THE ARMY DOG UNIT NORTHERN IRELAND (RAVC) ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Saturday 29th April 2023
Mr Andy Brown called the meeting to order and welcomed all members to the AGM 2023.
Committee Present: Andy Brown (Chair), John Tucker (Treasurer/Shop), and Neil Hillman
(Events/General).
Apologies: Frank Lowe (Welfare), Dunc Macintosh (Vice Chair), and Trish Clegg (Secretary)
There were 33 members present with numerous apologies from the rest of the membership.
Meeting commenced: 15:30hrs.
The meeting conducted a 1-minute silence in memory of fallen comrades and toasted HM The
late Queen and HM The King. Mr Andy Brown also asked the members to reflect on the recent
passing of Ms Trish Clegg and Mr Andy Feist Mothers, also that Mr Alan McClinton was
poorly, and that Mrs Hayley Newton had just successfully completed her last session of
treatment.
1: Minutes of previous AGM – were emailed to remind all members & were passed as a true
and accurate record
Proposed by Mr Andy Brown Seconded by Mr Frank Smith
All agreed: Carried
2: Matters arising from last AGM –
Mr Steve Yates had proposed that the Association look at procuring two statues of dogs for the
memorial. This is covered in more detail in AOB.
3. Chair’s Report – Nil
There was a Vote of Thanks to the following:
Black Thorn – Mr John Tucker and Mr Alun Watkins
Wreath Provider – Mrs Iris Thompson-Burton
Memorial Service Officiant – Mr Stuart Walker
Mr Kevin Potter for the continued generous contribution in hosting the Association Website and
providing upgrades & any advice.
A welcome was made to new Association members.
The final thanks went to all members both old & new in supporting the Association.
4: Secretary’s Report: Nil
5. Treasurers & Shop Managers report: The statement of accounts will be emailed to those members that wish to see a copy.
The Treasurer had circulated a copy of this year’s accounts to the Committee and membership
present, no questions were raised by them.
Accounts were passed as true and accurate record.
Proposed by P. Brown
Seconded by D.McCulloch
All agreed: Carried
The treasurer raised the subject again of chasing members for subs, as this is continuous and
places a great strain on the treasurer. He will consult the C & R on this matter, it was discussed
that the treasurer will send out two reminders to those still required to renew, the third reminder
will be issued by the Chair and this will act as a final reminder, and if this is still not carried out,
then the respective non-paying members will be removed from the association and will have to
reapply if they wish to re-join. The current rules state that members have up to the 1st of July of
each year to renew, this will now be changed to prior to each year’s annual reunion. The C&R
will be changed to reflect this.
Proposed by J Tucker
Seconded by G Clark
All agreed: Carried
Shop Managers Report
The Shop Manager (JT) explained that this was the first year that the shop was not in attendance
– (as per last AGM minutes) and that all could be ordered via the website 24/7 365, He did go
on to say that there would be a slight rise in prices and individual clothing items would be priced
differently from advertised due to Hargreaves increasing their prices. He was still taking
clothing orders and had the logos at the AGM for the members to see and complete their orders
throughout the evening.
Mr Neil Edwards and Mr Ian Wartnaby asked about the possibility of desert style boots with
ADU NI embroidered on them, Mr Paul Brown to put details on the Association FB page and
email JT so he could investigate prices as this would be done by demand if great.
6. Due to there being no movement within the Committee, there was no officiating required,
however Mr Andy Brown did present Matt (RBL Rep) and Karen (Stand-in Stewardess) with a
plaque and flowers respectively – These were gratefully received, and all members present at the
meeting were thanked.
Post Nominations Nominated Second by
Chair: Mr Andy Brown Stay in Post
Vice Chair: Mr Duncan Macintosh Stay in Post
Secretary: Ms Trish Clegg Stay in Post
Events/General: Mr Neil Hillman Stay in Post
Treasurer: Mr John Tucker Stay in Post
Website Admin: Mr Kevin Potter/John Tucker Stay in Post
Shop Manger: Mr John Tucker Stay in Post
Welfare Officer: TBC Stay in Post
Custodians of the Standard UK/NI: Mr Phil Robinson and Mr John Tucker.
To remain Secondary signature on accounts: Mr Dougie Durrant,
7. Events:
Names to the Treasurer for Cenotaph via Website or FB please,
Mr J Hilson to stand in for Mr Alun Watkins 2023 – Mr J Tucker as Cenotaph
Blackthorn.
Mr N Hillman for Parade Marshall 2024
8. AOB:
JT briefed the members regarding the Memorial Parade, the following members would be
carrying out the duties detailed below:
It is of note that Mr Stuart Walker was unable to conduct the service due to being unwell, so Mr
J Tucker and Mr P Barnes conducted the service in his absence.
ADU NI Epitaph – 70s G Clark, 80s N Hillman, 90s D McIntosh.
Guardians – S Casey
Act of Remembrance – G Copley
Kohima Epitaph – P Barnes
Association Wreath – C Moore
Purple Wreath – J Tucker
RAFP Wreath – R Curran
RAVC Wreath – P Brown
Regarding Mr S Yates 2020 (not present at 2023 AGM) proposal of x2 Canine Statues either
side of the memorial stone, the chair was looking to resolve this proposal, due to the
membership not being able to decide on which breeds to go with, along with the proposed
funding ideas which could take a number of years to build up enough funds to buy, it was
decided by all present at the AGM, that it was no longer a viable option, however it could be
revisited at a future date. The alternative option of an information board along with a QR code
seemed to be a reasonable option, which could be discussed in consultation with Mr S Yates and
the NMA to see if this is a viable option.
It is of note, that Mr J Tucker and Mr S Yates briefly discussed the area around the stone on the
30th April after the service, and that the NMA are now taking a different approach with grass
cutting etc, they are looking for a more natural environment in which to encourage the breeding
of more wildlife, however it was felt that the area around and behind the memorial stone looked
unkept and scruffy, in which the chair has asked for a copy of the maintenance contract to
possibly do a follow-up,
it is also of note that Mr S Yates spoke with Mr J Tucker of the
possibility of extending the paving in front of the stone up to the path, as the grass is sparse and
mostly dirt which again looks untidy and is not aesthetically pleasing to the eye, this will be
discussed further after the AGM wash-up meeting in which Mr S Yates will be invited to join a
meeting so that the committee can look for a way forward.
Mr J Clark asked the members about the possibility of his daughters 6yr old Belgian Malinois
being rehomed by a member – Mr J Clark was asked to post this proposal straight onto the
members social media, as could have a speedier response.
Mr P Robinson briefed the members on his future standard parades, this includes 11th of June in
London with the combined Irish Regiments, and Armed Forces Day in Medway.
Mrs R Barnes briefed the members on the unofficial ‘gathering’ in Melton in June, all were
invited to attend. It was also mentioned that their organiser Mr K O’Flinn was interested in
having a combined function with the ADU NI (RAVC) Association, this will be discussed later.
It was asked if the Association would consider going back to Northern Ireland for a reunion, as
in 2015, Mr J Tucker briefly explained that the Security situation is still unbalanced and that the
logistics of booking a venue, moving around as a large body combined with clearance to enter a
secure establishment would not be a viable option on this occasion, it wasn’t ruled out
completely, but not favourable at this time.
Mr A Brown reminded the members that we are in the possession of a Book of Remembrance,
he has enlisted help to carry out the calligraphy and is in the process of collating information.
It was proposed by Mr S Casey that the Association make a one-off donation to Mr A Feist, this
is to help with administration costs (food etc) due to the tireless efforts of his family to look
after a large quantity of dogs. – carried – a sum of £200 will be donated – The treasurer is to
liaise with Mr A Feist in due course.
It was proposed by Mrs L Tucker via Mr J Tucker that the Association consider a gift for Mrs H
Newton, after completing treatment as mentioned at the start of the meeting. – carried – a sum of £100 has been proposed and accepted, Mrs L Tucker has identified items and has now
purchased them in preparation to send them to Mrs H Newton.
The raffle raised £240, of which £100 was given out as prizes.
The auction raised £405. (6 items!)
Other monies taken (subs, tickets, shop items raised a total of £183
The total raised for the association was £738, in not having the shop in attendance was pretty
good!
9. Dates for diary’s:
Kilkeel Parade times- TBC
Unofficial Gathering – Saturday 3rd June 23
RAVC Reunion – Saturday 24th June 23
DATR Open day- Saturday 29th July 23
Date & time of next AGM – Saturday 4th May 2024 Royal British Legion Alrewas
The Chair thanked all for attending and closed the meeting at: 16.47.
Chair Elected: A Brown ………………………………….
Secretary: T. Clegg. (Not present) ……….……………………………
Minute Secretary for AGM: J Tucker ……….………………………….
Committee meeting minutes via video chat on
Monday 1st Nov 2022 at 19.30hrs
Present:
Andy Brown (Chair) Dunc McIntosh (vice Chair) John Tucker (Treasurer, shop, website) Trish Clegg (Secretary) Neil Hillman (Events)
Andy opened the meeting with the main topic of the Cenotaph march on Sunday 13th Nov.
The E-Tickets are being emailed to all today/ this week & a post on Assoc group page is set up for members to confirm receipt of email from British Legion.
On Sunday the meeting place will be the Guards Memorial near Horse Guards at 9.30am, members attending need to be aware of queues to get in and to make allowance!
Neil will have dog leads for who require them & Dunc will bring the wreaths, 1 x Red 1 x Purple.
JT is the Assoc lead for this year’s march, and any information will be passed to him who will pass on to all attending on the morning.
After the March, all members with guests are invited to join the small AAW (Animals at war) memorial service at 3pm, we will be laying a purple wreath.
It is confirmed that we are invited to use the Guards WO’s & Sgts mess in Wellington Bks, our guest list has been submitted & no entrance will be given if your name is not on the list.
