OCRFC are looking for a new Head Coach for the upcoming 2022/23 season.
Our 1st XV are currently in Gloucestershire Premier where we finished 5th narrowly missing out on top 4 in our first season in this league.
With over 100 players used this season across 3 teams and over 40 players used in the 1st XV we have a large playing and training squad with great strength in depth.
We are looking for an experienced, enthusiastic and committed individual to lead us forward as a club.If this vacancy interests you and you think you have the ability and skill set to deliver then please get in touch with the club.
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OCC stalwart and budding Eddie Merckx has completed a 400+ miles cycling trip to explore the countryside of Northern Ireland and to sample sea cliffs on the Wild Atlantic Way. He is raising money for an education charity that has been running for 21 years.
The Crypt School in Gloucester sets high standards but many aspirational pupils come from homes where money is scarce. Here the OCC Centenary Bursary Fund can help.
“I start and finish in Belfast and hope to learn more about this city at election time when many questions are being asked about Northern Ireland and its future. My story will form the basis of a Cryptian article.”
Richard Briggs (1955-63)
Please consider donating at https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/cycle-touring-for-the-crypt-bursary-fund
Once again we’re calling on members to put pen to paper to provide an article for The Cryptian. The publication only survives on people taking part to provide content so if you feel you would like to contribute then please do contact me. It would be great to get some fresh and original articles for the next publication.
In the last eNews I was pleased to tell you about the fantastic work done by Richard Briggs with digitising some of the OCC Archive which is held in the Heritage Hub in Gloucester. The first phase of this work was carried out with the kind sponsorship of one of our members and we’re now looking for further sponsorship to continue this vital work. If you are interested then please do contact me via president@oldcryptians.org You can view the work being done here: https://oldcryptians.org/club-archive/
Unfortunately due to a huge rise in costs and being let down by our caterer we are having to postpone the formal annual dinner again. We are hugely disappointed to have to do this but we had little choice.
HOWEVER, we will still be gathering on 18 June but with a smaller, more informal get together for members in the schoolroom at St Mary de Crypt from 5.00pm – 8.00pm. I do hope you will consider joining us for this as we would love to see members after having been forced apart by the pandemic for so long.
This will replace the usual Founders’ Day Supper too and will be the venue for the handover of the OCC Presidency to Simon Smith.
Tickets will cost around £15 and will include a light buffet with drinks available to buy. Tickets are available from the web shop https://oldcryptians.org/product/2022-buffet/
Once again I do hope you’ll be able to join us.
From the President
Dear Members,
Welcome to another eNews. Last week we had our AGM and I had hoped to have had an “in person” AGM at the school but covid got in the way as myself and Nick Dyer, the head, both succumbed to it. Hopefully 2023 will see us all be together again for an AGM.
The OCC and the 1539 Foundation
For those of you who didn’t tune in online I wanted to let you know about the work that has been going on over the future of the club in light of the school creating the 1539 Foundation. This has been set up with an education charity to act as a hub for students, alumni and members of the OCC. It works in a similar way to Facebook and connects students and alumni with each other. The initial plan was for it to publicise job opportunities, mentoring from alumni in careers with all of the contacts in one place. Different groups within the foundation can be set up – such as year groups, sports groups etc and members can choose to part of whatever they wish.
There will also be 2-3 social events organised throughout the year based on what different groups emerge. This all sounds a familiar setup and obviously faced the committee with a challenge.
I met with the head a couple of times and along with other members of the committee we undertook a good deal of work to see what that meant for the OCC and how we would have to respond. That culminated earlier this year with the publication of a paper to the committee with three options about the future. One would be to let the 1539 Foundation effectively take on the work of the OCC and for the OCC to fold, another was for the OCC to create a new organisation that would bring the OCC and The Bursary Fund together with paid subscriptions.
What next?
In the end of the committee decided on an option where we will continue as the OCC and effectively become a group within the Foundation hub. The Foundation itself offers resources as it has a part time paid administrator who works for the school links with other schools organisations and the technology platform that simply is not possible for the Old Cryptians as a standalone organisation. That will offer:
- Mentors and links for new foundation members
- A managed communications hub for OC’s members
- Support for organising social occasions such as the annual dinner that may or may not include non-OC foundation members.
- The Presidential ceremonial role will continue, as now, within school services as well as provide editorial/publication of The Cryptian.
- We have no subscriptions but aim to break even on the annual dinner. This would have little impact or change on what we do now apart from how we organise membership.
Actions
So, this is a potentially big change for the club but it’s not a final done deal yet. There is still a lot of work to do before this all happens. We need a more formal proposal and guidelines about how it will work which will then be put to the membership. I’ll report back in the coming months as we progress.
Annual dinner
Finally a reminder from me that the annual dinner is still planned for June 18th at St Mary de Crypt. We’ll have full details and ticket information as soon as we get everything sorted. So please keep the date free!
Steve
OCC President
president@oldcryptians.org
Crypt School Sports Block at 6.00pm (also on Zoom)
More information here.
The Old Cryptians’ Club Annual Dinner is later in the year on
Saturday 18 June at Discover deCrypt
Its been an interesting year, to say the least, in terms of the future of the Old Cryptians’ Club. We are still working through the implications of the 1539 Foundation for us and how that shapes the future of the club. Myself and Simon Smith, the Vice-President, had a good meeting with the head and the administrator of the foundation recently. It will help us look at how we can take the OCC forward and I hope to share those plans once we have an agreed position with the committee.
OCC eNews December 2021
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Our very own Matthew Cass (future president) and Paul James (past president) have published the ideal stocking filler just in time for Christmas.
Buy through Amazon Smile and a teeny percentage goes to the OC Centenary Bursary Fund.
