Newsletter Spring 2008
Chairman’s Message
I hope you like this new-style Newsletter and that it will provide a valuable summary of recent activities, current developments and forthcoming events.
We now have a larger Committee team, providing cover in case of eventualities and enabling us to do more overall.
As you will see, we want to refresh our database and give you opportunity to let us know precisely what information from us would best meet your personal requirements. We are also putting a lot of effort into keeping our website interesting, enjoyable and as up-to-date as possible, so visit it and let us have your reactions.
Joe Lomax recently tendered his resignation as Joint Secretary. He has been the lynchpin of the Association for over a decade and we thank him very warmly for the work he has done on behalf of all of us. I am glad to report that he will continue with two of the things which he has most enjoyed: to help us track down new members and to represent us at meetings of the National Council.
The Committee’s task is to run this Association for the benefit of all Shrigley Old Boys – students and staff – whatever their current circumstances or persuasion. Please help us to do this by keeping in touch and letting us have your views.
Peter Roebuck
From the Secretary
The months since the 2007 Reunion, the AGM and the Launch of The Salesian Cemetery at Shrigley have been busy for the newly-elected members of the committee which now oversees the running of the Association. There have been two committee meetings, one at Savio House early in December, and the other in Glasgow at the end of January. This latter was combined with a social event and the annual celebration Mass to mark the Feast of St John Bosco. This was organised by John Bergin, Co-opted Member for Scotland. Scottish hospitality was, as was to be expected, far warmer than the weather.
There is brief report of what our Scots members are planning below. Their plans are very practical!
The Committee intends to hold three meetings a year, open to all members. Though members attending do not have voting rights, their contribution to the meetings is welcome and expected.
The aim is to include, whenever possible, a social gathering at the same time. Paul Barnes, Co-opted Member for the South of England, has been busy organising what he calls a ‘Southern Gathering’ on 4th and 5th July. The venue is the church hall of John Crowshaw’s parish where the committee meeting takes place on the Friday evening, the programme of events on the Saturday. You will find details, booking forms and directions included in this mailing.
Bernard O’Neill, Events Coordinator for 2008, has been busy organising and raising sponsorship for the Reunion and AGM over the weekend of 19th-21st September. This event, as usual, will be jointly based at Shrigley and Savio House. This year celebrates ‘The Class of 1958’ and the 50th Anniversary of their arrival at Shrigley. Details of this event and booking forms are also included with this newsletter, and to make things easier for Bernard I urge you to book early. The Shrigley Hall Hotel continues to offer the special prices for Shrigley Association members which we have enjoyed for several years.
Eric Baggaley, Minutes Secretary and IT Coordinator, has been working closely with our Webmaster, Keith Dransfield, to ensure that the Association Website is attractive and informative. Their report appears below.
My own greatest pleasure in recent months has been to see the House Shields and the Lomas Shield on display in the entrance hall of the Shrigley Hall Hotel. They surround the brass plaque that was put there some years ago.
Below the shields are brief details of the four saints after whom the houses were named, their lives, their deaths, their feast days. There is also an explanation of the motto “Da mihi animas caetera tolle” which appears on the Lomas Shield.
We are grateful to Louise Davenport, PA to the manager of the hotel, for bringing this project to a successful conclusion.
Peter Roebuck has referred to our intention to update our database. I would be grateful if you could give some time and thought to the enclosed request to bring your personal details and preferences up to date. This will give us a clearer idea of how we can cost and meet the communications needs of all our members. I offer a fuller account of my thinking in the paper I attach, Shrigley Association Records: Updating records and offering choice.
It is my opinion that as our age profile increases, communication within the Association will come to rely more on mail and the internet to keep us in touch with each other. We will need to devote more of our resources to this. We cannot afford, however, to have letters dropping on to dead doormats, or emails disappearing into the ether. We see no point in sending you information you do not need or want. If there is no possibility of you ever attending a reunion, because of distance, infirmity or some other reason, we can save on sending you booking forms, though we will always inform you of forthcoming events so that you can be with us in spirit during our gatherings.
Before next year we should start to think of the 75th Anniversary of the cutting of the first sod for the Shrigley Church, which marked Don Bosco’s Canonisation – a milestone to be marked.
We now have an excellent website where you will find the notices and information the committee wish to pass on. Please visit www.shrigleyassociation.org regularly.
