STOURBRIDGE OLD EDWARDIAN CLUB

ED-Words  Newsletter
May 2022

As well as this and my other Presidential duties I am also pleased to be a member of the Trench Raiders Concert party with Kenneth Wright, Paul Thatcher and Alan Roden, who are performing both at the Hagley Party in the Park on 2^nd June and also at our Club on 4^th June providing a singalong evening accompanied by a Prosecco reception and a “Right Royal Buffet”. Further details of this can be found either elsewhere in this Newsletter or on the Club’s website. Please try to support this event if you can and put your names on the Club noticeboard so that we can all have a good “knees up” to celebrate.

Thankfully, and although it has not gone away completely, we are all beginning to emerge from the ravages of the Covid outbreak and it is pleasing to see that events at the Club have started up again. It will still be a while until things get fully back to normal, but please rest assured that we are still taking precautions to ensure members and guests can remain safe. A replacement window has been installed in the Memorial Room and a further window is planned for the new dining area to ensure adequate ventilation for guests. 

Despite the difficulties of Covid I am pleased to report that the Club is in a good financial position although, as we are facing increased prices including higher energy bills, there will, no doubt, be potentially difficult times ahead for all of us.

However, now that “Summertime has come”… we can look forward to some warmer weather and a time for days out and holidays and I wish you all good health and happiness. 

On a sad note, we heard earlier this week that our Vice President Robin Morrison suffered heart problems and was rushed to hospital. I am pleased to say that he is now back home and recuperating and I am sure you would wish to join me in wishing him a successful recovery, and I look forward to seeing him back at the Club before too long.

"Subscriptions and car parking fees only recover approximately 40% of the costs needed to run the club.

Coupled with the fact that only about 20% of club members regularly use the club, it follows that function trade and third-party hire are essential to maintain the club premises and facilities offered especially car parking, which a vast majority of members and their families use.

During 2021, the General Committee took the decision to remodel the club to enhance our offer to third party hirers. I am pleased to report that the works are substantially completed. We have achieved success in attracting Stourbridge Rotary Club to our club for most of their Wednesday lunchtime meetings and other external hirers who bring essential revenue into the club.

Our trading figures since re-opening post Covid are encouraging but we must not become complacent. Any institution or business that doesn’t embrace change to meet the ever-changing needs of its members or customers is doomed to failure.

The Development Committee was formed to discuss the challenges faced by the club and bring well thought out propositions to the General Committee for support, an example being last year’s remodelling of the snooker hall.

What challenges do we face as a club?

• Declining membership of Old Edwardian members
•  Inability to attract leavers from King Edward’s College
• Some of our established customers will decline over the next few years
• The established culture of the club is changing with a necessary reliance on third party trade and the decline in the traditional membership base – “the grammar school ex-pupils”

If action is not taken now to build on our strengths and move to a new business model the club will slowly wither on the vine and close. I’m sure I speak for most members that this is not a position we want to entertain. There is a tremendous amount of history surrounding the club and considerable effort has been expended by many current and past members to sustain the club over the years. 

We must fundamentally accept that we (the membership) are a property owner who must make best use of the resource at our disposal for the benefit of the membership to maintain a going concern

What can therefore be done to enhance our offer to members to maintain and develop our club?

1.     Membership

a.     Consolidate our subscription tariff – proposals have been made to the General Committee to introduce a simplified and flat rate tariff for subscriptions next year

b.     Joining procedures- these have been reviewed by a small working party and a new streamlined system is being introduced 

c.      Establish a membership database – the Club Secretary has done an excellent job in establishing a new database that provides at long last a true picture of membership

d.     The Social Committee continue to promote a vibrant programme of social events

e.     Discussions are to be held with the new Principal of the College when in post to establish a system whereby all College leavers become members of a “virtual” club to maintain their links with the main club and the town. Most students at the College are not from Stourbridge unlike the old Grammar School intake. 

f.      Attract more Associate members and widen the age demographic of our membership 

2.     Function trade and third-party hire

a.     To ensure the club is open for business by attracting as many external customers as possible. The Stewards are excellent promoters of this initiative and their contribution to the club should not be underestimated.

b.     To investigate the offer of discounts to club members at events that are open to them 

c.      To investigate further remodelling of the club premises to enhance our offer to hirers and club users and seek support from General Committee for necessary investment. 

