Framlinghamian 2022 - Flipbook - Page 219
SOF | PRESIDENTS MESSAGE
the future with her Vision 2025 strategy.
is, I think, the first structural change to the
Part of this is a determination to broaden
Society’s offering to its members for at
accessibility to a Framlingham College
least half a century and I can’t wait to see
education through a new “Transforming
it up and running on the new website.
Lives” bursary scheme which the SOF is
proud to support. Your society has already
It’s been a very long time since we’ve
contributed £300,000 to help ensure
been able to get together for lunches,
the overall delivery of Vision 2025 and
suppers or dinners – the last time we did
we now hope that individual members
so was at the London Supper in January
might feel persuaded to contribute to the
2020! There have since been a few
College’s bursary appeal when it launches
tantalising near-misses as lockdowns
in September.
came and went; the last of these being in
July when the London Supper looked like
Within the Society, while the pandemic
a real possibility until so-called Freedom
has forced most physical events to be
Day was put back five weeks, nipping
postponed or cancelled, there’s been
those plans in the bud. As I write, there’s
a lot going on to improve and enhance
the real prospect of a Suffolk Supper on
what we offer to our thousands of active
the 16th October and perhaps a regional
members. Not least amongst these has
supper or two in the run-up to that.
been the development of an entirely new
Keep an eye on the events page of the
website, which will be much more user-
website for up-to-date news of these.
friendly and interactive than our old one,
Our shooters and golfers have fared a
and Council’s recent decision to launch
little better, somehow working the social-
a new specialist group focused on the
distancing rules to find ways to meet, and
arts – you’ll find articles on both of these
you’ll find their reports in the pages ahead.
elsewhere in this magazine.
Finally, I want to pay tribute to all those
These two initiatives exemplify my
event organisers and group secretaries
underlying ambition, as your President,
for their enthusiasm and energy in spite
to foster an environment throughout the
of all the setbacks they’ve had to deal
Society that encourages engagement
with – and not least to those at the very
across and between the generations,
core of our organisation: our Trustees,
engagement of younger OFs in the
our Finance Committee, our members of
management of the Society and
Council, our Website Admin team and
engagement between members of the
to Ruth Elwood, our Honorary General
Society and the School. This is not to say
Secretary, who works so hard, with such
that we haven’t always tried to do this but,
enthusiasm, and somehow keeps me on
to go further in developing facilities and
the straight and narrow. Thank you all so
introducing structural changes, we hope
very much.
we will draw people in and help them to
network together. The Society of The Arts
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