Following the luncheon and the departure of the guests the Chairman opened the meeting.
There were 28 members present.
1. APOLOGIES
Apologies were received from Sappers Bryce, Croft, Drewienkiewicz, Fenn, Howard-Jones, Irving, Khanna, Martin, McLennan, Nowers, Munro, Oglanby, Pagan, Prichard, B Read, Realf, Shapland, Sharp, Sneyd, Stewart, and Yarrow.
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2. MINUTES OF THE LAST ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
Copies of the Minutes of the Meeting held on the 1st October 2003 were distributed to all members of the Society present at the meeting. Sapper Muller proposed and Sapper Peacey seconded a motion that the minutes be approved. The Members present approved these minutes with no dissension.
The minutes were signed by the Chairman, Sapper R. M Stancombe.
3. MATTERS ARISING
The Chairman noted that the matter of raising the annual subscriptions had been deferred to consideration by the Management Committee, and that it had been kept under review in the subsequent year. He reported the unanimous opinion of the Management Committee, which was that an increase in subscriptions was not required at the present time. When there was surplus of income over expenditure in the Society’s accounts, the Adventurous Fund was the sole beneficiary. Due to the continuing service commitments of members of the Corps, there were fewer expeditions being undertaken and fewer applications for grants and accordingly there was currently a growing surplus in the Fund. Furthermore the Management Committee expressed concern that, in seeking to get members to increase their Bankers standing orders, the Society might find that many of the ‘dormant’ members would resign and the overall income would not be increased as much as expected.
Sapper Fitzmaurice recommended that The Blythe Sappers should follow the lead of the Army & Navy Club in reviewing every year the amount of the annual subscription, particularly since he still thought that the present subscription of £10 was not enough. Sapper Howell thought that it was a myth that The Blythe Sappers would actually lose many members if the Hon. Treasurer asked them to complete a new Bankers Standing Order, and also thought that the subscription should be raised; however the general consensus of the meeting was that the matter should be kept under review by the Management Committee.
4. CHAIRMAN’S REPORT FOR 2004
Sapper Stancombe reported that the year had commenced with some hard bargaining with the Secretary of the Army & Navy Club over the cost of luncheons. He was pleased to report that these discussions had been successful and that The Blythe Sappers have a very good deal with the Club. The Chairman expressed his gratitude to those Sappers who were members of the Army & Navy Club for their support during those negotiations.
The main achievement during 2004 has been the approval by the Council of The Blythe Sappers of the new membership procedures for serving regular and TA officers. The Society now has a Membership Secretary, Sapper Hamilton, who will approach all those reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel or age 40 about The Blythe Sappers, inviting them to attend a lunch and consider membership. This initiative, proposed originally by Sappers O’Donoghue and Innes, should ensure that The Blythe Sappers continues to be a well attended and popular luncheon club into the future.
2004 saw the Royal Engineers undertaking adventurous pursuits again after the Iraq War. This year so far The Blythe Sappers have donated funds providing benefit to a TA party from R Mon RE, two parties from HQRE 1 (UK) Armd Div, 3 individual officers and 1 NCO going on Kota Mama V in Bolivia, and 1 WO going on a 12 week Joint Services high altitude mountaineering expedition in Nepal.
The programme of events for 2004 was as follows:
3 March Luncheon (speaker – John Armitt CBE, Chief Executive Network Rail)
27 May Luncheon (speaker – Desmond Flynn, Inspector General Insolvency Service)
7 August Guest & Ladies Night Dinner with 104 attendees at REHQ Mess, Brompton
6 October Luncheon (speaker – Peter Dell MBE, retired Sapper)
1 December Luncheon (speaker – Brigadier CM Sexton, Engineer in Chief (Army) –des)
He concluded by stating that it had been an honour and a pleasure to be the BS Chairman for a year and thanked members for their support.
5. MEMBERSHIP REPORT
A. New Members
The Management Committee elected the following new members during the twelve months since the last AGM: -
Sappers: -
Lt. Col. D.C. Bowen, MBE Col. J. Charlesworth, T.D. Lt. Col. M.N.T. Cottell, OBE, FICE, FIHT, MIMgt
Capt. C.R.S. Dare, BA, MILT, FRICS, DipSurv Major G.P. Downey, RE (V) Col. N.W.H. Fenn
Lt. Col. M. Fraser-Allen Lt. Col. C.M. Hainge RE Major G.J. Hannington,
Major A.A. Haynes, TD, JP, FRICS Brig. A.A. Julius Lt. Col O.P. Keef
Col. H.R. Lamble, FIPlantE, MCMI G.T. Oglanby, Esq., OBE, MICE Lt. Col. J.L. Prichard, RE (V)
R Reid, Esq., CEng., FIStructE, MICE, Capt. W.H. Robinson, RE, BEng. A.P. Wallis, Esq.
