20 August 2026
Winding up the Old Boys Society
Tidying up a few loose ends
For many Old Boys, membership of the Old Boys Society was about more than a subscription. It was a way of staying connected to the school, keeping in touch with old mates and supporting the wider school community.
But by around 2016, the Society had become largely inactive and its future was uncertain.
Minutes from an August 2016 meeting show considerable discussion about whether the Society should be rejuvenated and how it could sit alongside the Foundation. At the time, Society subscriptions had stopped and there was discussion that the purpose of the two organisations was not always clear.
The distinction discussed at the time was an important one. The Old Boys Society was primarily about connection – bringing Old Boys together, maintaining friendships and building goodwill – while the Foundation had a more defined role in fundraising and supporting the school.
There was support in the meeting for rejuvenating the Society, with ideas including appointing an administrator, reconnecting with Old Boys around the country and rebuilding its membership. The Society battled on for another couple of years and ultimately it just quietly wound up.
Today, the Foundation provides a single point of connection for the wider OBHS community – combining the social role of keeping Old Boys connected with the fundraising role to support the school and the boys.
It is also an inclusive community. The Foundation membership is open to everyone, all with one thing in common: connection to and passion for Otago Boys’ High School - Old Boys, current and past parents, grandparents, extended family and supporters of the school are all welcome.
We have found The Foundation to be a sustainable modern-day model that has also proved practical. Rather than maintaining two separate organisations, with duplicated administration and competing demands on volunteers, the Foundation provides a single point of contact for alumni and supporters.
Keeping administration costs low means resources can be directed towards the school, and our volunteer trustees can focus their time and energy where it matters most – supporting projects and initiatives that benefit current and future students.
For former Old Boys Society members, however, one question has remained: what happened to the memberships they had already paid for?
At the time, annual membership was $50, while a life membership cost $350. There does not appear to have been formal communication to members advising them what would happen to those memberships when the Society became inactive.
The Foundation Board recognises that this is a sensitive matter. Many Old Boys paid for life membership in good faith, and the Foundation wants to acknowledge that contribution rather than simply regard those memberships as having disappeared as the old structure changed.
As a way of recognising that history while bringing former members into the current organisation, the Foundation Board would like to offer former Old Boys Society life members the option to a Foundation membership.
Those who previously paid $350 for an Old Boys Society life membership can either contribute a further $1,650 to become a Foundation Life Member, bringing their total contribution to the current $2,000 life membership level, or join the Foundation as an annual member for $100.
Former Old Boys Society life members who would like to take up the life membership option can email [email protected].
Or the Annual Foundation membership is available through a yearly credit card subscription at obhsoldboys.co.nz/membership.
We welcome any feedback or thoughts on this matter and hope this provides a fair and positive way to acknowledge the past while bringing this chapter to a close. Our focus now is on looking forward and continuing to build an inclusive Foundation that connects and supports the wider OBHS community.
If you have any feedback, please email [email protected].