Concordia
Merchant Taylors’ School
GET INVOLVED!
DRAMA is an excellent way for boys to
develop communication, team working
and problem solving skills – all in
demand by employers and universities.
At MTS, they have the opportunity to
participate in House Drama, the senior
production, the junior play and the
Duologues competition. There are lots
of ways for boys to get involved with
Drama – acting, lighting, sound, props &
set painting.
The challenge is that it requires time, eort
and funding to put on quality productions to
develop these skills. For example, this year
we performed a joint production of Grease
with St. Helen’s which, that in addition to
designing a set that featured a car, period
costumes, and rehearsing the cast, required
sourcing a long list of 1950s American props
to make it as authentic as possible.
Footlighters is a group of committed
volunteers who support the Drama
programme in a variety of ways. For
example, we raise money by serving
refreshments at shows, holding social
events such as our recent
A Night in the
Tropics
Caribbean evening, helping to
source props and costumes for productions,
and later this year bringing in OMT Paul Z
Jackson to run an improvisation workshop.
Our last donation of £1500 helped to buy
a digital SLR camera used both in the
classroom and to film shows.
We also oer a way for parents to get
to know one another, work together and
support their sons. If you’d like to be a part
of our group, please contact Pat Keener at
Footlighters
THEmain rugby term started with the
Scrummers brunches held on several
Saturdaymornings in the OMTWar
Memorial Clubhouse, arranged so that we
couldmake the necessary introductions to
the new Fourth Formboys.
Our work also concentrated on organising
the main Scrummers Supper Dance fund-
raiser event held inmid-November for over
200 guests. Always a fantastic evening full
of fine entertainment, food, wine (including
this year a rugby shaped vodka luge ice
sculpture), ra½e and silent auction, and
above all the great company, all served by
the 1st and 2nd XV boys in black tie too. For
your diary, the next Supper Dance will be
held on 15th November 2014.
Funds raised on the night support the
boys on the U15 tour to Ireland and the
senior rugby tour to Canada and the USA,
plus provide support for ‘RugbyWeek‘,
which includes the hire of floodlighting for
the evening games and providing external
coaches – this year Zinzan Brooke, Alex
Goode, TomVarndell, and (the incredible)
Mako Vunipola – for sessions with the boys.
Scrummers’ funds also assist in the
purchase of kit and equipment to support
the Director of Rugby in providing the very
best opportunities and enjoyment for the
boys in their rugby: a new scrummachine
and line-out hoops are just two of the items.
After Christmas, the 3rds and U3rds
move to rugby and again Scrummers
held a number of brunches in order to
meet parents of the younger boys and in
particular the new intake in their first term
of rugby at the school.
To round o« the season Scrummers also
supported the purchase of kit for an U13s
Tens squad playing outside of school as
members of the OMT rugby club (thanks
go to Gordon Brown for making this
happen) all in preparation for their leaving
prep school and starting at Taylors’ in
September 2014 – a very nice way to bring
the boys together before their first day at
Sandy Lodge.
Scrummers
THE hockey termhas now come to
an end but many boys are still involved
in playing. We have the Summer
League being run at present which
features teams fromMTS andOMTHC
but the highlight of this year is the
senior hockey tour to SouthAfrica this
summer whichwill also be a fitting
close to Joe Cowan’s time at the school
as Head of Hockey andDirector of
Sport. The success of hockey at the
school is down to the great hockey
which has been developed under
Joe’s leadership and guidance over
the past six years. Hockey started at
MTS back in 1958 and the 2013/2014
season has been - at 1st team level - the
best win ratio since then and also the
best win ratio throughout the school.
Since 1958, we have beatenWatford
Grammar School five times and this
year was our best win yet of 8-1. In
1965 the school had 15 hockey fixtures
- this year we had 123. We have had
great success too at higher levels with
boys not only playing at county and
regional levels but also at national
league level, sub England and for
Wales. Congratulations to all boys and
their great successes and of course a
big thank you to Joe Cowan.
S
trikers, the Parents, Hockey support
group has also had a very busy year. We
kicked o with our RaceNight, held in
theOMTClubhouse. We have provided
refreshments pitch-side at Saturday
matches, meeting and welcoming new
parents. We also gave funds for a Lower
School hockey trip toNorwich, a training
session with anOlympic goldmedallist
and ultimately the tour to SouthAfrica.
Finally, we rounded o the season with
FridayNight Lights when the 1st X1 and
2ndX1 teams playedHaberdashers’. It
was a great night and fantastic to see
somuch support for both teams. It was
particularly good to hear the 2ndX1
Habs captainmention how great it was
to have somuch parental support. The
event is run annually so please don’t
hesitate to join us next year.
Friends
