Junior MUN Conference at the Royal Hospital School

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Year 7 pupils from RHS and Thomas Gainsborough School at the RHS Junior MUN Conference

For the last two days of Enrichment Week, 150 junior pupils had their first experience of the School’s flagship Model United Nations project. The Royal Hospital School Year 7 were joined by Year 7 pupils from Thomas Gainsborough School, near Sudbury, for the School’s second annual Junior MUN Conference organised by Mr Christmas, Assistant Head (Academic), and Siana Douglas-Hamilton (Yr 12 Howe), one of the School’s two MUN Secretaries-General. Two former pupils who left last year – Jack Rennison (studying History at St Andrew’s University) and Michael Stokes (Digital Policy Advisor in the Cabinet Office as part of the Civil Service Fast Track Apprentice Scheme) came to help out with the conference sharing their considerable MUN knowledge with the new recruits.

MUN is a worldwide activity in which pupils take part in academic simulations of the United Nations. MUN educates participants in civics, world current affairs, effective communication, globalization and multi-lateral diplomacy. Participants research a country and, as delegates from that nation, investigate international issues, debate UN resolutions, deliberate, consult and then seek to develop solutions to world problems.

After learning about the UN, the Year 7 pupils were each assigned to one of 35 countries which they researched. They were then allocated a specific topic area which they further investigated. Each pupil worked in one of four UN committees: Political (nuclear weapon proliferation), Human Rights (use of torture in interrogation), Environment (prevention of climate change), as well as Economic and Social (issues surrounding HIV/AIDS) representing the views of their nominated country. In their research, the pupils were assisted by members of staff and senior pupils who guided and helped them with complex ideas. The second day saw pupils taught how to debate according to MUN rules and culminated in detailed and, at times, highly charged debates on the topic assigned to them.

The Conference was a huge success and greatly developed the pupils’ independent learning skills, as well as teaching them about the world outside Suffolk. Siana Douglas-Hamilton commented: “It has been hugely rewarding to see the enormous progress made by the younger pupils as they have learned about major political issues. The standard of debating has been extremely high.” Michael Stokes, the first RHS Secretary-General two years ago, stated “from very small beginnings with six Year 12 students in September 2011, MUN at RHS has become a major forum for independent learning in the School, as well as for teaching pupils about the outside world. It inspired me to apply for what I am doing now in my career and it is wonderful that RHS is now helping Thomas Gainsbrough School to develop its own MUN programme.”

Outstanding Delegate awards for RHS Pupils at Model United Nations Conferences

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The Royal Hospital School MUN team has been extremely busy over the past few months with 90 pupils now taking part in the School’s Model United Nations. Internal debates are held on Wednesdays every three weeks during term time and pupils continue to travel further afield to take part in inter-school conferences.

On Monday 9 December, 36 pupils in Years 9 to 13, many of whom were attending their first conference, travelled to Benenden School in Kent representing China, Afghanistan, Canada, Egypt, Lebanon, Panama, the Solomon Islands and South Africa. Twenty schools took part and some of the 16 topics debated included: GM Crops, Combating Increasing Antibiotic Resistance, Sustainable Biofuels Production, Prevention of Domestic Terrorism, the Civil War in Syria, Regulation of the Influence of Multi-national Corporations in Lesser Economically Developed Countries and Protecting the Rights of Religious Minorities in Theocratic States.

China delegate at MUN Beneden

All RHS delegates worked hard, wrote resolutions and took part in the debates, but three did especially well: Sean Cuddihy was selected as a Highly Commended Delegate representing the People’s Republic of China on the Political Committee, as was Siana Douglas-Hamilton also for China, this time in the Committee on Human Rights, Kathryn Matous was also a Highly Commended Delegate in the Special Committee on Genetics, representing Canada, and congratulations must go to Kai Howells who was our first ever Year 9 delegate to attend a full MUN conference.

In addition, three other highly experienced MUN students from RHS were selected to chair committees at Benenden. Zach Tabor and Andrew Egan were chosen as Co-Chairs of the Human Rights and Genetics Committees respectively, while Conor Steeds is to be congratulated on being the Lead Chair of the Political Committee, a rare honour at another school.

Jack Burge at MUN Beneden

The first residential MUN conference was on Friday 31 January until Sunday 2 February at The Lady Eleanor Holles School, near Hampton Court Palace. Thirteen pupils in Years 10 to 13 attended LEHMUN representing Afghanistan, China and South Africa working with delegations from 48 countries, from 20 other schools.

