Stephen Orr - President 2011-12

Dear Member

I am honoured to be writing to you as President of Belfast Royal Academy Old Boys’ Association. My congratulations to last year’s President Tim Reid for his successful year as President. Tim represented the Association at a number of dinners and functions.

I attended both Ben Madigan and the Grammar School leaving in 1976. I maintain contact with a lot of friends who attended the School throughout the 70’s and am glad that I continue to have an involvement with the School not only as President of the Association but also as a Member of the School’s Board of Governors since 2001.

It is pleasing that the Association continues to give such support as it can to the School and from time to time can offer financial assistance. This is something we know is much appreciated particularly in the current economic climate.

As President of the Association, I am grateful for the support of the entire Committee but feel I should mention in particular a number of Office Bearers. Our Honorary Secretary, Dr. Louis Campbell, who has just retired following a long and distinguished career as a teacher in the School, his latter years having been as Vice Principal. I am also grateful to Nik Simon in his role as Honorary Treasurer, Michael Bennett as Membership Secretary and of course Iain Knox, our Dinner Secretary. I was Dinner Secretary for some 10 years and am most grateful that Iain has now taken over this role and should be commended for his initiatives in securing the attendance of “Old Boys” at the dinner. In particular, in the last 2 years Iain has been instrumental in encouraging the more recent school leavers to attend our function in Wellington Park Hotel.

The Association’s Golf Society continues to flourish with 2 outings each year in June at Malone Golf Club and in September at Royal Belfast. We are grateful to both Clubs for allowing us to use their facilities. Our thanks must go to Ken Knox for his continued organisation of both of these events. I also congratulate this year’s Captain, Graham Lynn, and was pleased to be able to attend Graham’s Captains Day at Royal Belfast.

I would also wish to convey my thanks to Robin Reid who has continued to co-ordinate monthly lunchtime get-togethers. These are at various Golf Clubs throughout the Province and I know that these informal occasions have been enjoyed by many of our Members.

I look forward to seeing as many of the Members as possible at our Annual Dinner scheduled for 26th November in the Wellington Park Hotel. I hope that we can conclude our speeches at an early point in the evening to enable Members to meet and chat in a more informal manner.

It is hoped that other functions including a quiz will take place during the course of the year. Unfortunately our quiz last year had to be postponed at short notice but it has been a very popular event over the years; thanks again to the aforementioned Robin Reid for his skills as a question master.

I look forward to meeting as many Old Boys as possible at the dinner and at various functions throughout the year.

Yours sincerely

Stephen Orr