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MESSAGE FROM THE MASTER
As I write my penultimate message for the OA magazine, I am reminded just how much there is to look forward to during my last five terms as Master of Dulwich College.
The third Dulwich College Olympiad will be held at Dulwich College Singapore in mid-March, celebrating our students across the Dulwich family of schools through Sport, Drama, Music and Art. I am delighted to be co-hosting a Global Alumni Dinner in Singapore for both OAs and the alumni of our 10 international schools with Nick Magnus, Head of Dulwich College Singapore. We hope that events such as this will serve to foster even stronger bonds across the wider Dulwich community and strengthen our relationship with Dulwich College International, whose alumni are so proud of their connection to our 405-year-old school . In October, we hosted both a professional networking event and a drinks reception in Hong Kong , which was open to OAs, IOAs and parents alike. Those members of the London team who attended reported that the evening was a great success, with many new business connections being formed and as many friendships reignited. At the same time, OAA President Will Lewis (54-65) and I had the pleasure of attending OA events in New York, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Vancouver , where we both had the chance to forge new relationships and connect with old friends. Each of the American cities named is home to a growing and diverse OA community, with the number of leavers being accepted to study at one of their many prestigious universities growing by the year. It should be noted that the path to North American universities for students who could not otherwise consider this course is being facilitated by the support of generous OAs.. We are grateful for their benefactions. I eagerly anticipate returning to New York over Summer half term to attend an OA dinner at Keens Steakhouse on 24 May. This event will mark four decades since Michael Lynfield (69-74) took over the organisation of the annual OA reunion in New York from his father. I’ll travel on from New York to Toronto , where I will meet a small but loyal contingent of OAs and JAGS alumnae who have been socialising together in the city since their arrival in Ontario in the 1950s, ‘60s and ‘70s. There are also a run of OA events being organised throughout the UK, including in Durham, Edinburgh, Shaftesbury and Tunbridge Wells , and I do not take for granted the efforts of our growing network of OA volunteers in organising these. In SE21, we continue to host talks from the Archives and professional networking events ; with the recent addition of a Sustainability Networking event held during Eco Week . You may remember reading about The Uganda Schools Project (TUSP) , established by OAs Sean Richardson and Harry Bucknell in last year’s magazine. This academic year has seen the College and the OAA come together for the first time to support one single nominated charity, and I’m delighted that TUSP is the first beneficiary of this initiative. Our ongoing commitment to promoting a culture of service is evident in the creation of OAA Service Leadership Awards for those who have proved most altruistic or worked in support of our commitment to Inclusion or Sustainability. The first recipients of these awards were honoured at last summer’s Leavers’ Prizegiving ceremony, which Will Lewis attended along with the Chair of the OAA, Nick Howe (74-80). May the bonds between the school and the OAA grow ever stronger. I look forward to connecting with as many of you as possible over the coming terms and I wish you and your families a happy and healthy 2024. As ever
Dr Joe Spence The Master
The Master in Antarctica, January 2023
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