Calendar of Dates Saturday 20th June – Dinner Dance at Fort Augustus. Sunday 12th July – Perth Races. Sunday 16th August – Golf Strathmore Golf Club. Saturday 3rd October – Annual Dinner & A.G.M Holiday Inn. Programme for 2009 (A full report of last year’s events appears in the AGM Minutes under the heading Committee Report ).
Dinner Dance Fort Augustus This will be the third year of this event organised by Martin Waugh and Colin Peteranna. Timetable Meet on Saturday 20th June for lunch at the Boathouse. – Champagne reception for all guests at the Caledonian Hotel 6.30pm. – Dinner at Lovat Hotel 7.30. – Dance approximately 9.30. Last year after the dance the party continued at the Caledonian Hotel till the wee small hours! In order to book your place do not wait until the last minute, tickets are £38 per head. Please make your cheque out to ‘ Fort Augustus Dinner Dance’ and send it to Martin Waugh, The Bathstore, 39-41 Harbour Road Inverness IV1 1UA. The number for accommodation at the Caledonian Hotel is 01320 300256.
Perth Races Scone Palace Perth This very popular day at the races for O.Bs.family and friends has been arranged for Sunday the 12th July. The meeting is advertised as a family day with extra activities for the children who get in free. We have secured a good deal for the day of Marquee complete with CCTV. in case of bad weather, finger buffet lunch, afternoon tea, club badge plus cash bar, all this for £59 per person incl. vat. Please book early to Ralph Giulianotti tel. 01738 624674.
Golf Outing Strathmore G.C. On Sunday the16th of August we will once again hold the Abbey Boys Golf Classic at the picturesque and challenging Strathmore G.C. The first tee is booked for 12.45 pm and the price which includes High Tea is £39. Please book early for this sporting and fun day, to Ralph G. 01738 624674.
Annual Dinner and Report Last year’s 12th Annual Dinner was once more a great success and fully booked. The meal was excellent, and thanks to Maurice, Chris and Ralph for the Wine, Port and Bennies. Our guest speaker Sheriff George Kavanagh KCHS. gave us an interesting and entertaining insight into his experiences on the Bench at Paisley. After the dinner many friendships and memories were renewed over a convivial glass or two.
This year’s dinner for O. Bs. and partners will be at the usual venue, Maurice Taylor’s acclaimed Holiday Inn, West Nile Street, Glasgow on Saturday the 3rd of October preceded by th AGM. at 7.00. The guest speaker will be the prominent Catholic Law Lord Hugh Matthews who is renowned for his after dinner speeches. The dinner will cost £33 a head. Accommodation with the usual OB’s discount is Double/Twin £80 and single room £70,including full Scottish Breakfast, reservation number is 0141 3528300. Next door is the Holiday Inn Expressway where it is £60 bed and continental breakfast. All prices are the same as last year. Please book early to avoid disappointment to Ralph G. 01738 624674
News (1) Development of the Abbey by the Raven Group continues. The flats in the main buildings have been completed, but work on the Abbey Church is at a stand-still. Ten cottages have been built and landscaped in the swamp area. (2) Father Edward has now joined Fathers Francis, Anthony and Bernard at Ampleforth. (3) Colin McAllister has written a book entitled ‘But does it Scan?’ It is a light hearted collection of poetry drawing on the dialect of his native Scotland and is a vibrant insight into Colin’s thoughts on his experiences of modern-life. Priced £5.99 from Amazon .com.(4) The following is an extract of OB. Leo Harris’s letter sent from Jersey on his time at Canaan Lane. ‘Abbey Boys has awakened many dormant memories. The ice cold milk served in battered alluminiun beakers, very thick and quite rough and the two gingerbread biscuits which was our morning ‘break’. You had quarter of an hour break, but you had to drink your milk first.So you were faced with a choice, drink your milk slowly and miss your ‘playtime’ or drink it quickly and go out with a splitting headache! I well remember the wonderful mince and onions and sometimes the not so good thin crust ,very hard. Jam tarts served in squares. Father Mathew Stedall was the headmaster in my day.He had lost an eye and had a glass replacement. His eyrie was a dark study at the back of the house on the groundfloor, very frightening to a little boy. I was taken there by Miss Noonan (what a lovely teacher) to show off my reading to him, but on other occasions he caned me selecting a cane from a rack of eight. On one such visit my’ offence’ was an untidy desk. It had been tidy as ever ,but some of our less than friendly prefects deliberately upset our desks so that we would be punished. But all was not unpleasant, there was Miss O’Donnell, wonderful, kind, just nice to be with, what a mark she made. Then there was Miss Noonan who was my form teacher in a lovely room overlooking the front lawn. At Christmas we had a tree decorated with lights and gifts for each boy. I remember having a ‘Golden Arrow’ model car the land speed record breaker of Capt. George Eyston. She took us to Princess Street after school to see a film and afterwards to have a snack at a new American style food bar.Quite a teacher I could go on. Father Oswald was very nice and my older brother Francis remembers how nice he was to him, teaching him one-to-one to read. I wonder what happened to my best friend Michael Crawford and David(?) Cuthbert ( who also wore the kilt)’. Leo has also written two small books about his life on the island of Jersey under the German Occupation.
