WELCOME TO THE ARMY DOG UNIT N.I. (RAVC) ASSOCIATION
Minutes of the Army Dog Unit NI (RAVC) Association
9th February 2020
The meeting was opened at 20:00 hours.
The following members were present: S Casey (Chair), L Jenkins(Vice Chair), J Tucker(Treasurer/Shop) and T Clegg (Website Admin).
The following apologies were accepted on behalf of and M Newton (Secretary), A Brown(Events/General) and F Lowe (Welfare).
Previous Minutes:
There was a mistake on the December minutes – Melton Mowbray Reunion 2021 is not the Former Units
50th Anniversary but the reformed Associations 10th Anniversary.
Chair:
The Chair would like to wish all members a Happy New Year. He has observed on social media that some members are struggling to gain access to the new website, Trish has pointed out that there is a reset password on the home page. Any queries to Mr Kevin Potter please.
Vice:
The Vice spoke about the Association Legacy and would like to again remind all members to contact him with their thoughts/ideas. He would prefer this not to be on an open forum at this minute. His email is as follows: larryjrosyth@aol.com
Secretary:
Nothing to add.
Events/General:
Andy is unable to attend next years reunion weekend, so he will be liaising with Mr Frank Smith to pick the leads up and transport to the Reunion.
Treasurer / Shop:
Membership is sitting at 172, Can he remind all members when paying through PayPal to tick ‘Family and Friends’ if not PayPal will take 3% of that payment, meaning the association will lose funds.
Shop Stock:
JT has taken stock of some new shop items; these will become available at the Reunion. He will also have proofs for some potential new items, these will be disclosed at the AGM. For those members still looking to purchase their own leads the details are as follows: Peter Clayton: 01493 701232 / 07919 285699.
Association funds(as at 09/02/20) £2,794:11.
Website:
All members should have received new login details for the new website from Kevin Potter, if members have not received one, then please contact him directly. There is still some work to be carried out. If anyone is interested intaking over the website administrators’ role then please message any of the committee.
AOB:
Committee Vacancy:
Due to family and other commitments, the committee are looking for someone to replace Trish as the website administrator, Trish, along with Kevin Potter will be able to carry out an extensive hand-over of the site once we have a replacement.
Potential Print of all Cap badges that served with ADU NI.
Larry had been exploring the potential to have a print commissioned with all the former units cap badges that served with ADU NI. After an extensive investigation with other members and still serving RAVC, it was found to be not financially viable at this moment in time. This has not been ruled out indefinitely, but other avenues will be looked at.
Social Media:
Following on from the previous minutes regarding non-association posts on the members Facebook page, can the Chair please reiterate that all posts are subject to approval, as the website is still not fully active, we do not want any information to be missed.
Invitations have been sent out to all via Facebook Events in January, for those not on Facebook, those members will be emailed accordingly. The AGM will be Saturday 2ndMay and will be held in the conference suite at the Holiday Inn Express at Burton on Trent at 3pm and then afterwards at the RBL Alrewas. The Memorial Service will be Sunday 3rd May starting at 11am at the NMA. Can I remind members that due to the D-Day celebrations; this is not a Bank Holiday Weekend. Planning for the 2021 AGM & Reunion at Melton Mowbray is also taking place, this venue has been chosen as it will be the reformed Associations 10th Anniversary. The dates are Saturday 1stMay-Sunday 2nd May 2021. Locations are being looked at for the AGM and Reunion, and a suitable location for the Memorial Service – all to be confirmed. Trish will be carrying out a recce and meeting the manager of the RBL in the coming weeks. As it is an anniversary, the committee are looking towards more of a formal regimental style dinner, with the option of dressing down for the evening’s entertainment, at the moment, it is an option, but the committee will engage with the membership at the next AGM to thrash out the finer details, so that we can confirm and book everything that is required for the 2021 AGM.
Diary Dates:
AGM & Reunion – Weekend of 2nd/3rdMay 2020.
With no further business, the meeting finished at 21:10 hours.
The next meeting will take place Sunday 15thMarch 2020
Association Treasurer for Secretary
J.Tucker
Minutes of the Army Dog Unit NI (RAVC) Association
15th December 2019
The meeting was opened at 20:00 hours.
The following members were present: S Casey (Chair), L Jenkins(Vice Chair), J Tucker(Treasurer/Shop and T Clegg (Website Admin).
The following apologies were accepted on behalf of and M Newton (Secretary), A Brown(Events/General) and F Lowe (Welfare).
Previous Minutes:
Nothing Outstanding- Minutes read and judged to be a true and accurate record – Passed.
