Reinstating a Long-Standing Tradition
Roedean’s Founders established the importance of ORs’ role in Roedean’s future, a premise reiterated throughout the School’s history:
1924 “As many as possible of its Old Girls should become Governors, so that the Governors of the School shall be an active and influential body, representative of all periods of the school life, ensuring that the most suitable among their number are elected to the Council.”
‘Letter to Girls on their Leaving’ written when the Lawrence sisters were still joint Headmistresses
1951 “It is not a mere honorary or ornamental position. It carries with it both obligations and authority.
The relationship of the Governors collectively to the School Corporation is as nearly akin as the circumstances permit to that of Shareholders to an ordinary joint Stock Company.”
Chair of Council
1972: “It was the idea of the Lawrence sisters…that Roedean’s traditions and future development should be entrusted to former pupils… I hope that all girls, inspired and encouraged by the example and performance of their predecessors, will take the opportunity offered to Old Roedeanians of becoming Governors, and of carrying on the School in the spirit and higher purpose of the Founders.”
Chair of Council
2001: It was “the wishes of the Founders to encourage former Roedeanians to play a full and active part in the future governance of the School.”
President of the Corporation
Invitation to Become a Roedean Governor
Invitation to Become a Roedean Governor
Roedean Council has resolved to restore Roedean’s historical practice of inviting Leavers to become Governors of the School.
In February 2019, Governors proposed a resolution to reinstate the Governorship opportunity for Leavers and Old Roedeanians (ORs). Council approved the Resolution in June 2019:
“Henceforth any eligible Roedean School Leaver (who has attended Roedean for two years or more and has reached schoolleaving age) will be invited to stand for election as a Roedean Governor at the following Annual General Meeting of the Corporation and pay a modest subscription fee. This invitation will be issued retroactively for any prior eligible Leavers not yet invited for election since this practice was interrupted in 2004, also including eligible Leavers prior to 2004.”
This was an opportunity provided to girls for many years, until the practice was interrupted in 2004.
As a result of Council’s Resolution, there is a new opportunity for non-Governor ORs of any age to apply to be elected as a Governor on payment of a fee. ORs who are not already Governors are now being invited to put themselves forward for election at the Corporation’s General Meetings.
The re-launched scheme will help to ensure that Roedeanians of all generations are represented within the Governor body.
Governors at Roedean
Roedean Governors are members of the Corporation of Roedean School. They have specific – and unique – governance functions set out in the 1938 Royal Charter, Roedean’s constitutional document.
They are not the governing body of the School. That function belongs to Council, the School’s board of trustees. According to the Royal Charter, anyone can stand for election as a Governor, but the School’s tradition was that the bulk of Governors are ORs elected after payment of a lifetime subscription fee.
Governor Rights and Responsibilities
Roedean’s 1938 Royal Charter outlines that Governors have a range of functions which primarily are carried out at or around General Meetings. Their rights and responsibilities include:
• Proposing candidates for election as Governors and as Councillors at a General Meeting
• Voting on:
• The election of Governor candidates proposed at a General Meeting
• The election of Councillors at a General Meeting. In total there are 10 Elected Councillors, with a minimum of two positions elected/ re-elected annually at the AGM
• Other resolutions put to a General Meeting
• Convening an EGM with explicit business (five or more Governors)
• Receiving and considering the Corporation’s Annual Report & Financial Statements
• Appointing the Auditors
A Roedean Governor, once subscribed, has this position for life (unless they resign) and is able to participate in the destiny of the School via the provisions of the Royal Charter:
“The office of Governor… establishes the holder as a part proprietor of the School and carries both obligations and authority.”
Chair of Council (1972)
General Meetings of the Corporation
Currently General Meetings are held annually (AGM) with the occasional extraordinary meeting (EGM) in a year where there is extra business. General meetings are typically held in central London on a weekday early evening, with refreshments provided.
Governors who cannot attend meetings in person can also execute the majority of their responsibilities via granting their proxy vote to another Governor.
OR Governor Lifetime Subscription Fee
The eligibility criteria and further details of the OR Governor lifetime subscription fee are:
• Applications are invited from ORs who are 18 or older
• The opportunity for an eligible OR to become a Governor remains open throughout her lifetime. She need not take this up immediately upon leaving School
• This is a new provision aimed to reduce the reliance on parental ability to pay the subscription fee when a girl leaves School, and to reflect that some girls may not feel ready to take on Governors’ responsibilities at that point in time
• A one-off, lifetime fee is due on application
• The fee is designed to ensure that the costs of Governor liaison and engagement are covered for the School in perpetuity
• Details of revenues from the Governor body, any surplus and investments made will be identified annually in the Corporation’s Annual Report & Financial Statements and reported on at the AGMs
• The use of any surplus will be focused on: bursaries or scholarships; Council/ Governor liaison initiatives; and capital investment in School projects
Eligibility
To be eligible to apply for Governorship via this route, an OR must:
• Have attended Roedean School, Brighton for at least two consecutive years
• Have now left the School, having not been expelled
• Be a minimum of 18 years old on 31 January of the year in which she is applying
• Be a member of the Old Roedeanians’ Association
• Have paid the lifetime subscription fee Eligible applicants’ names will be submitted ‘en bloc’ to the Governor body for election at the next available General Meeting. Their names will be provided to the Governor body in advance of the General Meeting.
Please note: Any candidate who is unsuccessful in her application will have her fee returned.
Note to Former Governors
Any OR who was previously subscribed as a Governor, but who subsequently resigned her Governorship, may also apply to be reinstated. No fee payment will be due, her fee already having been paid when she was elected a Governor, and she will not need to wait until a General Meeting to be reinstated.
If you are not sure if you were, or are, a Governor, please enquire.