The
PRESIDENT ’ S VIEW
WELCOME
Dear OPs ,
Hello to you all and a very warm welcome to this year ’ s OP Magazine which has much to celebrate as we move back to a life of ‘ normality ’. I ended my piece in last year ’ s magazine with the words “ I hope we can all be together again at events very soon ”, well we certainly have been and what a year it has been !
Having got through the Covid years making the best of things using Zoom and other such platforms , we have enjoyed a full programme of events this year and because of the previous restrictions , it has been all the more special to meet face to face once again .
The first such event came in November 2021 with the London Dinner held in the beautiful surroundings of the Army and Navy Club . We had a wonderful evening with almost 100 attendees , record numbers apart from the 500th year celebration . We were particularly delighted to welcome many younger OPs and there were at least two full tables of 2020 and 2021 leavers , all of whom really enjoyed themselves . This bodes well for the future as our younger members are , after all , the future of the Association .
2022 began with the Newcastle Drinks followed by similar events in Manchester and Leeds . March brought OP Hockey and Netball followed later in the month by the Pocklington School Careers & Business Network Event in York ’ s magnificent Mansion House . The ever-popular annual Pock 7s returned in April and included two OP teams . With June came the ninth annual Pocklingtonian Golf
Day and later Summer OPs with over a hundred in attendance .
The success of all these events and the fact that they were all so well attended shows that the OP Association is thriving and more and more people of all ages are getting involved . Perhaps also because of the last few years , we have all come to recognise the importance and value of friendship and contact with people .
The new OP website is now fully operational and at the time of writing I note that there are currently just over 500 people who have registered . This is very encouraging as it is fairly early days but we have in excess of 4,500 people on the OP database so those of you who have not registered I urge you to do so . It is kept regularly updated with details of all the events and a wealth of other information . There is also a careers section where , amongst other things , you can either register your willingness to assist other members looking for guidance in a chosen field or look for someone who can offer you support or help , and this is particularly useful for our younger members who are just taking their first steps into the world of work .
My thanks , as always , go to the members of the OP Committee and of course to Rachel and Leanne in the OP office who have kept things going throughout . We are now very much back to business as usual but with a renewed enthusiasm and sense of purpose . I have thoroughly enjoyed meeting all those of you who have attended this year ’ s events , thank you for your support , let ’ s keep that momentum going , do get involved .
Finally , I am sure you will all join me in welcoming this year ’ s leavers into the OP family . You have all had a very strange couple of years , but you have emerged the stronger for it and we are all very proud of what you have achieved not just with exam results but with the strength and resilience you have shown . The OP Association is here to help you so do register on the website and call the OP office if you need help , it ’ s what we are here for .
My very best wishes to all of you – 2023 will be my last year as your President so I look forward to meeting as many of you as possible during that time .
Joan Gough ( née Sawyer , 75-77 ) President , Old Pocklingtonian Association
OPA COMMITTEE
OP ELECTED
President : Joan Gough ( née Sawyer , 75-77 ) Vice President : Charlie Lambert ( 01-08 ) Treasurer : Eszti Pontone ( née Gyarmati , 95-97 ) Matthew Atkinson ( 85-93 ) Sarah Hodgson ( née Gough , 96-07 ) Steven Kyffin ( 70-77 ) Michael McKinstry ( 00-11 ) Richard Skowronek ( 99-10 ) Simon Spence ( 74-81 ) Co-opted : Tom Nash ( 68-77 ) Co-opted : Andrew Wilson ( 89-99 )
SCHOOL APPOINTED
Toby Seth ( Headmaster ) Rachel Dare ( OP Liaison Officer , OPA Secretary ) Phil Donaldson ( Teaching staff ) Lucy Hornby ( Teaching staff and OP 02-04 )
EX OFFICIO
Trevor Loten ( 70-80 , immediate Past President )
AGM 2023
ELECTION OF THE COMMITTEE
The Annual General Meeting of the Old Pocklingtonian Association will take place on Thursday 9 November 2023 , 7.00pm to 8.00pm in person in the Gruggen Room at Pocklington School and online via Teams .
During the meeting , the committee will be elected for the forthcoming year . All OPs are welcome to attend the AGM and / or stand for election . Please make your intentions known in advance of the meeting if possible by contacting Rachel in the OP Office . Nominations for election to the committee should be sent to Rachel as soon as possible .
The agenda is as follows :
• Apologies
• Minutes of last AGM
• President ’ s Report
• Secretary ’ s Report
• Treasurer ’ s Report and approval of accounts
• Nomination and election of committee
• AOB
( A copy of the OP annual accounts is available upon request ).
COVER STORY
This year ’ s cover features bp Data
Scientist Hannah Crompton ( 04-11 ) who is leading the way for women in STEM . Full story on pages 6 – 7 .
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