Chair:
The Chair would like to welcome three new members to the Association; Kate Watkins, Peter Clarke and Sarah Clarke. He spoke about the refurbishment work that has been carried out on the Associations Memorial Plot and would like to congratulate Mr Steve Yates on the liaison work that he has carried out. The Chair also conveyed his condolences regarding the passing of Mr Robin Doddimeade, whom will be sadly missed by all and Mr Dennis(scouse) Albiston, although Dennis wasn’t a member, there are members whom served alongside him. He also wished to congratulate Mr Phillip Robinson for his representation at this year’s Birmingham Tattoo, where he proudly paraded the Associations Standard. The Chair also would like to thank all members that represented the Association throughout the various parades in November. Finally, the Chair would like to Thank Mrs Iris Thompson-Burton for providing the excellent Purple Poppy Wreaths. The Committee would like to wish all members a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Vice:
The Vice spoke about the Association Legacy and would like to again remind all members to contact him with their thoughts/ideas. He would prefer this not to be on an open forum at this minute. His email is as follows: larryjrosyth@aol.com
Secretary:
Just to remind Mr S Yates to email him all correspondence regarding the NMA – m_newton@hotmail.com
Events/General:
Andy is unable to attend next years reunion weekend, so he will be arranging for the leads to be picked up and taken to Alrewas.
Treasurer / Shop:
Membership is sitting at 172, Can he remind all members when paying through PayPal to tick ‘Family and Friends’ if not PayPal will take 3% of that payment, meaning the association will lose funds.
Shop Stock:
All orders are now complete, apart from a couple of plaques to be sent out. Looking forward to next years reunion, JT will have proofs for some potential new items, these will be disclosed at the AGM. For those members still looking to purchase their own leads the details are as follows: Peter Clayton: 01493 701232 / 07919 285699.
Association funds(as at 29/09/19) £2,553:73.
Website:
All members should have received new login details for the new website from Kevin Potter, if members have not received one, then please contact him directly. There is still some work to be carried out. If anyone is interested intaking over the website administrators’ role then please message any of the committee.
AOB:
NMA Update:
As you may know, Mr Steve Yates has been liaising with the NMA and overseeing refurbishment work. The work is now complete, and the Memorial stone is looking well and is more befitting of our Association. The Committee would like to convey they’re thanks to Steve for his liaison role.
Social Media:
Following on from the previous minutes regarding non-association posts on the members Facebook page, can the Chair please reiterate that all posts are subject to approval, as the website is still not fully active, we do not want any information to be missed.
Remembrance Weekend:
For those members that weren’t aware, the Association members that paraded in London, attended the Animals at War Memorial Service. It was quite an informal affair, with some colourful characters in attendance, and at times, difficult to keep a straight face!!, however, we were well received and believe that we have helped bridge a gap between the Military and the Civilian population when it comes to Animal Welfare. Next Year, ‘The Guardians of the Night’ will be incorporated into the service and one of our members will read a copy, which will be placed with the wreath.
AGM & Reunion 2020/21:
Invitations will be sent out to all via Facebook Events in January, for those not on Facebook, those members will be emailed accordingly. The AGM will be Saturday 2ndMay and will be held in the conference suite at the Holiday Inn Express at Burton on Trent at 3pm and then afterwards at the RBL Alrewas. The Memorial Service will be Sunday 3rd May starting at 11am at the NMA. Can I remind members that due to the D-Day celebrations; this is not a Bank Holiday Weekend. Planning for the 2021 AGM & Reunion is also taking place, as it would have been the Units 50th Anniversary, we will be holding the Reunion weekend in Melton Mowbray – Saturday 1stMay-Sunday 2nd May 2021. Locations are being looked at for the AGM and Reunion, and a suitable location for the Memorial Service – all to be confirmed. As it is an anniversary, the committee are looking towards more of a formal regimental style dinner, with the option of dressing down for the evening’s entertainment, at the moment, it is an option, but the committee will engage with the membership at the next AGM to thrash out the finer details, so that we can confirm and book everything that is required for the 2021 AGM.
Diary Dates:
AGM & Reunion – Weekend of 2nd/3rdMay 2020.
With no further business, the meeting finished at 21:30 hours.
The next meeting will take place January 2020(date TBC)
Association Treasurer for Secretary
Minutes of the Army Dog Unit NI (RAVC) Association
29th September 2019
The meeting was opened at 20:00 hours.
The following members were present: S Casey (Chair),
L Jenkins (Vice Chair), J Tucker(Treasurer/Shop
The following apologies were accepted on behalf of T Clegg (Website Admin) and M Newton (Secretary) and
A Brown (Events/General).
Previous Minutes:
Nothing Outstanding- Minutes read and judged to be a true and accurate record – Passed.
