Full Disclosure: I’m a Fatima Old Boy and past President of the Alumni Association and if you cut me, you will find yellow and blue blood.
Fund raising in our schools is about survival. There simply is not enough funding for schools to operate far less develop. When we add to that dilemma the flow of funding which impacts cash flow, it’s pretty challenging for schools to survive far less thrive.
The government assisted schools have found a pot of gold in Carnival. And some of them are doing it better than others, in my view. To simplify things, there have been two main approaches. The first is Fete as mass market product, where you reach out to all and sundry. The second sees fete as a school community event. QRC and CIC are pursuing the former. Bishop’s and Fatima are pursuing the latter. And Bishop’s and Fatima are winning the Fete Intercol. (Holy Name Convent has taken a completely different approach that sits better with their values; and their Vintage Concert, for me, is pure genius.)
There are a whole bunch of benefits that come with the Bishop’s/Fatima approach that go beyond the dollars. The real benefit is the community that is built around the event. Parents, teachers and Principal, past students, friends and family sharing common goals and investing their time to build their school. Can their be greater profit than that?
Every Fatima Boy knows the line of a song we have made our own: “We go beat them next year”. When it comes to fetes, it’s the QRC and St Mary’s Boys who have been borrowing the chant. (and I must admit, I am enjoying hearing them)
17 January, 2012, 12:05 pm
I think you should attend a CIC fete before making any comparison between the fetes. Please identify the % of past students and their friends and family versus the “en masse patrons’ as you define it and see what you get. Amusing at best. Why not judge a fete by value for money? or quality on offer?
18 January, 2012, 1:17 am
Richard am I discerning some anger in your post? All I am saying is that in my view ads on tv, radio and press are too mass for the target. If I am right (if), then it’s a waste of resources and they may also be alienating some people who do not wish to attend an event that appeals to a wide audience….every school can win; there is no competition here, so the Intercol bit was only a bit of fun by the Fatima boy whose not too accustom winning, dr
28 January, 2012, 9:44 am
Dennis, to my mind – they’re winning it by sheer attention to detail – the overall experience from parking to leaving is positive……………….service personnel, decor, range of eats, diversity of bars (where the drink you choose to drink doesn’t run out by the next time you go to the bar), extra fun services (tattoos, make up fresheners etc), washroom facilities, attempts to keep long lines under control or non existent, entertainment (although to a large extent it tends to be the same bands – they seem to put extra effort into their performances at these events)…………….and I’ve attended all the school fetes mentioned at various times………………….
28 January, 2012, 4:22 pm
Home_room…I’ve seen the passion that goes into the Fatima Fete from up close. You are absolutely right, a great attention to detail. They also have leveraged a very active Fatima Community of teachers, parents, present and past students and taken together they execute outstanding events; not just this Fete but the Cook Out and now an Old Year’s Nite Party….these guys are good, dr
28 January, 2012, 4:23 pm
Home_room…I’ve seen the passion that goes into the Fatima Fete from up close. You are absolutely right, a great attention to detail. They also have leveraged a very active Fatima Community of teachers, parents, present and past students and taken together they execute outstanding events; not just this Fete but the Cook Out and now an Old Year’s Nite Party….these guys are good, dr