THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION SUFFOLK COUNTY NEWSLETTER

Transcription

1 FROM YOUR CHAIRMAN: THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION SUFFOLK COUNTY NEWSLETTER September 2011 POPPY APPEAL AS AT 20 SEPT 2011 Suffolk 638,000 which is 4% up on the same time last year Well done!! COUNTY NOTICES & EVENTS Every year, RBL counties are invited to submit applications for funding of their respective county membership administration costs. The funding is generated from the Central General Fund, which is primed from the membership fee (formerly the affiliation fee) which we all pay annually. Bids for funding exclude all property costs and the cost of any staff employed for membership matters at the County Offices. A proportionment is made at HQ for these costs. To preamble, twelve months ago the Board of Trustees was seeking a substantial increase in the membership fee, however delegates at the 2011 National Conference only agreed a 1 increase each year for the next six years. Unfortunately, this minimal increase does not resolve the short term problem. To quote from the letter we received when we were notified of our grant was: The Budget Committee has had to make some difficult decisions due to financial constraints of the General Fund after a minimal Affiliation Fee increase and appreciated that not all Counties will be satisfied with final allocation that have been made. For general administration we asked for 9,000 and received 5,345. Your County Committee may therefore have to consider ways of reducing expenditure and/or fundraising for the County s General Fund. What we cannot do, as it would be irresponsible, is to overspend. Some of the savings we may have to consider maybe unpalatable but we have no alternative but to manage within our means. As some of you are already aware we are already seeing the cost of membership stationery being curtailed and I am confident we will experience cutbacks effecting membership in other areas. We are obviously already entered a period of austerity and if income to the Central General Fund is not increased, this period is probably going to last for many years. September 2011 Colin Hawkins Suffolk County Chairman

2 COUNTY NOTICES & EVENTS - CONTINUED SUFFOLK COUNTY CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2011/ September 24 Saturday Standard Bearers Competition Needham Market 25 Sunday Junior Cavalry event Wickham Market October 01 Saturday County committee County Office 01 Saturday Lavenham football match 02 Sunday Chairman s seminar Stowmarket RBL Club 06 Thursday I group AGM - Felixstowe 8/9 Sat/Sun Suffolk Showground- membership and welfare stand at Game Fair 09 Sunday Youth Standard Bearers competition 27 Thursday County Poppy Launch Wattisham Flying Station 29 Saturday Ipswich Poppy Launch 29 Saturday Felixstowe Poppy Launch 30 Sunday Great Poppy Run - Rendlesham November 05 Saturday Woodbridge Poppy Parade 09 Wednesday Leiston Festival of Remembrance 11 Friday Eve C Group Festival of Remembrance The Apex Bury St Edmunds 11 Friday Witnesham Branch social evening St Clements Hall Ipswich December 3 Saturday Visitors Course County Office 2012 April 29 Sunday ANZAC day commemorative service. St Edmunds Church Southwold June 3 or 4 Sunday/ Monday Queen s Jubilee Bank holidays possible integration of County Rally within Ipswich Civic Celebrations and beacon lighting ceremony. Further details to be issued later 7/8 Thursday / Friday Suffolk Show please note change of days due to extended Bank Holidays August 26 Sunday Woodbridge Branch 90 th birthday Elmhurst Park Woodbridge Please share information about events you know of with the County by informing the office and keep this document updated. WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED WANTED County Fundraiser - sadly Doreen Bartrum has decided to hang up her boots in this role County Recruiting Officers we are getting more and more requests for the Information Stand at events across the County and unfortunately Brian Bartrum cannot be in all places all of the time. It would be great if we had a set of trained members from all parts of the county who we could call on for events in their locale training is provided. CPAC County Poppy Appeal Co-ordinator link between County and the Community Fundraisers

