Tintern Old Girls Association (TOGA)

TOGA TODAY

Tintern Old Girls celebrates 116 years in 2022.

The great plans of 2020 and 2021 unfortunately didn’t get off the ground with continuing lockdowns and restrictions predominately in Victoria.

We will hopefully get back on track following the AGM and welcome your ideas and contributions.

If you would like to know more about any of these ideas or would like to be part of a subgroup to help create, market and develop one or all ideas then please DO NOT HESITATE to reach out. Deeds not words means stuff gets done and stuff happens.

TOGA Committee Meetings

Thank you to technology and our increasing ability to use it. Remembering to take ourselves off mute, to not leave our videos on or off and to not muck around with video filters.

The biggest advantage is our ability to welcome committee members from interstate.

As we only meet each quarter, zoom makes the whole process more flexible and there is no hassle about parking, traffic or what to order for tea as we met at restaurants.

Meetings are briefer or longer without hassle and as needed. We do make an effort to keep meetings short – we all have lives and as volunteers our time is precious.

What has TOGA been doing (rinse, repeat from 2021) “TOGA for the past few years has been focused on staying alive.” Same, same for 2022.

TOGA is reliant on Tinternites wanting TOGA to be around. Any organization is only as strong as its members.

Membership to TOGA is free for normal members with paperwork opting in only required. Life Membership has remained a static, minor fee of $75 for many decades.
The funds from Life Memberships is our only income.

Archives/Heritage

Archives (Lynne and co) were allowed back into the school between lockdowns and have been diligently preparing for the Reunions that could be held.

I attended the Reunion at the Hawthorn Arts Centre recently and the displays were fabulous.

As always we are truly grateful for their work in maintaining the archives of Tintern.

Events

Events were planned and cancelled, moved online and moved dates. I congratulate the school and the Community Relations Department at Tintern (Di Lacey and Tegan
Martin) for their supreme efforts during a very frustrating time.

When I look back at my calendar, it became confusing to remember which events actually went ahead and which events TOGA could attend.

Reunions

• in June online
• in July online
• in November at Tintern
• in March at the Hawthorn Arts Centre
• TCL Meetings in November and May
• Cathedral Service on May 5

If there were others then we attended where and when we could.

TOGA Golf

TOGA Golf has existed for many years. Currently led by Melinda Thomas. If anyone is interested in joining TOGA Golf then please send me a message and I will pass on her details to you.

Social Media

Social media has kept most of us informed over the past year and we add information as we receive it, either via past students or the Tintern Grammar socials.

TOGA offers:

• LinkedIn – Tintern Old Girls – a private group
• Facebook – Tintern Old Girls Association Official site – a private group
• Facebook – TOGA Tintern Grammar – an open page

Please email tinternoldgirlsassociation@gmail.com if you would like information added to any of these sites.

It would be very helpful when you seek membership of the private groups if you have Tintern as part of your education history, also to answer the pre membership questions as fully as possible.

The TOGA Committee for 2022:

• President, Carol Robertson, (Hogan YG 1980), founder of Ms. Property Melbourne and Dandenong Ranges Real Estate.
• Treasurer, Nancy Lancaster Estate & Life Members, Jenny Brown (YG 1981) as Founder of JBS Financial Strategists has managed our funds brilliantly for over a decade. As our Treasurer we couldn’t ask for anyone more able and informed.
• Vice President, Dani Cox, (YG 2009), counsel for Cabrini Health, is our TOGA in house legal advisor.
• Secretary, Sam Elbers, (Flemming 1988) Sam lives in sunny Queensland. Sam has been wonderful, picking up where Lynne left off and getting involved immediately.
• General Committee: Lynne Franke, (Bernadou YG 1958) is there anyone more Tintern and more TOGA than Lynne. Her knowledge and passion are inspiring.
• Fiona Henderson, (YG 1990)also from Queensland. Her contributions at meetings brings a new perspective, always quiet until there is something that needs to be said.
• Claire Jones, (YG 1989) has had a busy year. Thank you Claire for your continued comittment to TOGA.

If you have ever been a volunteer, if you have ever been on a Committee, if you have ever been President of a Volunteer Committee then you will understand my sincere and absolute gratitude to the TOGA Committee.

We are blessed with experts in their fields.

Carol Robertson (Hogan YG 1980)
TOGA President

Factis non verbis