Unofficial Christ's Hospital Forum

yeah he's part of the planning

Ruthie-Baby wrote:yeah he's part of the planning

... and part of the family ??

Scone Lover wrote:So June 17th 2007 is the day then. Is anything special being laid on for this OB day. Sunday seems a strange day to have it

The idea of holding Old Blues Day on a Sunday may seem a bit strange, but due to the rather crowded nature of the school's calendar this was the only option.

The day itself will be fairly packed with things to see and do - a tentative schedule is being discussed by the CHA and the school at the moment, and as soon as things start to fall into place you'll certainly get to hear about them.

Richard Ruck wrote:

Scone Lover wrote:So June 17th 2007 is the day then. Is anything special being laid on for this OB day. Sunday seems a strange day to have it

The idea of holding Old Blues Day on a Sunday may seem a bit strange, but due to the rather crowded nature of the school's calendar this was the only option.

The day itself will be fairly packed with things to see and do - a tentative schedule is beeing discussed by the CHA and the school at the moment, and as soon as things start to fall into place you'll certainly get to hear about them.

Is any wasping being discussed ?

(Sorry Richard ! Couldn't resist it. Jan and I MAY be in Horsham for a bevvy Wednesday lunchtime-ish, if you're around !)

Typo edited!

Not sure what I'm supposed to be doing on Wednesday - I'll let you know......

jtaylor wrote:Is this an example of a topic for useful moderation? i.e. removing all the gumpf (yes, it's a word!) to make it easy for people to see the facts?

JT

Yes!

And back on topic - OB's days always used to be on a Sunday when I was at CH...

jtaylor wrote:Is this an example of a topic for useful moderation? i.e. removing all the gumpf (yes, it's a word!) to make it easy for people to see the facts?

JT

Definitely - the topic is of some importance especially to those who come here for info rather than camaraderie.

Is there not room for both information and camaraderie?

certainly - but perhaps in the right places. To use an analogy, lets keep notices on the notice board and camaraderie in the bar.

...... and we are both

I've just seen on the CHA website that we will have to pre-register to go to Old Blues Day - I think this will prohibit a number of YOB's from coming as often they will not know until the ast minute.

Also, does anyone know if there will be a Scout Camp in Shelley Wood like there has been in the past?

Great Plum wrote:I've just seen on the CHA website that we will have to pre-register to go to Old Blues Day - I think this will prohibit a number of YOB's from coming as often they will not know until the ast minute.

Also, does anyone know if there will be a Scout Camp in Shelley Wood like there has been in the past?

Then lets hope we get plenty of fore-warning, so we can register.

Scout Camp ?? Shelley Wood ??

Plummo ! I'm getting a little worried about you, your Piccolo and your Woggle !

J.R. wrote:

Great Plum wrote:I've just seen on the CHA website that we will have to pre-register to go to Old Blues Day - I think this will prohibit a number of YOB's from coming as often they will not know until the ast minute.

Also, does anyone know if there will be a Scout Camp in Shelley Wood like there has been in the past?

Then lets hope we get plenty of fore-warning, so we can register.

Scout Camp ?? Shelley Wood ??

Plummo ! I'm getting a little worried about you, your Piccolo and your Woggle !

I'm getting a bit concerned about the whole affair (and that is not a cue for JR!) - on, off, wobble, wibble and woggles galore, I don't know what's going to happen next.

I book a ticket and they postpone the affair so I cancel it and make another booking. Now they want pre-booking. If they can't give decent notice then how in tarnation do they expect working peeps to sort out their calendars. I even have dates booked for November 2008 so they ought to sort themselves out.

OTOH probably better to steer clear.

I am not aware that OB's day was ever cancelled. I can say that getting to the point where we are now has been a herculean task and I do hope that all of us will make a very special effort to support OB's Day. I should hate to see it go down the pan for lack of support. If that happened, I don't suppose it would ever again be resurrected.

For those of us who have fought so hard to make it a really inclusive day for all OBs - of all ages and conditions including our financially stretched brothers and sisters struggling to launch their careers or bring up a family - it will be a triumph indeed if this year we can attract a much wider range of fellow Old Blues than has been possible hitherto. That has been our aim throughout, and it has not been easy to keep the event on track and focused to this end.

As far as registration is concerned, it is essential in this day and age to be seen to be doing all we can to ensure the well-being and safety of current Blues. If we were simply to allow a free-for-all, when anyone purporting to be an OB, could freely wander at will and unchallenged through the school, I believe we would be doing a disservice to the school. Times have certainly changed, David, since the days when you and I shared our experiences at CH in an era when there was far less public paranoia about the dangers that surround children in our society. Whether or not this paranoia is justified is another issue altogether, but the fact is we have to take cognisance of it.

Having said that, I have no doubt that some, especially younger OBs, may just turn up. I hope there will be a system in place which can accommodate and welcome them even if they have not pre-registered.

Having had some experience of "security" may I comment? This business of pre-registration will only be as successful as the on-site arrangements allow it to be. Thus, if it really is to work all accesses to the school will have to be blocked except one or perhaps two which are then manned throughout the day. These checkpoints will have to check everyone who arrives against the list and issue them with some sort of badge which must then be worn at all times throughout the day. If anyone presenting themselves at a checkpoint has not pre-registered they must be turned away. Similarly, if someone is found within the designated area without a badge then they must be immediately challenged and marched straight to the nearest exit. If "the system" does not do all of that then the whole business will collapse into farce.
I would also point out that if a genuine Old Blue is turned back at an entrance then he/she will know of at least half-a-dozen alternative routes into the place! Also, what will happen if a young Old Blue with wife and two infants presents themselves at the checkpoint and says that they have only decided to come at the last minute? Will they be turned away because they failed to pre-register? And, if they are allowed in will an older Old Blue then be turned away because he should have known better?
It is one thing to have an entry desk at Dining Hall or Big School and only allow those through who have tickets, but it is quite another to impose security over the entire site. One might also ask where all the security guards to impose this are to come fronm - and be paid for?
I am not trying to create difficulties just for the sake of it. Ask anyone else who is on the Forum who has experience of these matters, such as the various ex-Policemen, and I am sure that they will agree with me. If real security is required and only those who have pre-registered are to be allowed in then there will be a price in staff and public relations to be paid. It may be that that is acceptable - that is for others to judge.
I also wonder at Davebythesea's repeated emphasis on the "herculean" scale of the task of getting this all agreed. Why is it so difficult to get Old Blues onto the site they know so well? Are they really wanted?

Further to the above, I have now looked again at the Registration Form. It asks for the person's name, but only insofar as that concerns payment by credit card. There is no request for the applicant's full name, house/s and dates at Housie, so it is not possible to crosscheck that the applicant actually is a genuine Old Blue. Indeed, it would seem that there is nothing to stop a determined imposter from registering if he/she was really wanted to do so. Iif you really want people to pre-register then they should have to give at least some personal details and be checked off against the school rolls.

Again, I am not trying to be either funny or destructive, but only endeavouring to point out that if "security" is what is wanted (and there's nothing wrong with that) then it has to be properly thought through and done properly, or the result is chaos.