3 LAKENHEATH S FIFTH ART SHOW AND SALE SATURDAY OCTOBER 22 nd 10am 3pm On Thursday 28 July 2011 an Agreement to form an Affiliation between 10 Flight Army Air Corps, Army Cadet Detachment based at Wattisham Flying station and Needham Market Branch of the Royal British Legion, which was enacted at the Cadet Detachment on Wattisham base by Sergeant Paul Mildren ACF and Peter Down, Chairman of NM Branch, RBL. The "Old and Bold" Members of the Branch greatly enjoyed the opportunity meet the "Young and Up and Coming" Cadets. Members of both groups learned a great deal from socialising with the other. We now have to produce a forward plan of activities by which the Affiliation may come alive. This may well include cadets supporting RBL activities such as the Poppy Appeal and Remembrance Sunday, particularly if the Cadets' standard could be paraded alongside that of the Legion. Next summer we could look forward to their assistance with Armed Forces Day and the Annual RBL Garden Party. Additionally other events may arise from time to time such as the Spitfire Memorial on 2 September this year. Legion members were impressed to learn that 14 cadets will be participating in the 10-day Annual Camp in September. We will be interested to explore if we may be able to provide some material assistance with this, and other training activities, perhaps by subsidising transport or equipment. The photograph shows Sgt Paul Mildren and Chairman Peter Down (Royal Navy) signing the Agreement of Affiliation supported by cadets of 10 Flight AAC, ACF and Legion members, Frank Barker (Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders WW II), Jim Darrah, (Royal Army Physical Training Corps) Ted Barker (Royal Horse Artillery) and Paul Todd (Military Provost Service). We also hope that we may have other opportunities for socialising, both to learn of the cadets' adventures on their exercises and perhaps for Legion ROYAL BRITISH LEGION HALL HIGH STREET, LAKENHEATH OVER 30 ARTISTS FROM LAKENHEATH AND SURROUNDING VILLAGES WITH A WIDE VARIETY OF SUBJECTS AND MEDIA ENTRANCE FREE (DONATION TO POPPY APPEAL APPRECIATED IN ITS 90 TH ANNIVERSARY) REFRESHMENTS, CAKES, RAFFLE SALE OF DONATED ART MATERIALS AND BOOKS ALL PROCEEDS TO THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION POPPY APPEAL EVERYONE WELCOME, RELAX AND ENJOY A PLEASANT VISIT! YOU WILL BE SURPRISED AT THE TALENT ON DISPLAY! members to recount their tales of daring do during their services with the colours. Who knows, subject to appropriate conditions, we may be able to call on some of our specialist skills for training as standard bearers, kayaking, first aid or drill? Peter Down JP FBCS Chairman, Royal British Legion, Needham Market Branch

4 COUNTY NOTICES - from The Secretary ACTION FOR CHAIRMEN ACCOUNTS Please check with your Treasurers if they need any help completing the relevant accounts forms. David Land and myself are happy to hold sessions here in the office or out in the field for groups of branches if you need help. It would be great if we could endeavour to have them all correct first time round this year. Please use Royal British Legion Independent Examiners to audit your accounts (they need the practice) you only pay for their mileage if they visit your branch (cup of tea may well be appreciated!!!) or you get your books to them. Our qualified examiners currently are: Barney Adlington barney@thetford.flyer.com David Kemp david@kemp1895.fsnet.co.uk David Land dland@talktalk.net Jim Reid jamiewee@aol.com We may well have another one after a course in September Jim Reid is more than happy to help branches put their accounts together but you would then need to have another IE. Also, if you do have an accountant do your books because you have loads of money or property, then you would still have to have another audit of them. Please do your own in the first place. Non-members can become Independent Examiners but they need to do the RBL Branch Treasurers Course and the Independent Examiners Course so that they can understand TRBL rules, regs and procedures. Please speak with Peter Gipson if you have any members or non-members who would like to do these courses. Please remember this year that you only need to get ONE copy to me and if you wish to be able to vote at County Conference or go to Annual Conference, this MUST be by 31 st December 2011 (best to get Certificate of Posting if you are near to deadline so date is verifiable if post gets delayed over Christmas). I will endeavour to chase missing Branches prior to Christmas leave but I will be knee deep in Conference stuff. Don t forget your MS1 as well!! In the Branch Membership Guide there was no mention of bulk payment of membership affiliation fees via BFI. Branches who would like to pay from their BFI account need to register with Tom Cantwell, Branch and Trust Accountant at HQ (if they have not already done so). If they have previously registered, their details are kept on file and a transfer payment will automatically be made this year. Branches can or write to Tom directly to register. There is no special form to fill out. PLEASE BE ADVISED THAT IF I RECEIVE INCORRECT ACCOUNTS OR THEY ARRIVE WITHOUT STATEMENTS, I AM OBLIGED TO SEND THEM BACK AND THEY WILL NOT COUNT AS HAVING ARRIVED UNTIL FULLY COMPLETE

