thing they were calling the internet. In 1983 he saw a job advertised to teach ‘D&T with some sport’ at Dulwich and decided to apply. He had intended to stick to his career plan of staying for just five years and then move on. In the event he will retire this summer having been here for 33 years. During these years his contribution has been vast. He immediately became a Form Tutor then Housemaster in the Lower School and was soon in charge of organising the Lower School Games Panel. He was subsequently appointed Master in Charge of College Athletics where he raised the profile of Track and Field and enjoyed many successes. In 1994 he was appointed Deputy Head of the Lower School and took on numerous responsibilities to do with the advertising and marketing of the College. He visited many of our feeder schools; brought boys into Dulwich for ‘taster days’; and created what we now call the Discovery Day. If an OA has a wooden spatula at home it will have been made on one such day, and there were many; Geoff estimates that he has made about 2,700. He also organised the January entrance examination morning; the marking of all the scripts; the interviews that followed; and the College Open Morning in October. As soon as he arrived at Dulwich he joined the Combined Cadet Force and has been an officer in it for most of his time here. He was commissioned into the Army Section in 1983 and in 1991 was appointed Contingent Commander. He took a break from the CCF in 2003 but in 2006, after the sudden death of Colonel Tony Salter, was asked to resume command. Geoff returned with the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel and will retire this summer having been our Contingent Commander for 15 years and the longest serving CCF officer in the history of the College. He holds the Cadet Force Medal with two bars; in 2015 he was awarded the ‘Certificate of Meritorious Service to London’s
cadets for commissioned officers’ and in 2016 was named ‘London District Contingent Commander of the year’. Under his command, the contingent has gone from strength to strength. His policy of ‘make it enjoyable’ and the boys (and staff) will return for more. In addition to the military activities he was keen to promote adventurous training. Geoff has been responsible for College boys in the Arctic, the Sahara, the Atlas mountains, Hong Kong and on demanding expeditions all over Europe. In the time that he has been an officer, more than 60 former members of our CCF have served, or are still serving, in HM Forces. I know Geoff is extremely proud of our CCF and of all that we continue to achieve. He retains a passion for Design and Technology; what the boys produce and take home is what matters to him. Most of his groups will be able to chime in unison ‘D&T is all about making’, some will also recall what he says to those who displease him. His teaching moves at a pace; boys do not stand idle and they should always expect the unexpected. His lessons have been known to end with group meditation and chanting and an award to some unfortunate chap with ‘numpty of the week’. In a recent Pupil Voice appraisal, Geoff was particularly struck by how many boys said they enjoyed his lessons, one commenting ‘D&T is my most favourite subject because Mr Rutter makes it fun.’ Some of his Year 10 boys have even talked of a petition for him not to retire. Over the years the D&T department has undergone many changes but the dedication of the staff has never faltered. Geoff especially wanted to mention how much he has enjoyed working with such a talented team of teachers who selflessly give their time to the boys. He describes himself as an ‘old D&T dinosaur’ always most happy
using the tools, hewing materials and building things. Just recently he had it reinforced that retirement was beckoning when a colleague started his D&T lesson with the words ‘right boys, all take out your laptops’. Since he started at Dulwich he has played a significant part in the life of the Common Room and was elected Common Room President in 2011 then again in 2014 for a second term. In this role, he has not only been mindful of the social life of the Common Room but has defined our membership and refined how we operate. Crucially, there have been his tireless efforts to ensure, when appropriate, that the Common Room voice is always heard during all manner of College business. But what of the man? Tall of stature and always immaculate in appearance, he is the soul of country old style. His presence is naturally commanding but without affectation. In any role he filled he was the person to whom colleagues and boys felt that they could turn when they had a problem. He was a good listener who would give sound and sensible advice. He was confidential, inspired confidence and was always prepared to fight the corner of a colleague who might appear to be getting a raw deal. Above all, the role of a teacher is to teach and Geoff is a fine teacher and a most skilful and accomplished craftsman. The College will always be extremely grateful to him for his considerable contribution. We all wish him a long and happy retirement although I suspect he might not know the meaning of the word. We look forward to seeing him at many College occasions in the future. As a happy postscript, the name Rutter will not disappear from the College Roll. Daughter Emily, a former pupil at DUCKS and recent graduate from Loughborough University, will join the staff in September to teach ‘D&T with some sport’!
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