Message from President OOMA
(Old Overseas Margaretian Association)
Story appeared in the 2016 issue of QMS Connections Magazine.
BY SHELAGH BOGGS (RANDEL, ’56)
This has been a successful year for both the School and the OOMA, and I want to thank everyone who made it possible.
Making a positive impact is the theme of this year’s edition of Connections magazine, and this year there were many opportunities for our alumni to make an impact on the School and vice versa. On a personal note, the highlight of my year was the Class of ’56 Reunion, held on Old Girls’ Weekend on May 7-8. It had been 60 years since we graduated under the watchful eyes of Miss Denny and Miss Geoghegan. We had a glorious time, reconnecting in person, and attending the weekend’s events. Chapel was especially poignant, with Head of School Wilma Jamieson reading from one of Miss Denny’s special addresses. It really felt like we had gone back in time and were attending chapel as schoolgirls again!
We had a wonderful Founders’ Day, featuring Eve Savory (’65) as our guest speaker. Instead of giving my usual speech about the history of this important celebration of the School’s history, I led an interactive question and answer session with students. It was a lot of fun, and everyone enjoyed it.
In April, we celebrated the School’s 95th anniversary with an intimate tea with this year’s Prefect Council. It was lovely to sit and visit with this year’s Grade 12 leaders and learn more about them. As future Old Girls, they are one of the links that continues bind us all together.
At Speech Day this year, I was hon-oured to give the OOMA Scholarship in memory of Lea Buburuz this year. In keeping with Lea’s wishes, we awarded it to a student who demonstrated a love and aptitude for studies in biology, to honor her parents’ medical backgrounds. This year, it went to a very deserving Grade 11 student from Duncan, Gabriela Delgado Pardo, who achieved the top mark in Biology 12.
At our last OOMA Director’s meeting, I asked the members for their thoughts on what “making a positive impact” means, from their perspective as QMS alumni.
Here is what they said:
Dawn Fox: “To me, this means to lead by example and help inspire the next generation.”
Nicole Bond: “Offering bursaries to students of OOMA members to carry on a family tradition of students at QMS.”
Chris Compton: “Keeping history and traditions alive.”
Elizabeth Abercrombie: “Keeping connections alive between past, present and future.”
Trudy Byers: “Life is very busy at all stages, but making time to participate in Old Girls/Old Boys affairs is most rewarding and being welcomed by the School at school events is most gratifying.”
Melissa Montgomery: “By connection between all students, past and present of QMS.”
Lilly Anne Miller: “The OOMA provides a bursary each year to ensure that a deserving student is able to stay at QMS and continue their education.”
As for me, I think that the best way to make a positive impact as an alumna is to give back for the amazing opportunity I was given to attend QMS.
I look forward to working with all of you over the next year as we con-tinue to make our school stronger. May it forever go forward! Servite Fortiter.
