MINUTES of

THE BLYTHE SAPPERS

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING

ARMY & NAVY CLUB LONDON SW1.

Tuesday 2^nd October 2007

Item

          1.       Apologies for absence. Apologies had been received from:

                   Sappers O’Donoghue, Pearce, Realf, Jones G.

                   There were 22 Blythe Sappers in attendance.

2.       The Minutes of the 2006 Annual General Meeting held Wednesday, 4^th October 2006 were confirmed and signed.

          3.       The Chairman gave his report.  This is attached at Annex A.

          4.       Membership Report was given by Sapper McLennan, His report is at  Annex B.

          5.       Honorary Treasurer’s Report. The Honorary Treasurer gave his report and the Statement of Financial Activities 2006. This report is attached at Annex C that also includes the report on The Blythe Sappers Adventurous  Training & Challenging Pursuits Fund.

          6.       The Honorary Archivists Report

                   The Honorary Archivist, Sapper Robin Lloyd-Owen  was invited by the Chairman to give his report. This is attached at Annex D

          7.       Events 2007/8. The Chairman Elect announced the dates for 2008.   They are:

                   Tue 4^th March Major General A Whitely

                   Wed 4^th June Sir John Stannion, CE Vinci

                   Sat 2^nd August The Blythe Sappers Guest Night, Chatham

                   Tue 30^th September The Lord Inge

                   Wed 3^rd December Chief Royal Engineer

                8.       Appointment of Officers 2008.

                    Chairman 2008                                   Sapper John Fitzmaurice

                    Vice Chairman                                    Sapper Stuart Sinclair

                    Chairman Elect 2009                           Sapper Brian Pearce

                    Honorary Secretary                             Sapper John McLennan

                    Honorary Assistant Secretary               Mrs Suzanne Walsham

                    Honorary Treasurer                              Sapper Roy Wilsher

                    Honorary Auditor                                 Sapper Charles Peacey

                    Honorary Archivist                               Sapper Robin Lloyd-Owen

                    Honorary Musical Director                    Sapper Ed Keeley

                    Honorary Religious Advisor                   Sapper Richard Whittington

                    Honorary Membership Secretary           Sapper David Hamilton

                    Honorary Chatham Dinner Secretary      Sapper Larry Inge

                   Proposer:       Sapper Roy Wilsher

                   Seconder:     Sapper John Evans

                   Carried

9.           Any other business.

  a.       Charitable  Giving.       The matter of charitable giving was raised by Sapper Mike Fraser-Allen who asked why it seemed to be so littlee. The Chairman explained that it had been agreed in the past that the only charitable giving was to be to The Blythe Sappers Adventurous Training & Challenging Pursuits Fund and £50 to the charities of choice of those past Blythe Sapper Chairmen upon their demise.  It was generally agreed that the balance is about right and Sapper Tony George said that the most tax effective way to support the Corps was to give direct to the Corps.

                   b.       Blythe Sappers Website.           Sapper John Evans asked about the  website and said that he had not received the Minutes of the previous year’s AGM. It was explained that the Minutes are posted on the website for all to see rather than increasing the overhead costs by use snail mail.

10.      Date of next Annual General Meeting –  the date of the next AGM will be on Tuesday, 30^th September 2008.

Annex A

Blythe Sappers Chairman’s Report to the AGM

Oct 07

CHAIRMAN’S REPORT FOR 2007

Unusually, because Sapper Lewins had an un-missable opportunity to visit South America and the Galapagos Island last December, I took over from him as Chairman at the end of last year’s AGM.   I have the sad duty to record the death during 2007 of two former Chairmen of the Society: Maj. Gen. P.C. Shapland, CB, MBE (Chairman 1996) and Maj. Gen. J.C. Woollett, CBE, MC, CEng, (Chairman 1982).   As is custom, your Society donated £50 to each of two charities chosen by the families of the deceased.

As always, the end of last year saw your Secretary involved in hard bargaining with Commander Holt, the Secretary of the Army & Navy Club, over the cost of lunches.   I am pleased to report that his discussions were successful and that once again, I believe that the Blythe Sappers still have a very good deal with the Club and that we continue to meet in a most agreeable ambiance.   We are grateful to the members of the Club for their continued support and hospitality towards the Society, and my particular thanks go to Commander Holt, who is soon to retire as Secretary of the Army & Navy Club.

The main achievement during 2007 has been the approval by the Council of The Blythe Sappers of a new procedure for selecting Chairmen of the Society.   Hitherto, it has been custom and practice that the Chair alternated between ‘Gentlemen’ and ‘Player’ members.   Council endorsed a proposal put to them by your Management Committee that henceforth the Chairman should be selected on the basis that he or she should be the best person for the job.   His/her most important role will continue to be that of attracting interesting ‘Principal Guests’, thereby ensuring that The Blythe Sappers continues to be a well attended and popular luncheon club into the future.

2007 saw the Royal Engineers undertaking more frequent adventurous pursuits following some slight reduction in the Corps’ professional commitments in Afghanistan, Iraq and elsewhere in the World.   This year so far The Blythe Sappers have donated funds for activities in Alaska, the USA [outwith Alaska], the Fastnet Race, Bolivia and South Africa.   Grants were made to both Regular & TA soldiers.

