Dear OC

I hope that you, your family & friends are well and that you are staying safe.  May I begin by offering our sincerest condolences to the family and friends of Lewis McCracken who passed at the end of April.  Our thought s are with you.
 
We live in strange times and for those of you who would have been doing A-levels this and next month my thoughts go out to you.  Peter Hilton, part of the code breaking team at Bletchley Park during WW2 with Alan Turing said, “Adaptability to change is itself a hallmark of successful education.”  As the most recent additions to our Old Campbellians through circumstance rather than completion of your journey through Campbell, I welcome you.  The situation you now find yourself in is unprecedented, but you are not the only ones.  Your ability to now adapt to those circumstances will be tested .  For some of you that may be straight forward, for others not so.  Many OCs will recall receiving results that were not perhaps envisaged by ourselves and our plans had to be readdressed.  I know I looked forward to spending four years reading History at Edinburgh, but I had to adapt and get lucky…..quickly!  I spent the next six years getting a degree in Law and subsequently lecturing in it in Swansea.  Had you told me that was what would happen in 1990 following my results, I would have been the first to laugh at you.  The game has changed and now is the time to act.  Utilise the careers department at the college, the internet, make calls to education facilities.  If you aren’t doing it, someone else is.

Following on from our President Myles’ letter a few weeks ago encouraging us to connect, I received an email from an OC who did just that.  He had been putting it off and felt prompted by it, to get it in touch with someone who he had last seen in the mid 70’s when he left Campbell.  Talk to an OC who may be living alone, ill, older than you, or just someone whom you may not have talked to in a while. Please then continue to do so and make a conscious effort to make some calls on a regular basis.  The OC Society, amongst other things, exists to keep OCs connected not just with the school but with each other and as such we are only able to operate successfully based on your interactions with us and the information you give us.  With nearly 2,000 registered OCs on the website we have room for more so please log in and register if you have not already done stand check and update your details if you are.
 
Things that we can look forward to are The Old Campbellian Ball on 23rd October and The OC Business Lunch on 27th November.  These are two great events that are supported and enjoyed by OCs and the wider Campbell Community.  The Business Lunch is the newest addition to our calendar but has proved a popular and welcome addition that I would recommend to all generations of OCs. 
 
Unfortunately due to the current uncertainty the OC Golf Day at The Royal Belfast Golf Club on 22 May is postponed.  We hope to find an alternative date in September or October and will of course let you know.  This is another enjoyable day when OCs and their guests reconnect, so please keep an eye on the website and social media for news of the revised date.
 
The OC magazine will again be making its way to you in December and I would ask if you have anything to ‘report’ please send it to oldcampbellianeditor@gmail.com  It is always helpful to attach a photo!  If you did not receive the magazine it may be because you haven’t registered on the website which is simple and straightforward.  Alternatively, if you have registered and still did not receive the magazine you may need to change your settings to accept mailings from us.  We send out over 5,000 copies of the magazine each year around the globe and it is not an inexpensive exercise.  We are grateful to those OCs and businesses who support this endeavour through sponsorship and donations but we would be grateful if you felt inclined to donate if you have not already!
 
You can contact The Society Office via waltermurphy@oldcampbellians.co.uk.  For those of you who follow Social Media, we will continue to post news as regularly as we can but we need new stories so do get in touch with Fiona Young via fyoung@campbellcollege.co.uk or myself via oldcampbellianeditor@gmail.com . On that note Fiona has been working for the College for a number of years and is now carrying out the communications function within the Society Office and is a welcome addition.  Her introduction will be on the website.
 
Please keep an eye on the website in the coming days and weeks for updates and News in order to see what is happening and to “Stay Connected”.  The function of the society has and always will be to maintain a link between OCs and the college.  We are only as successful as OCs allow us to be.  If there is something you want to happen please suggest it.  If we can make it happen we will do our best to facilitate.  So, if you haven’t already done so then please sign up to our website and keep following us on all our social media accounts.
 
Finally, to all of those working in the NHS and other key workers carrying out essential work to maintain our communities - thank you.
 
Please get involved when and wherever you can and best wishes to you and your family at this time.  Stay safe.  Stay home.  Stay Connected.


Dermot Parker (7467)
Chairman
OC Society