MINUTES OF THE BLYTHE SAPPERS

48th MANAGEMENT MEETING

held on Wednesday 5th December 2007

at The Army & Navy Club, London

Present

          Sapper Stuart Sinclair             Chairman            

Sapper John Fitzmaurice        Chairman Elect 2008

Sapper Jeffery Lewins             Past Chairman 2006

Sapper Brian Pearce               Chairman Elect 2009

Sapper Charles Peacey           Honorary Auditor

          Sapper Roy Wilsher                Honorary Treasurer

          Sapper John McLennan         Honorary Secretary

          Mrs Suzanne Walsham           Assistant Secretary

 

1.      Introduction. The Chairman Sapper Sinclair welcomed the Management Committee and a special welcome to Sapper Brian Pearce as Chairman Elect 2009 and to Mrs Suzanne Walsham, BS Assistant Secretary.

 

2.  Apologies:  Sappers Hamilton, Inge, Caulfield,

 

3.  Minutes of the meeting of 4th October 2007.

The Minutes were noted and signed.

 

4.  Matters Arising.

                    There were no matters arising.

 

5.  Finance.

          a.       The Hon Treasurer gave his report, attached at Annex A.

          b.       It was agreed that the Honorarium for the Assistant Sec should remain at          £350

          c.       The cost of the Luncheons for 2008 would be £43.50.

          d.       It was agreed that consideration be given to donating any surplus funds to service charities. Sapper Fitzmaurice agreed that he would take this matter forward during his tenure as Chairman.

 

6.  Corps Report. The report was given by the Hon Sec on behalf of the Regt Col. The report is attached at Annex B.

 

7.    Casualties.             

The Committee noted the passing of the following Sappers:

Sapper Peter Aylwin-Foster  -- He was Chairman in 1992.

Sapper William Francis Howard Jones since 1986. He was the Blythe Sappers Secretary 1994-1997 and BS Archivist 1997-2003

 

8. Nominations for new members.

 

Applicant

Proposer

Seconder

Brig Tony D Harking OBE

Sapper John McLennan

Sapper David Hamilton MBE

Mr Ben Hughes

Sapper Willie Shackell CBE

Sapper Bill Clark

Mr David Bateson

Sapper Bill Clark

Sapper Willie Shackell CBE

All were duly elected.

 

9.       Attendance and Arrangements for 5th Dec Lunch.

There will be 93 taking lunch which includes 18 guests.

The Principal Guest Colonel David McIlroy, Comd 170 (Infra Sp) Engr Gp.

To stand for introduction Sprs Jarratt, Douglas, Knott.

 

10.     Any Other Business

 

            1.         Chairman Sinclair raised the matter of the Guest Night at Chatham.                        Chairman 2008 Fitzmaurice raised the issues and said that he would be                              writing to Members about costs, dates and suitability of location plus                       the possibility of inviting lady guests and alternative locations. He                                 will be seeking views of the membership. Hon Sec said that matters of                       interest included the availability of the RE HQ Mess and the Corps Band. 

          2.       Chairman Sinclair proposed that the Hon Sec & Hon Treasurer should                              have their lunches paid for by the Society. The Hon Auditor gave his                      reservations. It was decided to allow Council to make the final decision.

                                                                    Action: Chairman 2008 Fitzmaurice

          3.       Chairman 2008 Fitzmaurice asked about recruiting new members from the             TA and the Engr & Logistic Staff Corps. It was suggested that the TA                         Advisor to the EinC (A), Col Richard Elvidge and Capt John Pritchard be                   approached to join the Management Committee to take an active interest           on additional recruitment.

                                                                   Action: Chairman 2008 Fitzmaurice

4.                  The Chairman thanked Mrs Suzanne for all her hard work throughout the year and wished her well for her future delivery and parenthood for the future.

5.                  The Chairman mentioned that this was Sapper Jeffrey Lewins last BS Management meeting and thanked him for all he had done.

 

Sapper Stuart Sinclair

Chairman

The Blythe Sappers

Sapper John R McLennan

The Blythe Sappers,

Honorary Secretary

 

            March 2008

 

31st January 2008

11.     Date of Next Meeting   The next meeting will be at 1100hrs on Wed 4 Mar 08.

 

 

 

Annex A to

Blythe Sappers Management Mtg

5 Dec 07

 

 

TRIAL BALANCE BLYTHE SAPPERS ACCOUNT AS AT 31 OCTOBER 2007

Item

Notes

       Debit      

       Credit      

Net

Cash at Bank 1 Jan 07

 

   -    

           3,643.57

          3,643.57

 

 

 

 

 

Lunches

1

           6,034.30

           8,973.00

          2,938.70

 

 

 

 

 

Lunch refunds

2

               86.00

                     -  

-              86.00

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner Night

3

           3,468.05

           3,757.34

             289.29

 

 

 

 

 

Guest Lunches

4

               85.00

                     -  

-              85.00

 

 

 

 

 

Subscriptions

5

                    -  

           3,055.00

          3,055.00

 

 

 

 

 

Subs refunds

6

               10.00

                     -  

-              10.00

 

 

 

 

 

Overpaid subs

7

                    -  

               40.00

               40.00

 

 

 

 

 

Joining fees

8

                    -  

               90.00

               90.00

 

 

 

 

 

Sweepstake

9

             300.00

              714.00

             414.00

 

 

 

 

 

Adv Trg Fund

10

           1,000.00

               25.00

-            975.00

 

 

 

 

 

Sundries

11

               22.80

                     -  

-              22.80

 

