Alumni Association report

This year, it has been wonderful to work with and call on the wisdom, life experience and generosity of Committee members, Cecily Verrier, Jane Short, Anne Morrison, Mary Noonan and Rebecca Godfrey. I thank each one of them for their generosity of spirit and wise counsel, especially Cecily, that huge font of knowledge and thoughtful advice on matters pertaining to meeting processes and procedures. At last year’s Annual General Meeting (AGM), Luci Casey and Peta-Maree Davidson left the Committee after having made indelible contributions, Luci as an experienced strategist and Peta-Maree as our very able treasurer.

We have also worked closely with the Community Relations department at the school and, in particular, with Michaela Brighella, whom we thank for all her bright ideas which have led to our activities this year. As mentioned in previous reports, the College has suggested that the Alumni move away from its foundational motivations, which were to assist the school and the Presentation Sisters through fundraising, as well as to bring together former scholars. Now, the Alumni concentrates its endeavours more on the latter, that of social impact, through bringing new and old members together, assisting in reunions by offering hospitality at the College, and by maintaining a presence in the College. As Damian Messer is our new College Principal this year, we have met with him several times to discuss his expectations for us and to discuss our vision with him. We thank Damian for his strong support and helpful guidance. Out of our consultations with Damian came two proposals which we advertised to our members prior to the AGM in November. The first was that, as the Alumni Committee, we continue to liaise with the Principal with a plan to embed the St Mary’s College Alumni into the operations of the College while retaining the Alumni Committee. This first proposal is made with the aim of developing a proposed agreement on the matter, which could be put to the 2023 AGM. The second motion we prepared is to remove all our monies from various deposits and place them instead in the College banking system. Deposits and withdrawals would be handled by College staff, under the direction of the Alumni Committee, and would continue with the necessary authorisation of two appointed office-bearers from the Alumni Committee.

In our meetings this year, we decided that an obvious point of connection with current students is through the Year 12 leaving class, as they become our latest alumni after their Graduation Mass. After consultation with the Principal, we organised an Alumni Farewell Lunch for the Year 12 students, which was held on 28 September in their common room. We were joined by the Principal and members of the College Leadership Team and a very pleasant hour was spent in the company of the delightful young people of Year 12. We, of course, took advantage of their presence to encourage them to join us the minute they finished school. Our Committee members also attended the Year 12 Graduation Mass at St Joseph’s Church and presented each graduand with a special keyring and certificate. Our hope is that they will keep us in mind and one day (soon!) join our ranks. Also from our existing funds, we aligned ourselves with the College sustainability program by providing for the purchase of a large garden box for the school garden. The vegetables grown in this way are used to make the Café food which is served to students and staff, and which is enormously popular. We also supported sustainability in the school by having the Café cater for the Year 12 luncheon, as well as for the AGM luncheon. Of course, our committee members also generously supplied sweets on both occasions, and I thank them, especially the talented Jane Short.

The 2022 AGM was held at the College on Saturday 12 November, preceded by Mass in the Adrian Doyle Chapel and a merry lunch in the College staffroom. Alumni Association President Margaret Rootes