RHS took a dominant role at this conference and all the resolutions debated and written by our pupils were passed in committee and General Assembly. Two of the three resolutions debated in a full session of General Assembly on Sunday were written by RHS pupils: Cesca Morelli’s US resolution on Forced Underage Marriage was passed without a single amendment and Tori Foreman, as UN Ambassador for South Africa, led caucus meetings of states within the African Union in support of that resolution.

USA delegate at LEHMUN

Congratulations also go to Ophelia Moore representing Afghanistan who, as well as writing a resolution on Combatting Female Genital Mutilation, which was passed in the Human Rights Committee, was selected as a Highly Commended Delegate and, in her capacity as Afghan Ambassador to the UN, led meetings of the Arab League states in order to ensure the passing of key resolutions in General Assembly.

Ophelia Moore at LEHMUN

Conor Steeds’s resolution on Narcotic Funding of Militant Extremism in Afghanistan was passed and he was recognised as the Outstanding Delegate in the Security Council representing the United States of America. Our top performer was Cherie Fang, representing Afghanistan, who had two resolutions passed: one on the Use of Private Military Committees instead of National Armed Forces in the Political Committee and one on Modern Day Slavery in General Assembly.

The RHS Afghanistan Delegation – consisting of Philly Moore, Cherie Fang, Tamsyn Howells and Alex Steeds – was selected as the Outstanding Delegation in General Assembly despite fierce competition.

LEHMUN, at The Lady Eleanor Holles

The following pupils received their MUN badges and Conor Steeds, Philly Moore, Cherie Fang, Tamsyn Howells and Alex Steeds were awarded their certificates for Outstanding Delegation:

Kai Howells	Year 9	Collingwood	Badge
Ben Banks	Year 10	St. Vincent	Badge
Sam Cantelo	Year 10	Collingwood	Badge
Ben Conner	Year 10	St. Vincent	Badge
Billy Douglas-Hamilton	Year 10	St. Vincent	Badge
Charlie Ewen	Year 10	Collingwood	Badge
Tom Hamer	Year 10	Collingwood	Badge
Tom Heley	Year 10	St. Vincent	Badge
Sam Hindley	Year 10	St. Vincent	Badge
Jess Irving	Year 10	Howe	Badge
Hannah Southerton	Year 10	Howe	Badge
Lucy Watson	Year 10	Hood	Badge
Joe Curtis	Year 11	Hawke	Badge
Henry Nicholls	Year 11	St. Vincent	Badge
Alex Slatter	Year 11	Hawke	Badge
Rosy Trewin Marshall	Year 11	Howe	Badge
Josie Falk	Year 12	Hood	Badge
Euan Guckian	Year 12	Collingwood	Badge
Will Hassall	Year 12	Collingwood	Badge
Patrick Hook-Willers	Year 12	Hawke	Badge
Winnie Lei	Year 12	Howe	Badge
Flossie Mills	Year 12	Hood	Badge
Ollie Sellers	Year 12	Collingwood	Badge
Alex Steeds	Year 12	Hawke	Badge
Ilya Tkhoruk	Year 12	Hawke	Badge
Jess Edney	Year 13	Nelson	Badge
Elle Henley	Year 13	Nelson	Badge
Conor Steeds	Year 13	Nelson	Certificate
Ophelia Moore	Year 12	Hood	Certificate x2
Cherie Fang	Year 13	Nelson	Certificate
Tamsyn Howells	Year 12	Hood	Certificate
Alex Steeds	Year 12	Hawke	Certificate

Model United Nations Report

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This has been another extremely successful term for Model United Nations at RHS.  The RHS MUN Society has record numbers with 70 active members, nearly all of whom, along with 16 staff guests, attended the second Annual MUN Dinner on Remembrance Sunday. The Guest-of-Honour was the acclaimed, BAFTA award-winning documentary film-maker, author and historian, Dr Laurence Rees. He addressed all present on the subject of war-crimes and genocide provoking a large number of questions. He also donated copies of his most recent book – The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler: leading millions into the abyss – which were sold that evening with all profits going to the services charity, Combat Stress.

In addition, the School has attended three conferences this term.  The first saw 10 sixth formers visiting Christ’s Hospital School in Horsham in October to take part in their annual Security Council simulation. RHS represented China, Guatemala and Indonesia considering options in respect of an escalating crisis centered around the fictional nation of Rengaan, a cross between Syria and Myanmar. This was an extremely intensive day of negotiations and, at times, brinkmanship diplomacy, in order to prevent the crisis escalating to the nearby south-east Asian states of Thailand and Indonesia.

