In the Junior Campus Meeting Room

Meeting Opened:  6:40

Present: Adam, Grant, Peter, Theo, Donald, Chris, Callum, Jake, Mark, Stuart, David, Peter Vos

Apologies: Ian

We held this meeting at the Junior Campus. Was a great night and thanks to Principal of Junior Campus, Peter Vos and team, for the excellent hospitality. 
 
Matters Arising from Minutes:  

Newsletter – 3rd of June is the deadline. Chris to draft, and include: Country reunion, AGM report, Warren Watson interview, School reports, plug for the Junior Campus meetings of the council + regulars.

Website – many people are connecting with the Association through this. Suellin Roy is hoping to reunite with any Old Boys with knowledge of the School in the 1920s, as she is researching her father Dudley Berryman Roy’s life as an Old Boy at that time.

Reunion Dinner – three course smorgasbord meal expected to cost about $45. Dignitaries to be invited at the cost of the Association are: Headmasters, Heads of Campus and Chaplain. Also, the Patron and a select group of official invitees will be circulated for the next meeting. Ticket price and inclusions for all other guests are to be confirmed. Idea floated that a guest speaker be invited to give an address at the dinner. Mark to canvas for speakers. Invitation to be circulated with the newsletter, and a list of attendees to be published in simple spreadsheet form for guests to peruse.

Adam – spoke at a conference for the International Boys Schools Coalition on the workings of Dilworth, and championed its successes. Recognized the value of brotherhood instilled in Boys while at Dilworth. He also attended the Scholars night at Dilworth – mixed and mingled with top students and parents before their successes were celebrated officially in the David Beattie Centre at which George Barker spoke.

Centennial Trust – generating funds in order to donate books to the libraries at Dilworth. Looking for a new trustee – Simon Curran suggested as an ideal candidate.

Website: much interest in the website, particularly in the guestbook and the newsletters. Facility to pay for the reunion dinner to be included on the website.

Country Reunion: 3rd weekend of August, (13th, 14th and 15th) in Mt Maunganui. Dinner on Saturday, activities to include: fishing, golf, sightseeing, sports on the Saturday. Accommodation options to be discussed and finalized.  “Astralabe” is one option for the dinner.

Old Friends: idea that we actively recruit the 200 odd OB’s who are registered on this site. This will enable us to gain further contact details. Mark has pledged to organized the IM-a-thon but volunteers required to process 2 pages of messages each. Adam and Chris have pledged to assist.

Also, Mark has pledged to adjust the website so that Old Boys can log in using their school numbers and a unique password. Details could be shared with other old boys on an opt-in basis, and all information would be private unless the Old Boy approves it.

Winter Sports – will be in August. More detail to follow.
Inward / Outward Correspondance: 

Guestbook has received many entries on the website. This is to be encouraged as a means of contacting the DOBA.

Thank you notes sent to Martin, Donald and Mike Moore for the highly successful gala dinner.

Principals Report: 

Les Miserables: could be the best production ever at Dilworth! Please attend.

Premier Sports: not much joy , but Premier basketball beat Mt Albert Grammar 65:35, last week, and beat Onehunga High by 15pts.

Staffing: looking for Maori teacher. Know anyone?

New Projects – equipment and items from the former Hotel du Vin were auctioned last weekend for a sum much greater than the reported $30,000. Many decisions to be made around vineyards, architecture etc. All positive.

Isabella Dilworth Lodge: being extensively renovated, and the Lodge will be up and running by the end of this term.

Letter from Mr Roger Neil (64-71) expressed disappointment with our reporting of John Key as a Rt. Hon. on our website.  He in fact should be referred to as the Honorable John Key, NOT the Right Honorable John Key! Error duly noted by the Council.

Silverware – is currently located in the cupboard at the back of the Sports Centre. These were checked recently and have been audited as in stock. Crystalware – some exists in the cabinet next to Donald MacLean’s office

Junior Library – The Dilworth Old Boys Foundation library does indeed have the correct name and the gesture on behalf of the Old Boys is very much appreciated. Some form of commemoration around the opening of the rural campus (involving books and reading?) should be something that we pursue further, but it may not necessarily involve the naming of a library.

Concern expressed about the visibility of the Old Boys within the Junior School community. This was the main purpose behind stamping each library book with an Old Boys insignia. The two campuses are simply arms of one school – and as much as possible we as Old Boys should attempt to raise our profile across both campuses.

Junior Campus Report: constant and stable staff. Veggie garden is being established with the view of training students for participation in the Rural Campus. Go-Cart building programme will be underway in term four. Music is very strong – 130 boys learn an instrument.

Chris to draft a letter to Angus Ta’avao congratulating him for making the NZ Rugby under 20s team visiting Argentina for the Junior World Cup. Old Boys to send cufflinks to reward him for this achievement.

General Business:

World Cup – We will look at opportunities for dinners and functions to coiincide with the World Cup on 2011. This will be discussed over the next few months.

Idea: to alternate meeting locations – Senior Campus, Junior Campus, Galbraiths – on consecutive  1st Tuesdays of every month. Council in agreement that this is a good idea.

Old Boys membership card – idea that a unique number be assigned to leavers to join the Association. Council to be issued with a Gold card. This would be a good way to catch leavers to join the Association from the outset. Jeweller in Remuera has on record a cast of the School crest that can be used to make this.

Idea: that the Association should implement a policy of placing death notices in the Herald upon the death of our Association members. Some discussion had around this but the Council felt that this would create a number of difficulties including the onus of observing the death of each and every Old Boy and the offense that may result if this was not possible. In the end it was decided not to pursue this.

Patron’s photo and honours board: Thanks to Peter Hargreaves for organizing this, plan is in place for this to be taken and framed in time for the AGM. The new honours board is also to be mounted in the Sports Centre in time for this. Exact colours are still to be confirmed.

Thanks: to Peter Hargreaves and Donald MacLean for the impeccable appearance of the School expressed on behalf of the Council.

Meeting Closed 8:15pm