St. David's College Old Davideans Association

There will be no ODA weekend meet up this year for reasons known to us all, so don’t just turn up! This is the country’s most tragic time since the start of the Second World War in 1939.
 
We must wish for happier times. Hopefully next year we will be able to ‘meet again’.
 
BUT in the meantime, we have organized a little virtual reunion. On Sunday November 8th (Remembrance Sunday) we invite you to attend a short Remembrance Service led by Rev Tim Hall via a platform called Remo. Following the service, we invite all Old Davideans to attend a Remo Virtual Coffee Morning. Remo allows us to give presentations (we will use this format for the service) and also gives you a bird’s eye view of virtual rooms with tables and chairs. You can move in and out of the rooms and once in a room, you can chat to and see on screen the people in that room. After the service, Headmaster Andrew Russell will also deliver a small report about St David’s during Lockdown and an update on school plans. Then we can all circulate around the virtual rooms to socialize and catch up.
 
An email with the Remo login details and a link to the SDC Facebook page will follow. We look forward to seeing you all virtually and catching up with your news.
 
Below is a potted history of the ODA to remind you how far we’ve come in 50 years:
 
The history of the ODA starts in the late 1960’s when founder Headmaster John Mayor understood the need for such an organisation to promote continuing links between Old Davideans and the school, for lots of very good reasons. The main celebration has always been the November Remembrance weekend, although lately there have been others, in London and Chester. The weekend format has remained the same, but has expanded. There is coffee on Saturday morning, followed by Rugby and other activities in the afternoon, a dinner in the evening (unbelievably male only to begin with), then a Remembrance Service on Sunday morning.
 
There used to be two Rugby matches between Old Davideans and current pupils. John Mayor got very upset one year because an outsider had actually been co-opted to make up the numbers. Later insurance rules changed; pupils were too young to play against adults, so the match had to be between different years of Old Davideans, then St David’s became coeducational, so there was Netball as well. The venues for the dinners changed. We went to Deganwy Castle Hotel for  years, then The Empire Hotel, Llandudno, very convenient because so many people had congregated for drinks at Fountains bar before the meal, then finally in the Minstrel Hall at school, firstly a semi -  formal sit down do with the Sixth Form waiting on, then a less formal buffet style, allowing more people to attend, and the Sixth Form the relief of not having to wait on the tables. The Head Boy and Head Girl attend so that Old Davideans can chat with them to find out how things are going. There is a raffle and a charity auction; money is raised and much fun is had by all. On Sunday morning there is a formal Remembrance Service in the Assembly Hall, followed by coffee and then a slap up Sunday lunch in the Dining Hall; this recent innovation by Headmaster Andrew Russell has, unsurprisingly, encouraged more Old Davideans to stay until the Sunday.
 
Wishing you and your families all the best, Simon Buckley.