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Going to the dogs in Dublin By Adrian Varley The first event of the Society of Actuaries in Ireland’s new Student Society Committee for students and recent qualifiers was held on 20 November – a night at the dogs at Shelbourne Park. Up to 65 students arrived to enjoy the blur of the dogs as they disappeared around the first bend, the jostling for position, and to cheer on their choice as it surged across the line. With a flutter riding on each dog, pulse rates were raised high and there were some big wins among the attendees. Where else would 30 seconds bring such excitement and fun?
Shelbourne Park provided a fantastic range of finger food on the night, washed down with a few complementary drinks. Thanks to them for running the event and to all those who attended. Pictures of the evening can be found on our Student Society of Actuaries in Ireland Facebook page. We’re going to organise more events soon this year and will be in contact about these closer to the time. Lastly, from all the student committee, we’d like to congratulate those who were successful in the September exams and wish good luck to all those sitting exams in April.
Master ‘takes out’ president’s wife By Martin Miles (Master) Towards the end of January, the inter-livery skiing competition took place in Morzine, France. Started seven years ago, the event has grown steadily and this year there were 150 skiers from more than 20 livery companies. As always, the Worshipful Company of Actuaries took a team, captained by IFoA president-elect, Fiona Morrison. I am afraid we did not win any of the big prizes – not even the Actuaries Cup, in which skiers’ times are age- and sex- adjusted by a fiendish formula we invented and which was supposed to give us a sporting chance. However, we did have some success. I am delighted to report that actuary Richard Hawkes (a past-master of the livery company) not only got the Seniors’ Prize for being the oldest participant to complete the course but was also part of the team that came third in the ‘Over 200’ competition. The latter is open only to livery companies that can field a team of three whose combined ages exceed 200.
Both this and next year’s president meet the usual ‘criteria’ of being very good skiers and members of the Livery Company, and Nick Salter took a weekend off his professional duties to ski magnificently as always. Unfortunately, I was skiing less well and, in our pre-race practice, I clipped the ski of Nick’s wife, causing her to fall – very gently I might add. I was the first to offer her help getting up – but too late – the headline for this article was inevitable. Luckily I was forgiven, and Nick put in a stunning performance in the race to lead our Livery Court team of three to the bronze medal slot, with George Yoxall and me many seconds behind but just good enough.
Cutting-edge fine dining The first livery dinner of 2015 for the Worshipful Company of Actuaries took place on 27 January at the very impressive Stationers’ Hall in London. Liveryman Simon O’Regan proposed the health of the guests, to which David Ward, senior vice-president of the Royal College of Surgeons, responded. As well as David, who is a plastic surgeon, three other principal guests were also senior orthopaedic surgeons. I am pleased to report we did not require any of their services during the meal, but rumour has it that David took several bookings!
NWAS a good quiz By Vicky Proctor The smartest actuarial minds in the North West clubbed together on 4 December for the annual North West Actuarial Society (NWAS) pub quiz, hosted by quizmaster Nigel Jones at the Ape and Apple. Eight teams battled it out to be crowned the brainiest eggheads, with team names including ‘Small Lumps Mmmm’, ‘I Can’t Read This One Out’, and ‘The Winners’ (who
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unfortunately did not win). Questions covered an array of topics, including past Eurovision winners, the ingredients of a Waldorf salad and Belphegor’s prime. A favourite question was
“Name three Oscar-winning films with an animal in the title,” with many disappointed to find ‘Slumdog’ was disallowed. Well done to the Mercer team ‘Trivial Commutes’, (pictured left) for beating off the competition and winning the quiz, and also for being the only team fully resplendent in festive hats. The battle of the brightest in the North West will take place again next year.
Deaths: David Paul HAGER died recently, aged 64. He became a Fellow in 1975. Alastair Stewart FERNIE died recently, aged 80. He became a Fellow in 1963.
clerk@actuariescompany.co.uk
THE ACTUARY • March 2015 www.theactuary.com
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