Trinity Old Boys’ Association

Mr Darren Taggart TOBA President

2007 for TOBA has been a very productive year and the association continues to grow from strength to strength. Since the establishment of the TOBA website www.toba.net.au in 2006 members have been able to keep up to date with forthcoming events, and the website has allowed TOBA to communicate more effectively with its members.

Among the leaving Year 12s TOBA membership seems to be a major priority. From the graduating Class of 2007 there was a 99% acceptance rate of TOBA membership. These young men, who want to maintain a connection to Trinity after they have left school, know that through TOBA, they will always be part of the wider Trinity College community. Their membership gives them the opportunity to tap into a wealth of support, guidance, advice and lifelong friendships.

In 2007 a subsidiary to TOBA was formed called TopA. The Trinity Old Parents Affiliate, under the presidency of Mr Guy Grant, has been set up for parents who are not old boys, but who through their sons’ years at Trinity, have come to appreciate the passion and the ethos of the College. TOBA recognises the major role played in the daily life of the College by these parents and through TopA they can continue their involvement and maintain friendships made during their sons’ education. Another community building initiative of TOBA during 2007 was the compiling of a combined Trinity College/ TOBA Business Directory. The idea behind this was to encourage the wider Trinity community to support each other in the community’s various spheres of business. The booklet for 2007 was distributed to over 5,000 Old Boys and current Trinity families. The 2008 copy is already in its planning stages with the hope that more and more businesses within the Trinity College community will subscribe to it.

This year TOBA in association with Trinity Archives also launched its inaugural calendar for 2008 at the Trinity Art Show on Friday 19th October. The calendar included some never before seen archival photos, and has all the major College sporting and TOBA events highlighted for 2008.

Aside from these initiatives TOBA has had functions almost monthly where Trinity Old Boys came together to either socialise among themselves or as part of the wider Trinity community. There were sundowners and a luncheon with the Old Aquinians; of course sport had a role with the annual golf day and the TOBA sports day. A breakfast was held before Head of the River and the Trinity Sunday Mass was very well attended with present students, Old Boys, Trinity staff and their families all gathered together in prayer.

Without doubt the most popular TOBA event of the year was The TOBA Art Exhibition which has become one of the major social events in the TOBA calendar. This year the exhibition which was held on the same weekend as the Trinity Springtime Fair was opened by Federal Liberal MP and Trinity Old Boy Michael Keenan. This year 130 artists displayed their work and on the opening night over 200 people were treated to the culinary delights of renowned chef Iain Lawless as they admired the art on display.

2007 saw Trinity College launch the book Strive Manfully A History of CBC Perth and Trinity College 1894 – 2003 written by former Principal and Old Boy Mr Tony Curtis. This marvellous publication gives a detailed but extremely readable account of the College’s history. As TOBA President I was particularly proud to read of the extensive involvement of Old Boys throughout the College’s history. As always Trinity Old Boys are achieving and doing great things locally and further afield; Damian Beale Class of ’95 deserves a particular mention. In August Damian and his wife Sarah headed off to Papua New Guinea for two years volunteer work. They are working with Callan Health Services, a disability service provider set up by the Christian Brothers, and they will be involved in setting up a health care programme.

As TOBA President it gives me great pride to see the constructive and selfless contribution our members make to society. I congratulate Trinity’s Class of 2007 on their graduation from Trinity College and welcome them as new members of TOBA. I am sure that their chosen pathways were ensconced during their days at Trinity and Trinity’s tradition and ethos of turning out young men in service of others ensures that in some small way the world is a better place.

TOBA’s achievements in 2007 would not have been possible without the wonderful work of our Executive Officer Ms Anna Gingell and without the support of the TOBA Executive. Anna’s diligence and professionalism in conjunction with the Executive has allowed the association to grow and in 2008 we all look forward to continuing to serve the interests of the Old Boys of Trinity College.