 

 

 

 

Bank Interest

12

                    -  

              217.62

             217.62

 

 

 

 

 

R & C

13

                    -   

              137.50

             137.50

 

 

 

 

 

Donations & Honorariums

14

             100.00

               25.00

-              75.00

 

 

 

 

 

Hire of Mtg Room

15

             238.40

                     -  

-            238.40

 

 

 

 

 

Treasurer Expenditure

16

             112.01

                     -  

-            112.01

 

 

 

 

 

Secretary Expenditure

17

             266.68

                     -  

-            266.68

 

 

 

 

 

Debtors

18

               85.00

               85.00

                    -  

 

 

 

 

 

Creditors

19

                 6.00

                 6.00

                    -  

 

 

 

 

 

Cash at Bank 31 Oct 07

20

           8,954.79

                     -  

-         8,954.79

TOTAL & BALANCE

 

         20,769.03

         20,769.03

                    -  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Outstanding cheques

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Army & Navy Club October Lunch

           2,932.50

 

 

RECCT Adv & Chall Purs

Fund

           1,800.00

 

 

Treasurer's Expenditure

 

               52.29

 

 

Army & Navy Club Hire of Room

             119.20

 

 

Spr Aylwin-Foster ABF donation

               25.00

 

 

Spr Aylwin-Foster RBL donation

               25.00

 

 

Total

 

           4,953.99

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

NOTES REFERING TO CREDIT & DEBIT ITEMS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1

Oct cheque £2932.50 paid to A&N not yet presented.

2

Sprs Bouwen £41.00, Pigott £2.50, Young £42.50

3

Previously discussed

 

 

4

March and May Speakers

 

5

Spr Jarratt  paid.  Spr Douglas not yet on statement.

6

Spr Jardine

 

 

7

Previously discussed

 

 

8

1 Extra. Spr Jarratt

 

 

9

Previously reported

 

 

10

£25 donation from Spr Howard-Wyse

 

11

Travel refund Spr Lewins

 

 

12

January  - October 2007

 

 

13

GN Dinner fees.  Previously discussed

 

14

£100 in memorium.  £25 donations in Subs

 

15

March and May Meetings

 

16

Postage, travel

 

 

17

Postage, travel

 

 

18

Spr Inge now cleared

 

 

19

Spr Foster now cleared.

 

 

20

As per October statement.

 

 

 

 

 

 

rfw

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annex B to

Blythe Sappers Management Mtg

5 Dec 07

BLYTHE SAPPERS MEETING 5 DECEMBER 2007 – CORPS REPORT

 

1.         Support to operational capability continues to be our main effort.   Ops TELIC (Iraq) and HERRICK (Afghanistan) remain our main commitments but we also have soldiers on Ops in Sierra Leone, Cyprus, Falklands, Northern Ireland (NI) and on the UK Mainland. 

 

2.         Since the last report in October we have sadly suffered another loss on 9 Nov 07 in Afghanistan, LCpl Alderton from 36 Engr Regt.  

 

Operations

 

3.         Iraq MND(SE).    The UK force is still bedding in the Combined Operations Base (COB) at the Basra Air Station.   The force will gradually reduce down to around 2500 by May 08.   Attacks continue at a low level.   Engineers are mainly involved with infrastructure and force protection works and are conducting a number of Main Supply Route patrols.   21 Engr Regt Gp deployed in Nov 07 until Jun 08 and include 2 x Fd Sqns (4 and 73 Sqns), 7 HQ&Sp Sqn and half of 62 Wks Gp and 21 Fd Sqn (EOD).   They will reduce to a Joint Force Engineer Squadron Grouping by the end of their tour.    

 

4.         Southern Afghanistan.    The force is currently consolidating the hard won gains by 12 Bde.   They are now fully committed to delivering reconstruction development across the North, Centre and South battlegroup areas.  Engineers remain involved in close support of current strike operations and continue to provide the reconstruction and development leadership focus employing considerable numbers of local Afghans on projects province wide.  Force protection tasks and winterization of operating bases continues.    36 Engr Regt Gp deployed in early Sep 07 with 2 x Fd Sqns (20 and 69), 50 HQ&Sp Sqn and half of 62 Wks Gp and 21 Fd Sqn (EOD).    They will be replaced in Mar 08 by 23 Engr Regt Gp.  

 

Manning      (stats are as at 1 Oct 07) 

 

5.         The Corps is currently recruited to 75% against a Recruiting Group target of 1479 for the period 1 Apr – 31 Mar 08.   This masks shortages in pinch point trades but the situation is generally positive.  Officer recruiting continues to be healthy with 2 RMAS cadets applying for each available place. 

 

6.         Officer strength is 1223 against a liability of 1202, overmanning is 1.7% or +21 officers.   This hides an in-balance for DE Capt and Maj which is partially filled by LE personnel.   PVR is currently 3.9% (Army 4.3%).   

 

7.         Soldier strength is currently 7690.   Our liability is currently increasing as the FAS enhancements for 24 Cdo Engr Regt, 33 Armd Engr Sqn and 52 Armd Engr Sqn come on stream.  Against the enhanced FAS liability we are currently 860 in deficit.   Soldier retention has stabilised at approx 7.8% (Army 5.8%) but remains a concern.    Other interesting statistics include the RE soldier non-FE (i.e. Fit Everywhere) rate is 17.4% (Army 18.9%) and females now make up 0.5% of soldier strength. 

 

Regimental Affairs

8.         Lt Col Charles Holman will become the new Corps Secretary on 10 Dec 07.