Reunions

Two of the aims, as set down in the Constitution of Wenonians Inc, are:

• To keep the Old Girls of the School together
• To hold reunions and other functions

Reunions are of two types

• Year reunions – ie, members of a peer or alumni year. For instance those in a year who sat for the Leaving Certificate in 1957, or the Higher School Certificate in 1975. This includes all girls in that cohort, even if they left before the final year.
• Area reunions – these are held in various parts of NSW, in Melbourne, Brisbane, Canberra and occasionally Perth, Auckland and London.
  
  For a list of coming reunions, please see the Reunions in 2008 page.

If you would like to hold a reunion the following information might help you.

YEAR REUNIONS

Finding your class mates

The Wenonians can give you a list of the girls in your year (as far as we know them!), and the most up to date addresses we have.  If there are missing addresses or names, you should contact us – perhaps the missing girl has a sister whose address we have, for instance. We can send you a set of mailing labels if you need them.

Tours

When planning your reunion, you might like to consider having it at Wenona, or at least having a tour of the School before going on to your reunion lunch or dinner. Where possible, we would ask that School Tours are held on Friday evenings or during week days in School Holiday times.

A group of current students can take your group on a tour of the School. You might like to see EVERYTHING – ie, the new Miller Street Wing, the Library extension, the swimming pool, the Assembly Hall, the old houses, the Boarding houses.

For a full tour you need to allow at least 1-1½ hours. Our campus is smaller than many other schools, but there is a great tendency for Old Girls to lean over balconies, or sit on the Monks Bench, and say “remember when ….”

Of course if you only want to see, say, the new Miller Street building or the original School House, that would take less time

If you are having a tour only, you might like to organise some refreshments – one group recently gave each of the guests a glass of champagne as she arrived, before setting off on their tour. Afterwards they went elsewhere for their dinner.

You should contact Cathy Back at Wenona (on Wednesdays at 94404467) or email cback@wenona.nsw.edu.au to talk about these options in the first instance, and later Leslie in the kitchen.

Reunion elsewhere

If you are having a tour and would like to have the rest of your reunion very close by, we can recommend a couple of places of varying types:

Cabana Bar and Lounge (Marketing Manager is Wenonian Kate MacDonald (1997))
80 Christie Street St. Leonards NSW 2065
P: 02 9436 4288  |  F: 02 9906 6196
www.cabanabar.com.au

The Union Hotel, cnr Pacific Highway and West Street

Jago’s Café, Miller Street

Simple and Irresistable Thai-corner Ridge and Miller Streets

There are of course many other options, but remember to allow plenty of time for your tour.

Access & Parking

We usually recommend that reunion groups enter the school via the old driveway in Walker Street, where the crossing is. This brings you up to what was the top playground, now the undercroft of the library, so that whatever the weather you can assemble under cover.

Unfortunately parking on the Wenona site is extremely limited. Street parking can be a problem if there are markets or football on.

For your reunion

We should say here that the Wenonians Inc is a voluntary organisation, running a bit on a shoestring, and we are unfortunately unable to offer you any financial assistance. We suggest that when you are organising your reunion you build in a little extra in the costing to pay for your own postage, photocopying, etc. You shouldn’t be out of pocket.  Some reunion groups build in enough profit to make a small donation – often in the form of books for the Library, or to go towards the Wenonians Scholarship funds.

Some reunion groups produce a book with brief details of what those in the year have been doing. On your invitation you could invite the girls to send a paragraph to be incorporated.

If you would like some Wenona crested items to sell (eg mug, book about Wenona, recipe book, apron, etc) we can get these for you. Similarly we can attempt to retrieve old photographs from the Archives – the Archives are safely stored, but not easily accessed because of the space restrictions we have. If any of your class have items they would like to donate to the Archives, that would be wonderful.

Wenona’s Principal, Dr Kerrie Wilde, is a very keen supporter of the Wenonians, and is always interested in the reunions. We always let her know when they are on, and if possible she will make an appearance to meet and talk with you. You may wish to invite her to lunch, which some groups do.

After your reunion

We would love a report of the reunion and a photo to be published on the Wenonians Website and in the Review (if you wish). We would also love an updated list of addresses – you may have found missing persons for instance, or have gathered email addresses. If you have produced a book, we would love a copy for the archives.

AREA REUNIONS

These of course are held out of Sydney. The usual centres are: Mudgee and Melbourne (annually), Brisbane and Canberra (every second year - Canberra alternating with Bowral) and occasionally Moree district Invitations are sent to Wenonians living in those areas. Reunions have also been held in London, Adelaide, Perth and Auckland. Wenonians in those centres usually do the organisation – the Wenonians supplies lists of addresses, etc.

CONTACT US

If you would like further information, or would like to organise a reunion, please phone Cathy Back at Wenona on 9409 4467, email wenoniansinc@wenona.nsw.edu.au, or write to 176 Walker Street, North Sydney NSW 2060