Chair:
The Chair would like to welcome two new members to the Association; Keith Pendleton and Vicky Boyd (Shaw). He spoke about the progress which has been made regarding the NMA and the newly formed Liaison Team. It was discussed about the refurbishment that has already taken place which seems to be of a very high standard (re-enamelling and cleaning of the stone) and the future work to be carried out (replacement of Bench plaques and raising of the stone and the paving/edging to be added. The Chair also gave his thanks to those members of the Association that attended the various 50th Op Banner Anniversaries at both the NMA and Lisburn and the NIVA Annual service. He also wished Phillip Robinson good luck at this years Birmingham Tattoo, where he will proudly parade the Associations Standard.
Vice:
The Vice spoke about the Association Legacy and would like to again remind all members to contact him with their thoughts/ideas. He would prefer this not to be on an open forum at this minute. His email is as follows: larryjrosyth@aol.com
Secretary:
Just to remind Mr S Yates to email him all correspondence regarding the NMA – m_newton@hotmail.com
Events/General:
Nothing to add.
Treasurer / Shop:
Membership is sitting at 170, with a couple of new members in the pipeline. Can he remind all members when paying through PayPal to tick ‘Family and Friends’ if not PayPal will take 3% of that payment, meaning the association will lose funds.
Shop Stock:
John has received another batch of Red Paw ‘Search and Secure’ car window stickers, he has also received more braided wristbands (10 male and 10 female). He is in possession of two braided key fobs, which will be shown to members at the next AGM. He also plans to acquire two proofs of Thermal mugs with selected logos on (for AGM). John spoke again about individual shop orders that are larger than others, there will be a bigger postage charge for the individual ordering as their order has to go through Parcel Force and not the usual postage system. The Guardian Plaques have been well received, there have been pictures put onto the Facebook Group page for all to see, so if you require one, please don’t hesitate to order. Can he also remind members that clothing orders are quarterly, any orders outside this will be added to the next coming order as carriage fees are added making the individual order more expensive. The next Clothing Order will be from now, if members go to the Hargreaves Promotions site, they will be able to pick their own clothing(sizes, colour and item code), then all they are required to do is pick a logo and forward this on to John to order. John is also in possession of 15 ‘Snapper logo’ mugs, prices are to be confirmed. He is planning to add this logo to the Associations portfolio for the next shop order. Larry spoke about the original ADU plaques, separate thread to advertise this, if the demand is good, John will order, but there is a minimum number, but will work with the supplier to get the best deal available.
The Associations Laptops are now protected for another 12 months, and Gazebo leg weights and a table have been purchased and added to the Asset Register.
For those members still looking to purchase their own leads the details are as follows: Peter Clayton: 01493 701232 / 07919 285699.
Association funds(as at 29/09/19) £3904.23.
Website:
All members should have received new login details for the new website from Kevin Potter, if members have not received one, then please contact him directly.
AOB:
NMA Update:
Mr Steve Yates has been working with the NMA and has attended several meetings with them. The new Maintenance Contract has been signed and paid for. As mentioned in the Chair’s points, refurbishment has been carried out already and more work is to follow. The Chair would like to convey his thanks to Mr Steve Yates for his work so far with this project.
Social Media:
Following on from the previous minutes regarding non-association posts on the members Facebook page, can the Chair please reiterate that all posts are subject to approval, as the website is still down, we do not want any information to be missed.
Remembrance Weekend:
John has now received confirmation of this year’s ticket allocation (50), unfortunately, we have only been able to commit to 26 parading. He should be receiving the tickets this coming month. Can he remind all members attending, that photographic identification will be required for both the parade and entry into the Garrison WO & Sgts Mess, for guests attending the mess, smart dress please, no denim/trainers etc. Members that are planning to go to London Saturday 9th, will hopefully all meet up that evening, this will be sorted on via social media. Sunday from 0900hrs at the Guards Memorial. After the parade, we will move as an association (for those that are attending) to the area of the Animals at War Memorial, then move back to the mess. All wreaths should all be now received. The committee will be looking at reducing the number of wreaths for November. This will be discussed at the next AGM.
Please see below, the exact information passed to the BBC as part of the Media Call for this year’s Cenotaph Parade.
Please see below the Army Dog Unit Northern Ireland (RAVC) Association Media call details as requested.
The ADU NI (RAVC) Association was founded in 2009 and has a membership of around 170. There is a multitude of cap badges, which set us apart from other Associations.
The Association are easily recognised on parade, as they wear a small red paw on their head dress left of their parent cap badge. They also wear rope leads. The Association participated in the 50th Anniversary parades of Operation Banner, with representatives at both Lisburn NI and NMA parades.
There will be approximately 30 members on parade this year.
