Issue 8 – The Corinthian Online

Issue 8, The Corinthian 2018

Feature Articles

LEONARD CHESHIRE – A CENTENARY CELEBRATION

THE FREEDOM TRAIL

SAVING ENDANGERED WILDLIFE

THE STOWE ‘PINEAPPLE’ CLUB

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE

Carving a Future Out of Wood

In my last year at Stowe, my Design Technology class was a double lesson at the end of Tuesday afternoon,...

Arts At Stowe

Arts at Stowe has seen some incredible performances this year from our wonderful lunchtime concerts by Music Scholars to the...

Who would save the children?

The pages of this magazine contain a collection of stories recounting heroic deeds by Old Stoics. Arguably, Sir Nicholas Winton’s...

Stowe Memoirs

Most Old Stoics will share much the same experiences of the everyday life of the School: the houserooms, the dormitories,...

The Other Plug Street

The subterranean corridor named Plug Street runs in a straight line beneath the main building of Stowe. I remember Plug...

The Stowe Centenary Project

Paintings and Sketches of Stowe by Anthony Eyton RA and Mark Flawn-Thomas (Grenville 72) Five years ago, a fellow artist...

The Pineapple Ball

Close on 60 years ago, in 1959 and 1960, I was flattered to be invited by fellow ex-Walpudlian and Housemaster,...

Exemplary Leadership by Old Stoics

James McCarthy (Grenville 40) War Office Accreditation Name: James Russell McCarthy DOB: 4 March 1922 Medal Award: Military Cross from his activities at...

Exercise Vambrace Saber

Camp Roberts, California In June 2017, three Old Stoics took part in a joint military exercise with the British and...

American Friends of Stowe

American Friends of Stowe (AFS) enjoyed another banner year as it continued to grow, offering a variety of...

News from Stowe

A lot can change in a year, and Stowe never seems to stand still. The world around us is changing...

Stowe Development Update

It is a great pleasure to be back at Stowe as Development Director. After ten years here, in 2015, it...

View all articles

Bookshelf

Bookshelf

Welcome to the eighth edition of The Corinthian – the magazine for Old Stoics.

The pages of this magazine capture the spirit of yet another busy year for the OS Society.

This year, we’ve focused the magazine on compassionate Old Stoics, inspired by the centenary of birth of Group Capt the Lord Cheshire of Woodhall, VC, OM, DSO, DFC (Chatham 36). This magazine is bursting at the seams with stories of selfless Old Stoics who have worked tirelessly for charitable causes. I hope you enjoy reading about their efforts and find their work as inspiring as I do.

We are also delighted to launch the Old Stoic Benevolent Fund: a framework to support Old Stoics who fall on hard times. Although the pages of this magazine pay testament to those who work hard to support valiant causes, the Old Stoic Society is focusing a little closer to home and is now fully equipped to support members who find themselves in need. Please read the article on the Old Stoic Benevolent Fund to find out more details.

As with last year, you will notice that a number of the articles are shorter and easier to read. Should you wish to delve into more detail, please look for the symbols that indicate additional content can be found on the digital magazine, available at Corinthian.online

Once again, you need to look out for the augmented reality symbol which links video content into the magazine. Please download the app and wave your phone over the relevant page to watch films about the stories we’ve written about in this magazine.

Finally, I’d like to thank everyone who has submitted an article and to all of you who have sent in your news. Once again, thank you to the advertisers who have supported the magazine. I’d like to thank our new recruit, Sasha Moss, our new Old Stoic Events Coordinator, for her hard work throughout the year as well as her tireless efforts compiling this magazine. We would also be lost without the back up of Caroline Whitlock who has kindly supported the proof reading of this edition and continues to assist the Old Stoic Society during her retirement.

I hope you enjoy this year’s edition. I will end with my usual plea: in the busy world we live in, it is essential that we have your current email address so we can keep you up to date. If you are in any doubt, please email oldstoic@stowe.co.uk

Anna Semler (Nugent 05), Old Stoic Society Director

Last year, I wrote about my first year as your Chairman and now I find myself looking towards the end of 2018 when I stand down and make way for the next incumbent. Time does indeed fly by when you’re enjoying yourself, and I have had a phenomenal year preparing myself for what is to come.

