DYRMS OBA

Dear Dukies

I have received a letter (slightly edited) from the RSM, as follows:

Good news! I am pleased to announce that I have now raised the full amount needed to buy a new land rover.

I received some great news yesterday from the Nuffield Trust to say that my application for £12,500 had been accepted. With the money already raised I now have approximately £40,000. This will ensure the purchase of a new/second hand Land rover, the wrapping livery, insurance, maintenance for 5 years and any extras that are necessary for the school vehicle.

I originally put a time line of 2 years on raising the money, to achieve it in a little over 6 months is great, most of this is down to the very generous donations from the OBA members. <edited>

The OBA members will be remembered and thanked hugely by me and the pupils when the time is right. I am hoping to have the vehicle well and truly up and running for Remembrance Sunday where I will present it to the OBA members. Prior to this I will be writing a thank you letter for you to publish to the members.

Thank you for all your help, the OBA have certainly showed a real commitment to the school and I know every pupil will be grateful for the generosity of all the OBA members who have donated.

Thank you,

Steff

This is terrific news as I am sure you will agree.

Derek Jones

The Walking with the Wounded team aims to walk in excess of 200 nautical miles. Help them make every mile count. We are offering every mile to be sponsored, whether by a company, a private individual, a school, as a gift to someone, or in memory of a close friend or relative. Each daily report during the expedition and on the website, we will acknowledge those who have generously sponsored the miles that have been covered that day.

Sponsor The Route

Anyone recall being alerted to the existence of Kitchener Scholarships in their Upper Sixth?

They were available to serving or retired personnel but also their offspring, granting them small scholarships to help them fund their university studies. The Scholarships are still available today and may be of interest either directly to readers of this or to those of their children approaching university age.

For further information, please visit the website of the Kitchener Scholars Association at:

http://kitchenerscholars.org/

The website may also be of interest to those Dukie Old Boys who are themselves Kitchener Scholars, for its part the KSA would be keen to hear from them!

Jim Rothwell

Message from the school -

Could you perhaps ask the webmaster to put up a notice asking if any former pupils have attended a Royal Wedding? We have had someone from the BBC enquiring as they are making a programme. It can be any Royal Wedding from the Queen Mother to Prince Charles.

 If you can ask them to contact Karen on 01304-245024 or e-mail headmaster@doyrms.com It needs to be fairly soon as they are filming over the next couple of weeks.

Cheers

Dear Dukies

Our Hon.Soc.Sec. advises that the current numbers listed for the Luncheon are very low, only 23 so far. 

It really is IMPORTANT to get your places for the Luncheon notified as soon as reasonably possible otherwise we can end up with having to consider cancelling at a late stage with consequent penalty costs.

All enquiries to Ted Bartlett please, details on the luncheon form (click HERE to view).

Also, a reminder about the OBA AGM which will be held at The Ives Lounge, Royal Hospital, Chelsea, next Friday 11 March. Buffet at 1800 hrs, meeting starts at 1830 hrs.

Best wishes

Derek Jones

Dear Dukies

I regret to advise you of the death of an Old Dukie, Fred Cockerill. His Dukie brother Art Cockerill writes:

My brother Fred joined the schools at Cheltenham in 1940 and followed me into G Coy – or Kitchener House as it was then fast becoming known. He joined the band and learned to play the clarinet, rather more expertly than I if the truth be known. He became an Army Apprentice at the ATS Arborfield and was transferred to the Corps of Royal Engineers for his basic training. His first posting was to Gibraltar and, from there to Singapore where he rose to the rank of Armament Artificer (Staff Sergeant). He left the army when his time was up and moved to Uganda where he started Grafton Construction Company.

He knew Idi Amin before he (Amin) took over as dictator of Uganda and introduced me to him. When Amin took over the country, Fred gathered all his employees who wished to leave and, with the help of two brothers (Harry and Malcolm) drove a convoy of trucks, tractors, bulldozers and earth-moving equipment to the Kenya border where he continued work in the construction business. His work took him to Somalia, Yemen, Persia (as it was then, before it was renamed Iran) and other parts of the Middle East.

He died of pneumonia in Kampala, Uganda, on Monday 28th February. He is survived by his wife Miriam and his children Paul, Diane, Bianca and Andrew.

Derek Jones

Dear Dukies

The school has advised as follows:-

There will be a Memorial Service in the School on Friday 18th February at 1000 hrs for Mr Andrew Whale. Mr Whale was Housemaster of Wellington House. This is how the school advised parents.

`Mr Whale was committed to the welfare of the students in Wellington House. Everyone in the school is saddened by his death and we have sent our sincere condolences and sympathies to his family and friends. In the interests of everyone at the school at this difficult time, we ask that we be allowed to grieve in peace without further intrusion.´

Kindly note, that I am only transmitting this message and have no further details.

Regards

Derek Jones

OBA Committee

Saturday 29th January. Leigh Park Hotel, Bradford on Avon, Wiltshire.

Anyone who would like to attend please contact Andy Barlow on 07900 802669 or email barlowandrew@hotmail.com

The Annual General Meeting will be held on the 11th March 2011 in the Ives Room at the Royal Chelsea Hospital.

Dress will be collar and tie. The meeting will start at 1830hrs, buffet will be available from 1800hrs.

Due to the sad loss of 4 members during last year we are in need of new blood on the committee.

Ray Howarth