5 90 th ANNIVERSARY GOLF DAY BURY ST EDMUNDS 16 TH SEPTEMBER golfers, a great mix of Legion and Non-Legion members, serving officers and ex service, took to the glorious, (donated) Bury St Edmunds Golf Club course, in aid of The Royal British Legion. Competitions included Longest Drive, Nearest the Pin, Charity Green and a Poppy Ball Round. They were then treated to a wonderful Trick Shot Show donated by Kevin Carpenter who managed to incorporate poppies into the show for us. The day raised FROM THE COUNTY VICE PRESIDENT- MICHAEL BURTON In response to our decline in membership, may I repeat what I stated in a previous issue many years ago; there are 4 main factors for many branches to consider in order to be of service to our great organisation: 1 Membership. Everybody must try and get new Members. Make them welcome and if they are suitable offer them a job, get them onto the committee or encourage them to take an officer s role 2 Presentation. Branch Meetings must be interesting with guest speakers and further events during the year 3 Communication. Keeping in touch with members is vital via letters to them regarding branch activities and also getting reports into local Newspapers and parish magazines 4 Sponsorship. To help with branch running costs such as postage paid for the member s letters There are many other ways to consider and due to my wealth of experience and posts I have held over the years, I am happy to help and advise any branches that may need it. Michael Burton WELFARE NEWS Training The Legion is joining with other service charities and beginning to use a new Case Management System (CMS). Hopefully by the time you read this all our caseworkers will have been invited to attend a training session to enable them to use this system. It is a huge change in the way we process our welfare work in the organisation. All training will be held in the County Office because of the equipment and connections required and expenses met by the Central Benevolent Fund. BRANCH FUNDS INITIATIVE 3.05% Has your Branch signed up? There is still misconception that this money goes to HQ not the case! It is still yours but kept in a high interest bank account and as Trustees you are responsible for ensuring best use of Legion money in this instance ensuring the best interest rate

6 GOOD NEWS Is that our Benefits and Money Adviser, Sue Robertson has achieved the best figures in terms of how many clients she has worked with and the money she has saved them. This includes the way that the Welfare officers and caseworkers have helped get information and pay debts to assist beneficiaries too. Mark Whitbread, the Poppy Calls fitter has similarly had very good feedback from beneficiaries to the extent that his boss thought he was paying them to say nice things about him! PARADE OF STANDARDS NEWMARKET RACE DAY The Royal British Legion Suffolk has been selected as part of a pilot programme to give volunteers the opportunity to gain a qualification in volunteering. A small contribution towards the expense will be made to the County General Fund and I will become an assessor as volunteers compile a portfolio. We hope to start this process in January 2012 Inspection Of standards at Newmarket by National Chairman, John Farmer NOT SO GOOD NEWS BRANCHES Chantry Branch has now officially closed down and will be followed shortly by Euston Estate and Trimley with possibility of others in the pipeline. CATHEDRAL CONCERT Unfortunately, this had to be cancelled due to lack of support. PEOPLE Tony Maidment, the newer Welfare Officer has decided not to seek renewal of his contract and will leave TRBL on 11/11.