Mike Kilduff
From the Minutes Secretary and IT Coordinator
Following on from the AGM and the subsequent Committee roles clarification, you may be aware that Webmaster, Keith Dransfield and I have been “decluttering” and updating the Association website, with a view to making and keeping it more “fit for purpose”. Herewith – our chief work to date (the headings are those used on the website):
1. HISTORY: This section is being revised, to be fuller and more accurate.
2. NEWS: To concentrate on recent past events and on publicising of future events, currently the AGM 2007, the Committee Meetings of 2007/2008, next July’s “South” Committee Meeting and the Association AGM, ”Shrigley 1958” Reunion of September 2008.
3. MINUTES: To record the last AGM and the last three Committee meetings. Perhaps here will also appear Chairman’s Communications and the 3 yearly “postings” from the Secretary.
4. RECENT E-MAILS: News/Information/Requests/Items of Interest sent in by members, during (approximately) the last three months.
5. REQUEST FOR PRAYERS: Members’ requests sent to the Webmaster/Committee during (approximately) the last month or so.
6. EVENTS: Programming, Booking procedures, Publicity for forthcoming Events in the current year planning.
7. LINKS: Guiding members to other sites they may wish to contact, such as, for example, National Salesian Old Boys’ Association, Salesian British Province, RUALINK, Salesian Co-operators, Retreats, Pilgrimages, Friends Reunited.
8. CONTACTS: Details required to contact the Association Committee Members.
9. GALLERY: Photographic entries by Members, recording our official (and unofficial) gatherings, activities, events.
10. PUBLICATIONS: Details of, and order forms for, the three publications currently available on Shrigley.
Members are urged to send in their news, photographs, requests, comments, so as to constantly enliven the site.
Eric Baggaley
The Co-opted Member for Scotland
John Bergin reported recently on a meeting to discuss how to support the Salesians in their parish in Easterhouse:
“Over tea and cake Fr Charles, Fr Jim, John Clark and I agreed a small number of projects we would take forward and these included:
- Painting the boundary fence at St Benedict’s (John and I heartily agreed this was a good idea until on leaving we realised it stretched from St Benedict’s to Baillieston, but it’s too late to back out now) (As a former English teacher, I think I spot an example of hyperbole here. Mike)
- Some painting in the house at St Benedict’s
- Tidy up the lawn at St Clair’s in preparation for First Communion on 7th May
- Set up/improve Fr Jim’s database of parish information
These are all relatively short, sharp projects which we aim to start in April.”
Brendan Gill also reported that it has been suggested that there might be an appetite for a Spiritual Retreat. This would probably be over a week-end at Savio House and cost about £95. Those who would like to take this idea further should contact Brendan on b_j_gill@hotmail.com.
John Bergin
The Archive
I am afraid the Association’s archive has taken a bit of a back seat over recent months, chiefly because I have moved house twice in that time. However, I will get it up to date over the summer and submit a report in time for the Reunion.
Articles still to be catalogued, as a change from material from 1929 to 1983, are newer material from last year’s Reunion celebration concert marking Fr Albert’s 60th Jubilee. Newspaper reports of his football career will be laid down for posterity’s gaze. The headline, in the Macclesfield Times of Thursday 19th July,
FATHER ALBERT CARETTE IS MACCLESFIELD TOWN’S OLDEST SIGNING! 86 YEAR OLD BOLTON SIGNING SET TO MAKE HOME DEBUT
was followed by a full account of his career. The information that “a queue of potential sponsors is now reported to be lining up to have the attractive Carette endorse their products” had members agog.
We must thank Paul Barnes, who was compère for the evening, for spotting this item which might otherwise have gone unremarked. It was the Bolton connection – Paul is an ex-Thornleigh pupil, remember – that counted.
Mike Kilduff
The Committee
Honorary President: Fr Albert Carette SDB (1932-37)
Chairman: Peter Roebuck (1953-59)
Secretary: Mike Kilduff (1953-59)
Treasurer: David Murphy (1961-65)
Minutes Secretary/IT Coordinator: Eric Baggaley (1946-53)
Events Coordinator: Bernard O’Neill (1958-62)
Co-opted Member (Scotland): John Bergin (1965-70)
Co-opted Member (South of England): Paul Barnes (1954-57) |