With this invitation please can i remind ALL attending the dress code is smart, No jeans or trainers and photo ID is required at the gate.
Also we are very lucky to have this invitation please can all attending remember your best conduct is required please !
On the Saturday evening get together, we are looking to meet up for a social drink/food at the Con club in tooting or the Union Jack club ( dress code is: smart casual) A post with details will be placed on assoc group page.
JT gave at statements of Assoc funds to date: £3;469.12p
With no other business the meeting was closed 20.10 Hrs
Trish Clegg
Secretary
Committee meeting minutes via video chat on
Sunday 26th June 2022 at 19.00hrs
Present:
Andy Brown (Chair) Dunc McIntosh (vice Chair) John Tucker (Treasurer, shop, website) Trish Clegg (Secretary)
Andy opened the meeting with a discussion about the recent posts on social media ref a ADU NI coin being made, this coin has been designed & posted by Jim Wilson.
It was agreed the Association committee were happy with the coin & to sell to the members with the caveat that RAVC would be added & 50 names confirmed orders, this will be done through Jim Wilson.
Andy stated The Remembrance book which had been purchased, has found a local collage willing to write details of our fallen in with smart font, we agreed the details entered will be, from 1969, name, regt/corp date passed, along with names who have passed from 2007 closure. If any members have details that could help Andy put the list together for writing we would appreciate your input.
Andy left the meeting due to a work commitment at 19.20hrs.
Cenotaph update;
We have 19 confirmed names to date, our allocation TBC hopefully will be 40, if any members are interested, please let John Tucker know asap, the closing date is end of August.
We understand the cost of attending cenotaph and if the committee can help please let us know, maybe sharing travel or details on hotels!.
John has ordered 3 x purple wreaths, 1 Cenotaph, 1 Animals at war, 1 Kilkeel at cost of £27.50 each.
4 x Red poppy wreaths will be ordered, 1 x Cenotaph, 1 x NI, 1 x Rowe family, 1 x Melton Mowbray.
Reunion 2022;
John discussed with us the cost incurred each year with brining the shop items to the reunions & now with the ease of orders taken online the shop will no longer be brought to future events, however clothing orders will still be taken, this was agreed.
The 2022 reunion raised; £475.00 Auction, £253.00 Raffle, £238.50 shop sales = £966.50
The cost of reunion bookings etc were £1500.00.
John updated us on the change of Association bank account due to charges with trustee’s accounts; our account has been moved to Barclays.
Ref clothing from Hargreaves the prices of some items have been raised & John will investigate & make amendments to prices on the website, the p&p should not change.
The committee went on to review this year’s reunion with some feedback that had been received, which was mainly good, however the committee felt a huge disappointment with the lack of attendance, the planning of our reunions takes lots of time with phone calls, emails, bookings & cost along with hard work on the days, it was agreed to ask all our membership to make constructive comment to us;
Please remember for transparency & official purposes we have to hold an AGM!
Do you want a reunion every year?
Maybe every 2nd year?
Locations?
Cost?
Any ideas will be discussed at next meeting.
With no other business the meeting was closed 20.00hrs.
THE ARMY DOG UNIT NORTHERN IRELAND (RAVC) ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Saturday 30th April 2022 held at St Georges Bks North Luffenham
Mr Steve Casey (Chairman) called the meeting to order and ordered the Standard to take its place.
The meeting conducted a 1 minute silence in memory of fallen comrades
Meeting commenced: 14.00.hrs
Present: 30
Apologies: Were received by numerous members
Proposed by: Mr Terry Judge
Second by: Mr Paul Brown
All agreed: Carried
Vote of Thanks to the following:
Mr John Hilson for his support & help with Larry Jenkins funeral
Mr Phil Robinson for his continued outstanding role with the Association standard & the events he promotes with his attendance.
Miss Yvonne Hawken for BlackThorn 2021
Mr Kevin Potter for the continued generous contribution in hosting the Association Website and any advice.
Mr Stuart Walker for conducting our memorial service. (Presentation given at evening event)
General thanks to those members who contributed throughout the past three years and for their support.
A welcome was made to new members attending the AGM & reunion weekend.
Ms Trish Clegg – In Mr Mike Newton’s absence read out his report – See attached Ref (2)
Mr John Tucker had circulated a copy of this year’s accounts to all the members, no questions were raised by members.
Accounts were passed as true and accurate record
Proposed by: Mr Dunc McIntosh
Second by: Mr Neil Hillman
All agreed: Carried
WO1 RSM Woodall RAVC officiated
Post Nominations
Chairman: Mr Andy Brown
Vice Chair: Mr Dunc McIntosh
Secretary: Ms Trish Clegg
Events: Mr Neil Hillman
Treasurer: Mr John Tucker Stay in post
Website Admin: Mr John Tucker / Mr Kevin Potter – will oversee & advise
Shop Manger: Mr John Tucker Stay in post
Welfare Officer: Mr Frank Lowe Stay in post
Voting took place on four positions
Chairman, Vice Chair, Secretary & Events.
All agreed – Carried
Custodians of the Standard GB/NI: Mr Phil Robinson Mr John Tucker Mr Alan McMillan
To remain Secondary signature on accounts: Mr Dougie Durrant, Ms Trish Clegg
All nominations above were agreed and passed; new committee took up their posts.
Mr Stephen Yates reminded all attending of a previous proposition of adding 2 x dogs to our memorial stone at the NMA, the costings have increased with time to approximately £9000 each dog which would be black polished granite stone, this was discussed within the meeting with the concern of which breeds would be chosen & brought forward was the idea of how to raise funds for this projects, Stephen could organise a sponsored walk of Hadrian’s Wall, 76 miles & members could camp or hostel stay on route.
During this discussion Mr John Tucker came forward with a counter proposal of an Information/ description/ history board to be placed at our memorial stone, showing pictures of all breeds used, locations & jobs done by dogs & handlers and would not have such a large price tag.
Both ideas were welcomed & it was decided that more investigations should be gained & the committee kept updated & added to agendas for the committee zoom meetings held every month.
Mr John Tucker gave members a brief on service which will be conducted after AGM.
Members came forward to undertake the readings & lying of wreaths:
Mr Neil Hillman – Purple Poppy Mr Chris Moore – Red Poppy
Mr Steve Casey – Guardians. Mr Paul Barnes – Act of Remembrance & Kohima Epitaph
Kilkeel Parade – TBC
DAC Family Day Sunday 25th June 2022 from 09.30am until 4pm
The unofficial RAVC reunion on 4th of June, for any details speak to Kevin O’Flinn on FB
Names to Mr John Tucker for Cenotaph via Website or FB please, Mr John Tucker will be Blackthorn 2022, he was presented with his Blackthorn. Mr Alun Watkins will be Stickman 2023.
Ms Trish Clegg wanted to voice her concerns about the low number attending the reunion, the location of this year’s was voted on by members & had been talked about favourably for years as handlers wanted to come back to Melton Mowbray to where there training & journey of ADU NI started.
This was not meant as a slight against members in the room but when association member’s money is being used to fund this event every year we would expect a lot more than 23% of our membership to attend! a lot of time & effort, stress goes into to planning every year so as organisers it feels like we are doing something wrong for a large majority!
We would like members to give feedback, comments etc to the committee about this subject ASP maybe not a yearly reunion! tell us if & why you don’t attend! (we understand overseas members reasons) what you like & don’t like about the reunion etc etc
I am asking members to be pro active in spreading the word of the Association & getting more members to attend reunions & cenotaph march please.
Mr Paul Brown spoke briefly on the 1982 Droppin Well bomb Ballykelly 40th Anniversary, Paul was asked to post details on FB page for members
Cenotaph Sunday – Sunday 13th November 2022
Kilkeel parade – Sunday 4th September @ 3pm
Date & time of next AGM – Holiday Inn Conference Room on Saturday 29th April with the evening function held at Alrewas RBL & Sunday 30th April at NMA for memorial service
The Chairman thanked all for attending and closed the meeting at: 14.45pm
Chairman Elected April 2022: …………………………. Mr Andy Brown
Secretary elected April 2022: …………………………… Ms Trish Clegg
Minute Secretary for AGM: …………………………… Ms Trish Clegg
Report of the Chair: Steve Casey
Well, this last year has been a real rollercoaster for the association since the last AGM.
The last AGM was a great event, enjoyed by the members who attended, culminating with a parade at the NMA on the Sunday, honouring our fallen, and remembering members who had departed since the unit closed, with wreaths being laid at 2 memorials at the NMA, and at the Cenotaph in London.
Since the last AGM, sadly we have lost a few members who we served with, and some we were not honoured to have served with, but were members of this fantastic association, and we feel their loss.
The membership has increased, and we will hopefully move forward into another year, increasing in size, and working towards the associations tenth Anniversary AGM and parade to be held at Melton Mowbray in May next year.
With the onset of COVID, we had to adhere to strict guidelines issued by the Government, and after deliberation, it was necessary to move the AGM and parade until later this year, sadly as the guidelines changed it became apparent that sadly, any chance of the association meeting was not going to be allowed, so sadly, the committee made the decision to reluctantly cancel the event, to allow the members to cancel travel and accommodation arrangements.
I look forward to my next year in office, and will assure the members, that we will be working away behind the scenes to prepare for the next AGM, 10th Anniversary parade, facilitating shop sales, providing support to members where we can, and striving to move forward as government regulations will allow.
Regards
Steve Casey, Chair
Secretary Report May 2022
I would firstly like to thank all of you that have attended here today and hope that you have an enjoyable Reunion.
Although our Reunions are a time for us all to get together and pull up the sandbag and remember fondly the antics of our time fondly spent serving within the Unit, we spare a moment for those of us that have sadly passed since our last gathering.
The Covid pandemic has changed everyday life for us all, meaning the postponement of the previous Reunion, but as always, we adapt and overcome.
