A GREAT LEAP FORWARD

We at VOCS are happy to report that the first meeting of the Board of Directors of VOCS under the new Constitution passed at the last Boat Race Dinner (“BRD”) was held at Green College on the evening of June 14.

Tony Knox, Mark Vessey, Christina Sampogna, Nick Arden and Simon Dorey (CA) were present and Dania Sheldon and Marleen Morris couldn’t make it. Rich Baldry, our faithful communications expert, came along to cast light on important communications matters.

The following directors were appointed to the following offices and posts:

You will recall that under the Constitution, Tony (me) is the President and, all going well, will be for the allotted term.

THE COMMUNICATIONS REVOLUTION

It became clear after the failure of many members to get emailed notice of the last BRD that the old OB system of emails was breaking down for a number of technical reasons.  Rich Baldry (creator of www.vocs.ca) once again came to the rescue with what we hope is a new Google system for delivering emails with less problems than the old 2009 system for OB delivery.  It would be much appreciated, if you get this, if you would please ask VOCS friends if they got this OB #33. If you find they did not, please send an email to tknox@knoxlex.com with a copy to Rich at rich@vocs.ca .

Rich has also reactivated the somewhat neglected LinkedIn VOCs Group (“LVG”)   kindly set up by Peter Inman a few years ago.  It was noted at the board meeting that the Toronto equivalent of VOCS (“TOCS”) uses its LinkedIn group very effectively to deliver notices and otherwise communicate among roughly 1,000 of its members. If you are already a LinkedIn user, visit the group's page to sign up. If you are not, go to www.linkedin.com to find out more information about the site and to sign up as a user.

RECENT GRAD ON THE BOARD

If you have graduated from one of the Universities in the last five years, please be in touch with the Dania at dania.sheldon@gmail.com  if you are willing to be considered for a place on the Baord. We need to fill the place mandated on the Board for a recent grad. Indeed, if there are several volunteers, the Board may exercise its discretion to have several recent grad directors. This is important as the Board wants to ensure that its activities fit the full demographic of our membership.

MEMBERSHIP

We at VOCs, while struggling along alone faced a huge problem in dealing with a constantly changing membership list. Members come, members go and it seemed that the Universities‘ ability to feed VOCS up-to-date information was rendered very difficult by reason of UK privacy laws. It appears that there may be some easing of that difficulty. At the same time, Dania and Christina, the Membership Secretariat, will be assembling various data which we at VOCS had been too busy to collate into the Big Membership List. If you know of an Oxbridge grad who has come to our area or left our area of who may not be on the Big Membership Lilst, please send an email to Dania and Christina at dania.sheldon@gmail.com and christina.sampogna@cantab.net .  This is fundamentally important work as the Big Membership List is clearly not reliable any more.

ANOTHER LEAP FORWARD - CANADIAN GRADUATE SCHOLARSHIPS

You will find attached to this OB a very interesting document prepared by Cambridge Commonwealth Trust (“CCT”), a trust set up by Cambridge University. The chair of its trustees is Sir Martin Harris who spoke at the 2010 BRD.  No need to summarize it as space is precious. Please read it. We think that it fills a need which many members have commented upon over the years – VOCS members actually assisting the next generation of VOCS members to achieve their goals.

You will note that CCT contemplates working   jointly with Oxford but developing that cooperation is a work in progress. 

We would be most interested to get any input which any of you may have relating to the proposed  fundraising campaign for the Canadian graduate scholarships.  Please send any comments to tknox@knoxlex.com (Pooh Bah) with copies to gc.principal@ubc.ca (Oxon VP) and narden@telus.net (Cantab VP) .

THE CROQUET MATCH

You are reminded of the First Annual Warren-Dunn Cup Croquet Match which is to be held at the Vancouver Croquet Club (“VCC”) at 4376 West 6^th Avenue in Vancouver on Saturday, August 6, 2011 from 2:00 to 6:00P.M.  A practice will be available at VCC  at 11:00 A.M on the match day and we are working on some other learn/practice sessions before that.  Dress will be “as you like it” other than flat shoes. There will be a pot luck picnic assisted by Pimm’s and Strawberries.  The cost will be $25.00 per person . Your non-member  friends  are very welcome and not everyone who attends need play croquet.  You can feel free to chat and nibble and look out at the fantastic view of sea and mountains from the 90-year of VCC pavilion under majestic old trees as well as cheer on the dark and light blue sides. It is a lovely setting and should be a lot of fun.  If not signed up already, pPlease get in touch with Simon Dorey at simondorey@shaw.ca . Still lots of room for players and guests and hot croquet fans. Note that the cost covers use of the VCC grounds, Pimm’s and the Strawbs.

THE FAMILY PICNIC – NEW LOCATION!

You are also reminded of the Third Annual VOCS Family Picnic which will be held this year on Labour Day, Monday, September 5, 2011 at the Miniature Railway Picnic Site #1 (the rain proof  picnic site in Stanley Park located adjacent to the gates of the miniature railway). This year, we will be doing our own barbequing of hot dogs, hamburgers, chicken burgers and veggie burgers and pop will be provided along with a potluck in salads and desserts.

The cost, all in, will be $10.00 per person (small or large).

2011 BARD ON THE BEACH PICNIC AND PLAY

As a first time of warning please mark your calendars for the Second Annual  VOCS picnic and play at Bard on the Beach.  The play this year will be “As You Like It”  on the evening of August 16 , 2011.  We gather at 600P.M. at the hillock with trees on it that overlooks the parking lot next to False Creek beside Vanier Park. The picnic is pot luck. The price of the entry ticket will be $37 if there are at least 15 of us and $40 if less than 15. So numbers are important. This is a truly great performance in the new enlarged Bard tent – both play and tent well worth seeing.

PUB NIGHT

We have decided to adopt a very informal series of pub nights throughout the year.  Members will be invited to meet at an inviting drinking location in Vancouver at 8:00 P.M. on the second Monday of each month.  There will be no programme other than to meet and talk to whatever other members turn up.  You can bring friends along. However, we at VOCS are not sure what the best location for this new tradition should be.  Please email me at tknox@knoxlex.com with suggestions.  They do not have to be “pubs” per se (fake beams, Spy Prints etc.).

SOCIAL CALENDAR SUMMER 2011

Best Wishes  on the First Day of Summer,

Tony