Dear Returners,

Perhaps not to early to give some thought to the disposition of 16 Club Returning Members funds as Trinity St. David's develops as a new entity. As we look forward to the 40th anniversary dinner, here are some possibilities for discussion:

1. Go out with a bang. Great dinner, fine wines, a special tribute to Peter Allison. End of 16 Club as simply a chapter in the long and tortuous story of a less than totally Welsh institution in the middle of Welsh speaking Wales. The new College and Club can determine its own course.

2. Support Trinity St. David's by enhanced support from the Returning Members. This might mean requesting more contributions from the Returners to strenghten the capital base and provide an annual scholarship or other financial supporting activity. My personal view is that we can offer very little to support the physical establishment. It costs too much, and earlier attempts to support the college facilities financially were met with contempt. But we have sufficient funds to act as a micro loan facility to help a student ot two through short term financial difficulties, or to have a 16 Club annual prize of some sort. Investing in people seems a better bet - but I would respect the decision to support the College adminstration financially if some conditions were met, especially that funds are used in Lampeter. We might also consider the sponsorhip of the Chapel, which always seems to be in need of something. Regardless of one's religion it is a place of repose, meditation and useful solitude.

3. The 16 Club is less influential than it might be because it admits only men. We can admit women and become more infuential in College administative affairs, or stay exclusive and wait for the Chinese to take over the world and restore the Spenglerian vicissitudes of European culture. Don't look West for help on this one. On the other hand, one can argue that College life has been enhanced by strong women able to compete fairly with men, so far even without combining into cliques and Clubs the way men do, and that we should encourage their excellent efforts through membership in the 16 Club. That is, of course, if they would join. My recommendation would be a Club of 16 Men and 16 Women, meeting separately for the first two meals and joining together, along with Returners, for the third. We could insist on vows of celibacy for membership. But I'm not sure if this is legal any longer, and it doesn't seem to have worked out well for the Roman church.

4. I think number 2 combined with 3 makes the most sense, (sans the celibacy) and affords an opportunity to make a positive contribution to Trinity St. David's as the Clujb moves into the third generation of memberhip, and, realistically, as some of us look forward to following Peter down the Dulas in the foreseeable horizon. It would be nice to assure that Lampeter and the Club remain a part of College life. It will take five to ten years to put the club on a financial footing that will endure.

Bob