The gathering by many members in September in Burton was a great success and long over due and a few light refreshments supped.
On a personal point I would like to say a special thankyou to John Tucker, who has covered my role for the majority of the tenure, due to increased work levels among other things. He as always excels and goes the extra mile for us all, as do the other members of the committee.
On that point I would like you all to be proactive in your support for the new Chairman and committee members as this is our Association, although our numbers may be small our levels of passion will always remain second to none.
Enjoy yourselves, remember those passed with pride, and catch up with you all soon,
Mike Newton
THE ARMY DOG UNIT NORTHERN IRELAND (RAVC) ASSOCIATION
STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS
2020-2021 (Oct) 2021-2022(Apr)
ACCOUNTS:
263.03 CURRENT ACCOUNT 540.80
1434.61 TRUSTEES ACCOUNT 1620.33
1590.17 PAYPAL ACCOUNT 1334.14
153.22 PETTY CASH 145.52
ASSETS AND SHOP STOCK
4696.50 STOCK IN HAND 3864.00
5521.55 ASSETS 5449.35
10218.05 TOTAL 9513.35
LIABILITIES
197.31 – paid INSURANCE POLICY 197.31 (June)
327.54 – paid NMA MAINTENANCE / INSURANCE 327.54 (Nov), 30.85(June)
70.00 -paid LAPTOP COVER Awaiting Invoice
265.00 TOTAL LIABILITIES 555.70 (TBC)
TOTAL AVAILABLE TO SPEND
3441.03 3640.79
THE ARMY DOG UNIT NORTHERN IRELAND (RAVC) ASSOCIATION– BREAKDOWN OF SPENDITURE OF ALL ACCOUNTS – Oct 21 – Apr 22
TRUSTEES ACCOUNT PAYPAL ACCOUNT
Reunion 2022: £0 Transfers: £1500.00
Transfers out: £0 TOTAL: £0
TOTAL: £0 (minus transfers)
CURRENT ACCOUNT PETTY CASH
Microsoft: £79.99 Wreaths: £20.00
Reunion 22: £1,192.50 Postage: £7.70
Refunds: £350.00 Blackthorns: £126.00
Postage: £140.12 Buglers: £100.00
Ties (remaining balance): £201.06 TOTAL: £253.70
Wreaths: £69.50
NMA: £327.54
Gifts: £24.95
Hargreaves: £659.50
TOTAL: £3,045.16
TOTAL EXPENDITURE: (MINUS TRANSFERS): £3,298.86
20th June 2021
The meeting was opened at 20:05 hours.
The following members were present: S Casey (Chair), L Jenkins (Vice Chair), J Tucker (Treasurer/Shop Admin).
The following apologies were accepted on behalf of M Newton (Secretary), F Lowe (Welfare), A Brown (Events/General) and T Clegg (website admin).
Previous Minutes:
The previous minutes were read to all and agreed that they were a true and accurate record. There were no action points from the minutes.
Chair:
The Chair briefly spoke about the current situation in the UK. He would like to convey his best to all the members and their families at this present time. The ‘unofficial weekend’ in September is gathering pace and it is nice to see the interest from the members. As for the 2021 Cenotaph, it is hoped that this will take place, albeit, on a smaller. If any members are experiencing any mental health issues, please reach out to the membership or contact Mr Frank Lowe (Association welfare Officer). The committee will now be on their summer break until September, however, if any member wishes to contact any of the committee, then please do, however, no business will be discussed until the committee resit at the next meeting.
Vice:
The Vice will continue to carry out legacy work, his email address is now the following: larryjenkins2@icloud.com
Secretary:
Nothing to add.
Events/General:
Nothing to add.
Treasurer / Shop:
Membership is sitting at 196, although the membership number tallies 204, there are a number of ‘retired numbers’ of those members that have passed and their number will not be re-issued. Can he remind all members when paying through PayPal to tick ‘Family and Friends’ if you are able to, if not PayPal will take 3% of that payment, meaning the association will lose funds
Shop Stock:
The shop has been steady, however is running low on some of the more popular items, once the funds are in a better place, JT will source and replenish these items. Those members still looking to purchase their own leads the details are as follows: Peter Clayton: 01493 701232 / 07919 285699. JT has now received copies of the anniversary logo; this will be put on the shop page of the website. JT is planning a clothing order in July, so watch this space.
JT would like to remind all that there has been a price increase in certain items within the clothing range. These items will be costed at the time of JT being invoiced; he will give as much advance notice to the buying member. JT would like to reiterate that the purple wreaths that are ordered by members will be a standard wreath, if they wish to have extra items added i.e., Rope lead / hessian then you must state this and be prepared to pay extra if this is the case. The standard wreaths for the NMA and AAW will have rope lead and hessian on.
Association funds (as at 20/06/21) £3,683.92
JT has been informed by the Nationwide Building Society that all the Trustee Treasurer Accounts will be closing, to that end, he has been advised to open an online business account. He is looking into this, as it may present problems for those members that send cheques etc. He will explore other banks to see if there are any other options available. He will keep everyone updated. Payments are still being taken in the usual way. There are 48 members still required to renew their subscriptions, so please can those members make payment as soon as possible. If there are members that don’t wish to renew, please let the treasurer know, so he can take you off the mailing list. If any members are experiencing any financial difficulties, please contact the treasurer directly, and a plan will be put in place. As per last year’s audit, (sept), JT will again, have this year’s audit at the same time, and then it will revert to April/May for 2022.
Website:
All members will have received new login details for the new website from Kevin Potter, if members have not received one, then please contact him or JT. All submissions to the website for potential new members will now go to JT directly, and not the Association email, so he can deal with them as they come in. The website has experienced some problems, but those behind the scenes are working hard to rectify this, but this should not impact the members login and use of the site, and we urge all members to at least log on and look. If any members want any details added to photos within the gallery, then please contact Kevin and he will add them for you. It is there for you, please use it!
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. This position will be continuously advertised.
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, we do not want any information to be missed. Also, that any Association business should not be discussed outside of the Association, especially non-association social media groups. Can members please not copy and paste any shop items on non-association social media groups. The shop is for the benefit of the membership. If a non-member wishes to purchase anything from the shop, please direct them to JT in the first instance. The Chair would also like to reiterate members conduct on social media as per page 15 of the Association Constitution & Rules.
AGM & Reunion 2022:
The committee will discuss this throughout 2021, the membership will be kept informed throughout. The invites will be sent out via Facebook Events to those members that are using that platform, and emails will be sent out to those members not using social media. More details will be sent out in Jan 22. The committee have asked Hargreaves to design an Anniversary Logo, which we now have (we have two which may be slightly altered due to the current and ongoing situation), and JT is going to add this to the portfolio. This is now available – and will last 12 months. After which, the ‘Anniversary’ part of the logo will be dropped, and that logo will then join the portfolio.
The plan (to be discussed and confirmed) is to have the rescheduled Anniversary Weekend, keeping the same format at Melton Mowbray, the weekend of 30th April – 01st May 2022. The Committee will stay in post until then, and those that were agreed to carry out reunion specific tasks (blackthorn etc) will also remain as agreed.
The committee are still looking for ideas for some form of memento to commemorate the anniversary that would not break the bank. Any ideas, please forward to the committee for discussion.
Cenotaph 2021:
The RBL have been in contact and the Treasurer has submitted a bid for 40 tickets, however, we may not get this, but if you wish to attend, inform JT asap.
Unofficial Reunion/Catch-up:
The dates for the unofficial weekend will be September 4th/ 5th, it will be held at the RBL Alrewas (timings to be confirmed) with a BBQ (payable on day) and just a good old fashioned catch-up, there will be no association business conducted including shop goods, so please do not ask as sometimes the answer may offend! There will be a wreath laying at our memorial, along with the RAFP and RAVC memorials, it has also been agreed by the committee that a bugler will be in attendance for this. JT will order the wreaths. (3x red & 1x purple). For hotel details, the cheapest is the Premier Inn Burton on Trent, Central hotel, Wellington Road DE14 2WD.
Roll of Honour/Book of Remembrance:
An Association Book of Remembrance has now been purchased, it was discussed as to when it should be started from, naturally, those names on the memorial stone will be the first to be added, so, with consultation with Mr Stuart Walker, a timeline is required to be discussed. Once the timeline has been confirmed and all are content, Mr Andy Brown will collate the names and regiments (possibly year) (numbers, ranks and specific dates) will not be added as there will be scope for this information to be incorrect and will be difficult to change once entered.
Kilkeel Dedication:
There will be a dedication parade for the addition of a memorial plaque for Cpl Brian Brown QGM in Kilkeel (dates & timings tbc). If anyone is interested in parading, then could they please let either Mally or JT know.
Proposed Donation:
Mr Phil Cook proposed that a donation be made to Mr Michael McGeouch for his ongoing charity work. As there was only 3 committee members present, it could not be voted on, and will be carried out as soon as possible. The treasurer would like to reiterate that the funds are quite low, so please be mindful of any donation proposals.
Diary Dates:
Kilkeel Dedication – Dates TBC
Unofficial Weekend – 4th / 5th Sept 21
Cenotaph – 14th November 2021 -TBC
AGM & Reunion 2022 – Weekend of 30th April / 01st May 2022
With no further business, the meeting finished at 20:30 hours.
The next meeting will take place prior to the ‘unofficial reunion weekend’
25th April 2021
The meeting was opened at 19:55 hours.
The following members were present: S Casey (Chair), L Jenkins (Vice Chair), J Tucker (Treasurer/Shop Admin), T Clegg (website admin).
The following apologies were accepted on behalf of M Newton (Secretary), F Lowe (Welfare) and A Brown (Events/General).
Previous Minutes:
The previous minutes were read to all and agreed that they were a true and accurate record. There were no action points from the minutes.
