Change to eligibility criteria, Hertford Presentation scheme

[kerrensimmonds]

Just to advise that our organising committee has now agreed to extend the criteria for selection, so that it is not gender specific to girls. The scheme will now consider applications from all children or grandchildren of female Old Blues (i.e. no longer just daughters or granddaughters). And I do have a Presentation to make for 2013, so would be glad to hear from any eligible candidates.

[J.R.]

Pity I didn't go to Hertford and my grand-children a few years younger, then !

[ailurophile]

Some years ago I was told that OBs were specifically prohibited from sending their own children to the school, because they were 'expected' to have done well enough in life themselves not to need such charitable support!

I'm pleased to find this isn't true now (much though I hope that my own sons will succeed in their post-CH careers, to assume a guarantee of prosperity sounds like arrogant nonsense!) - but out of interest, does anyone know if this was ever the case?

[Fjgrogan]

I have never heard that this was ever the case - after all it would not take account of those who were widowed, or women who had married someone in a low-paid job - in particular clergy. There were certainly a high proportion of girls at Hertford who were the daughters of clergy; presumnably this was the case at Horsham as well? Also those who had fallen on hard times through illness or those injured or killed serving their country in the Forces, or in any other way. In fact it surely would have been totally alien to the ethos of CH.

[kerrensimmonds]

I've never heard of that one, either. The BSB has been presenting the children of Old Blues for generations......

[ailurophile]

Fjgrogan wrote:

I have never heard that this was ever the case - after all it would not take account of those who were widowed, or women who had married someone in a low-paid job - in particular clergy. There were certainly a high proportion of girls at Hertford who were the daughters of clergy; presumnably this was the case at Horsham as well? Also those who had fallen on hard times through illness or those injured or killed serving their country in the Forces, or in any other way. In fact it surely would have been totally alien to the ethos of CH.

I'd have thought so too, which is why I was curious to find out if there was any evidence for the story. Interestingly though it was an OB (male) who told me this; when he heard that my sons were at CH he said that he'd always believed he wouldn't be eligible to apply for his own children to go to the school, for the reason I've quoted.

[Katharine]

I am living proof that children of OBs can go to CH. In our family my father and my aunt both went. My father became a country parson and then my brother and I both went - Peter was a BSB presentee. Peter was in Thornton B with Michael Scuffil - who says he doesn't remember very many sons of OBs there. My niece Joanna, (Peter's daughter) went as well, she was an RAF presentee (is that the right term?) Jo was thus daughter, niece, granddaughter and great niece of OBs!

[J.R.]

I'm tempted to make some comment about the criteria now being allied to the size of the bank-account, but modesty prevents....................

[Foureyes]

Concerning the eligibility of children of Old Blues I think that there is a slight misunderstanding. I believe that the rule was simply financial and if the parent/s fell within the strict income limits set by C.H. then they were OK but if their income was outside the limits, then they were not eligible, and that was that. Thus, if the parent was an Old Blue then if they were within the financial limits then that might have given the application a slight edge, but if the parental income was outside the limit then the fact that the parent was an Old Blue was irrelevant.
That said, I believe that there were some parents, possibly including Old Blues, who used various methods to adjust their apparent income in a downwards direction in order to achieve eligibility.
It is true that the BSB has presented children of Old Blues for many years, but I am prepared to bet that the parents were all in need and carefully assessed by the BSB.
David