The theme of this year’s Corinthian is compassionate Old Stoics and we are celebrating the centenary of Leonard Cheshire (Chatham 36). His work at Le Court, near where I live, is still as relevant and important as it ever was, if not more so. Dr Anthony Wallersteiner writes further about this amazing man in this edition.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Sir Richard Branson (Cobham/Lyttelton 68) for his time as President of the Old Stoic Society. Fortunately for me, he was able to assist on a few occasions in my inaugural year as Chairman and I would like to thank him for his time and support. Taking up the reins, I am very pleased to announce that talented Film Director, Matthew Vaughn (Chandos 89), has taken on the role. I am very much looking forward to working with him over the course of the year.

The Old Stoic Society is the sum of its parts and I would like to thank each and every member who has worked so hard on your behalf over the last year. We have had a fantastic year and I am proud that the Society has been well received in many quarters: the feedback is that we are engaging, entertaining and hardworking, which is demonstrated in our latest results, which are detailed in full in my end of year report, available here: www.stowe.co.uk/school/news/latest-news/chairman-s-report-2017

All of this is great news, the Society is thriving, expanding and growing in areas such as the mentoring programme, commercial initiatives, global activity and an increase in participation in women’s sport…oh yes, the Society also has a horse racing club…

In closing, to return to the theme of this year’s Corinthian, we are launching the Old Stoic Benevolent Fund, aimed at helping Old Stoics who have fallen by the wayside. This has been warmly received by everyone I have spoken to, from Old Stoics, Stoics, Parents, Teachers and Governors. I hope this will make a real difference to those Old Stoics who are in need.

I’d like to thank all of you for your time, patience and support. The Society is making great inroads and I am very proud to be your Chairman.

Jonathon Hall (Bruce 79), OSS Chairman

Jonathon.hall@stowe.co.uk

“My life at Stowe taught me to be an individual whilst adhering to the school motto: Persto et Praesto, (apart from cave, the only Latin I can ever remember). These principles, together with the great friends I made at Stowe, set me up for the amazing journey that I have been on ever since. Becoming President of the Old Stoic Society is a great honour and I shall endeavour to do the Society proud.” Matthew Vaughn (Chandos 89)

Old Stoic film producer, director and screenwriter, Matthew Vaughn (Chandos 89), became President of the Old Stoic Society in December 2017, having taken over from Richard Branson (Cobham/Lyttelton 68). Matthew, who is a Stowe Parent, is supportive of all of Stowe’s endeavours and is thrilled to be President.

After leaving Stowe, Matthew took a gap year and worked as an assistant to a film director in Los Angeles. He returned to the UK to take up a position at UCL to study Anthropology and Ancient History but quickly decided to pursue his interest in the film industry instead. He soon found success as a producer with Lock, Stock & Two Smoking Barrels in 1998 and Snatch in 2000, with both films receiving wide acclaim. In 2004, Matthew made his debut as a director with Layer Cake and in 2007 followed that up by directing and co-writing Stardust, in which he cast fellow Old Stoic, Henry Cavill (Grafton 01). Matthew then produced Harry Brown in 2009 and The Debt in 2010, which he also wrote, and then went on to direct, produce and write Kick-Ass. Following that, Matthew wrote two films in the X-Men franchise; X-Men: First Class (2011), which he also directed, and X-Men: Days of Future Past (2014) – and then in 2016 produced Eddie the Eagle. 2014 saw the debut of his hit Kingsman franchise with Kingsman: The Secret Service, followed by Kingsman: The Golden Circle in 2017, both written and directed by Matthew.

We are delighted Matthew has taken on the role of President of the Old Stoic Society and hope he will be able to join us at an Old Stoic Event in the near future. Any correspondence for our new President should be sent to
oldstoic@stowe.co.uk

Matthew Vaughn image: s_bukley / Shutterstock.com