The Blythe Sappers

56th Management Meeting

1100hrs Tuesday 1st December 2009

The Army & Navy Club, London

 

Those Present:

          Sapper Brian Pearce               Chairman

          Sapper John Moore-Bick        Chairman Designate 2010

          Sapper John Fitzmaurice       Vice Chairman

          Sapper Charles Holman                  Membership Secretary

          Sapper Roy Wilsher                Honorary Treasurer

          Sapper John Wilks                  Honorary Auditor

          Sapper Stuart Sinclair             Link Member

Sapper John McLennan                   Honorary Secretary

 

1.       Item 1         Introduction. The Chairman welcomed all those in attendance. He particularly welcomed Sapper John Fitzmaurice to his last meeting of this Committee and thanked him for his great contribution over the past three years to the Blythe Sappers.

 

2.       Item 2         Apologies for Absence. Apologies had been received from Sappers David Caulfield, Richard Elvidge.         .

 

3.       Item 3         Minutes of the Previous Meeting. The Minutes of the 55th Meeting of the Blythe Sappers Management Committee had been published on the BS website since 12th November since when there had been no comments and the Chairman duly signed them.

 

4.       Item 4.        Matters Arising.  Sapper Sinclair asked if there had been a response from HMRC about the BS financial affairs after their initial enquiry. The Hon Treasurer informed the meeting that he had sent them the necessary papers but awaited a reply.

 

5.       Item 5.        Finance.     Sapper Roy Wilsher gave the Trial Balance as at 1st Dec. His full report on the Trial Balance and is attached at Annex A.

                  

1.      It was agreed that the costs of the lunch for the MA to the Principal Guest was to be paid from the general fund.

2.      It was agreed that we should pay £1,000 towards the Adventurous and Challenging Pursuits Fund.

3.      The BS Guest Night made a profit of £192 because the contractor gave lesser bill than the original quote.

 

Sapper Roy Wilsher then gave a report on the Budget for 2010  --  this is attached at Annex B.

 

 

 

6.       Item 6.        Corps & TA Report

 

                   The Corps and TA reports are attached at Annex C.

 

7        Item 7.        Casualties Since Last Meeting

                             Deceased.  Sapper Brian Read, Sapper Derek Vaughan

                             Resigned:   Sapper R Morris, Sapper Brian Daly

                                                         

 

8        Item 8.        Nominations for New Members

 

Nomination

Sponsor

Seconder

Lt Col Tim Brand

Sapper Andy Mantell

Sapper Chris Sexton

 

All Approved

 

9.       Item 9         Attendance & Arrangements for Today’s Luncheon

 

                   Principle Guest:  General Sir Peter Wall KCB CBE ADC Gen

                  

                   Total number Attending        120

                   Number of Guests                  16

                   Those to Rise                Sapper Alan Holman

                                                          Sapper John Carpenter

10.     Any Other Business

 

          a.       Dates for 2010

 

          Tue 2 Mar 10         Spring Lunch         Gen the Lord  David Ramsbotham

Tue 1 Jun  10         Derby Draw          Sir S Cowper-Coles KCMG

Sat  7 Aug 10         BS Guest Night     Chatham   

Tue 28 Sep 10       Lunch & AGM      Very Rev N Frayling

Thu 9 Dec 10        Christmas Lunch   Robert Rogers Esq.

 

          b.      The Chairman asked the Secretary to ask the Army & Navy about the cost of lunches 2010 [after note: the price of lunch for 2010 will be £49.95]

         

11.     Date of Next Meeting   1100hrs on Tuesday 2nd March 2010 under the Chairmanship of Sapper John Moore-Bick

 

Sapper John Moore-Bick

Chairman

The Blythe Sappers

Sapper John R McLennan

Honorary Secretary

The Blythe Sappers

 

                Mar 2010

      

12 Feb 10

 

 

Annex B

BS Management Minutes Dec 09

 

CORPS REPORT                             

 

 

Since last year the Corps has indeed withdrawn in good order from Iraq and is concentrating fully on Afghanistan.  We are building on a number of fronts; Counter Improvised Explosive Device Task Force, combat support, infrastructure development, reconstruction and development.  There is tangible progress throughout.  Our ability to design, resource and construct in any number of realms is valued greatly by military commanders and civilian directors throughout.  Our great worth seems to be our skill in thinking from first principles, cognisant of the local environment and its people, and then persevering on site until the job is done.  There is still much to be done though if we are to establish ourselves on a robust campaign footing and ensure we retain or gain the initiative in the physical environment, as Military Engineers. 

 

The Corps is heading towards full strength next year.  This is good, however, full strength does not mean we have all the right people with the right qualities in the right place.  There is more for my Headquarters and Commanding Officers to do here and we will.  People are paramount and we must work hard as a Corps to attract and keep the right people in the longer term.  On the training front our partnership with Holdfast Training Services at the Royal School of Military Engineering has opened a new era in pragmatic fashion.  It has already made an impact on the lives of our soldiers and the intention is that it will continue to do so.  Other opportunities increase too.  Royal Engineers Continuous Personal Development keeps getting our soldiers civilian accreditation and will take a higher profile in the Field Army as a result of a revised business model next year.  The Royal Engineers Institution licences Engineer Technician status and is forging ahead with plans to award Incorporated and Chartered levels.             

 

The Army is working up Future Army Structures – Next Steps and the Territorial Army Graduated Commitment Model.  The two are very much interlocked and our Corps proposition has been scrutinised in the debate but remains largely intact.  Next Steps is the start of a journey that will take us through a Defence Review after the 2010 General Election; I will not predict where the journey will take us to, but I am clear on the utility of Sappers in all environments and it is this we must articulate – a critical message.    

 

Tempo in the Corps has remained significantly high again this past year.  We have done all we have been asked to do and more.  It has come at a cost in life and limb though.  The Corps has suffered fatalities and many of our young soldiers have incurred life changing injuries.  It is humbling to witness how families have pulled together when loved ones have been lost.  The resilience, determination and positive outlook of the injured is an example to us all.