In November, sixteen pupils from Years 10 to 13, including eight first time delegates, took part in another day conference, this time at the London Oratory School. This time RHS represented Iran, Venezuela and, once again, the People’s Republic of China, a country in which we specialise. Mr Gutierrez gave invaluable help on the politics of his native Venezuela and the RHS pupils debated topics as diverse as: online currency – Bitcoins; private space exploration; tackling anti-biotic resistance; the treatment of terror suspects; the rise of trans-national crime and rebuilding the phantom state that is the Central African Republic to name but six of the twelve topics covered.  Zach Tabor representing Venezuela was selected as a Highly Commended Delegate on the Political Committee, while Jess Edney – at her first conference – was also Highly Commended, this time for Iran within the Economic and Social Committee. Seven RHS delegates had resolutions debated which they had themselves written which is a mark of the quality of preparation put in before each conference.

On 9 December 2013, 36 RHS pupils, from Years 9 to 13, went to Benenden School in Kent representing eight countries: Afghanistan, Canada, China, Egypt, Lebanon, Panama, the Solomon Islands and South Africa. The topics are wide-ranging, from Islamist terrorism to sustainable biofuels production and from therapeutic cloning to the social evil that is Female Genital Mutilation. Three of our Year 13 have been invited as guest committee chairs which is a tribute to the way in which RHS delegates are viewed by other schools. Andrew Egan will be co-chairing the Special Committee on Genetics, while Zach Tabor will co-chair the Human Rights Commission. Conor Steeds has been asked to be the Presiding Chair of the Political Committee. It promises to be an excellent conference and a fitting end to a busy MUN term.

Model United Nations at RHS continues to grown in popularity.

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On Friday 1 March, a delegation of Year 10 and 11 pupils travelled to Bath for the Bath International Schools Model United Nations (BISMUN) Conference at Kingswood School.

The two delegations, representing Saudi Arabia and Serbia, took part in a number of committees including Health, Africa and the Middle East. Many important issues were discussed such as the situation in Syria, child soldiers and women’s rights. Congratulations must go to Ophelia Moore who was a Highly Commended Delegate in the Health Committee representing Saudi Arabia.

On Saturday 8 March, 17 delegates from Years 9 to 13, representing China, Myanmar, Somalia, Colombia and Germany travelled to the City of London School for Boys (CLSMUN) for, what was for many, their first ever conference. Within a stone’s throw of St Paul’s Cathedral and next to the Millennium Bridge, important topics were debated and solutions adopted for topics such as the conflict in Mali, the status of the Falklands and the removal of landmines from post conflict zones.

Well done to Rupert Powell who was selected as the Best Delegate in the Special Conference discussing the balance between legitimate weapons research and the non-proliferation of nuclear, biological and chemical weapons representing the People’s Republic of China.

The following pupils have been awarded their MUN badges:

• Helena Carter
• Brittany Shrestha
• Jamie Croser
• Charlie Tedora
• Jamie Warren
• Benny Anzawa
• Ophelia Moore
• Arabella Murrision
• TJ Sunuwar
• Sam Durling
• Cherie Fang
• Becky Jones
• Kathryn Matous

RHS Highly Commended at LEHMUN

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Report by Cesca Morelli and Siana Douglas-Hamilton

On Friday the 1st of February 12 pupils travelled to the Lady Eleanor Holles’ Model United Nation Conference 2013 to represent China, Lebanon and Libya.

On Friday afternoon we proceeded to ‘lobby’ with other delegates in our committees which were: Economic and Social, Ecology and Environment, Human Rights, Political and the Security Council. This involves meeting other delegates in your committee and finding out their country’s view on the debates and encouraging them to sign your resolution. Afterwards, we had the opportunity to listen to a speech from the keynote speaker, Professor Myles Wickstead, who spoke on the topic of ‘The crucial role of the UN in maintaining momentum on the Millennium Development Goals’. He gave a very interesting speech and answered questions in great detail.

The rest of the weekend consisted of tense debating on serious and thought-provoking topics such as ameliorating the Refugee Crisis in Syria, the legalisation of abortion and Iran’s Nuclear Programme. This resulted in some very good resolutions being passed.

Rupert Powell’s resolution on the Israeli blockade of the Gaza strip and the humanitarian implication was debated in General Assembly which was one of the highlights of an almost RHS-dominated conference. The two best resolutions that had been passed in each committee were published in a booklet – 5 out of the 10 of these resolutions were submitted by RHS delegates.

