Meeting: 28th September 2013 - Luton UK

28/09/2013

After all this time how do you see your old school mates or indeed anyone who went to the same school as you? I would like to say that this was business as usual for QCOGA (UK) but this was the first meeting in absolutely ages, but the screeches and yelps and the desire to hug was all there as loud as ever. To be honest, this was one of the best meetings we have had. Its always great fun when the QC girls get together, but to have so many ladies come to the meeting that I had not met before was so exciting, that before it even started I felt it was a success.

One of the key themes running through the meeting was the desire by all present  to improve the attendance and participation in the association, we know there are lots of OGQCs living and working in the UK, and its interesting that many of them do not know about this association, we had two attendees who live in Nigeria and another who heard about the meeting from someone in Nigeria. So if you are QC girl reading this, please pass it on to other QC girls that you many know, please ask them to register so that we can keep in touch. One of the actions that I took was to look into the possibility for teleconferencing as it is believed that this would improve participation. I am no enemy of progress, but a bit of me worries that we may lose some of the sociability of the association by doing this.

The great thing I personally enjoy  about these meetings are the numerous trips down memory lane, who can remember this teacher, who remembers senior so and so: well one such trip had us singing an old a familiar song that goes something like this:

Can a picture talk oh no

Can a picture walk oh no

Can a picture do what your love has done for me  ha ha how funny is that? Or even funnier is a group of women in their mid 40s singing at the top of their voices in a 16x 18 foot room!

One of the other things we tried to ascertain at this meeting is what you want from the association. These are things that we need to know about  or that we can improve  and make sure that there is a mantle to pass on. Please be sure to email us using the contact form, or directly to qcoga@yahoo.com.

A particular resolution was made, and this was to endeavour to ensure that our subs are paid regularly. They were increased to £50 and for pensioners or unemployed members remained at £20.  Pls click here, for details of how to pay your subs. 

if you want to see more pictures from this meeting Click here
To see the minutes from this meeting Click here

Nike Akiti 

(Morenike Davies, 1980 set!)

KCOBA Dinner Dance 20th July 2013

QCOGA Girls at the Dance!

Ladies I have to tell you about this event, The King’s College Old Boy’s Association Inaugural Dinner Dance that I attended.  It was indeed a very well attended event, with it appears nearly 250 attendees and it was so nice to see them in all of their finery. and what finery it was.  

The point I wanted to make was that after having been shocked when my presence as the President of the QCOGA (UK) branch  was acknowledged, the shock pretty soon gave way to humility and if I am honest with you my fellow QCOGs   felt more then a little red faced! I felt acutely aware of the inactivity of QCOGA ( UK) of recent times, of which I must shoulder the Lion’s share of the blame, not to detract from the good work of the individual sets, but clearly I have to look at the wider picture on alumni of an illustrious school such as ours. 

I have to say that listening to them sing their school song, with so much gusto I was quite in awe, and they all knew all the words to all the verses! It really is a fabulous song, befitting, but I was particularly stirred by verse 3 that went as follows

‘Present, past and future form one mighty whole

Shining forth emblazoned on the muster roll

When the call is sounded all must answer “here”

Voice and bearing showing neither shame nor fear

Pointing to our honour which stands bright

As when we took it from our founder’s hands’

It’s there, in the ‘from one mighty whole’ the idea of unity standing and working together, it’s almost a lion’s call. At least that is what i was hearing, the display of comradeship amongst the men who were but boys in KC was incredible, the hailing of each other, the old school rituals all there, present, ticked and marked off.  I feel that its pertinent that we sing 

‘Pass on the Torch, still brightly gleaming, ....’ in our school song, another call to arms, pass on to the next generation, a similar pretext all very stirring. 

It was interesting to hear of  the challenges  faced by the alunmni of King’s College, the broken kitchens, the over crowding, the annexes, falling standards and so on and so forth.   How similar they are to ours! Having attended this event, I am feeling extremely invigorated and a quite a bit nostalgic, remember our dinner dances and all that went into planning and executing them in trying to raise funds for our alma mater! So now I am heeding a call and i am extending that call you my fellow QCOGs.

I have to say that I was surprised at how many ladies went up to have their picture taken as being part of Queen’s College- knock me for six call me a snob, but i do believe that that Queen’s college, Yaba is the Queen’s College and our only true affiliation is with Queen’s school Ibadan! Please do correct me if I’m wrong, but i do find it rather irksome that others like to ride off the back.

Then there is the issue of the standard of the school in present times, I have had people tell me, that we are feeding off our past history and that we are not that good, which in effect may be true, but people need to understand that history cannot be re-written, we learn from it, we improve on it but re-write it? Thats not possible. we do however have an opportunity to be part of those that chose to learn from history and work to secure a better future for our alma mater.