Chair:
The Chair briefly spoke about the ongoing situation in the UK. He would like to convey his best to all the members and their families at this present time. The ‘unofficial weekend’ in September is gathering pace and it is nice to see the interest from the members. As for the 2021 Cenotaph, it is hoped that this will take place, albeit, on a smaller scale, we will wait and see what happens throughout the year. If any members are experiencing any mental health issues, please reach out to the membership or contact Mr Frank Lowe (Association welfare Officer).
Vice:
The Vice will continue to carry out legacy work, his email address is now the following: larryjenkins2@icloud.com
Secretary:
Nothing to add.
Events/General:
Nothing to add.
Treasurer / Shop:
Membership is sitting at 195, although the membership number tallies 203, there are a number of ‘retired numbers’ of those members that have passed and their number will not be re-issued. Can he remind all members when paying through PayPal to tick ‘Family and Friends’ if you are able to, if not PayPal will take 3% of that payment, meaning the association will lose funds
Shop Stock:
The shop has been steady, however is running low on a few of the more popular items, once the funds are in a better place, JT will source and replenish these items. Those members still looking to purchase their own leads the details are as follows: Peter Clayton: 01493 701232 / 07919 285699. JT is still awaiting word back from Hargreaves regarding the anniversary logo, this will hopefully be this week. JT is planning a clothing order in July, so watch this space.
JT would like to remind all that there has been a price increase in certain items within the clothing range. These items will be costed at the time of JT being invoiced; he will give as much advance notice to the buying member. JT would like to reiterate that the purple wreaths that are ordered by members will be a standard wreath, if they wish to have extra items added i.e., Rope lead / hessian then you must state this and be prepared to pay extra if this is the case. The standard wreaths for the NMA and AAW will have rope lead and hessian on.
Association funds (as at 25/04/21) £2,844.27
JT has been informed by the Nationwide Building Society that all the Trustee Treasurer Accounts will be closing, to that end, he has been advised to open an online business account. He is looking into this, as it may present problems for those members that send cheques etc. He will explore other banks to see if there are any other options available. He will keep everyone updated. Payments are still being taken in the usual way. This year’s subscriptions are now due however, the treasurer does not want to be chasing members at the latter stage of this year. If any members are experiencing any financial difficulties, please contact the treasurer directly, and a plan will be put in place. As per last year’s audit, (sept), JT will again, have this year’s audit at the same time, and then it will revert to April/May for 2022.
Website:
All members will have received new login details for the new website from Kevin Potter, if members have not received one, then please contact him or JT. All submissions to the website for potential new members will now go to JT directly, and not the Association email, so he can deal with them as they come in. The website has experienced some problems, but those behind the scenes are working hard to rectify this, but this should not impact the members login and use of the site, and we urge all members to at least log on and look. If any members want any details added to photos within the gallery, then please contact Kevin and he will add them for you. It is there for you, please use it!
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. This position will be continuously advertised.
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, we do not want any information to be missed. Also, that any Association business should not be discussed outside of the Association, especially non-association social media groups. Can members please not copy and paste any shop items on non-association social media groups. The shop is for the benefit of the membership. If a non-member wishes to purchase anything from the shop, please direct them to JT in the first instance. The Chair would also like to reiterate members conduct on social media as per page 15 of the Association Constitution & Rules.
AGM & Reunion 2022:
The committee will discuss this throughout 2021, the membership will be kept informed throughout. The invites will be sent out via Facebook Events to those members that are using that platform, and emails will be sent out to those members not using social media. More details will be sent out in Jan 22. The committee have asked Hargreaves to design an Anniversary Logo, which we now have (we have two which will be slightly altered due to the current and ongoing situation), and JT is awaiting to add this to the portfolio. This will be available one JT receives the logos for the portfolio – and will last 24 months. After which, the ‘Anniversary’ part of the logo will be dropped, and that logo will then join the portfolio.
The plan (to be discussed and confirmed) is to have the rescheduled Anniversary Weekend, keeping the same format at Melton Mowbray, the weekend of 30th April – 01st May 2022. The Committee will stay in post until then, and those that were agreed to carry out reunion specific tasks (blackthorn etc) will also remain as agreed.
The committee are still looking for ideas for some form of memento to commemorate the anniversary that would not break the bank. Any ideas, please forward to the committee for discussion.
Cenotaph 2021:
As per the Chairs brief, we will await any confirmation from the RBL, and the members will be informed as soon as JT receives any correspondence.
Unofficial Reunion/Catch-up:
The dates for the unofficial weekend will be September 4th/ 5th, it will be held at the RBL Alrewas (timings to be confirmed) with a BBQ (payable on day) and just a good old fashioned catch-up, there will be no association business conducted including shop goods, so please do not ask as sometimes the answer may offend! There will be a wreath laying at our memorial, along with the RAFP and RAVC memorials, it has also been agreed by the committee that a bugler will be in attendance for this. JT will order the wreaths. (3x red & 1x purple). For hotel details, the cheapest is the Premier Inn Burton on Trent, Central hotel, Wellington Road DE14 2WD.
Roll of Honour/Book of Remembrance:
An Association Book of Remembrance has now been purchased, it was discussed as to when it should be started from, naturally, those names on the memorial stone will be the first to be added, so, with consultation with Mr Stuart Walker, a timeline is required to be discussed. Once the timeline has been confirmed and all are content, Mr Andy Brown will collate the names and regiments (possibly year) (numbers, ranks and specific dates) will not be added as there will be scope for this information to be incorrect and will be difficult to change once entered.
Kilkeel Dedication:
There will be a dedication parade for the addition of a memorial plaque for Cpl Brian Brown QGM in Kilkeel in May (dates & timings tbc). If anyone is interested in parading, then could they please let either Mally or JT know.
Diary Dates:
Kilkeel Dedication – 26th May -TBC
Unofficial Weekend – 4th / 5th Sept 21
Cenotaph – 14th November 2021 -TBC
AGM & Reunion 2022 – Weekend of 30th April / 01st May 2022
With no further business, the meeting finished at 20:10 hours.
The next meeting will take place Sunday 30th May (TBC) 2021.
7th March 2021
The meeting was opened at 19:30 hours.
The following members were present: S Casey (Chair), L Jenkins (Vice Chair), J Tucker (Treasurer/Shop Admin), T Clegg (website admin) and A Brown (Events/General).
The following apologies were accepted on behalf of M Newton (Secretary), F Lowe (Welfare).
Previous Minutes:
The only outstanding action was the postponement of this year’s AGM & Reunion, Both Soldier magazine and the Legion Magazine have been informed of the changes.
Chair:
The Chair spoke about the ongoing situation in the UK. He would like to convey his best to all the members and their families at this present time. We will be keeping an eye on July, as this will be a huge month for England, to see how normality turns out. If, all is good, then the committee have discussed an option for an ‘unofficial weekend’ in September. As for the 2021 Cenotaph, it is hoped that this will take place, albeit, on a smaller scale, we will wait and see what happens throughout the year. If any members are experiencing any mental health issues, please reach out to the membership or contact Mr Frank Lowe (Association welfare Officer).
Vice:
The Vice will continue to carry out legacy work, his email address is now the following: larryjenkins2@icloud.com
Secretary:
Nothing to add.
Events/General:
Nothing to add.
Treasurer / Shop:
Membership is sitting at 194, although the membership number tallies 202, there are a number of ‘retired numbers’ of those members that have passed and their number will not be re-issued. Can he remind all members when paying through PayPal to tick ‘Family and Friends’ if you are able to, if not PayPal will take 3% of that payment, meaning the association will lose funds
Shop Stock:
The shop has been steady, however is running low on a few of the more popular items, once the funds are in a better place, JT will source and replenish these items. Those members still looking to purchase their own leads the details are as follows: Peter Clayton: 01493 701232 / 07919 285699. JT is still awaiting word back from Hargreaves regarding the anniversary logo, this will probably drag on until they reopen -TBC.
JT would like to remind all that there has been a price increase in certain items within the clothing range. These items will be costed at the time of JT being invoiced; he will give as much advance notice to the buying member. JT would like to reiterate that the purple wreaths that are ordered by members will be a standard wreath, if they wish to have extra items added i.e., Rope lead / hessian then you must state this and be prepared to pay extra if this is the case. The standard wreaths for the NMA and AAW will have rope lead and hessian on.
Association funds (as at 05/03/21) £2,820.86
JT has been informed by the Nationwide Building Society that all the Trustee Treasurer Accounts will be closing, to that end, he has been advised to open an online business account. He is looking into this, as it may present problems for those members that send cheques etc. He will explore other banks to see if there are any other options available. He will keep everyone updated. Payments are still being taken in the usual way. This year’s subscriptions are payable at any time, with no cut-off planned, as in recent years, however, the treasurer does not want to be chasing members at the latter stage of this year. If any members are experiencing any financial difficulties, please contact the treasurer directly, and a plan will be put in place. As per last year’s audit, (sept), JT will again, have this year’s audit at the same time, and then it will revert to April/May for 2022.
Website:
All members will have received new login details for the new website from Kevin Potter, if members have not received one, then please contact him or JT. All submissions to the website for potential new members will now go to JT directly, and not the Association email, so he can deal with them as they come in. The website has experienced some problems, but those behind the scenes are working hard to rectify this, but this should not impact the members login and use of the site, and we urge all members to at least log on and look. If any members want any details added to photos within the gallery, then please contact Kevin and he will add them for you. It is there for you, please use it!
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. This position will be continuously advertised.
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, we do not want any information to be missed. Also, that any Association business should not be discussed outside of the Association, especially non-association social media groups. Can members please not copy and paste any shop items on non-association social media groups. The shop is for the benefit of the membership. If a non-member wishes to purchase anything from the shop, please direct them to JT in the first instance. The Chair would also like to reiterate members conduct on social media as per page 15 of the Association Constitution & Rules.
