Page 44 - The Gonzaga Record 1985
P. 44
Anthony Clare ( 1960) and the difficulties of such a scheme were examined,
following which at the Annual General Meeting in November 1968, Mr Arthur
Plunkett ( 1960), then President, explained that the purpose of the scheme was to
pro•1ide educational guidance, and moral rather than financial support.
He explained that Hubert Mahoney (1964) was acting as Tutor to a boy selected
from St Bernard's Boys Club. It had been anticipated that if the Gonzaga Union
would not pay all, it would at least subsidise his educational costs. In the event, free
education was introduced, and the proposal withered. During this period, the Past
were dividing into two clear camps; those who saw the Union as a social contact
point between old Gonzaga Boys, and those who saw the Union as having a social
function to perform.
At the Annual General Meeting held on 7 November 1972, Mr Eric Plunkett
( 1968) proposed that the Gonzaga Union should be disbanded in its present form.
The discussions at this meeting were heated, culminating in an agreement that an
Extraordinary General Meeting be held on 30 November 1972, the Minutes from
this meeting state:
Suffice to say that there was a full and frank discussion of the future role, if any,
of the Gonzaga Union. It was variously stressed that the Union should:
(a) Lapse into at least temporary oblivion
(b) Continue to organise functions, such as Dances, Dinners, Debates and
Sporting Events, which were its main duties
(c) Take on some social work project, to involve as many members as wished,
in particular, Community Action
An election was held, and the Committee resigned. A new Committee was
elected, and the new President undertook to explore the possibility of new
avenues and dimensions for the Union in the year to come. These Minutes are
signed by Benedict O'Connor ( 1966) and dated 30 November 1973.
From 1973 to 1983, the Union effectively lapsed into oblivion, with no formal
list of Past Pupils available, and other than a number of dinners, an occasional
rugby match or debate, and the Annual Mass for Deceased Past Pupils, no contact
existed between the School and Past Pupils, nor was any community action
undertaken.
In 1982, when Fr. Noel Barber returned to Gonzaga as Head Master, he
encouraged the idea of having a Dinner for Past Pupils of the School, in the School.
An Ad Hoc Committee under Anthony Spollen (1964) was formed, and the
Dinner was held in the School Hall in April 1983. For the first time ever, the
problem was over-booking, and the evening was considered to have been a great
social success, and was of course, a financial failure.
A by-product of this particular Dinner was the fact that it necessitated the
producing of a full list of all the Past Pupils. Armed with this list, Anthony Spollen
felt that the Union should be re-formed, and so he set about it. Jerry Liston (1958)
was elected President for the year 1983/84, and the activities during his year in
office are set out in his Report.
Cyril Forbes {1963)
36
following which at the Annual General Meeting in November 1968, Mr Arthur
Plunkett ( 1960), then President, explained that the purpose of the scheme was to
pro•1ide educational guidance, and moral rather than financial support.
He explained that Hubert Mahoney (1964) was acting as Tutor to a boy selected
from St Bernard's Boys Club. It had been anticipated that if the Gonzaga Union
would not pay all, it would at least subsidise his educational costs. In the event, free
education was introduced, and the proposal withered. During this period, the Past
were dividing into two clear camps; those who saw the Union as a social contact
point between old Gonzaga Boys, and those who saw the Union as having a social
function to perform.
At the Annual General Meeting held on 7 November 1972, Mr Eric Plunkett
( 1968) proposed that the Gonzaga Union should be disbanded in its present form.
The discussions at this meeting were heated, culminating in an agreement that an
Extraordinary General Meeting be held on 30 November 1972, the Minutes from
this meeting state:
Suffice to say that there was a full and frank discussion of the future role, if any,
of the Gonzaga Union. It was variously stressed that the Union should:
(a) Lapse into at least temporary oblivion
(b) Continue to organise functions, such as Dances, Dinners, Debates and
Sporting Events, which were its main duties
(c) Take on some social work project, to involve as many members as wished,
in particular, Community Action
An election was held, and the Committee resigned. A new Committee was
elected, and the new President undertook to explore the possibility of new
avenues and dimensions for the Union in the year to come. These Minutes are
signed by Benedict O'Connor ( 1966) and dated 30 November 1973.
From 1973 to 1983, the Union effectively lapsed into oblivion, with no formal
list of Past Pupils available, and other than a number of dinners, an occasional
rugby match or debate, and the Annual Mass for Deceased Past Pupils, no contact
existed between the School and Past Pupils, nor was any community action
undertaken.
In 1982, when Fr. Noel Barber returned to Gonzaga as Head Master, he
encouraged the idea of having a Dinner for Past Pupils of the School, in the School.
An Ad Hoc Committee under Anthony Spollen (1964) was formed, and the
Dinner was held in the School Hall in April 1983. For the first time ever, the
problem was over-booking, and the evening was considered to have been a great
social success, and was of course, a financial failure.
A by-product of this particular Dinner was the fact that it necessitated the
producing of a full list of all the Past Pupils. Armed with this list, Anthony Spollen
felt that the Union should be re-formed, and so he set about it. Jerry Liston (1958)
was elected President for the year 1983/84, and the activities during his year in
office are set out in his Report.
Cyril Forbes {1963)
36