7 SELLING TICKETS AT NEWMARKET COUNTY DRAW NOTICE COUNTY DRAW RESULTS from Doreen Bartrum I would like to thank all Branch Secretaries and members for selling and purchasing the 2011 County Draw tickets which will benefit the Poppy Appeal. Unfortunately 27 branches did not return their tickets, either sold or unsold, which is contrary to Charity Law. I would also like, on behalf of myself and Mrs Ida Jackson, to thank all the kind people who helped to sell the tickets at the Suffolk Show and Newmarket Race Day LIST OF PRIZE WINNERS 1 ST 150 Mr R J Hearn 2 nd Center Parcs Pamper Day Kesgrave RBL 3 rd Brudenell Hotel stay Mark Tustain 4 th ITFC tickets Mrs D Bartrum, Santon 5 th 50 voucher Leger Holidays Leon Loveday 6 th HMS Belfast tickets David Morley 10 th 10 Voucher QD stores Mr Jewitt 7 th Duxford tickets Jack Sands 8 th Colchester Zoo tickets Mrs Millar 9 th 20 voucher Mulleys Coaches Robert Crozier SMALL LOTTERIES LICENCE message from County Secretary If any branches are using the County Small Lotteries Licence for their draw (selling tickets in advance or wishing to give money as a prize), you need to notify me that you wish to use the Licence and also of how much you raise within 3 months of the event as I have to make a return to St Edmundsbury Council. You do not need a licence if you are only selling tickets on the day of the draw and are not giving money as a prize. Please also make sure that for any draw you hold, each tickets price is exactly the same i.e. you cannot sell tickets individually and then offer a discount for buying a strip. There are very strict rules governing all draws. Please refer to Gambling Act 2005 Small Society Lottery Registrations. I have a copy of this that can be ed. COUNTY STANDARDS If you wish any County Officers and consequently County Standards at any local event, please contact the Officers directly so that they can give you a direct answer. It may be though, that due to the County s finances, we ask you to pay for the Standard Bearer s travelling expenses. This, as with other travelling expenses, can be claimed up to 0.45p per mile STANDARD BEARERS COMPETITION 2011 This took place on September 24 th at Needham Market Community Centre alongside the Women s Section competition. The places were First - John Levy Wenhaston Second Steve Lockwood, Woodbridge Third Gordon Palastanga Ixworth Fourth Mick Norman, Stowmarket Fifth Peter Mayhew, Bramford Very well done to all who took part

8 OTHER NOTICES RAFA Beccles Battle of Britain Parade on Sunday, 11th September On behalf of the Branch, I would wish to extend our thanks to all Standard Bearers who took part in our "Battle of Britain" Service and Parade on Sunday, 11th Sept. Brian Vousden Chairman BRITAIN AUSTRALIA SOCIETY SUFFOLK BRANCH. ANZAC DAY COMMEMORATIVE SERVICE. ST EDMUNDS CHURCH SOUTHWOLD. SUNDAY APRIL 29 TH 3.00PM. Please make a note of this important date in your Next Year s Diaries. The Suffolk Branch will again be hosting this service and we invite all members of The Royal British Legion who would like to attend to come and join us, especially The Standard Bearers to help us provide another memorable colourful event. We plan a short parade in Southwold Town led by Southwold & Reydon Corps of Drums prior to the service. A Finger Buffet Lunch will also be available prior to this. Further Details will be available shortly anyone who wishes to discuss this further please contact :- Diana Whayman. Hon Sec/Treasurer.Suffolk Branch. Britain Australia Society.Tel No dianastw@aol.com POPPY MEN PINS These can be ordered from George Nutter CPAC Shropshire 17 Downfield Road, The Mount, Shrewsbury, SY3 8YF geonut@talktalk.net #We sell the badges for a donation of at least 2.00 to the Poppy Appeal but to Branches, for a minimum order of pp, we let them have badges for 1.00 each, so that profit that they make is banked into their Branch Poppy Appeal Account. To Date, the badges have raised 0ver for the Poppy Appeal.# DON T FORGET DON T FORGET DON T FORGET DON T FORGET DON T FORGET DON T FORGET DON T FORGET DON T FORGET DON T FORGET DON T FORGET DON T FORGET DON T FORGET DON T FORGET DON T FORGET ACCOUNTS AND MS1 IN BY 31 DECEMBER PLEASE (earlier if at all possible) DO YOU WANT TO RECEIVE THIS NEWSLETTER VIA YOUR E- MAIL? THEN PLEASE INFORM sbromley@britishlegion.org.uk Any information to be included for the next newsletter, please have into the Office by 30 October 2011 IF YOU WISH THIS NEWSLETTER IN LARGE TEXT OR CLEARER TEXT FORMAT, Please contact the County Secretary