JT raised the idea of the association having its own zoom account, this will make life easier for committee meetings and for new committee members – meaning they will not have to have their own account to join a meeting. JT will investigate pricings and get back to the committee in due course. (ongoing- March 21).
AGM & Reunion 2022:
The committee will discuss this throughout 2021, the membership will be kept informed throughout. The invites will be sent out via Facebook Events to those members that are using that platform, and emails will be sent out to those members not using social media. More details will be sent out in Jan 22. The committee have asked Hargreaves to design an Anniversary Logo, which we now have (we have two which will be slightly altered due to the current and ongoing situation), and JT is awaiting to add this to the portfolio. This will be available from January 21 – and will last 24 months. After which, the ‘Anniversary’ part of the logo will be dropped, and that logo will then join the portfolio.
The plan (to be discussed and confirmed) is to have the rescheduled Anniversary Weekend, keeping the same format at Melton Mowbray, the weekend of 30th April – 01st May 2022. The Committee will stay in post until then, and those that were agreed to carry out reunion specific tasks (blackthorn etc) will also remain as agreed.
The committee are still looking for ideas for some form of memento to commemorate the anniversary that would not break the bank. Any ideas, please forward to the committee for discussion.
Cenotaph 2021:
As per the Chairs brief, we will await any confirmation from the RBL, and the members will be informed as soon as JT receives any correspondence.
Unofficial Reunion/Catch-up:
It was suggested that due to the reunion weekend being cancelled, if things were to improve across the UK, would it be viable to hold an impromptu get together at Burton in September? As previously mentioned by the Chair, July will be watched carefully, as this is when we are supposed to be back to some sort of normality. If July goes well, and the UK does not go back into lockdown or tiers, then a weekend in September will be on the cards. No politics, just a good old-fashioned catch up with the possibility of a BBQ – we can collect money for this on the day, and a wreath laying at the memorial on the Sunday.
Roll of Honour/Book of Remembrance:
JT was asked if there was a possibility of the association procuring the above, this was initially taken on by Mr Stuart Walker a while ago. Mr Andy Brown has offered to carry out some research to procure such a book that is fitting for our fallen and passed handlers. This was agreed by the committee; however, Andy is to liaise with Stuart to fact find and source a book.
Kilkeel Dedication:
There will be a dedication parade for the addition of a memorial plaque for Cpl Brian Brown QGM in Kilkeel in May (dates & timings tbc). If anyone is interested in parading, then could they please let either Mally or JT know.
Diary Dates:
Kilkeel Dedication – 26th May -TBC
Cenotaph – 14th November 2021 -TBC
AGM & Reunion 2022 – Weekend of 30th April / 01st May 2022
With no further business, the meeting finished at 20:10 hours.
The next meeting will take place Sunday 25th April (TBC) 2021.
24th January 2021
The meeting was opened at 19:35 hours.
The following members were present: S Casey (Chair), L Jenkins (Vice Chair) and J Tucker (Treasurer/Shop Admin) and T Clegg (website admin).
The following apologies were accepted on behalf of M Newton (Secretary), F Lowe (Welfare), and A Brown (Events/General).
Previous Minutes:
The only outstanding action was the points raised by Mr Steve Yates. There had been no dialogue from members since the last minutes were posted. This was noted and this discussion will go forward to the AGM in May 2022
Chair:
The Chair spoke about the ongoing situation in the UK. He would like to convey his best to all the members and their families at this present time. The upcoming AGM & Reunion was discussed, and the committee have had no choice but to cancel this year’s Reunion Weekend. The plan (to be discussed and confirmed) is to have the rescheduled Anniversary Weekend, keeping the same format at Melton Mowbray, the weekend of 30th April – 01st May 2022. The Committee will stay in post until then, and those that were agreed to carry out reunion specific tasks (blackthorn etc) will also remain as agreed. As for the 2021 Cenotaph, it is hoped that this will take place, albeit, on a smaller scale, we will wait and see what happens throughout the year. If any members are experiencing any mental health issues, please reach out to the membership or contact Mr Frank Lowe (Association welfare Officer).
Vice:
The Vice will continue to carry out legacy work, his email address is now the following: larryjenkins2@icloud.com
Secretary:
Nothing to add.
Events/General:
Nothing to add.
Treasurer / Shop:
Membership is sitting at 194, although the membership number tallies 202, there are a number of ‘retired numbers’ of those members that have passed and their number will not be re-issued. Can he remind all members when paying through PayPal to tick ‘Family and Friends’ if you are able to, if not PayPal will take 3% of that payment, meaning the association will lose funds.
Shop Stock:
JT has taken stock of new shop items; namely key rings, they are on the website shop page and are now available to purchase. those members still looking to purchase their own leads the details are as follows: Peter Clayton: 01493 701232 / 07919 285699.
JT would like to remind all that there has been a price increase in certain items within the clothing range. These items will be costed at the time of JT being invoiced; he will give as much advance notice to the buying member. JT would like to reiterate that the purple wreaths that are ordered by members will be a standard wreath, if they wish to have extra items added i.e., Rope lead / hessian then you must state this and be prepared to pay extra if this is the case. The standard wreaths for the NMA and AAW will have rope lead and hessian on.
Association funds (as at 24/01/21) £2,667.29
JT has been informed by the Nationwide Building Society that all the Trustee Treasurer Accounts will be closing in the next 12 months, to that end, he has been advised to open an online business account. He is looking into this, as it may present problems for those members that send cheques etc. He will explore other banks to see if there are any other options available. He will keep everyone updated. Payments are still being taken in the usual way. This year’s subscriptions are payable at any time, with no cut-off planned, as in recent years, however, the treasurer does not want to be chasing members at the latter stage of this year. If any members are experiencing any financial difficulties, please contact the treasurer directly, and a plan will be put in place.
Website:
All members will have received new login details for the new website from Kevin Potter, if members have not received one, then please contact him or JT. All submissions to the website for potential new members will now go to JT directly, and not the Association email, so he can deal with them as they come in. The website has experienced some problems, but those behind the scenes are working hard to rectify this, but this should not impact the members login and use of the site, and we urge all members to at least log on and look. If any members want any details added to photos within the gallery, then please contact Kevin and he will add them for you. It is there for you, please use it!
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. This position will be continuously advertised.
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, we do not want any information to be missed. Also, that any Association business should not be discussed outside of the Association, especially non-association social media groups. Can members please not copy and paste any shop items on non-association social media groups. The shop is for the benefit of the membership. If a non-member wishes to purchase anything from the shop, please direct them to JT in the first instance. The Chair would also like to reiterate members conduct on social media as per page 15 of the Association Constitution & Rules.
JT raised the idea of the association having its own zoom account, this will make life easier for committee meetings and for new committee members – meaning they will not have to have their own account to join a meeting. JT will investigate pricings and get back to the committee in due course. (ongoing- Jan 21).
AGM & Reunion 2022:
The committee will discuss this throughout 2021, the membership will be kept informed throughout. The invites will be sent out via Facebook Events to those members that are using that platform, and emails will be sent out to those members not using social media. More details will be sent out in Jan 22. The committee have asked Hargreaves to design an Anniversary Logo, which we now have (we have two which will be slightly altered due to the current and ongoing situation), and JT is awaiting to add this to the portfolio. This will be available from January 21 – and will last 24 months. After which, the ‘Anniversary’ part of the logo will be dropped, and that logo will then join the portfolio.
The committee are still looking for ideas for some form of memento that would not break the bank, and all would be happy to receive to commemorate the occasion. Any ideas, please forward to the committee for discussion.
Cenotaph 2021:
As per the Chairs brief, we will await any confirmation from the RBL, and the members will be informed as soon as JT receives any correspondence.
Diary Dates:
Kilkeel Parade – TBC
AGM & Reunion 2022 – Weekend of 30th April / 01st May 2022
With no further business, the meeting finished at 20:00 hours.
The next meeting will take place Sunday 28th February (TBC) 2022.
26th November 2020
The meeting was opened at 19:45 hours.
The following members were present: S Casey (Chair), L Jenkins (Vice Chair) and J Tucker (Treasurer/Shop Admin)
The following apologies were accepted on behalf of M Newton (Secretary), F Lowe (Welfare), T Clegg (website admin), and A Brown (Events/General).
Previous Minutes:
The only outstanding action was the points raised by Mr Steve Yates. There had been no dialogue from members since the last minutes were posted. This was noted and this discussion will go forward to the AGM in May 2021.
Chair:
The Chair briefly spoke about the ongoing situation in the UK. He would like to convey his best to all the members and their families at this present time. He would like to welcome Mr Michael Porter and Mr Michael Dwight to the Association. There had been some discussion on social media regarding a contingency plan for the AGM. At this present moment in time, the committee are not able to make such a plan as we do not know what the position of the country will be in, come next year.
Vice:
The Vice will continue to carry out legacy work, his email address is now the following: larryjenkins2@icloud.com
Secretary:
Nothing to add.
Events/General:
Nothing to add.
Treasurer / Shop:
Membership is sitting at 194, although the membership number tallies 202, there are a number of ‘retired numbers’ of those members that have passed and their number will not be re-issued. Can he remind all members when paying through PayPal to tick ‘Family and Friends’ if you are able to, if not PayPal will take 3% of that payment, meaning the association will lose funds.
Shop Stock:
JT has taken stock of new shop items; namely key rings, they are on the website shop page and are now available to purchase. those members still looking to purchase their own leads the details are as follows: Peter Clayton: 01493 701232 / 07919 285699.
JT would like to remind all that there has been a price increase in certain items within the clothing range. These items will be costed at the time of JT being invoiced; he will give as much advance notice to the buying member. He is still awaiting the arrival of one clothing item, once arrived, will dispatch.
