ONA Now and Then
It is with real pleasure that I welcome you to your 101st and my first issue of the ONA Magazine. I hope that this is the first of very many and I am delighted to be continuing a tradition of some 40 years standing. Having already met many ONs I look forward over the coming years to meeting many more of you and this is also an ideal way to keep in touch with so many more. My welcome, as you would hope and expect, has been incredibly warm and friendly. I find the school in good heart and there is a real vibrancy amongst the community at large. The sheer range of endeavour is also reflected by the ONs in this magazine. It is fantastic to see news of events from athletics to pharmaceuticals, and not in a way all too often connected in the press! One of my first, and perhaps most daunting tasks, was to address the ONA Dinner here at school. Everyone was full of warnings and rather less advice, so it would have been very helpful to have read Bryan Stevens’ (44-49) piece on ONA Dinners in the Olden Days. That we continue the
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tradition of holding it at school is at least one thing that hopefully meets with approval. I would also hope that I avoided any contentious issues on the quality of catering and we may even have heard a memorable speech. Though that belonged to Rex Winter (68-78) rather than the new Headmaster. Being only half a term in, I did manage to avoid making any claims of greatness for the school under my stewardship. That can wait for next year. This would seem to be an appropriate time to pay tribute and offer my thanks to my predecessors, not least Dr Bernard Trafford (08-17). The rare meeting of four headmasters took place earlier this term when I met with Dr Trafford, James Miller (94-08) and Alistair Cox (72-94), but sadly it was at the funeral of the much missed former member of staff Howard Baker (77-12). It is always sad to hear of the passing of ONs, but as we read the obituaries in this edition it is striking to see just what they achieved in their lives and what an inspiration that can be. I was very aware of the number who were former scholars, or in modern terms bursary boys. The great work of the Bursary Campaign in recent years is to be thanked for helping many boys and girls have such wonderful opportunities here at the RGS and I very much look forward to working closely with it to extend those opportunities and ensure that we remain the proper servant of the City and North East at large. The importance of service and a place in the community is central to the ethos of the school and the more the wider world understands what a welcoming and supportive place the RGS is, the better. I was, therefore, particularly interested in reading David Peberdy’s (99-09) article on his time volunteering in the ‘Land of the Thunder Dragon’ and would echo his encouragement to volunteer. We are trying to do this in school as well, with more students volunteering both locally and abroad not least through the DofE and World Challenge. I particularly like the idea of Gross Domestic Happiness, and in a world where we hear so much of the pressures on well-being and mental health, it is no bad thing to continue to
think properly about the individual. Any school must be about the people. Nurturing and developing all of those who belong to the community is a central task of the RGS and so it is truly inspiring to read of the work of ONs and then take this idea out into the world. I found the article by Marjorie Whinfield (03-05) truly inspiring, although must confess to an ignorance on Applied Behaviour Analysis before reading it. To enjoy a job so much and be able to remember and see the fun in it, despite what must also be some difficult situations and times, is so important and reminds me of why I teach as well. The staff here are an incredibly hard-working and dedicated team and it is notable how many references are made to former colleagues and their importance in inspiring and acting as role-models. As I said, we forget the people and individuals at our peril. Inevitably when taking over at the helm of a great school like the RGS there is much mystery and folklore to try and understand. Thankfully, unlike Henry Bourne (unknown-1709) in Alan Castree’s (5361) article my work has not, so far, been conducted “amid malice, ill-nature, unpleasantness and disappointment”! Despite overseeing the demolition of the old swimming pool this summer, and hearing of many tales surrounding it, not least at the ONA Dinner, I’m sure everyone is excited at the new building development. We are currently working with the architects and the Governors and I hope to be able to share more details with you all soon. One important aspect of any new venture is to think about how it links to our past, so you will be pleased to hear that the stained glass windows have been carefully preserved and will be incorporated into the new design. We all know that in looking to the future we must also remember the past. And as I look ahead I am ever-mindful of the longevity of the school and its roots in the people, City and wider North East community. Over the coming months and years, I very much look forward to working with you all. John Fern Headmaster