Deaths Michael Drummond 14th April 2008.( Carlekemp 1951-1956, Fort Augustus 1956-1961). Mike set up and maintained our web site, where you can see an obituary on his life. He will be greatly missed, our sympathy goes out to Lorna his wife.
Abbot Alban Boultwood 25th March 2009. Abbot Alban was aged 97 and was Honorary President of our OB Association. An obituary will appear at a later date and will be published on the website.
Masses will be said for the above and also all deceased Old Boys by our chaplain Fr. Stephen Dunn.
Website Appropriately enough, a mention about our website – Mike’s initiative. Mike Drummond did an excellent job of setting up the Corbie website. The forums allow the OBs to keep in touch and reminisce. One of the latest, and the largest debates so far, is the William Wattie initiated ‘How was it for you’ which has drawn over 52 contributions so far (and has been read over 2300 times). Thoughts for the website include providing more information (from the OBs, of course), like lists of headmasters the abbots, class lists. The web no longer provides a list of OBs email addresses unfortunately as a result of spamming opportunities it can provide. Thoughts for the new web are most welcome.
Minutes of the 67th AGM Sat. 4th Oct.2008 Holiday Inn, Glasgow.
Present Andrew Basigara, Damian Bell, John Booth, Jim Brown, Colin Bryce, George Campbell, Brian Caulfield, Peter Caufield, Tony Duncan, Fr.Stephen Dunn, Chris Dunn, Mark Dunn, Iain Dunn, Joe Dunn, Ralph Giulianotti, Mark Giulianotti, Eric Harrison, Martin Harrison, Owen Halloran, Lawrence Hogarth, Paul Lombardi, Gerry Martin, Iain McLaughlin, Shane Mackenzie, Angus Mackinnon, Paddy Mulligan, Henry Murphy, Tom Murphy, Jim O’Heay, Tom O’Heay, Billy Sinclair, Maurice Taylor, Iain Traquair, Mike Turnbull, Richard Welch.
Apologies Alasdair Macdonald, Colin McAllister, Gerry Devine, Chris Stephenson, Pat Barron, Ralph Giulianotti Jnr, Vincent Igoe, John Maclellan.
- Opening PrayerLed by our Chaplain Fr. Stephen Dunn.
- Minutes 2007 AGMProposed for adoption by Lawrence Hogarth and seconded by Maurice Taylor.
- Matters ArisingAfter the sad deaths of Treasurer Joe Dunn and Hon Vice President Hamish McDonald, the chairman was pleased to announce that Joe’s son Mark and Fr. Benedict who were voted in unanimously in absentia have accepted the vacant positions. The sudden and sad death of our webmaster Mike Drummond in April was recorded. His funeral was well attended by OBs and Chris Stephenson laid a wreath in Abbey Colours with Corbie on our behalf. Our condolences go out to hisOB brother Richard and his wife Lorna. We still have 54 copies of our book ‘ Abbey Boys’ left from a print of 600 books. Sales have raised £2,964. The current price is £15 per book. The chairman gave a vote of thanks to author Mike Turnbull.The Raven Company’s development of the Abbey continues. The Abbey Church apse has been pulled down, however I believe 90% of the work force has been laid off and sub-contractors are to build the cottages in the Swamp.