Maj. Gen. E.G. Willmott, CB, OBE Maj. E.P. Willmott, RE(V), TD Major A.M. Wright, Bsc(Eng)
W.J.C. Young, BSc(Eng),
The Chairman had introduced such new members as had attended luncheons during the past twelve months to the other members attending the relevant luncheon.
B. Resignations
The Management Committee had regretfully accepted the resignations of the following Blythe Sappers during the same period:-
J.R.T. Douglas Esq, OBE Member since 1994
Maj. H. Faulkner-Brown, OBE, MC Member since 1986
Lt Col I.G. Graham, Member since 1991
Lt. Col. R.B. Hill, MA, MSc Member since 2000
Col. F.G. Noseworthy, OMM, CD Member since 1994
Capt. S.F. Peck Member since 1984
C. Deceased
Since the last AGM the Management Committee received the sad news that the following Members had died: -
Sapper R. Daniels Esq, OBE Member since 1988
Sapper (Capt.) G.G. Fordyce Chairman in 1995 and member since 1988
Sapper (Brig.) J.F.M. Grear, OBE Member since 1997
Sapper P.M. Lee Esq, Member since 1980
Sapper (Maj.) S.L. Newcombe Member since 1969
Sapper M.S. Padmore, Esq Member since 1986
Sapper (Capt.) K. Severn, MC Auditor 1983-91 and member since 1976
Sapper (Lt. Col.) E.Ll.V. Wall Member since 1990
D. Total Membership
As at that day and before the election of new members, the membership was 271 full Members and two Honorary Members.
6. HONORARY TREASURER'S REPORT
A. 2003 Annual Accounts.
The Treasurer reminded the members that the audited Income and Expenditure account, copies of which were laid on the table, were for the year ending 31st December 2003 This financial statement had already been checked by Sapper Wilsher as Honorary Auditor and approved by the Management Committee.
B. Income.
The Honorary Treasurer reported that the finances of The Blythe Sappers continued to be healthy. Whilst the end of year balance was slightly higher than had been forecast in the approved budget for 2003, income in excess of budget derived from the Derby Day Draw had meant that he had been able to make a larger than anticipated donation of £2,300 to the Adventurous Pursuits Fund during 2003.
C. Expenditure.
Expenditure during 2003 on post, printing and stationery was below expectations. The balance of income over expenditure during the year 2003 showed an excess of £354, increasing accumulated funds to a figure of £2,722 at Dec 31st, a figure that was unlikely to attract the interest of the Inland Revenue.
D. Luncheon Charges.
These will depend on the results of negotiations currently in progress between the Secretary and the Army & Navy Club management, but it was hoped that there would be not be too substantial an increase in 2005. The negotiations as usual are on the basis of the Mar, Jun, Oct and Dec Christmas luncheons being the same charge throughout the year.
E. Donations.
The Treasurer drew the attention of members present to Note 2 to the Income and Expenditure account 2003. The unallocated balance of £3,653 in The Blythe Sappers Fund for Adventurous and Challenging Pursuits was held in RE Corps Funds by the Corps Treasurer. Because of the service commitments around the world to which the Corps has been required to respond over the two years in 2002 & 2003, there had been only three exercises that qualified for and needed support from the Fund during the previous twelve months, thus only £1,400 had actually been spent or committed. A total sum of £19,950 had been remitted to the Corps Treasurer since the inception of the Fund; of which the sum of £2,300 had been transferred to Corps Funds during the period.
F. Honorarium.
Carol Parrott was retiring as Asst Honorary Secretary at the end of 2004 and Ms Suzanne Robinson (PA to Sapper Hamilton) had offered to take over this post as from the beginning of 2005. The Management Committee have that day awarded Mrs Parrott an honorarium of £500. She will be invited to attend the Christmas Luncheon as an Official Guest at which a Salver will be presented to her in recognition of her twenty years service on behalf of the Society carried out with humour, efficiency and outright loyalty.
G. Club Staff Gratuities.
Notwithstanding that there is a 10% gratuity element in each luncheon charge made by the Army & Navy Club, the Management Committee had that day decided that there would be a small but separate donation of £100 made to the Club Staff’s Christmas Box.
