APPENDIX IX.

K.B.G.S.   O.S.A.

The beginnings of the Old Students' Association dates from
the first term of Mr. Elliot's Headship—in Autumn, 1927. It was
on November 30th of that year that Mr. Elliot invited a number
of old students to his house to discuss the formation of the
Association. This preliminary meeting elected two temporary
secretaries. Miss C. Harding and Miss M. Smith, and arranged an
inaugural Dance for January 25th, 1928, to be held in Kibworth
Village Hall.

Many Old Students attended this first function, and they were
enthusiastic about the proposal to form an Association.   It was
decided to inaugurate the Old Students' Association formally at a
General Meeting to be held in the School at a later date. This
meeting took place in the February, and the first officers of the
Association were elected, as follows: —

President:

J. E. Elliot, Esq.

Vice-Presidents:

Rev. Canon Fletcher.                  W. Barnes, Esq.
W. E. Briggs, Esq.                    Major G. Harding.
T. H. Halford, Esq., C.C.             J. W. Mason, Esq.
G. C. Mattock, Esq., J.P., C.C.       R. Rowley, Esq.
L. R. M. Strachan, Esq., M.A.         Miss Horton
Mrs. E. V. Phillips.                  R. G. Watson, Esq.
B. Atkinson, Esq.                     E. Smith, Esq.
J. Hare, Esq.                         C. H. Lewis, Esq.
J. Fletcher. Esq.                     F. Loveday, Esq.
A. Smith, Esq.                        Miss M. Smith.
Mrs. F. Loveday.                      Miss S. Gutsell

Secretaries:
Miss C. Harding and Mr. J. Fletcher.

Treasurer:
Mr. J. Fletcher.

Magazine Editor: Miss A. Balls.

A Committee of twelve members was also appointed. This
meeting also arranged for the holding of a Dinner and of another
Dance.

The O.S.A. did not limit its activities, however, to mere social
functions. A mixed Hockey Club was formed, which flourished
for several years, but in 1931 the girls decided to leave the boys
and start a side of their own. Thus, the Old Girls' Hockey Club
was born, with Miss E. M. Hulland as Captain and Miss G. Cooke
as Secretary.   This XI continued to have several successful
seasons, but in 1936 it went out of existence. In 1938, however,
Miss J. Willett managed to re-form the side, which carried on
playing in the early years of the War. Later on, however, it dis-,
banded and, although Miss G. Waddington (now Mrs. P. Payne)
made an effort in 1948 to start it again, she was not successful.
An Old Girls' Hockey XI does, however, still turn out on occasion
to play the School XI.

One of the most successful ventures of the O.S.A. was its
Dramatic Society. From 1931 to the outbreak of War, one play
a year was produced. The first major effort was in 1932 when
Mr. Elliot and Mrs. M. Bolton produced Eliza Comes to Stay.
Later productions were Tilly of Bloomsbury, The Middle Watch,
The Sport of Kings, The Cheerful Knave and Charley's Aunt.
The Second World War put an end to the activities of the Old
Students Dramatic Society and this is one enterprise which has
not been restarted.

The War certainly interfered with the activities of the O.S.A.
Membership, however, is once more on the increase, and the chief
social function of the Association now is the Annual Dinner-Dance
held in early April in the Bell Hotel, Leicester. Dances are also
held in the Church Hall, Oadby.   In fact, the Committee now
consists of a number of enthusiastic younger Old Students and,
under their guidance, the Association will continue to flourish in
the future.

When Mr. Elliot retired in 1955, the Association gave him a
television set and Mrs. Elliot a wrist watch. The Old Students
have always remembered with gratitude the part Mr. Elliot played
in launching their Association.   Thus, when the possibility of
dosing the School arose, the Association held a protest meeting
ind letters were written to the Minister of Education and the local
VLP.'s voicing in no uncertain tones the sentiments of the O.S.A.

The officers of the Association at the moment are:--

President: J. E. Elliot, Esq., M.A.
Vice-president: L. T. Daw, Esq., M.A., B.Sc.
Honorary Treasurer: A. E. Palmer, Esq.
Honorary Secretaries: Messrs. J. F. Hodgett and A. S. Bolton.
General Committee: Mrs. A. S. Bolton, Mrs. Ginvert, Mrs.
                   Haddon, Mrs. R. James, Mrs. K. N.
                   Weston, Miss M. Hipwell, • Miss P.
                   Johnson, Miss A. Sargeant, Miss B.
                   Ward, Miss E. Wayne. Messrs. R.
                   Dunn, C. Hallam, P. Holmes, J. R.
                   Hubbard, J. Muddimer, R. Oldfield, E.
                   R. Print, G. Stretton, F. Watts, K. N.
                   Weston.