President’s column

Above: Jenny and her husband, Charles, at the 2019 Dio Graduation Ball with their daughter Eleanor. Members of the Diocesan Old Girls’ League with Margaret Van Meeuwen, Heather McRae and Lynn Tonking, Year 13 dean.

I am so very grateful for the hard work that our Dio Old Girls’ Committee members put into everything they do for the League. The care and attention that Committee members Emma Cleary and Tania Fairgray put into organising the 2019 Graduation Ball are worthy of not only my thanks but also the gratitude of all 368 guests at the event.

As always it was a very special evening for everyone there and all the more auspicious for me (and fellow Committee members Sarah Couillault and Mel Eady) because I got to welcome my eldest daughter to the wonderful alumnae that is the Diocesan School Old Girls.

Much of the Committee’s hard work goes into organising our very important events like the Grad Ball, the Bryan Bartley Golf Day and the Senior Old Girls’ Morning Tea. However, with such a close connection to a freshly minted Dio Old Girl, the Grad Ball gave me pause for thought – what can we do to serve all our alumnae?

“The Dio Old Girls’ community is big – in fact, it’s massive – it is full of strong and compassionate women who are doing all sorts of amazing, caring and marvellous things.”

Tucker works tirelessly thinking of ways that we can improve and enhance the connectedness of our Dio Old Girls. When I addressed the glamorous guests at the Grad Ball, I asked the graduates to remember one thing that sparkling evening: the Dio Old Girls’ community is big – in fact, it’s massive – it is full of strong and compassionate women who are doing all sorts of amazing, caring and marvellous things.

Recognising that it will mean different things to them at different stages in their lives, I asked the graduates, when they are ready, to lean in to the Old Girls’ community because, no matter how long we were each at Dio, we are all Dio Old Girls and we care for and serve each other.

Now I ask the same of you. We want to serve our whole Old Girls’ community – young, old, New Zealand-based or international – but we can’t do this alone and we need your help. We are continually working on the picture of what that ‘service’ looks like, and this has never felt more important than in our current pandemic world. Service may take the form of mentoring young Old Girls or current students (even from afar) or simply ensuring an elderly Old Girl or parent of an Old Girl receives their groceries. The Old Girls community wants to help. If you know of someone who needs help in this environment of lockdown and isolation, or if you have any ideas of other League initiatives, please get in touch. You can email either Penny at pennydtucker@gmail.com, me at spillanej01@gmail.com or oldgirls@diocesan.school.nz.

Ut Serviamus.

DIOCESAN OLD GIRLS’ LEAGUE COMMITTEE CONTACT DETAILS

Email oldgirls@diocesan.school.nz for all enquiries.

PRESIDENT

Jenny Spillane (Orsborn) M. 027 603 6990

VICE PRESIDENT

Melanie Eady (Perkins) E. melanieeady@me.com

TREASURER

Felicity Buche (Olson) P. 09 521 8387

SECRETARY

Amber Oram (Railley) M. 021 757 504

FELLOWSHIP SECRETARY

Emma Cleary (Dillon) P. 09 522 9564

COMMITTEE

Sarah Couillault (Willis) M. 021 489 102

Annabel French (Smaill) P. 09 575 1175

Penny Tucker (Macdonald) E. pennydtucker@gmail.com

Tania Fairgray (Railley) P. 09 529 1736

Kimberly Sumner (Wragge) E. kimberlysumner@happinessblindspot.com

Kirsty Eady (McDonald) P. 09 522 2652

Dio Today Editor, League pages

Deirdre Coleman E. d.g@slingshot.co.nz

Diocesan School Old Girls’ League PO Box 28 382, Remuera, Auckland 1541

UPCOMING EVENTS

Due to the uncertainty that Covid-19 has created, the following events may or may not go ahead on the dates listed. If any of these events need to be rescheduled, we will notify the Old Girls’ community via our Facebook page or in the next issue of DIO Today.

SENIOR OLD GIRLS’ CHAPEL SERVICE AND MORNING TEA

Tuesday 1 September Chapel of our Glorified Lord and the Diocesan School Hall. Invitations will be sent to all Old Girls who left school in 1969 or earlier. If you have friends who may not be on our database, or whose contact details may have changed, please encourage them to email oldgirls@diocesan.school.nz so that we can remain in touch with them.

ALUMNA MERITA ASSEMBLY

Monday 21 September Dawn Jones Sports Centre. Attendance by invitation.

FOUNDERS’ DAY AND AGM

Saturday 7 November This year we are looking to combine the traditional Founders’ Day service and AGM with a gathering to welcome and celebrate Old Girls of every age and stage. The event will also showcase the new Performing Arts Centre. The intention is to hold the AGM at around 4pm followed by Chapel at 4.45pm and drinks and nibbles in the Performing Arts Centre at 6pm. All Old Girls will be invited to attend any or all of these events.

2020 GRADUATION BALL

Saturday 5 December Pullman Hotel, Princes Street.

MARY PULLING ROSES

Due to popular demand we have another batch of Mary Pulling roses on the way. In January 2019 we sent more bud wood to Matthews Nurseries and we will have a limited number of roses for sale in July this year. This is the final time the rose will be available.

If you wish to order the roses, please email or phone Kate Eatts in the Development Office keatts@diocesan.school.nz 09 520 0221 ext 8098.

Once ordered, you will be contacted nearer the time re payment and delivery details. Roses are $30 + $5 delivery or may be collected at the School.

2020 REUNIONS

Given the restrictions and precautions in place at the time of writing as a result of COVID-19, the League has reluctantly put the 2020 reunion programme on hold. We will be in touch with our altered plans once our new normal looks more like our old normal.

Old Girls’ League Bursaries

The Old Girls’ League Hardship Bursaries are intended to assist families of Old Girls who would otherwise have difficulty financing their daughter’s education at Diocesan.

The bursary pays 50% of each year’s tuition for a maximum period of three years. Bursary recipients must be in Years 9 to 13. Applications are currently invited from daughters or granddaughters of Old Girls who are either current students or who have already accepted a place at Diocesan in 2021 or later. This includes girls entering the School at Years 11, 12 or 13. The primary criterion is financial hardship. Application closing date: Friday 29 May.

For an application form, please contact Jenny Spillane, President, in confidence via email spillanej01@gmail.com