Marist Brothers Darlinghurst Old Boys Union

Blue & Blue

Welcome to the first 2004 edition of your B & B.
From the executive:
The exec team met on 5 Feb and the following items may be of general interest to members:

A third draft of a revised OBU constitution was presented by John Chippendale and agreed for adoption at the Annual Dinner (in lieu of a formal AGM). Thanks go to John for his work in updating this old document.
The executive for 2004 will be the same as for 2003. Notice of nomination for executive committee will be included in the B&Bs which advertise the Annual Luncheon and Dinner respectively. This will allow for new recruits to nominate and be followed by a quick election at the Dinner.
The 2003 annual accounts summary was considered and a copy is enclosed for your perusal.
Noting the healthy financial position, the it was decided that Marist College, Pearce be approached with a view to the OBU donating a perpetual trophy in memory of Br John Murphy, the last Principal of Darlinghurst and long serving Secretary of the OBU.
Depending on the result of the donation to MBC Pearce, other Marist activities will be considered. One proposal being investigated is the provision of a ride-on mower for the upkeep of the Brothers Cemetery at Mittagong. Br Charlie Aqualina did declare a conflict of interest as an executive member and the likely rider of such mower (he attends to the lawns and pushing the current mower is taking its toll). We forgive Br Charlie for pushing his own barrow so to speak as it seems a worthy cause.
Planning is underway for the Annual Luncheon on Thursday 1 July and the Dinner on Thursday 4 November. Please make a note in your diaries now.
Our Secretary, Mark Sinclair is researching significant Darlo anniversaries. Is not the 100 year anniversary coming up for the commencement of the school on Darlinghurst Hill? Is it 80 years since the OBU was formed? We have in mind to acknowledge these events with something special at the Dinner in the appropriate year. Anyone who can assist in confirming such events should contact him on 9524 9760.
The executive has also decided to cull from the future mailing list anyone who has not returned a membership form in the last year. Not only is it unfair that those who have renewed to carry the cost of B&B mail-outs to these former members but it is quite conceivable that we are mailing to outdated addresses or even to people who are no longer with us. A special note is going to those we have not heard from and who will be culled if no response is received to this final request.
We have 204 current members and almost half of these are on e-mail. Our full mailing list is over 350.

Blue & Blue (cont)
News from the Membership

Kyran O’Donnell (IC 52) has written to us following the 2003 dinner and given a number of suggestions for the continued success of the OBU which we have taken on board. It comes down to the efforts of you, the current members, to contact those who may be able to let fellow classmates know we are still going strong.
Kyran lives at Narooma and sees old boy, Len Owen, who is a sprightly 83 and who attended Darlo with Don Dudgeon and Ray Lindwall. Len attends the Luncheon when he can.
Further to the above on getting new members, I notice Darlo now has about 80 registrations on the Schoolfriends website – up from a dozen a year ago. If these people pay the full website membership of $20 it is possible for them to access e-mail addresses so as to correspond with one another. We will be looking in to using this medium to further advertise the existence of the OBU.
Through the auspices of one of our Newsletters, Bill Barry (LC 55) advises he has been in contact with classmate Bill Morgan who now lives in Bicheno, Tas.
Whilst we do not wish the B&B to become an obituary column, it is appropriate on occasions to mark the death of some old boy outstanding achievers. One such is Dr Cyril Cummins (LC 31) who died in 2003. Cyril attended Darlo where, due to his outstanding academic prowess, he was able to complete his studies at the age of 16 (but was not allowed to commence study at the University. He did make it to Sydney Uni to study medicine and went on to an outstanding career which included time as Medical Superintendent of St Vincent’s Hospital, CO of No 3 RAAF Hospital in New Guinea and later as NSW Director General of Public Health. At Darlo he was Junior Athletics Champion in 1930 and Senior Athletics Champion in 1931.
Mgr Bede Mooney MSC writes from his retirement home in Terrigal and reminds us of his time at Darlo in the 1930s. He remembers Brs Gerard, Columba, Lambert and Daniel – all great men. He is 83 and celebrating 57 years in the Priesthood. Bede concelebrated our Annual Mass at St Patrick’s with no fewer than 5 other old boy Priests including Fr John Anderson (LC 62) who was visiting Sydney from his Parish in Peru, South America. Many caught up with John later at the dinner.
John Barclay (LC 64) tells us he is employed at the Australian Catholic University and has been having lunch occasionally with classmate Denis O’Connor. John recently led a study tour to China.
The passing of Br Quentin (Michael Duffy) was noted late last year. Br taught at Darlo in the 40s and was Capt Duffy, OIC Cadets. He was also remembered for his long and distinguished career at the Mother House in Rome where he served in senior positions for many years.
John Gallagher (HSC 67) tells us of his service in the Australian Army last year in East Timor. He happily acknowledges he was the oldest soldier deployed there. He was injured during a riot and says he was treated by an RAN Commander who was an old boy of Eastwood when Br Lionel was Headmaster.

That’s about it for now. Please remember to send tidbits now and then…..W. T.