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PAST PUPILS' ASSOCIATION - 1957, Page three



Two unexpected visitors with their small children were Shelagh Quinn (McCarthy), and Mary Jones (Smith). Shelagh is on holiday from Canada and Mary is living at West Moors, Dorset. Molly Dedman (Orpin), brought her husband to see the school, while they were spending a holiday in Southbourne. What a pleasure it was to reminisce and talk of the early war-days when Molly first came to Boscombe.

Molly is not able to see Anne White (Adams) so often now, as Anne is living in Warwickshire. However, Anne spent some time in Bournemouth during the summer and brought Nicholas and Catherine to see us.

Another welcome trio were Anne Bond, Margaret Brewer (just before her marriage) and Nancy Place (Brewer). Adrian seemed quite at home but baby Angela was not so sure of her surroundings. Anne Caldon also paid us a visit a few days before her wedding, accompanied by her fiance. We were very pleased indeed to see Ann, and enjoyed talking over the past school plays in which she had taken part, when the Assembly Hall, was merely a dream of the future.

Laura Templer was able to tell us that Marguerite Smith is now on the medical staff of the hospital at Oxford. Marguerite was interested to find Fr. John Smalley, S. J., working in the same parish. It seemed like the old days in Form VI when Fr. Smalley used to give Religious Instruction - and Latin competitions, too!

Every summer, Father Crompton, S.J., calls and is eager to give or receive news of Past Pupils whom he knew. Josephine Daly's visit was only too short and we were most interested to hear details of her welfare work, particularly as she explained the idea of foster-homes being chosen rather than large institutions, a significant point to which one of the Archbishop's Pastoral letters drew attention earlier in the year.

This change of outlook has important implications from the Catholic point of view. Benita Kent Cecilia Elgar, and Lorna Logan came to give us the good news of having passed their final examinations at Digby Stuart College. Benita has taken a post in the new School at Bedhampton, while Cecilia and Lorna are doing a year's Music Course at Trinity College.

Ann Boys, Noreen Ventham and Ann Carpenter also successfully completed their training at the Immaculate Conception College, Southampton. We are very pleased to have Ann Boys and Noreen as members of the Staff of our Junior School.

Another very welcome member to the Middle and Senior School Staff is Marjorie Wood, who was anxious to reside in Bournemouth again, and we were only too pleased to avail ourselves of her services.

Patricia Mackenzie deals competently with the Senior English and History, while Shelagh McFadden is a great help in the junior School where she takes such an interest in all activities. Jean Walsh (Hughes) comes in to give Cookery lessons to Form IV, and we congratulate her on the display at Open Day. She is also a most willing helper with Play costumes and the other multifarious jobs which School activities necessitate.

Although other senior members of the Staff are not Pupils of the Convent, our Past Pupils so often ask news of them that we include a short Bulletin here. Miss Gobell responsible for Music only in the past year and a review of the School's productions will reveal how ambitious her plans are - not ambitious only, but patiently and thoroughly carried through.

Miss Gobell spares no time or trouble. The girls know she expects a high standard and they respond.

Miss Cummings has enjoyed better health during the past year and has had opportunities of extending the Science and Biology work. Her interest in the Parish Children of Mary and apostolic work among the older day-pupils continues.

Mrs. Weston-Burt, as keen and energetic as ever, now takes Geography throughout the school. She is always ready to fill-in, in an emergency and proves a splendid M.C. for the Annual Dance.

Special congratulations from all connected with the Convent are offered to two families of our Past Pupils. Eileen and Margaret Collins came personally to bring an invitation to the Ordination of their brother Keith at St. Bernadette's Church, on March 19th.

Reverend Mother and Reverend Mother McEvoy were very happy to be present at the Ordination, and several of our pupils attended Father Collins' first Mass on the following day.

During the summer holidays Judith Downey wrote from Rome asking us to unite with Judith, Gay and herself, and to pray for their brother who was being ordained in the Eternal City.

May God bless these young priests and grant their labours in His vineyard abundant fruit.

And what of the Nuns who were once pupils of Boscombe? Mother Welstead, Mother Assistant here; is always happy to meet contemporaries such as Maria Bertini, who always makes a point of calling when she is in Bournemouth. Mother Dunnett is unable to attend many social functions, but she still takes an interest in her former pupils, while they recall her excellent French lessons where hard work was relieved by the appropriate good joke!

Mother Frances Boulton, now at Stakes, spent some time in Boscombe last summer and she was able to see her sister Mrs. Darby (Marian Boulton).

Mother Boulton's infectious enthusiasm still remains and she was eager to take some of the holiday pupils on expeditions to Salisbury and Wimborne. Congratulations to Mother Briggs (Muriel), who celebrated her Silver jubilee this year! Of the younger nuns Sisters Patricia McLoughlin and Catherine Morton are at Stakes.

Sister Catherine had the happiness of a visit from Mary Morton (Hennessy) and the children during the summer. Sister Marguerite Coward is teaching at Holy Cross School, Springhill, East Cowes, while Sisters Agnes Loftus and Ruth Brown are members of the Boscombe Community.

During the summer vacation, Mademoiselle Marguerite Thomas came to Boscombe. She seemed delighted to stay here again and to visit all our English Convents. Her arrival was a special interest this time, as two of our Nuns from France came with her. It was an honour and pleasure for Boscombe to welcome Reverend Mother Deguise, Superior at Saint Quentin and Mere Brusset, Assistant at Soissons.

We hope that they carried away very happy recollections of their first visit to England. Catherine and Dominique de Liege also spent part of their holidays at Boscombe and were able to give news of their a - unt Margaret Dupont de Liege - who has faithfully kept up correspondence with Mother Briggs since their school-days.

We must new conclude with a very sincere Christmas wish to every Past Pupil. You are all remembered in the sprayers of the Community whose interest in you is not confined to your school-days.

May God bless you all at this Holy Season and throughout the New Year'.

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