Old Clayesmorian Society Scholarship Fund

Less than 25 years ago the OC Society was on the verge of bankruptcy. Unknown to most members, it was kept afloat by innovative members of the OC Committee who arranged for the sale of OC Ties, scarves, and ‘T’ shirts!

A glance at last year’s accounts in this Newsletter reveals a much healthier situation.

For some years the OC committee have been trying to come up with ideas of using the Society’s reserves to help the school, and at the same time to grow. A few years ago the Society offered the school the use of its funds to help a junior member of the teaching staff to make a start on the housing ladder: in essence the Society offered to use its funds to buy a share in a teacher’s home. The teacher would pay the society interest (rather than a building society) and when the house was sold, the society would benefit (hopefully) by the same proportion of the value of the house. (Since then, the UK government has come up with a similar plan to help state school teachers). After a period of consideration the school declined the offer as it was felt there might be unforeseen hidden complications.

Recently the OC Committee decided to set up an OC Society Scholarship Fund for the benefit of the sons and daughters of OCs who study at Clayesmore. It will be some years before the Society will be able to offer the help it would like, but at least a start has been made.

The next step is to apply for Charitable Status for the OC Society Scholarship Fund. If this application is successful, and it seems that this is quite a possibility, the Committee hope to move on to step three and ask OCs to remember The OC Society Scholarship Fund in their wills by leaving the Fund a legacy. Maybe parents of OCs could be persuaded to do the same thing when reminded of what (in many cases) a miracle had been achieved by the school so many years ago!

Hopefully this will be the beginning of an OC Society Endowment for Clayesmore.

Little acorns………………