Welcome from the Chair

THE DUNSTONIAN ASSOCIATION

Welcome from the Chair

Dear Dunstonians This time last year I wrote that, despite the problems caused by Covid, there were good reasons for the Dunstonian community to be optimistic about the future and I am delighted to report that that has proved to be the case. First and foremost, the new STEM, Sixth Form Centre and Junior School development on the Catford site is a tremendous statement of confidence in that future. For those of us who have been fortunate enough to witness at first hand the wonderful new facilities, we are left in awe (and not a little envy) at the resources available to today’s pupils. The smiles on everyone’s faces – teachers as well as pupils young and old – tell their own story. The founders of St Dunstan’s College would surely agree that their vision of providing an education based on first class teaching and independent thinking can only be enhanced by such an environment. Our congratulations go to the College team for such a stunning achievement. The development has also provided an opportunity for Association members to re-engage with the College via the many tours that have been arranged over the last few months. It has been a joy to watch the jaws hitting the floor as alumni experience for the first time the scale of the new buildings as well as sharing their memories of days gone by as we have toured the Victorian buildings. Second, our project to make our archives available online via the SDConnect platform has progressed well with every year from 1914 to 2019 of the Chronicles now made available. At our recent Dunstonian Day, the VC room was populated with a wide sample of archives and as ever the room was crowded throughout the event. The next stage of the project will be to increase the sporting and other photographic records online so that it will no longer be necessary to wait for the next Dunstonian Day to wallow in a little nostalgia. Third, while our social calendar has continued to be affected by Covid, it was a pleasure to co-host with the College a reception following the annual Commemoration Day Service in May, as well as seeing a number of Dunstonians at the College throughout the year at occasions such as the opening of the new development, the Festival and the Sporting Dinner. As a result of these we have, I hope, succeeded over the last few years in strengthening our partnership with the College with the result that our vision for a meaningful Dunstonian community has become a reality. After all, being a Dunstonian should not be defined by age but by a shared experience, past, present and future. Talking of the future, although my time as Chair is about to come to an end as I write, the Association, in conjunction with the Dunstonian Office, already has a number of events planned for the coming year including Christmas drinks in the Great Hall, a black-tie dinner and the annual reception on Commemoration Day. In addition to events there is one subject I know lies close to the hearts of many Dunstonians: replacing the old fives courts, which together with the (temporary!) 1960s Prep Block have now made way for the new Plaza. I know that it is high on the College’s agenda so please look out for further news over the coming months. Finally, may I thank the Committee and, in particular, Isabelle Blake-James and Iain Macdowall for their unstinting efforts over the last year, for without their help we would not have been able to adorn nearly as much of the white as has been the case. Albam Exorna!

David Edwards (’83)

Chair