Wreath bearers will be named the day before the parade. The Association carries three wreaths, one red and two purple, the purple poppy wreath symbolises the sacrifices of the Military Working Dogs. The other purple poppy wreath will be laid at the Animals at War Memorial after the main parade has finished.
Mr John Hilson (Royal Corps of Transport) will be leading our contingent this year. We ask for volunteers every year. the lead person carries a Blackthorn stick, this keeps our tie to Northern Ireland.
Every member on parade will have their own stories to tell, however, this unique unit, played a pivotal role on Op Banner and many lives, both military and civilian were saved due to the very nature of the work of the dog teams.
Any of our members would be more than happy to be interviewed.
Kind Regards
J Tucker ADU NI (RAVC) Committee Member
Diary Dates:
Cenotaph – Sunday 10th November.
With no further business, the meeting finished at 21:00 hours.
The next meeting will take place on Sunday 27th October
Association Treasurer for Secretary
J.Tucker
Minutes of the Army Dog Unit NI (RAVC) Association 30th June 2019
The meeting was opened at 20:05 hours.
The following members were present: S Casey (Chair), L Jenkins (Vice Chair), J Tucker (Treasurer/Shop
The following apologies were accepted on behalf of T Clegg (Website Admin) and M Newton (Secretary) and
A Brown (Events/General).
Previous Minutes:
All actioned – Wash-up from AGM weekend
Chair:
The Chair would like to welcome three new members to the Association; Bernie Evans, Richard Thornby and Barry O’Connell. He spoke about the progress which has been made regarding the NMA and the newly formed Liaison Team. It was discussed about the refurbishment work on and around the Memorials and all agreed that the quotes that we have received are adequate and once a start date is confirmed, payment will be made for all work required. Can he also remind all that the Committee are now on a Summer Break and will be back in business September. Any enquiries will be dealt with at the next skype meeting.
Vice:
The Vice spoke about the Association Legacy and would like to remind all members to contact him with their thoughts/ideas. He would prefer this not to be on an open forum at this minute. His email is as follows: larryjrosyth@aol.com
Secretary:
Just to remind Mr S Yates to email him all correspondence regarding the NMA – m_newton@hotmail.com
Events/General:
Nothing to add.
Treasurer / Shop:
Membership is sitting at 168, with 5 members still outstanding to pay for their membership. They have been contacted and am awaiting payment. Can he remind all members when paying through PayPal to tick ‘Family and Friends’ if not PayPal will take 3% of that payment, meaning the association will lose funds.
Shop Stock:
John is awaiting back orders from Hargreaves and 2x Guardian Plaques. Once received, he will post out the remaining orders. John spoke about individual shop orders that are larger than others, there will be a bigger postage charge for the individual ordering as their order has to go through Parcel Force and not the usual postage system. The Guardian Plaques have been well received, there have been pictures put onto the Facebook Group page for all to see, so if you require one, please don’t hesitate to order. Can he also remind members that clothing orders are quarterly, any orders outside this will be added to the next coming order as carriage fees are added making the individual order more expensive. The next Clothing Order will be taken 1st September.
For those members still looking to purchase their own leads the details are as follows: Peter Clayton: 01493 701232 / 07919 285699.
Association funds (as at 30/06/19) £4,759.10.
Website:
The new website is being constructed as we speak, however there is no date for completion.
NMA Update:
Mr Steve Yates has been in contact with the NMA and has attended meetings with them. A new Maintenance Contract has been produced and has been signed. We have also received quotes for refurbishment of the area, and the plaque and are awaiting a quote for two new bench plaques. This is ongoing but are definitely heading in the right direction.
Chiron Calling:
The cut-off date for last submissions of articles for the RAVC magazine is 9th September
Social Media:
Following on from the previous minutes regarding non-association posts on the members Facebook page, can the Chair please reiterate that all posts are subject to approval, as the website is still down, we do not want any information to be missed.
Remembrance Weekend:
John is awaiting the confirmation of tickets (40). Once received he will be able to start submitting names and details. We have only got 22 names so far, so if anyone else wants to attend this year, let him know asap. All wreaths have been ordered and received, apart from the Purple ones, which are being made. The committee will be looking at reducing the number of wreaths for November. This will be discussed at the AGM.
Diary Dates:
DAC Open Day – Saturday 20th July. Trish has confirmed timings – 10:00-16:00
Op Banner 50 – NMA-Wednesday 14th August
Op Banner 50th Anniversary weekend-Lisburn – Saturday 17th August
NIVETS – Saturday 14th September (from 11.30hrs)
Cenotaph – Sunday 10th November.
With no further business, the meeting finished at 21:30 hours.
The next meeting will take place on Sunday 29th September
Association Treasurer for Secretary
J.Tucker