Sunday afternoon was dominated by a ‘crisis’ in General Assembly. The crisis was the discovery of a Russian biological weapons factory in Kazakhstan by an unofficial American spy. As you can imagine this was controversial for more than one reason. At this point China, led by the Rupert and Michael took charge to construct a resolution and convince the other countries to commit to peace. All three RHS delegations then participated in the debate to pass this resolution.

RHS were rewarded with some excellent accolades: 3 Highly Commended Delegate awards going to Rupert Powell, Conor Steeds and Michael Stokes; an Outstanding Delegate award going to Tom Precious and a Highly Commended Delegation award going to China which was made up of Rupert, Michael, Cameron Cullen, Molly Stuart and Laura Brown. Further highlights were the blossoming of a new relationship within the group (!) and the grand achievement that was Michael finally learning his alphabet. We’d also like to thank Mr Christmas and Miss Boardman for giving up their weekend to come with us.

RHS-MUN_FEB_2013

Model United Nations (MUN) at LEH

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The Royal Hospital School MUN representatives had a successful weekend at Lady Eleanor Holles (LEH) School last weekend.

Five of the ten resolutions that were passed in Committees and moved up to General Assembly, were from RHS pupils. Topics included threats to fisheries; protecting world heritage sites from climate change; the issue of the Israeli blockade of Gaza; the refugee crisis in Syria and the question of the Diaoyu/Senkaku islands territorial dispute.

Our pupils won four individual awards: Tom Precious (representing Libya) was the Outstanding Delegate in the Ecology & Environment Committee, Rupert Powell (China) was a Highly Commended Delegate in the Economic & Social Committee, Conor Steeds (Lebanon) was a Highly Commended Delegate in the Political Committee and Michael Stokes (China) was a Highly Commended Delegate in the Security Council.

The RHS China delegation of Michael Stokes, Laura Brown, Molly Stuart, Cameron Cullen and Rupert Powell were the Highly Commended Delegation overall at the Conference.

The Royal Hospital School is a co-educational boarding and day school for 11 to 18 years olds set in 200 acres of Suffolk countryside overlooking the River Stour. http://www.royalhospitalschool.org

A Busy Week at RHS

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The highlight this week must have been our Choir’s performance at the Annual National Service for Seafarers at St Paul’s Cathedral on Wednesday 10 October. They sang magnificently and our Director of Music, Peter Crompton, was in excellent form as the conductor. The Princess Royal was in attendance and our flag party were commented upon by the very ‘top brass’ of the Navy as being outstanding.

National Seafarers Service St Pauls Cathedral

Earlier in the week, there was a first rate lunchtime music concert held in the Burns Recital Hall on Monday and on Wednesday I was fortunate enough to hear an inspiring scholars’ talk given by Dr Allday about the science in Science Fiction.  I was firmly put in my place over the difference between Science Fiction and Space Opera; so I guess there will be no more quotes from the Jedi Master Yoda in future assemblies!

Over the course of last weekend there were two Model United Nations conferences at Christ’s Hospital and Reigate, and representatives of our Royal Marine’s section travelled to Lympston for the annual Pringle trophy. More about both of those activities will be on the blog very soon.

On Saturday 6 October we held a hugely successful open morning when the school welcomed in excess of 80 families, well above our target of 60.  My thanks to the Year 9 guides who did a magnificent job; to the Heads of School who presented so confidently; and to all those members of staff and pupils whose efforts ensured the success of this important event.  It really is most encouraging to have attracted so many prospective pupils and their families and I look forward to an equally successful open morning in November.

On Saturday evening, I attended an excellent organ recital by our new Head of Academic Music, Mr William Saunders. Congratulations to him on his debut performance as a fully-fledged member of the Royal Hospital School.

On Sunday we saw the first set of Divisions of the academic year. The Inspecting officer, Captain Tulloch, was hugely complimentary over the School’s turnout  – we have set the bar very high. I was particularly impressed by the quality of the junior house squad’s marching.  Well done to the Junior House Prefects for marshalling their squads so well and well done to all our new pupils on making this first set of Divisions such an impressive parade.

New Year 7 Recruits

Afterwards, the Chapel was bursting to capacity for our Harvest Thanksgiving Service and it was wonderful to see so many friends and family participating in our first Sunday morning service of the year.

The Royal Hospital School is a coeducational boarding and day school for 11 to 18 years olds set in 200 acres of Suffolk countryside overlooking the River Stour. http://www.royalhospitalschool.org