Turner

Honorary Treasurer N St J Brooks FCA

Main Committee

Composed of all the above and P R A Baker (OP Lodge), N F Cardoza (Golfing Society), T J D Cunis (AROPS Representative), C S Harries (Association Football Club), J P King (Colet Boat Club), P J King (Fives Club & Membership Secretary), H J Michels (Rugby Football Club), J D Morgan (Elected), N H Norgren (Elected), T B Peters (Cricket Club), A J B Riley (TDSCC Ltd Representative), D C Tristao (Tennis Club), J F Turner (OPC Sports Director), J Withers Green (Editor Atrium & Social Engagement Officer)

Executive Committee

B M Jones (President & Chairman of the Committee), The Rt Hon the Lord Vaizey (Deputy President), S B Turner (Hon Secretary), N St J Brooks (Hon Treasurer), A J B Riley (TDSSC Ltd Representative), J H M East (Elected), J A Howard (Liaison Committee Representative), P J King (Elected), J D Morgan (Elected), J F Turner (OPC Sports Director), J Withers Green (Editor, Atrium & Social Engagement Officer)

Liaison Committee

J A Howard (Chairman), I M Benjamin, R J G Holman, T B Peters, A J B Riley

Ground Committee

J M Dennis (Chairman), R K Compton, G Godfrey (Groundsman), M P Kiernan, J Sherjan

Accountants

Kreston Reeves LLP

Trustee

OPC Trustee Company Limited