2009 Essay Competition Winners

More than forty students won prizes or were commended as runners-up in the 2009 Commonwealth Essay Competition. They come from Australia, British Virgin Islands, Canada, England, Ghana, India, Jersey, Malaysia, Malta, Pakistan, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Trinidad and Tobago.

Candidates write about a wide range of interests in response to the various topics set for the four different age bands. Some write stories. Others write essays. Some are serious. Others are comical and witty. Often the best entries offer a very personal insight into the life and times of the writer.

The top Class A prize-winner, Chew Chia Shao Wei from Singapore, wrote a timeless fable about the unlikely friendship between a bird and a rock. The examiners commented that it was an astonishing and moving story about mortality told with consummate skill.

Click here to see the full list of winners.

New Commonwealth Choir

The RCS is launching a fresh and exciting youth project: New Commonwealth Voices. The aim is to celebrate the diversity of musical talent across the Commonwealth by creating a choir of young singers from all member countries that will perform at high-profile Commonwealth events such as the Commonwealth Day Observance in front of H.M. The Queen, Head of the Commonwealth.

The music performed by this new choir will represent the varied choral music, languages and performance practices of the Commonwealth. The singers will consequently not need to be familiar with traditional western musical notation. In the future it is also hoped that new music can be specially commissioned for this unique choir in order to celebrate the diversity of artistic expression within the Commonwealth.

If you know anyone under 35 with a good set of lungs and some Commonwealth heritage behind them, please email Christine.

Montblanc

Exclusive shopping event!

Montblanc would like to invite RCS members to join them for an exclusive shopping event on Thursday 10th September at their Old Bond Street Boutique. This is part of Fashion's Night Out, a global initiative from Vogue Magazine.

Champagne will be served throughout the evening, until 10pm!

On the evening they will hold a prize draw to win a UNICEF ‘Signature for Good’ fountain pen and will offer an exclusive goodie bag with all purchases over £300.

Please look out for more invitations to special events and sales from our new partner Montblanc, in the Benefits section of the Members Only area on the website.

For further information contact the Membership Department on 020 7766 9231.

WEXAS Exclusive

Up to £3954 off BA Club & First Class!

RCS travel partner, WEXAS - The Traveller's Club, have negotiated truly exclusive fares with British Airways. If you book this September you could enjoy savings on Club World fares of up to £1,043 and up to £3,954 on First Class fares, across the British Airways network.

Throughout September WEXAS has exclusive British Airways fares in Club World and First Class. You won't find these prices anywhere else – and you might not see such large discounts on First Class tickets ever again. So take advantage of your FREE WEXAS White membership and revel in luxury the next time you fly.

Heading to North America? Save up to £3,954 on flights to Phoenix or £2,837 on flights to New York. Plus there are 14 other destinations across the pond to choose from. Or will it be Africa, Asia or the Indian Ocean? Save up to £1,133 on flights to Cape Town, £1,048 on flights to Hong Kong, or £1,698 on flights to Mauritius. Again, there are a further 7 destinations in these regions to fly to.

For a full list of flights and prices please CLICK HERE or call your existing WEXAS consultant on 020 7664 2256.