JT would like to reiterate that the purple wreaths that are ordered by members will be a standard wreath, if they wish to have extra items added i.e. rope lead / hessian then you must state this and be prepared to pay extra if this is the case. The standard wreaths for the NMA and AAW will have rope lead and hessian on.
Association funds (as at 26/11/20) £3014.02
JT has been informed by the Nationwide Building Society that all the Trustee Treasurer Accounts will be closing in the next 12 months, to that end, he has been advised to open an online business account. He is looking into this, as it may present problems for those members that send cheques etc. He will explore other banks to see if there are any other options available. He will keep everyone updated. Payments are still being taken in the usual way.
Website:
All members will have received new login details for the new website from Kevin Potter, if members have not received one, then please contact him or JT. All submissions to the website for potential new members will now go to JT directly, and not the Association email, so he can deal with them as they come in. The website is running smoothly, and we urge all members to at least log on and look. If any members want any details added to photos within the gallery, then please contact Kevin and he will add them for you. It is there for you, please use it!
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. This position will be continuously advertised.
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, we do not want any information to be missed. Also, that any Association business should not be discussed outside of the Association, especially non-association social media groups. Can members please not copy and paste any shop items on non-association social media groups. The shop is for the benefit of the membership. If a non-member wishes to purchase anything from the shop, please direct them to JT in the first instance. The Chair would also like to reiterate members conduct on social media as per page 15 of the Association Constitution & Rules.
JT raised the idea of the association having its own zoom account, this will make life easier for committee meetings and for new committee members – meaning they will not have to have their own account to join a meeting. JT will investigate pricings and get back to the committee in due course.
AGM & Reunion 2021:
There are no more details regarding this, the invites have been sent out via Facebook Events to those members that are using that platform, and emails have been sent out to those members not using social media. More details will be sent out in the new year. The committee have asked Hargreaves to design an Anniversary Logo, which we now have. This will be available from January and will last 12 months. After which, the ‘Anniversary’ part of the logo will be dropped, and that logo will then join the portfolio.
The committee are still looking for ideas for some form of memento that would not break the bank, and all would be happy to receive to commemorate the occasion. Any ideas, please forward to the committee for discussion.
Cenotaph 2020:
Although the parade was cancelled, the treasurer had put a video onto the association Facebook page that was taken by the AAW of Mr Duncan Macintosh laying the purple wreath and Guardians poem at the AAW Memorial.
The Committee would like to wish all the members and families a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year, and hopefully, things might be back to normal come May. The committee will now break until the end of January.
Diary Dates:
Kilkeel Parade – TBC
AGM & Reunion 2021 – Weekend of 1st / 2nd May 2021
With no further business, the meeting finished at 20:25 hours.
The next meeting will take place Sunday 31st January 2021
25th October 2020
The meeting was opened at 19:45 hours.
The following members were present: S Casey (Chair), L Jenkins (Vice Chair), J Tucker (Treasurer/Shop Admin), T Clegg (website admin), A Brown (Events/General) and S Yates (NMA Liaison)
The following apologies were accepted on behalf of M Newton (Secretary), F Lowe (Welfare)
Previous Minutes:
There were two outstanding discussions, which were the plans for the 2021 AGM & Reunion and the proposed NMA changes – Mr Steve Yates was invited to talk about the NMA proposals, everything else was passed as a true and accurate record
Guest Speaker:
Mr Steve Yates explained about his proposed plan to
a) Enhance the memorial with sculptures of two breeds of dog
b) Perpetuity Maintenance Agreement for 20yrs
The committee raised their concerns about the breeds of dog that have been proposed, however through discussion agreed that the two breeds should be the GSD and Labrador. The committee also voiced their concerns over the proposed prices, Steve explained about the costings and gave the committee ideas over raising the funds to pay for this, this will be done over time and will not be imminent. The committee also raised the idea of a Unit history plaque placed at the memorial, so that visitors would understand the history of the memorial, this was received well and will be investigated. As to the 20yr perpetuity maintenance plan, this will be investigated further down the line, as the association is slowly growing, and the funds are available for annual payments. Steve then sent the committee members a link to view the proposed sculpturers work. The proposal of the sculptures will be down to the membership at the next AGM. If members could email their responses to this, to the association email address
aduniravc@hotmail.co.uk . All information will be collated and presented at the 2021 AGM.
Chair:
The Chair briefly spoke about the ongoing situation in the UK. He would like to convey his best to all the members and their families at this present time. He would like to welcome Mr Stephen Wrigley to the Association.
Vice:
The Vice will continue to carry out legacy work, his email will be changing shortly, so therefore will not be collating any information until we have confirmation of his email change. He also added ideas to the NMA Sculpture discussion on behalf of Mr John Corbin.
Secretary:
Nothing to add.
Events/General:
Nothing to add.
Treasurer / Shop:
Membership is sitting at 193, although the membership number tallies 200, there are a number of ‘retired numbers’ of those members that have passed and their number will not be re-issued. Can he remind all members when paying through PayPal to tick ‘Family and Friends’ if you are able to, if not PayPal will take 3% of that payment, meaning the association will lose funds.
Shop Stock:
JT has taken stock of new shop items; namely key rings, they are on the website shop page and are now available to purchase. those members still looking to purchase their own leads the details are as follows: Peter Clayton: 01493 701232 / 07919 285699.
JT would like to remind all that there has been a price increase in certain items within the clothing range. These items will be costed at the time of JT being invoiced; he will give as much advance notice to the buying member.
JT has taken stock of a limited number of ‘Association style’ reusable facemasks, they will be on a ‘first come first serve’ basis and they will be priced at £10.
JT has now ordered all the wreaths for November. For those members that want to purchase a purple wreath, can they contact Mrs Iris Thompson-Burton directly. They will be responsible for paying themselves. The Association will supply the ADU NI centre piece for these wreaths.
Association funds (as at 25/10/20) £2496.85
JT has been informed by the Nationwide Building Society that all the Trustee Treasurer Accounts will be closing in the next 12 months, to that end, he has been advised to open an online business account. He is looking into this, as it may present problems for those members that send cheques etc. He will explore other banks to see if there are any other options available. He will keep everyone updated. Payments are still being taken in the usual way.
Website:
All members will have received new login details for the new website from Kevin Potter, if members have not received one, then please contact him or JT. All submissions to the website for potential new members will now go to JT directly, and not the Association email, so he can deal with them as they come in. The website is running smoothly, and we urge all members to at least log on and look. If any members want any details added to photos within the gallery, then please contact Kevin and he will add them for you. It is there for you, please use it!
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. This position will be continuously advertised.
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, we do not want any information to be missed. Also, that any Association business should not be discussed outside of the Association, especially non-association social media groups. Can members please not copy and paste any shop items on non-association social media groups. The shop is for the benefit of the membership. If a non-member wishes to purchase anything from the shop, please direct them to JT in the first instance. The Chair would also like to reiterate members conduct on social media as per page 15 of the Association Constitution & Rules.
AGM & Reunion 2021:
There are no more details regarding this, the invites have been sent out via Facebook Events to those members that are using that platform, and emails have been sent out to those members not using social media. More details will be sent out in the new year. The committee have asked Hargreaves to design an Anniversary Logo, which we now have. This will be available from January and will last 12 months. After which, the ‘Anniversary’ part of the logo will be dropped, and that logo will then join the portfolio.
The committee received an idea to boost attendance for next years reunion/AGM in the form of a commissioned 10yr malt, due to cost and the fact that every member would be entitled to receive this, we thought that this would be far too expensive, however the idea hasn’t been totally ruled out, we would welcome ideas for some form of memento that wouldn’t break the bank that all would be happy to receive to commemorate the occasion.
Cenotaph 2020:
As you will now know, the Cenotaph has been cancelled. Mr Duncan Macintosh has kindly volunteered to lay our AAW Purple Wreath and Guardians Poem at the AAW Memorial. There will be a representative at the AAW Memorial to take pictures of this, which will be great exposure for the Association.
Diary Dates:
Cenotaph Parade – Sunday 8th November 2020 (cancelled)
AGM & Reunion 2021 – Weekend of 1st / 2nd May 2021
With no further business, the meeting finished at 21:30 hours.
The next meeting will take place Sunday 29th November 2020
30th August 2020
The meeting was opened at 20:05 hours.
The following members were present: S Casey (Chair), L Jenkins (Vice Chair), J Tucker (Treasurer/Shop Admin) and T Clegg (website admin)
The following apologies were accepted on behalf of M Newton (Secretary), F Lowe (Welfare) and A Brown (Events/General)
Previous Minutes:
Nothing was required to be actioned and the minutes were passed as a true and accurate record
Chair:
The Chair briefly spoke about the ongoing situation in the UK. He would like to convey his best to all the membership and hope that all are well in this current situation. The reunion is still on track for the weekend of the 26th/27th September, with much of the planning complete. The Chair, on behalf of the Association also passed his condolences to the families of Gordon Shade, Robin Hoskins and Davie Tate who have sadly passed away recently. He would also like to welcome Barry Hudson to the Association.
Vice:
The Vice passed details on regarding 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 despite the debate that was held on a non-association social media page. His email is as follows: larryjrosyth@aol.com . This will be discussed again at the AGM.
Secretary:
Nothing to add.
Events/General:
There might be a possibility that Andy may not be able to attend this year’s Cenotaph, if this is the case, the leads will be passed to another member prior to this.
Treasurer / Shop:
Membership is sitting at 191, although the membership number tallies 199, there are a number of ‘retired numbers’ of those members that have passed and their number will not be re-issued. Can he remind all members when paying through PayPal to tick ‘Family and Friends’ if you are able to, if not PayPal will take 3% of that payment, meaning the association will lose funds. Can those members that are still required to pay their subs please do so before the summer break. If there are any members struggling because of the current situation, please speak to JT direct. Those members that have not paid for their reunion tickets will be asked to do so at the reunion prior to the AGM. (JT has a list)
Shop Stock:
JT has taken stock of new shop items; they are on the website shop page and are now available to purchase. The Guardian Plaques are now available again now that the supplier has reopened. There are also two new logos, that have been added to the association Portfolio, these logos will also be available in Car Window sticker form. For those members still looking to purchase their own leads the details are as follows: Peter Clayton: 01493 701232 / 07919 285699.
