Issue 10 - March Lunch

Some 50 members of the Lunch Club attended the March lunch hosted by The Bishop’s Stortford High School in the School Library on 28th March 2007 and enjoyed an excellent lunch – the School has always been noted for its high quality catering. Andrew Goulding, the Headmaster, gave an interesting overview of the School’s recent history, its activities and aspirations. Of particular interest were the School’s core values, which included fairness, respect, kindness, consideration for others, integrity and hard work; values that make a sound model for the professions and business. Andrew also spoke of the importance for students of exposure to local professions and businesses in the post-school world into which they would soon be launched, stressing that it need not be a one-way traffic, because the School can offer a valuable contribution to the local community by making its facilities available to, and by participating in, community activities. Chris Roberts, a Governor and Chairman of the School’s Business Links Committee, then outlined the purposes of the Committee which, in addition to fostering links with the professional and business communities, also sought to tap the talents and experience of parents and others for the benefit of the School. Presentations by two groups of Sixth Formers were then made on business activities in which they had engaged. Each had been carefully researched and budgeted and then the results, not always success, were analysed and compared to budget to see what lessons could be learned from the experience. It was salutary that the experience gained and the lessons learned were a microcosm of what happens in ‘grown-up’ businesses. Altogether a delightful interlude in stimulating and congenial company for which many thanks are due to the School, but especially to those upon whom the burdens of organisation and presentations fell.