The programme of events for 2007 was (and will be) as follows:

7 March                        Luncheon (speaker - Rear Admiral Richard Cobbold, CB, FRAeS Director of RUSI)

30 May                         Luncheon (speaker - Viscount John Slim, OBE)

4 August                       Guest Night with 73 attendees at Chatham

2 October                     Luncheon (speaker - Brigadier CM Sexton ADC, Engineer in Chief (Army)

5 December                  Luncheon (speaker - Sir Charles Masefield, M.A., C.Eng., FRAeS, FIMechE, FRSA, recent Vice Chairman of BAE Systems Plc)

It has been a privilege, an honour and a pleasure to have been your Chairman for a year and a bit, most particularly since my father was Chairman of the Blythe Sappers in 1968 and, nearly forty years later, I am the second half of the first ever ‘Father/Son’ combination.   I have been extremely well served and supported by our Secretary and by our Treasurer, Sappers McLennan and Sapper Wisher respectively, and by the rest of our excellent Management Committee, to whom I give my most sincere and heartfelt thanks.   In view of his continued and dedicated support of the Blythe Sappers since his election to the Society in 1988, I am delighted that Sapper Fitzmaurice has agreed to be our Chairman in 2008, and when I hand over to him at the end of the Christmas luncheon, I cannot imagine that the Society could be in safer hands.   Thank you all for your support.

                                               Casualties and New Members for Report to 2007 AGM

Deaths

The Blythe Sappers learnt with regret of the deaths of the following members which were announced between the date of the 2006 AGM and that of the 2007 AGM:

Sapper E V Jenkins, member since 1983

Sapper M J Payne, member since 1992

Sapper I E A Meldrum, member since 1975

Sapper P C Shapland, CB, MBE, member since 1979 and Chairman in 1996

Sapper J C Woollett, CBE, MC, member since 1970 and Chairman in 1982

Resignations

The following members resigned (or were considered as having done so) between the date of the 2006 AGM and that of the 2007 AGM:

Sapper B J Birch, member since 1999

Sapper H W L Browne, OBE, member since 1986

Sapper J Chappel, member since 1985

Sapper C A Gardiner, QVRM, TD, member since 1996

Sapper C Goodman, member since 1995

Sapper G A Hewish, MBE, member since 1995

Sapper J E Kitching, member since 1995

Sapper K D Parfitt, member since 2005

Sapper R J Sandy, member since1995

Sapper Sir Neil Westbrook, Kt, CBE, member since 1988

Sapper D C Whitmore, member since 1997

New Members

The following new members were elected to the Blythe Sappers at meetings of the Management Committee held between October 2006 and May 2007, and have paid their joining subscriptions:

Numbers/Strength

The Strength of the society as reported to the 2006 AGM was 308, including 5 elected that morning, + 2 Honorary members.   With 5 deaths, 11 resignations and a further 9 new members as given above (beyond the 5 at the last AGM), up to today, the strength prior to the Committee meeting held this morning should be 301 + 2 Honoraries.  Allowing for the 2 elected this morning, the strength should increase to 303 + 2 = 305.

J C P 2 Oct 07

Annex C

Hon Treasurers Report to the AGM

Oct 07

THE BLYTHE SAPPERS ADVENTUROUS TRAINING & CHALLENGING PURSUITS FUND.  PREPARED FOR THE AGM TO HELD ON 2 OCT 07

Grants were made to the following Exercises and/or Expeditions in 2007 having been approved by the Chairman of the Management Committee and as recommended by the Regimental Colonel.

1.                    DENALI ALASKA.       

• 10 Reg and 2 TA soldiers on high risk expedition to climb Mt Denali in Alaska.   Regs each received £500 from Corps Funds.  TA not eligible to Corps funds due to DPS.

• BSprs gave £500 each to 2 TA soldiers.

2.                   MARKET STAR.

• Free Fall parachute course in USA.   23 Reg and 3 TA soldiers attended

• Corps gave £100 to each Reg.  BSprs gave £100 to the 3 TA soldiers

3.                   REYC ENTRY TO FASTNET & REGATTA

• Corps funds granted £1000 to support the entry

• BSprs added £550 ie £50 per person to the Entry.

4.                   EX KOTA MAMA TO BOLIVIA

• SES (Blashford Snell) expedition to Bolivia.

• Expedition to reach crater 5 miles in diameter.  Engrs and Scientists will also provide medical, dental, school books, water supply to villagers en route.

• £250 granted to Cpl Westrope RE, a volunteer on the expedition.

5.                   EX KWAZULU DRAGON,  SOUTH AFRICA

• Level 3 adventurous training expedition in Drakensburg National Park.

• Cross –section of TA soldiers from R Mon RE (M) plus 2 Regular pers

• Multi day trekking to 3000m

• Group grant of £250.   RECCT granted £75 to each Reg pers.

Archivist’s Annual Report

There have been no requests for access to archive material since the last report, with the exception of a request to clarify the serial numbers of the Management Meetings.

Very little additional material has been provided for the archive, and it is assumed that as everything is now stored digitally, there is no longer a need for hard copies. It is hoped, however, that copies of documents, on discs, can be passed to the Archivist from time to time.

Robin Lloyd Owen

September 2007