JT would like to remind all that there has been a slight price increase in two items within the clothing range, the Cool Plus polo shirts will now be £22, and the Cotton equivalent will be £17. Hargreaves are now operating again, so JT is now taking clothing orders, please use the information on the website shop page and contact JT with your order. JT will talk in detail about changes that will be coming at the AGM.
JT has now more mugs in stock. ‘Snapper’ style and a limited number of Brigade Wagtail and Groundhog designs, (5 of each totalling 30), the designs have been taken from the association portfolio. He also has 30 Thermal mugs – 15 Silver and 15 white which are available for purchase via the website. JT has now taken stock of 50 ‘Association style’ reusable facemasks, they will be on a ‘first come first serve’ basis at the reunion, they will be priced at £10, Priority will be for those at the reunion, any left over will then go out for general sale to the rest of the membership.
JT is awaiting the RBL warehouse reopening, so that he can purchase wreaths for November. For those members that want to purchase a purple wreath, can they contact Mrs Iris Thompson-Burton directly. They will be responsible for paying themselves. The Association will supply the ADU NI centre piece for these wreaths.
Association funds (as at 30/08/20) £3,274.61
JT has been informed by the Nationwide Building Society that all the Trustee Treasurer Accounts will be closing in the next 12 months, to that end, he has been advised to open an online business account. He is looking into this, as it may present problems for those members that send cheques etc. He will explore other banks to see if there are any other options available. He will keep everyone updated. Payments are still being taken in the usual way.
Website:
All members will have received new login details for the new website from Kevin Potter, if members have not received one, then please contact him or JT. All submissions to the website for potential new members will now go to JT directly, and not the Association email, so he can deal with them as they come in. The website is running smoothly, and we urge all members to at least log on and look. If any members want any details added to photos within the gallery, then please contact Kevin and he will add them for you. It is there for you, please use it!
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. This position will be spoken about in detail at the AGM.
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, we do not want any information to be missed. Also, that any Association business should not be discussed outside of the Association, especially non-association social media groups. Can members please not copy and paste any shop items on non-association social media groups. The shop is for the benefit of the membership. If a non-member wishes to purchase anything from the shop, please direct them to JT in the first instance. The Chair would also like to reiterate members conduct on social media as per page 15 of the Association Constitution & Rules.
AGM & Reunion 2020:
Invitations have been sent out to all via Facebook Events. for those not on Facebook, those members will be emailed accordingly. The AGM will be Saturday 26th September and will be held at 3.30pm in the RBL. The reasoning for the change is that the conference room is now being used for storage, we have been offered the breakfast area, but feel it is not appropriate to discuss association business in front of other hotel guests. Breakfast at the hotel is in the form of a grab bag, however, the Toby down the road does a breakfast service as does MacDonald’s if members want to use that instead, also the RBL will do breakfast also, it just needs prior notice. The Memorial Service will be Sunday 27th September (timings to be confirmed) at the NMA. JT has spoken to Alrewas RBL and they are happy to accommodate us, as they have measures in place. All planning is complete, we still require a small number of auction items. The agendas will be sent to all within the guidelines of the Constitution and Rules. Once this is done, any queries that members want to put forward to the committee, can then be done. On a final note, AGM etiquette will be implemented this year, all will be explained at the beginning of the AGM, so there is no free for all, and a measure of discipline is upheld. The stick this year will be Mr John Hilson, who has kindly volunteered to take the parade, due to the original recipient not being able to participate due to the ongoing situation.
JT has been in contact in August/Sept with the Manageress of Alrewas RBL to finalise details for the reunion, as the committee are now better placed to make decisions. All is finalised, numbers are complete. The catering will be in the form of a BBQ, as social distancing will be easier, although, as the alcohol increases, I am sure the distances will become decrease, we are all adults and will deal with it.
The NMA has strict protocols and guidelines for parades/events. You would have seen (those on fb) the criteria they have posed. It has made life difficult, but not impossible, so if JT asks for extra details, please bear with him, as the planning must be meticulous. JT will brief all members at the AGM and distribute car passes for all vehicles.
AGM & Reunion 2021:
Planning for the 2021 AGM & Reunion at Melton Mowbray has also taken place, this venue has been chosen as it will be the reformed Associations 10th Anniversary. The dates are Saturday 1st May-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. Trish has now received details and will brief all members at the AGM.
The committee received an idea to boost attendance for next years reunion/AGM in the form of a commissioned 10yr malt, due to cost and the fact that every member would be entitled to receive this, we thought that this would be far too expensive, however the idea hasn’t been totally ruled out, we would welcome ideas for some form of memento that wouldn’t break the bank that all would be happy to receive to commemorate the occasion.
Cenotaph 2020:
JT is still awaiting confirmation of the parade. The association is registered. We can expect a very downscaled attendance this year, so it is a wait out now. Mr Duncan Macintosh has kindly volunteered to lead our contingent as the original recipient is unable to attend. Hopefully, things will be back to normal for next year. JT will also email the Animals at War (AAW) organiser and send them a copy of the Guardians as this is being incorporated within this years’ service. A copy of the Guardians will also be present and read and left with our wreath as we do at our Annual Memorial Service.
Diary Dates:
AGM & Reunion – Weekend of 26th / 27th September 2020 TBC
Cenotaph Parade – Sunday 8th November 2020
With no further business, the meeting finished at 21:30 hours.
The next meeting will take place at the AGM 26th September 2020
The meeting was opened at 18:35 hours.
The following members were present: S Casey (Chair), L Jenkins (Vice Chair), J Tucker (Treasurer/Shop Admin) and A Brown (Events/General)
The following apologies were accepted on behalf of M Newton (Secretary), T Clegg (website admin) and F Lowe (Welfare).
Previous Minutes:
Nothing was required to be actioned and the minutes were passed as a true and accurate record
Chair:
The Chair briefly spoke about the current situation in the UK. He would like to convey his best to all the membership and hope that all are well in this current situation. The reunion is still on track for the weekend of the 26th/27th September; however, the committee will keep an eye on the advice which is now changing daily from the government. It is an individual decision for each member to decide if they still want to attend the reunion (those that are down to attend). The Chair would like to thank Mr Stephen Yates for his continued liaison work with the NMA. He would also like to welcome Glen McCartney to the Association.
Vice:
The Vice passed details on regarding 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 despite the debate that was held on a non-association social media page. His email is as follows: larryjrosyth@aol.com . This will be discussed again at the AGM.
Secretary:
Nothing to add.
Events/General:
If the reunion goes ahead in September, Andy will be able to attend, so there will be no problem with the leads, if there is a problem then he will put a shout out for assistance. There might be a possibility that Andy may not be able to attend the Cenotaph, if this is the case, the leads will be passed to another member prior to this.
Treasurer / Shop:
Membership is sitting at 190, although the membership number tallies 197, there are a number of ‘retired numbers’ of those members that have passed and their number will not be re-issued. Can he remind all members when paying through PayPal to tick ‘Family and Friends’ if you are able to, if not PayPal will take 3% of that payment, meaning the association will lose funds. Can those members that are still required to pay their subs please do so before the summer break. If there are any members struggling because of the current situation, please speak to JT direct. There is no requirement as this stage to pay for any reunion tickets.
Shop Stock:
JT has taken stock of some new shop items; they are on the website shop page and are now available to purchase. The Guardian Plaques are now available again now that the supplier has reopened. There are also two new logos, that have been added to the association Portfolio, these logos will also be available in Car Window sticker form. For those members still looking to purchase their own leads the details are as follows: Peter Clayton: 01493 701232 / 07919 285699.
JT would like to remind all that there has been a slight price increase in two items within the clothing range, the Cool Plus polo shirts will now be £22, and the Cotton equivalent will be £17. Hargreaves are now operating again, so JT is now taking clothing orders, please use the information on the website shop page and contact JT with your order.
JT spoke about purchasing more mugs, he is awaiting another 10 of the ‘Snapper’ style and a limited number of Brigade Wagtail and Groundhog designs, ( 5 of each totalling 30), the designs will be taken from the association portfolio. There will also be 30 Thermal mugs – 15 Silver and 15 white available shortly.
JT is awaiting the RBL warehouse reopening, so that he can purchase wreaths for November. For those members that want to purchase a purple wreath, can they contact Mrs Iris Thompson-Burton directly. They will be responsible for paying themselves. The Association will supply the ADU NI centre piece for these wreaths.
Association funds (as at 28/06/20) £3,236.56.
JT has been informed by the Nationwide Building Society that all the Trustee Treasurer Accounts will be closing in the next 12 months, to that end, he has been advised to open an online business account. He is looking into this, as it may present problems for those members that send cheques etc. He will explore other banks to see if there are any other options available. He will keep everyone updated. Payments are still being taken in the usual way.
Website:
All members will have received new login details for the new website from Kevin Potter, if members have not received one, then please contact him or JT. All submissions to the website for potential new members will now go to JT directly, and not the Association email, so he can deal with them as they come in. The website is running smoothly, and we urge all members to at least log on and look. If any members want any details added to photos within the gallery, then please contact Kevin and he will add them for you. It is there for you, please use it!
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.
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, we do not want any information to be missed. Also, that any Association business should not be discussed outside of the Association, especially non-association social media groups. Can members please not copy and paste any shop items on non-association social media groups. The shop is for the benefit of the membership. If a non-member wishes to purchase anything from the shop, please direct them to JT in the first instance. The Chair would also like to reiterate members conduct on social media as per page 15 of the Association Constitution & Rules.
