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ORA President's Report
O R A P R E S I D E N T ' S R E P O R T
JEREMY CHADWICK OR 1979-1986 PRESIDENT OF THE OLD REDINGENSIANS ASSOCIATION 2022-2023
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Dear Old Redingensians , members of staff, students and everyone in the extended Reading School family...
Shared Pride in Our School
It is a tremendous privilege for me to become your Old Redingensians Association President for the year ahead. I am honoured to take over the role from Andrew Tuggey (ORA 1958-1966), who has led us through two years of the pandemic’s challenges on a true course in line with Reading School’s long-held values. Andrew’s commitment and service to the School through these challenging times should be applauded by us all. Under his leadership, and with the support of the ORA Council, the ORA remains an organisation committed only to supporting the School, helping its pupils and its old boys. It is hard to ignore this School’s heritage as we approach our 900th anniversary of Foundation in 1125. Good men, including current MPs, other public servants, notable scientists and many Military Officers have walked these corridors and studied in the same classrooms as the current boys at School. I feel very lucky to be part of this club and am very proud my son is at Reading School. He and his friends are growing into fine and kind men with values that aren’t all just homegrown. They are learning about fairness, inclusion, integrity and public service at our School. We are lucky to be part of this same family. It is not particularly in tune with modern thinking to say you are proud to be part of a selective and somewhat traditional group these days but I do not pull back from the principles I learned here of service to others, strength and unity in the community, and teamwork to make things better. I was at School from 1979 to 1986. They were different times but the grain that ran through the School then on the sports field and elsewhere remains. Expressed differently and more widely across so many more aspects of life, but I see the same teamwork and inclusion everywhere in today’s boys. I am glad to point out to today’s generation that the music in the 80s was of course a lot better then ….
When I came to School in 1979, the process was selective as it is now. I remember the utter gut-wrenching fear as an 11-year old when the letter arrived telling you where you would be going for your secondary education. My brother, Jonathan Chadwick (OR 1977-84) was already here. I got in somehow and joined him in County. School wasn’t always straightforward and not every day was easy, but as they always
say, it does make you stronger. I was a hesitant and under-confident 11 year old when I came to School. I learned to sail, cycle a bit, and joined the CCF a year early. I captained the School’s General Knowledge and Swim teams and had some amazing experiences, as well as some exams in between everything else. I gained confidence, went to Army Officer Selection at the minimum age and won a 16 year regular Commission offer and an Undergraduate Bursary for University. I don’t think any of that would have been possible without careful stewardship throughout my time here. Looking back, the dedication and service of the Masters [teachers!] to helping us grow was second to none.
The important point about that is that my grandparents were blue-collar and poorly educated; grammar school education set firstly my parents and then my brother and me on a different path. It is a great creator of social mobility opportunities. As an OR, I see then the privilege of our selective education as an opportunity to equally help others reach up and beyond their current circumstances. We should be proud of that, not shy. We had many good examples all around us, and I am lucky enough to serve on ORA Council with Ned Holt who will be wellknown to many reading this. Ned was at School from 1966 to 1972 and served as a staff member from 1982-2012. He continues to serve the School with great vigour through the ORA despite allegedly being retired. Tom Walter should also be noted after a working lifetime here, along with others we have sadly lost this year. I am sure I am not alone in saying Ian Judd OR and Mike Evans will be greatly missed. I hope that after reading this, you understand why I try to help the School through the ORA. I joined the ORA some years ago to give something back to the next generation of boys at Reading School. I would encourage past and current Boys of the School to consider joining the ORA now if you haven’t already done so, as the School will need all our help going forward. Helping others achieve social mobility through education is a good thing, to help society level up and just be fairer. I don’t, therefore, see being at or having been to Reading School as a privilege as such - I see it as a duty to pay forward for all others.
This is why the ORA exists - to help preserve that tradition of service to others and recall the legacy, to ensure others going forward can benefit. We are most fortunate to have the services of Chris Widdows (ORA Membership Secretary) and Ken Brown (ORA Archivist) who work tirelessly to ensure the details of our history and current community are not lost, as these things matter very much. The past is a good determinant of much of the future no matter what the Banks say! As part of its role, the ORA helps to fund and organise activities for former pupils. Despite the challenges of Covid waves, we were able to hold a very successful AGM and Annual Dinner in Big School last September. Particular thanks must go to Michal Zakrzewski (School Catering Manager) for providing such an amazing spread for us. It was a wonderful evening where Will McCallum (OR 1999-2006) spoke about his time at school.
We welcomed OR Tom Whipple (1993-2000), Science Editor of the Times and author, as guest speaker on 24th September at the ORA AGM & Dinner.
We also organise the Annual OR Remembrance Day service in the Chapel where we remember our Fallen. We were very lucky to be able to hold this event this year, though with necessary Covid restrictions of course. The Chapel was nearly full, with a very broad church there indeed led in service by Chaplain Clive Windebank (OR 1952-59). The School’s Combined Cadet Force were exceptionally well turned out with drill standards being maintained since my time. I was delighted to see the RSPA representated, along with Kendrick School whose Headmistress and girls were particularly welcome. Kendrick Boys’ School amalgamated with Reading School during the First World War, so their Fallen are remembered with our own.
Many local Reading boys attended these Schools but did not return home so that we might be free.
We were also delighted to support the School vs Reading FC 125th Anniversary football match earlier in 2022.
As well as the keynote events above, there have been many year-group reunions this year supported by the ORA. We are trying to help this happen either at School or elsewhere if people prefer less formality. I myself enjoyed a very sociable evening with several friends from my year group in Caversham in July, only to get a parking ticket (cancelled) from the pub and also (possibly) unwittingly pass on Covid! The ORA Events Secretary, Fraser Peck (OR 1998-2006) brings boundless energy to organising social matters and his membership of ORA Council in the past year has been most welcome.
Turning to other matters, I can report that the ORA is in good health. Despite falling investment incomes related to Covid and the war in Ukraine our finances are robust, carefully managed by ORA Treasurer, Richard Taylor (OR 1988-1995). Our membership is growing with many younger School leavers joining, which is most encouraging. We continue to steward the assets of the ORA carefully to ensure best long-term benefit for the school. The Old Bath Road RAMS rugby ground remains in our ownership for now. Our fullest thanks should be noted to former ORA President, John Short (OR 1956-1964) for his sterling efforts in this regard, supported by Richard Griffiths (ORA 1957-1964). We continue to progress discussions for disposal toward releasing capital and ongoing investment returns to support the school. If successful, this would be a ‘game changer’. As a former Captain of School Swimming, I for one would love to see a reopened pool available for the Boys alongside other more 'plural' sports options to ensure everyone can find something they enjoy and perhaps can excel at. This is where the ORA can make a real difference. The reopening of the School Boathouse after its loss to fire will be a very positive development also. I would like to conclude by focusing on the future. As I have said earlier, the privilege of our past allows us to help others going forward. As an example of this in practice in this last year, our Immediate past President, Andrew Tuggey (ORA 1958-1966) has championed support for the School Future Stories initiative within the ORA. The ORA has been delighted to support this project financially over and above our usual funding for the School. Helping less privileged but equally able boys come to Reading School and thrive here is fundamental to the principles of equality and inclusion that we are proud to be part of in the ORA. These boys represent the future of Reading School as well in a small part the future our country (or perhaps a greater part, who yet knows?!) We will continue then to take very good care of our legacy and to ensure the very best for all boys who could come through these doors and walk the same corridors we once did.
Make an Impact
We invite Old Redingensians, parents, grandparents and supporters of Reading School to join our community in 'paying it forward' in three ways - Time, Talent and Treasure:
