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In the months since my last message, we’ve all had to adjust to a different way of living our lives; of going about our day. For some of us this has meant new opportunities, but for many, probably for most of us, it has meant digging deep into our reserves of resilience. For me, time with family and with mates has been more important than ever, as we all try to hang on to whatever “normal” we have access to.

Our Old Boys’ calendar, optimistically planned in late 2019 and early 2020, has been smashed, but this has forced us to look at new ways to connect with each other. We went online for our first Virtual Professional Networking Event for Science and Technology earlier this year (big shout out to the inimitable Arjuna Kumarasuriyar ’98, Michael Milford ’98 and James Chin Moody ’93 for making it unforgettable), and we moved our Law networking event online at the last minute as another COVID-19 cluster threatened (thanks to Scott McLeod QC ’84, Simon Tolhurst ’87, James Green ’03, Oscar Higgins ’15, Cam McLeod ’88 and Stuart Rees ’79).

The NSL Strava Club is growing. I strongly encourage you all to think about joining. Whether you’re training for an ultramarathon or a walk around the block, the club is a way to connect with each other. You never know, you might find an old mate who runs, cycles, swims, rows or walks nearby that you haven’t caught up with in a while. Go to strava.com, join up (it’s free), set the privacy controls you can live with and ask to join the NSL club. Get out there and get active. In the next few months we’ll be hosting some events through the club (current plans include a 5km run/walk, 10km run/walk, and a river loop community ride).

Brisbane Grammar Connect is also growing and we now have 527 registered members. For those who haven’t heard about this yet, it is our new professional mentoring and networking platform. You can join using your email, Facebook or LinkedIn profile, and nominate which levels of participation you’re happy with (seeking/offering help, seeking/offering mentoring). There is no substitute for hard work, but sometimes advice and support from someone that shares your values can make a massive impact in helping you achieve your potential.

We’re going to The Triffid, John Collins’ iconic live music venue for our 2020 Annual Reunion Dinner (thanks JC). Changes to rules for social gatherings have meant several different versions of an annual dinner have been planned and then shelved. Cam Feltham ’86 has been key to developing a new concept for our Annual Reunion Dinner, “Talent on Tap”. Guys who have dreamed of taking the stage will have an open mic and a backing band. You’ll be glad to hear that I’ll be kicking back with a few cold ones. I hope to see you there. Tickets are limited due to social distancing rules, so get in quick.

Lastly, there have been some recent changes to our committee. Stephen Bizzell ’84 was elected to the BGS Board of Trustees this year and is stepping down from the committee. I’m very grateful for his contributions to the committee and for his support and friendship. Simon Tolhurst ’87 and Adam Franklin ’97 have recently joined the Committee. Tolly has been a big contributor to the BGS Old Boy community, and has just finished serving on the BGS P&F Association as vice president for the past five years. He’s a lot of fun to argue with, and will be an asset for the committee. Adam is one of those guys who I swear has more than 24 hours in his day. He brings special expertise in digital marketing and strategy, he’s a great communicator, and has built a big reputation through his company Bluewire Media. Thanks to Bizz, Tolly and Adam for your commitment to our community.

Hope to catch up at The Triffid, or to see you on Strava.

Michael Forrest
BGS Old Boys' Association President