AGM & Reunion 2020:
Invitations have been sent out to all via Facebook Events. for those not on Facebook, those members will be emailed accordingly. The AGM will be Saturday 26th September 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 27th September starting at 11am at the NMA. JT has spoken to Alrewas RBL and they are hoping that they will be open to accommodate us, however we will continue to monitor government guidelines as opposed to social gatherings. All planning is complete, we still require a small number of auction items. The agendas will be sent to all within the guidelines of the Constitution and Rules. Once this is done, any queries that members want to put forward to the committee, can then be done. On a final note, AGM etiquette will be implemented this year, all will be explained at the beginning of the AGM, so there is no free for all, and a measure of discipline is upheld.
Hopefully, all members that had booked accommodation for the reunion have now rescheduled or cancelled with the minimum of fuss, although we know some members had difficulties with getting through, price changes etc. This should all now be sorted. JT has rebooked the RBL, NMA and buglers and the conference room. Everything is in place; it is just a waiting game now. There is no requirement for any members to pay for tickets at this stage. JT will give members a reminder, if the reunion is to go ahead, if not, then those that have paid can be either reimbursed or their payments carry over to 2021. This will be the same for any members that have already paid their ticket monies and cannot attend in September. If the reunion is unable to go ahead in September, then it will be cancelled.
The committee briefly discussed the option in the event of the hotel being open in September, and the RBL being closed, the AGM can still be held in the confines of the hotel, and there is bar facilities, a bit more expensive, but at least the association can meet and get the politics out of the way. We are hoping all will be open for business, but we will continue to monitor the guidelines.
JT will be in contact in August with the Manageress of Alrewas RBL to finalise details for the reunion, as the committee will be better placed to make decisions. There will be a push for numbers from the start of August.
AGM & Reunion 2021:
Planning for the 2021 AGM & Reunion at Melton Mowbray has also taken place, this venue has been chosen as it will be the reformed Associations 10th Anniversary. The dates are Saturday 1st May-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. This has been put on hold due to the RBL being closed.
Cenotaph 2020:
JT has received notification from the RBL that they are still planning to hold the Cenotaph parade in November subject to government guidelines of course. He has registered the association and applied for 40 tickets, so he will be now taking names. If this still goes ahead and the Reunion does not, then the Stick (Yvonne H) will be loaned one for the parade and will be presented hers at the next AGM. JT will also email the Animals at War (AAW) organiser and send them a copy of the Guardians as this is being incorporated within this years’ service. A copy of the Guardians will also be present and read and left with our wreath as we do at our Annual Memorial Service.
Diary Dates:
AGM & Reunion – Weekend of 26th / 27th September 2020 TBC
Kilkeel Parade – (3pm at Fire Station) TBC – Awaiting new dates
Cenotaph Parade – Sunday 8th November 2020
With no further business, the meeting finished at 19:20 hours.
The next meeting will take place Sunday 30th August 2020
The meeting was opened at 20:05 hours.
The following members were present: S Casey (Chair), J Tucker (Treasurer/Shop Admin), and A Brown (Events/General)
The following apologies were accepted on behalf of L Jenkins (Vice Chair), M Newton (Secretary), T Clegg (website admin) and F Lowe (Welfare).
Nothing was required to be actioned and the minutes were passed as a true and accurate record
The Chair briefly spoke about the current situation in the UK. He would like to convey his best to all the membership and hope that all are well in this current situation. The reunion is still on track for the weekend of the 26th/27th September; however, the committee will keep an eye on the advice which is now changing daily from the government. It is an individual decision for each member to decide if they still want to attend the reunion (those that are down to attend). He would also like to pass his condolences on behalf of the Association to Gordon Shade on the passing of his wife Pat. On a final note, he would like to welcome 17 new members to the Association.
The Vice passed details on regarding 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 despite the debate that was held on a non-association social media page. His email is as follows: larryjrosyth@aol.com
Nothing to add.
If the reunion goes ahead in September, Andy will be able to attend, so there will be no problem with the leads, if there is a problem then he will put a shout out for assistance.
Membership is sitting at 189, although the membership number tallies 196, there are a number of ‘retired numbers’ of those members that have passed and their number will not be re-issued. Can he remind all members when paying through PayPal to tick ‘Family and Friends’ if you are able to, if not PayPal will take 3% of that payment, meaning the association will lose funds. Can those members that are still required to pay their subs please do so before the summer break. There is still 30+ members left to pay their subs, if there are any members struggling because of the current situation, please speak to JT direct. There is no requirement as this stage to pay for any reunion tickets.
JT has taken stock of some new shop items; they are on the website shop page but will not become available yet. He also has proofs for some potential new items, again, these can be viewed on the shop page. For those members still looking to purchase their own leads the details are as follows: Peter Clayton: 01493 701232 / 07919 285699.
JT asked the committee to consider a slight price increase in two items within the clothing range, the Cool Plus polo shirts will now be £22, and the Cotton equivalent will be £17. He has been in contact with Hargreaves and they are operating with skeleton staff, but not producing anything, but they are still taking orders for when they do reopen fully. There might have to be a price increase within the whole clothing range depending on Hargreaves raising their prices once we return to normality but will keep the members informed on his findings. JT is awaiting the final confirmation on the proofs of the two new logos, once he receives them, they will be added to the portfolio on the website and the members will be shown. He will also contact Atlantic Coast to have Car Stickers made in both logos, adding to our range. JT is hoping to have a shop order in before the end of June, again, awaiting confirmation from Hargreaves.
JT spoke about purchasing more mugs, he is looking another 10 of the ‘Snapper’ style and a limited number of Brigade Wagtail and Groundhog designs, these will be taken from the association portfolio. If anyone wants to see any different designs, please contact him.
JT is awaiting the RBL warehouse reopening, so that he can purchase wreaths for November. For those members that want to purchase a purple wreath, can they contact Mrs Iris Thompson-Burton directly. They will be responsible for paying themselves. The Association will supply the ADU NI centre piece for these wreaths.
Association funds (as at 31/05/20) £3,916.45.
JT has been informed by the Nationwide Building Society that all the Trustee Treasurer Accounts will be closing in the next 12 months, to that end, he has been advised to open an online business account. He is looking into this, as it may present problems for those members that send cheques etc. He will explore other banks to see if there are any other options available. He will keep everyone updated. Payments are still being taken in the usual way.
The Association liability insurance is due (£197.31) as is the web admin laptop (£70). This will be paid once invoices come in.
All members will have received new login details for the new website from Kevin Potter, if members have not received one, then please contact him or JT. All submissions to the website for potential new members will now go to JT directly, and not the Association email, so he can deal with them as they come in. The website is running smoothly, and we urge all members to at least log on and look. If any members want any details added to photos within the gallery, then please contact Kevin and he will add them for you. It is there for you, please use it!
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.
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, we do not want any information to be missed. Also, that any Association business should not be discussed outside of the Association, especially non-association social media groups. Can members please not copy and paste any shop items on non-association social media groups. The shop is for the benefit of the membership. If a non-member wishes to purchase anything from the shop, please direct them to JT in the first instance. The Chair would also like to reiterate members conduct on social media as per page 15 of the Association Constitution & Rules.
Invitations have been sent out to all via Facebook Events. for those not on Facebook, those members will be emailed accordingly. The AGM will be Saturday 26th September 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 27th September starting at 11am at the NMA. JT has spoken to Alrewas RBL and they are hoping that they will be open to accommodate us, however we will continue to monitor government guidelines as opposed to social gatherings. All planning is complete, we still require a small number of auction items. The agendas will be sent to all within the guidelines of the Constitution and Rules. Once this is done, any queries that members want to put forward to the committee, can then be done. On a final note, AGM etiquette will be implemented this year, all will be explained at the beginning of the AGM, so there is no free for all, and a measure of discipline is upheld. Hopefully, all members that had booked accommodation for the reunion have now rescheduled or cancelled with the minimum of fuss, although we know some members had difficulties with getting through, price changes etc. This should all now be sorted. JT has rebooked the RBL, NMA and buglers and the conference room. Everything is in place; it is just a waiting game now. There is no requirement for any members to pay for tickets at this stage. JT will give members a reminder, if the reunion is to go ahead, if not, then those that have paid can be either reimbursed or their payments carry over to 2021. This will be the same for any members that have already paid their ticket monies and cannot attend in September. If the reunion is unable to go ahead in September, then it will be cancelled.
The committee briefly discussed the option in the event of the hotel being open in September, and the RBL being closed, the AGM can still be held in the confines of the hotel, and there is bar facilities, a bit more expensive, but at least the association can meet and get the politics out of the way. We are hoping all will be open for business, but we will continue to monitor the guidelines.
AGM & Reunion 2021:
Planning for the 2021 AGM & Reunion at Melton Mowbray has also taken place, this venue has been chosen as it will be the reformed Associations 10th Anniversary. The dates are Saturday 1st May-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. This has been put on hold due to the current situation.
JT has received notification from the RBL that they are still planning to hold the Cenotaph parade in November subject to government guidelines of course. He has registered the association and applied for 40 tickets, so he will be now taking names. If this still goes ahead and the Reunion does not, then the Stick (Yvonne H) will be loaned one for the parade and will be presented hers at the next AGM. JT will also email the Animals at War (AAW) organiser and send them a copy of the Guardians as this is being incorporated within this years’ service. A copy of the Guardians will also be present and read and left with our wreath as we do at our Annual Memorial Service
AGM & Reunion – Weekend of 26th / 27th September 2020 TBC
Kilkeel Parade – TBC – Awaiting new dates
Cenotaph Parade – Sunday 8th November 2020
With no further business, the meeting finished at 20:45 hours.
The next meeting will take place Sunday 28th June 2020
15th March 2020
Nothing was required to be actioned and the minutes were passed as a true and accurate record
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.
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