OE 40 SOCIETY SPRING LUNCHEON

FROM: James (Jas) Cowen    Then & Now

DATE RECEIVED: 06 April 2017

DATE OF EVENT: 27 April 2017

The informal Spring Luncheon will be held on Thursday 27th April 2017 at the OEs (Barnet) Memorial Pavilion in Mays Lane commencing at 12.45 p.m. Ticket: £25. Anyone eligible to attend and who would like to go in addition to those already going should contact the webmaster, using this form. I personally will not be going this time, as my children have organised a week at Center Parcs in Wiltshire for that week for us all.

Messages below this line are reports of events that have already taken place

FROM: James (Jas) Cowen    Then & Now

DATE: 29 March 2017

THE 52nd DINNER DEBATE ON 25TH MARCH 2017: The motion proposed by debaters from QE and opposed by two OEs that "this house believes that experts are overrated" was defeated both overall and in respect of the change from the initial to the final vote. The reception for the dinner at 6p.m was 30 minutes earlier than last year and the debate also began 30 minutes earlier than last year, finishing at about 9.45 p.m. I consider this has been a good change. We enjoyed talking with Neil Enright, Barrie Martin, other OEs, teachers and parents, including again Mrs Carruthers, and current students at the school. I recall I was also at the first Dinner Debate many years ago in the 1960s and it was a pleasure to be at this 52nd renewal. There will be an official report in the QE official newsletter later, no doubt with photos.

FROM: James (Jas) Cowen    Then & Now

DATE: 29 March 2016

THE 51st DINNER DEBATE ON 19TH MARCH 2016: My wife and I attended the Dinner Debate on 19th March on the motion about marriage being an outdated institution. In House of Commons terms I believe I was the Father of The House in being the oldest OE due to the fact that Messrs David Farrer and Ken Cooper, though booked a place on the top table were for some reason absent. This is different from the usual state of affairs at 40 Club lunches, when I am one of the younger ones. The debate motion was carried in the sense that more people voted this way at the end of the debate than the count pre the debate. In total terms more still voted that marriage was not an outdated institution. I was amongst this number. The dinner from 6.30 to 9.00 as in previous occasions far exceeded the debating time from 9.00 to about 10.00p.m. but of course the waiting staff have many to serve.