This brief history of the early days of the The Bethanians' Society, known initially as The Old Bethanians' Soceity, is taken from the School's history, "From Acorn to Oak Tree" and has been reproduced here by kind permission of Tony Cardwell, one of the book's authors. To purchase a copy of the book please go to the Merchandise section of this website.
The recorded history of the links between the School and Old Boys begins with an account of "Present v. Past" cricket match of 1883, described as the "inaugural match", taking place on Whitmonday, 2nd June. The O.B.'s won a two-innings game by eight runs. Although described as the inaugural match, a further note qualifies this by saying that this was not the first, as there had previously been a match against an XI led by H. Horsnell and named "The Goudhurst Commercial XI". Score books appear to have been destroyed to provide trail material for a paper-chase, so these statements cannot be confirmed. In 1890 there is reference to an O.B. bat being awarded for the highested score made by a member of the School side during the "Present v. Past" match.
An O.B. Society was not formerly constituted until October 1987, the first general meeting taking place at the London Central Club, Bridewell Place, Ludgate Circus. H. Burr was elected Chairman for the meeting, and declared that the intention of the Society would be spend social evenings together, when debates, essay readings and musical entertainments would be held. The Rev. J.J. Kendon, who subsequently declined the office, was nominated as President. The object of the Society was stated to be to "strengthen those ties of friendship formed at school, and which it is a matter of great regret that the fact of leaving school should sever." Membership was to be by election and a small subscription was to be charged.
The first annual dinner took place at the Horse Shoe Hotel in Tottenham Court Road, presided over by the School's founder, The Rev. J.J. Kendon. The evening included a concert programme of tweleve items and five toasts, each with a proposer and response. Appetites for both nourishment and oratory were clearly keener a hundred years or more ago than they are now.
Looking back over more than a hundred years of the Society's history, certain consistent themes stand out, the first and most obvious being that the whole organisation has always been based on the enthusiasm and work of just a few members. This is marked by the long list of individual gifts and benefits offered the School over the years, so that the outstanding generosity of the enthusiasts has always been a notable feature. This has shown no change over the years and can be accepted as a permanent feature of the Society. The next promient detail is that until comparatively recently there has been a constant struggle to find adequate funds for what it was hoped to be able to achieve, whether it was to be generous assistance to the School, or for the Society's ordinary expenses. Another problem that is built into such societies is the clash of interests between the younger and the older members. the Society really exists in layers, based on dates at School, and like the School itself, has to renew itself with each generation that passes through.
