BOARDING //
of the 102 ( Ceylon ) Squadron praised the cadets for their impeccable turnout and commented that “ the cadets were a credit to your school , their cadet force and to themselves ”. Afonso Spencer , Head of House , Head of Army Section and flag bearer at the service said :
“ Being at this remembrance parade service was extremely moving and one of the best experiences I have ever had . Us being there , representing the school and being the honour guard clearly meant a lot to the veterans and their families who deserve the utmost respect and I am proud to have been there alongside my friends Edward James , Josh Toulmin and Mikey Smith ”.
As their Housemaster , I was very proud of them on the day and it was a pleasure and a privilege to stand alongside them .
Welcoming Felix von-Plotho for a taster week at the start of 2020 was a real privilege too . Felix is paraplegic and requires a wheelchair to get around the school site . Fenwick-Smith House was designed with disabled access in mind and Felix settled in brilliantly , was well supported by his peers who warmed to his infectious enthusiasm immediately and welcomed him to the FSH family . We
look forward to welcoming him amongst other new boarders in September 2020 and look forward to many adventures on the road ahead . He is a handy basketball player and enjoyed regular evening trips to the sports hall to play and I know he will be an inspiration to others , demonstrating the power of a positive mind set and a will and determination to succeed .
Another highlight was seeing a growing number of former boarders at OP reunion events around the country including at the London OP dinner at the RAF Club in Piccadilly and drinks receptions in Manchester and Newcastle . It is great to see that a significant number of our Ops , boarders included , are increasingly seeing the relevance of the OP network and events such as the Pocklington Foundation Careers and Business Network were well attended by pupils from FSH and Faircote . It is great when former FSH lads come back to visit , get in touch or come to one of the OP events . Recently Vasyl Ilchyshyn , from the Ukraine , was in touch again . Having obtained a first class honours degree from the University of Exeter in Business Economics , he is now on an MSc in Global Finance at Coventry
University and shared his outstanding semester results recently . First Class work again !
Being a boarder in a school like Pocklington is like being part of an extended family . Being a housemaster of 40 plus teenage boys can be a tiring and demanding role , but I agree wholeheartedly with Mr Loten that it is the most rewarding job in education ! Mr Loten , himself , has this to add to the report : “ I have now completed 18 years in senior boys ’ boarding as a resident tutor or housemaster . It continues to be a pleasure to work in a strong team at the fabulous Fenwick-Smith House and to help the boys as much as possible .”
Once again , I agree and we all look forward to welcoming the FSH boys back to the house , this year from late August onwards , and we will continue to do our very best to look after those in our care .
P . M . Dare
34 THE POCKLINGTONIAN