OW SOCIETY an introduction
Welcome to the 2020/2021 Yearbook. As we move forward from the uncertainties and complications of the last 18 months, perhaps at times with diffident steps, I hope that you and your families are keeping safe and well. Last year, I suggested that it was unlikely that anyone would be left untouched by the pandemic. Twelve months on, regrettably, that has become a truism. Many have suffered, and continue to suffer, enormously: countless loved ones lost, and many enduring long term physical debilities. The tendrils impact far beyond the physical: the many deprivations – whether social, financial educational, or others – have had, and will have, a huge impact on the wellbeing of a very significant proportion of our communities, many perhaps without even recognising it. Our societal norms are being permanently redrawn. And yet, globally, we are the comparatively lucky ones. And what is clearest is the justifiable concern for the younger generations: those in education, particularly secondary and tertiary, those embarking on, or are early in, their working lives, those without work.
Mark Milliken-Smith (Bd 81) Governor and Chairman of the OW Executive committee
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Which is why I celebrate the positivity, selflessness and optimism which those very generations embody. The House Reports in this volume repeatedly demonstrate both natural leadership and inclusivity from the prefect groups, and, in every school setting, a “get on and do” resilience, with a simple understanding of mutual support. The necessity for student “bubbles” has highlighted the personal and collective importance of Houses, of year