- WebsiteFollowing Mike Drummond’s death his work was continued by Colin Bryce who at short notice has done a brilliant job. OBs present thanked Colin and with their encouragement he agreed to continue as Webmaster. Colin added that there were193 members participating in the Forum and invited OBs to send in more news and photographs. He also said he would get in touch with Chris Stephenson regarding the costs of the site.
- Committee Report
- a) Martin Waugh and Colin Petteranna arranged a sucessfull Dinner Dance for the classes of the 70’s and 80’s at the Lovat Hotel, preceded by lunch in the Boathouse Restaurant on arrival. The next dinner Dance will be on the 20th June 2009, and 10 more OBs and partners are hoped for. b) The outing to The Perth Races Family Day on one of the few warm sunny days in July was a sell-out. All present had a great day, and enjoyed the private marquee, good catering, face painting for the kids and a 7to1 tip that allowed most present to go home with some winnings. c) The Abbey Golf Classic was once more held at Strathmore G.C. in August. The weather for the first time was wet and windy, but this did not deter the hardy OBs. After a hard fought cmpetition the Scratch Quaich which has now become a stableford competition was won by David Sutherland and the F.A. Handicap Cup by Carlo Aranci. d) The finale of the year is this evening’s dinner at OB Maurice Taylor’s renowned Holiday Inn. Once again we managed to squeeze everyone in.Tonight’s guest speaker is a prominent Catholic legal figure, Sheriff George Kavanagh KCHS., who sits on the bench at Paisley and will no doubt have interesting and amusingexperiences to relate. I am sure our dinner will again be a night to remember with the usual first class meal, great service and jolly good company. Many thanks to Maurice for providing the wine, Chris the port and Ralph the Bennies.
- Treasurer’s ReportThere was £6,712 in the bank at the end of the financial year. Subscriptions by banker’s order amounted to £325. Maurice Taylor suggested that eachOB should pay £10 for accessing the website, this would be looked into. It was noted that the annual and life membership was still £10 and £100 respectively. The Chair on behalf of all present thanked Mark for his presentation and for carrying on the good work of his father Joe who had served the FAOBA so faithfully for 49 years.
- ElectionsHon.Pres.Abbot Alban Boultwood; Vice President Fr Benedict Seed; Treasurer Mark Dunn; Chairman and Committee Ralph Giulianotti, Chris Stephenson, Brian Caulfield and Mike Turnbull. Two new members were elected, Colin Bryce proposed by Ralph Giulianotti and seconded by Chris Dunn and Vincent Igoe proposed by Shane Mackenzie and seconded by Owen Halloran. Although now in post for 13 years, Ralph Giulianotti declared himself to be willing to continue as Chairman for another year.
8.AOB a) Fr. Francis Davidson is now 70 and after having a heart replacement valve operation this summer is once more enjoying good health. Fr. Edward Delepine is 90 and has had two cataract operations. Fr Benedict Seed is 75 and in his words should be retired, but is still hale and hearty and ejoying being P.P. at Brora. Ad Multos Annos to them all. b) The bench and tree for Hamish McDonald are in place at his favourite walk at Auchterawe. The Chairman read a letter of thanks to the OBs from his widow, Alison. A plaque is now on the bench. c) The Lodge Fr. Michael Savage sent a letter of thanks on behalf of the F.A. parishioners for the cheque towards a new boiler and vestments. He will say a mass at the beginning of November for deceased Monks and OBs.
Deaths The Chairman reported the deaths of Mike Drummond, John P. Marshall, Archie Wason R.I.P. Chaplain Fr. Stephen will include them in his Masses for deceased Old Boys. An appeal was made for news on Births, Marriages and Deaths.
Date of next AGM Saturday 3rd October 2009 preceding OB Dinner