For over 145 years, the Old Boys’ Association has sought to unite and connect Old Boys. In the early days, it was sports games held in Christchurch that brought together former pupils of Christ’s College. At other times, Old Boys met in the midst of conflict, including in 1915 when 66 Old Boys met in Egypt before heading to Gallipoli. Times have changed but our ambition remains the same: to bring together the College diaspora.
Yet changing times bring new challenges and approaches. In recent years, Christ’s College and the Association have worked together to hold successful events throughout New Zealand and around the world. The events are often held with St Margaret’s College and allow Old Boys to hear from the school as well as from the Association. We’re thrilled that attendance is growing.
The “Community Visits” have recently included functions in Auckland, Wellington, Martinborough and Singapore, and earlier in the year, London. In the history of Christ’s College, the school’s alumni, now over 9000, has never been larger or more geographically dispersed. The challenge for the office in Christchurch is how to engage alumni, wherever they live. These events are an effective and engaging way to connect with Old Boys. I look forward to attending functions in Napier, Tauranga and Hawke’s Bay later in the year. Further information about the events can be found here.
For most of the CCOBA’s history, regional branches were the indispensable infrastructure and backbone of the Association. Although they still maintain a crucial and fundamental role, their activity has diminished. Whereas once branches flourished in most regions, where active committees organised events and coalesced Old Boys, that is largely no longer the case. Some of the branches continue to be active, but in other parts of the country, the regional presence is much quieter. A focus for the Association is ensuring that branches continue to be relevant and that regional events, with some independence, continue into the future. Next month, the Committee and branch presidents will meet to discuss how branches can remain relevant. The challenge of changing times is a theme throughout the Association’s history. I have no doubt we will continue to evolve, but as ever, maintain the best traditions of the past.
In this edition of The Quadrangle are stories about the recent awarding of the Senior Honours Tie and the Anzac Service, at which Sir William Young spoke about Old Boy Dudley Perkins and his remarkable war service on Crete. I congratulate Joe Moody and Sam Bosworth, two remarkable sportsmen, on being awarded the Senior Honours Tie.
Looking ahead, as well as visits to the East Coast towns and cities in the North Island, later in the year, College and the Association look forward to hosting Old Boys at the Gentlemen’s Lunch and 65 and 75 Year On reunions in October.
Finally, I also encourage any members of the Association wanting to be involved in the College Tuis, our alumni group for LGBTQIA+, to contact either Lizzie or myself to find out further information.
Angus Dysart-Paul
ccobapresident@christscollege.com
