CHA

Air your views regarding the CH Old Blues' Association, what it's delivering and what it should/could deliver. A chance to get your voice heard on what you'd like from YOUR Association...

Moderator: Moderators

Post Reply
UserRemovedAccount
GE (Great Erasmus)
Posts: 194
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2004 12:17 pm

CHA

Post by UserRemovedAccount »

Many people seem ready to criticise the Club and the Management Committee, but without either offering to serve themselves or suggesting an alternative/s which is/are demonstrably better. Serving on the Committee requires an inclination to serve allied to a commitment to attend committee meetings, offer constructive views on Club business and to attend at least some of the Old Blue/School functions. All this, in turn, requires time to be available, a reasonable geographical proximity to the School, and, in some cases, the finance to afford all this. Very few young people (i.e, from late teens to early 40s) are able to take this on, for reasons which are fully understandable: tertiary education, financial problems, repaying student loans, commitment to new career, raising a family, travelling/working abroad, raising hell, having fun, etc, etc
User avatar
jtaylor
Forum Administrator
Posts: 1880
Joined: Sat Jun 05, 2004 12:32 am
Real Name: Julian Taylor
Location: Wantage, OXON
Contact:

Post by jtaylor »

I agree with a number of the points you make here - especially about having to be local to the school, and the cost implications in giving back to CH. By the very nature of the net that CH casts, people are based all over the country. The working environment these days also leads to frequent job moves, and hence frequent relocation.

My feelings on it?? Make the CH Community a self-perpetuating one: engage pupils as they're leaving CH, and demonstrating to them (rather than telling them) the benefits of the Old Blues network. This could be through work placements, job/careers advice, summer work etc. Once pupils that are leaving see the benefits of being part of the community, they'll want to remain part of it.

In theory we should have access to a hugely diverse community of people, most of which have spent 7 years in the same environment, with largely the same ethos and values. Using these contacts, and supporting each other, has to be a good thing? This, in part, is what this Forum is aiming to achieve.....

In terms of finance - young Old Blues are trying to fund themselves through Uni, with huge debts by the end. They then have to work flat-out to establish themselves in careers, often in parallel with trying to fund and bring up a family. Hence, disposable income is limited for a good few years after leaving CH.
It's often only later in life that people can afford to give back to CH in any way, once mortgages are paid, debts paid off, and families raised - hence, we need to keep people interested and engaged even though they can't afford to give back.
I'd love to present a child to the school - but I am many years away from even thinking of being able to afford it!

I've heard stories of people offering time/help to CH (careers lectures, work experience etc. etc.) and in return receiving a direct-debit form!

J
Julian Taylor-Gadd
Leigh Hunt 1985-1992
Image
Founder of The Unofficial CH Forum
https://www.grovegeeks.co.uk - IT Support and website design for home, small businesses and charities.
Post Reply