H. Forecast for 2004
Membership subscriptions for all current members for the year 2004 had been received. He had prepared the 2004 Income & Expenditure budget projecting a figure for accumulated funds of £2,803 at the year-end; however he did not expected to reach this figure, even after having made a somewhat smaller overall donation to the Adventurous Fund than anticipated. The shortfall was due to the unexpected cost of hiring a committee room at the Army & Navy Club, the loss incurred on the 2004 Guest & Ladies Night Dinner, poor sales of Derby Day raffle tickets and higher than budgeted Secretarial costs. Sapper Peacey warned that the 2005 Budget would have to incorporate the cost of reprinting the Historical Note.
The Treasurer commended the Income and Expenditure account 2003 to the meeting and asked that it, and the report of the Hon. Auditor, be adopted. Following a motion to this effect proposed by Sapper Howell and seconded by Sapper Hamilton, Members present thereupon adopted unanimously the audited Income and Expenditure account 2003 and report.
The Chairman and Treasurer signed the master and copies of the audited Income and Expenditure account 2003.
7. DATES OF EVENTS IN 2004/05
The Secretary announced the following as being the dates on which events would take place in 2004/05.
Christmas Luncheon Wednesday 1 December 04
March Luncheon Tuesday 1 March 05
Derby Sweepstakes Draw Luncheon (Provisional) Wednesday 1 June 05
Guest and Ladies Night Dinner Saturday 6 August 05
Luncheon & AGM Wednesday 5 October 05
8. APPOINTMENT OF OFFICERS FOR 2005.
The Chairman reminded members that it was customary for Officers to take up their duties immediately after the Christmas Luncheon. He sought confirmation of the following appointments: -.
Chairman Sapper M Muller
Vice Chairman Sapper R.M. Stancombe
Chairman Elect Sapper J. Lewins
Honorary Secretary Sapper J McLennan
Honorary Assistant Secretary Ms Suzanne Robinson
Honorary Treasurer Sapper R Wilsher
Honorary Auditor Sapper J.C. Peacey
Honorary Archivist Sapper R Lloyd Owen
Honorary Musical Director Sapper H.T. Realf
Honorary Religious Advisor Sapper R Whittington
Honorary Membership Secretary Sapper D Hamilton
Honorary Chatham Dinner Secretary Sapper L Inge
The acceptance of the above appointments was proposed by Sapper Orr, seconded by Sapper Hamilton and unanimously approved by the membership present at the meeting.
9. ANY OTHER BUSINESS
a) The Duration of the Chairmanship
Sapper Fitzmaurice asked that consideration be given to increasing the duration that a Chairman spends in post from one year to two or three years. The Chairman noted that commitments had been made already on the basis that the next three Sapper Chairman would only have one year in the post, and therefore it was not feasible to change until 2007, even if such a change was deemed to be desirable. Sapper Howell recalled that the MCC had considerable problems when the duration of the Presidency had been extended to three years and warned that this change would be more complicated than members realised. The matter was deferred to the Management Committee for further consideration.
b) The Ratio of ‘Gentlemen’ to ‘Players’ in the Membership
Sapper Fawcus GB raised the issue that the Society would have increasing difficulty in maintaining the traditional ratio between its ‘Gentlemen’ and ‘Player’ members. The Chairman agreed, but informed members present that the problem was under consideration by the Management Committee and that a paper on the subject by the Hon. Secretary would be considered at their forthcoming meetings to enable resolution by Council during 2005. One solution might be to move the goalposts by redefining the qualification of ‘Gentlemen’ members. It was agreed that the principle of differentiating between ‘Gentlemen’ and ‘Players’ was still valuable.
c) Extending the Membership
Sapper Hamilton reported that the recent initiative, whereby he had circulated details of The Blythe Sappers to all serving officers of the Corps with the rank of Lt.Col. and above and had extended an invitation for each addressee to attend a BS luncheon at their own expense or as a guest of an existing member, had been well received with over fifty replies already received. The majority of these replies had been positive, and he anticipated that, by the time of the next AGM and reflecting the response shown, many of these officers would be seeking membership of the Society.
d) Vote of Thanks
Sapper Lewins proposed a vote of thanks to the Management Committee, which was agreed to by unanimous acclaim of members present.
10. NEXT ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING
5th October, 2005.
There being no further business, the meeting closed at 3.35 p.m.
The above minutes are a true record of the business conducted at the AGM on 6th October 2004.
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Sapper M Muller- Chairman 5 OCTOBER 2005