Griffen 2014

2 Griffen THE OA C LUB COMM I TT E E Chairman: John Bunce (1962) Deputy Chairman/Treasurer: Gareth Morris (1976) President: Mike Stevens (1968) Elected Members: David Allison (1993) Simon Hills (1975) Mike Litchfield (1994 & Common Room) Rodney Pitt (1961) Ex Officio Members: Felicity Lusk (Head) Michael Triff (Director of Philanthropy) Ian Fishpool (Common Room) Alison Lester (Alumni Officer) Griffen The newsletter of the OA Club [email protected] Abingdon School Tel: 01235 849098 Design and print by LeachPrint www.leachprint.co.uk Front Cover: Keith Hume (1944) – Retired Petrochemical Site Project Manager Hugh Leach (1953) – Retired Soldier/Diplomat John Walker (1969) – Senior Master, Teacher of Latin and History Mark Owen (1978) – Investment Consultant Julian Tanner (1982) – Founder & CEO of a global technology PR agency Edward Conway (1995) – Infrastructure Engineer Joe Calnan (2003) – Business Analyst Na’ím Peymán (2012) – Armourers’ Corus Materials Science Scholar, University of Cambridge (Natural Sciences) The photographer: Gavin McLauchlan (1981) – TV Futurologist Back Cover: Images from A History of Abingdon School in 63 Objects In September, nearly 900 Old Abingdonians, representing almost every year group since 1939, completed an online survey that will be used to enhance and expand the work of the OA Club, including communications, events and opportunities for involvement in career development for current Abingdon boys. A summary of the survey results can be downloaded at www.abingdon.org. uk/oa/survey. The good news from the survey is that there is broad satisfaction with what the OA Club is already doing. The other good news is that OAs want more, specifically: • More information about what OAs are doing (including photos). • More advance information about upcoming events. • More content about upcoming and past events on the website. • An improved online directory of OAs with greater search functionality. • Expanded use of social media, including Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. • Annual Leaving Year Reunion based on five-year anniversary, not ten. (Note: the 7 June 2014 Leaving Year Reunion will be for OAs from 1944, 1949, 1954, 1959, 1964, 1969, 1974, 1979, 1984, 1989, 1994, 1999, 2004 and 2009 leaving years.) • Events based on sport or career/professional interest. • Events where OAs live, especially those living outside London and the south-east. • Events for recent leavers, including those still at university. • Informal opportunities for all OAs to come back to visit and tour Abingdon School. This is precisely what the OA Club is going to do. We are committed to making the OA Club one of the best independent school alumni associations in the UK and we appreciate the feedback you have given us. Thank you. As we enhance and expand the OA Club, there will be many opportunities for OAs to volunteer their time to help out. If you are interested, please email the Alumni Officer, Alison Lester, at [email protected] or call 01235 849098.