Alleyn Club Yearbook 114th Issue

representative turn out in any OA sport for a number of years, while the College used the opportunity to prepare both physically and tactically for the busy season ahead. Many present hope that the morning will find a regular place in the fixture list, with future matches between Alleynians and Old Alleynians being played in front of the iconic Barry Buildings. Old Alleynian Lodge Most public schools have a masonic lodge for their old boys, and this tradition is alive and well amongst Old Alleynians. Our Lodge was founded in 1920, with one of our founder members being Sir Ernest Shackleton (1887–1890). Our current membership has an incredible age range, from join. The photograph shows Lodge members in full regalia after our recent meeting, with Alex Taylor (02–09) as our Worshipful Master. Freemasonry is sometimes called ‘the world’s oldest and largest fraternal organisation’. The fraternity is open to men of all backgrounds and faiths: belief in a Supreme Being is the sole requirement, and all faiths are respected. It has existed at national level for over 300 years, and has benefitted from royal patronage for much of this period: our current Grand Master is HRH The Duke of Kent. It is less secret than some might suppose: tours of Freemasons’ Hall in Great Queen Street take place several times a day. early 20s to early 90s. OAs and members of the College teaching staff are eligible to

by a splendid formal dinner in the Salle. Freemasonry is very sociable, with members encouraged to visit other Lodges. Once a year we hold a ‘White Table’ dinner to which non- masonic guests are invited, including representatives of the College and the Alleyn Club. This year we were pleased to welcome Fiona Angel, Deputy Master Pastoral, as our guest of honour. Every summer we hold a Lodge barbecue for members and their families. We are looking forward to participating in the 400th anniversary celebrations in 2019, and to our own centenary in December 2020.

Trevor Bailey Sports Ground. It was the first time the College had met the old boys over three fixtures on the same day, and the first time OAAFC had fielded a third eleven in a competitive game. All three matches were played in the most positive of spirits, with OAAFC wanting to resharpen their skills after the Christmas break in preparation for both Arthurian League and Arthur Dunn cup challenges to come, while the College were looking for the best possible pre-season warm-up opportunity. While history will record wins for all three Old Alleynian sides, the manner in which the often much younger teams approached the matches must be applauded. The school boys, who in some cases were giving up to 15 years in age to their opponents, never gave up, never stopped moving the ball forward and never stopped looking for opportunities to score. While the OAAFC 2nd XI ran out 3–0 winners, it was only last-minute goals in both the 1st and 3rd XI games that decided it in favour of the elder statesmen. There was widespread agreement that the experiment had been a great success. Over 40 OAs took to the field, which is certainly the largest

Charitable giving is central to Freemasonry: the OA Lodge regularly gives to worthy causes, including donations to school-related charities. If you are already a Freemason, you might like to visit the Lodge and may wish to become a joining member. If you are not a Freemason, the OA Lodge could be a good place to start your masonic journey. In order to join you need to be proposed and seconded by current members. If you do not know a member already, you are welcome to get in touch and we shall be pleased to meet you to discuss the application process and to answer any questions. Please feel free to enquire.

Sergei Subotsky (78–86) Secretary oalodge4165 @ gmail.com

Our meetings are held four times a year in the Old Library, followed

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