3.     Future management arrangements for the club

a.     Work has begun to develop a new business model for the club that will need to be implemented over the next 3 years to ensure sustainability of the club acknowledging that status-quo is not an option.

b.     The discussions required to develop the new model will be informed by members’ requirements of the club premises and other key influences such as inflation, cost of living pressures and our changing demographic in our membership.

In conclusion, I see some of the challenges facing the club as opportunities that can be used to our advantage to maintain and develop our offer to members both current and prospective. It is hard and exciting work, and we haven’t yet established all the answers, but rest assured on behalf of all the members we will be working hard to find them".

Rob Morrison

Chair of Development Committee

Chemistry Olympiad
Congratulations to the students who took part in the Chemistry Olympiad this year. The students have been taking sessions, learning new topics, developing problem-solving skills, thinking creatively and applying their knowledge. We came away with 9 silver and 4 bronze awards.

Crufts
Current student Mariann Bayliss and her four-year-old Border Collie, Daniel, recently won the Young Kennel Club (YKC) Agility Dog of the Year at Crufts. Mariann said: “We were going second to last knowing everyone had a foul and that we would likely win with a clear. The pressure was enormous! It is all I have ever dreamed of!” 

VolleyBall Finals
Massive congratulations to our Volleyball Team who have made it through to the AOC Sport National Volleyball Mixed Knockout Cup finals in May. What a team! 

Ruth Taylor

The College website is: https://www.kedst.ac.uk

FORTHCOMING EVENTS are visible on our Events Calendar.

Of immediate note (phone or book via the Club noticeboard):

• Jubilee Celebrations at the Club on Saturday 4th June  CLICK HERE>>
• Charter Day Lunch CLICK HERE>>

RECENT EVENTS

• Club Quiz 17th May (Brian Arch's team emerged victorious)
• St.George's Day Dinner 25th April CLICK HERE>>
• St. David's Day Night 4th March  CLICK HERE>>

Sadly, the previous weeks have seen the passing of a number of our well known and well liked members - including Doug Robins, Bob Macey, Bob Purslow and Brian Tyler.

Very recently we also lost Colin Davies (1925-2022) a keen sportsman who played rugby for the school, was a past captain of Stourbridge Golf Club and a prominent freemason.

We have also heard that Philip Eyles - past Principal of KEVI College - has also just passed away .

Our condolences go to all families and friends.

It is hoped that the first of the box-framed displays of vintage Club and School regalia will soon be on display in the Memorial Room. The remaining box-frames are scheduled to be displayed in the new Edwardian Lounge following its re-decoration.

Every endeavour is being made for the Archivist’s role to be active rather than passive; therefore, I appeal to all members who have artefacts or memories of life at the School or the Club to share them with me so that a permanent record can be made.

Within the archives are several complete sets of the School Magazine which was started in 1922. They contain some fascinating historical tit-bits from earlier days, and I propose to recall two here and more in future Newsletters. 

To start the ball rolling, I am including for this edition accounts of former pupils. Their stories have a motoring theme.

TIT-BITS FROM THE SCHOOL MAGAZINE –THE STOURBRIDGE EDWARDIAN

 Autumn Term 1932 – “Out with the Old Crocks”

F.S. Barnes (1910-1917) once again took part in the London to Brighton race for old motor-cars, which is held annually to commemorate the abolition of the regulation that a motor car must be preceded by a man carrying a red flag. Barnes drove an 1896 Leon-Bollée of 4 h.p. which he had unearthed in a rubbish heap in Birmingham.  He covered the distance of an average speed of 12 m.p.h. and received a certificate for his performance.

Spring Term 1935 – “Monte Carlo or bust !”

In the recent Monte Carlo Rally, three Old Edwardians, F.S. Barnes, J.D. Barnes and H.T. Guest, did remarkably well. In a light Singer car they secured fifth place against some of the finest motorists in Europe. Starting from Stavanger, they arrived at Monte Carlo without losing a mark.

Contact: Kenneth Wright, Club Archivist, on 07710 781169
or the Club on 01384 395635