North American Old Ratcliffian Dinner, July 23, 2011, Washington DC

The first North American Old Ratcliffian dinner was held on Saturday, July 23, at the Cosmos Club in Washington DC. The event was attended by 14 Old Ratcliffians (plus 5 spouses) covering more than half a century- from John Attley, who left Ratcliffe in 1946 and was named the ‘Dean’ of the gathering, to Kate Rumbold, who left in 1997, and has been spending a summer in Washington DC. Gareth Lloyd, the current headmaster, and his wife, Katharine, also attended, as part of a 3- week, and first, visit to the United States with their family. The weather outside was almost 100 F (38 C) in what has been the hottest July ever for Washington.
There were doubts at the outset whether such an event could ever be arranged- or would elicit enough interest. In the end, it surpassed the expectations of all, thanks also to support from Andrew Yell and Jackie Bennett at Ratcliffe, who played a key role in locating Old Ratcliffians on the North American continent. It is clear from their efforts that the number of Old Ratcliffians resident in the US or Canada is considerable.

In regard to the Old Ratcliffians who attended the dinner, here are their names:
Two came from as far as California (Mike Porter (’56), and wife Ginny, as well as Joe Maskrey (’61), all living the LA area).
Two more - John (’46) and Mark Attley(’76)- drove 600 miles from Ottawa, Canada.
Five travelled from different regions along the East Coast of the US- Peter de Simone (’71) from Narragansett, Rhode Island; Michael Lee (’73) from Fairfield, Connecticut; Peter Daley (’56) and Eric Ciambra (’79) both came down from New Jersey; and Hilary Langer (’70) from Philadelphia.
Five attended from locations either in, or close to, Washington DC: Paul Dyson (’52) and his wife, Mary; Clare Nugent (’91) and her husband, Devon; Kate Rumbold (’97) and Benjamin Curran (’76), who unfortunately fell sick on the day of the event and was unable attend; and Eugene McCarthy (’61) and his wife, Mandy, who helped organize the dinner at the Cosmos Club.
After beginning the dinner with grace, Gareth Lloyd spoke to everybody about the Ratcliffe of today, a college almost unrecognisable for those who attended before 1980:
More than 680 students ranging in age from 5 to 18, of which 110 are boarders;
Most of the student body is now ‘local’ and ‘day’, though there are still a significant number who attend from overseas;
Recent public examination results and acceptances at top UK universities attest to the high academic standards and work ethic;
Drama, music and the arts continue to receive high priority, together with sports activities, which are experiencing a renewal;
The proportion of Catholics now attending Ratcliffe has risen to nearly 25%, small by the standards before 1980 but Rosminian spiritual traditions remain an integral part of student life at the college;

There were many nostalgic stories told - and questions asked - during the dinner, covering all decades of Ratcliffe life since the end of the Second World War. The dinner closed with a toast to Ratcliffe and a general consensus for a follow up event in 2012, the timing and location of which would be decided before the end of 2011.

Listed below are some comments from some of those who attended providing a fitting testimony to its success:

“It was a fantastic evening with wonderful people. I hope that there will be more such occasions to come” Mike Porter (’56)

“It was so great to see you all at the Washington Dinner. It is a long time since I have enjoyed an evening so much and I hope that we can make this into an annual event”. Joe Maskery (’60)

“I simply want to echo the sentiments already shared. From my perspective, the event was a great success and I would wholeheartedly support future events”. Mark Attley (’76)

“It was wonderful to meet everyone – and, in view of the range of years at Ratcliffe, it was interesting to note the considerable overlap of personalities and stories. My sense is there would be good support for a 2012 event”. Michael Lee (’73)

“Many thanks for an enjoyable and successful dinner at the Cosmos Club”. Paul Dyson (’52)

“Thanks so much for arranging a nice dinner for us. I definitely vote for it to become an annual affair. I think DC is a good venue, though perhaps in spring or fall.” Peter de Simone (’71)

“It is such a testament to the spirit of Ratcliffe that so many years after leaving the school, many ORs were compelled to travel from near and far to attend the inaugural dinner. Thank you all for braving the Washington summer heat and for allowing me to share a piece of my history with my husband. Even though I'd driven Devon out to the school on one of our visits back home, the heart of Ratcliffe isn't in the admittedly impressive facade, it is in the people.” Clare Nugent (’91)

“Thank you so much for your warmth of welcome and hospitality last night. It really was a splendid occasion, not least because it was the inaugural US OR Reunion Dinner. Katharine and I loved hearing your tales of Ratcliffe days and of your life stories since those school days. It was especially moving to see how the bonds of shared memories and experiences broke down any potential barriers between the variety of Year groups represented: it was great to witness you all enjoying yourselves 'on a level playing field'.” Gareth and Katharine Lloyd

Eugene McCarthy (61)