MINUTES OF THE BLYTHE SAPPERS

47th MANAGEMENT MEETING

held on Tuesday 2nd October 2007

at The Army & Navy Club, London

Present

          Sapper Stuart Sinclair             Chairman             

Sapper John Fitzmaurice       Chairman Elect 2008

Sapper Charles Peacey           Honorary Auditor

          Sapper Roy Wilsher                Honorary Treasurer

          Sapper John McLennan                   Honorary Secretary

 

1.      Introduction. The Chairman Sapper Sinclair welcomed the Management Committee.

 

2.  Apologies:  Sappers Hamilton, Inge, Caulfield, Lewins

 

3.  Minutes of the meeting of 30th May 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 Ass Sec should remain at              £350

          c.       Although there was a profit on the money raised through the BS Guest Night it was decided there should be no rebates to those who attended.

 

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 John Woollett CBE MC who was a Member from 1970 and BS     Chairman 1982.

Sapper Ian Meldrum  Member since 1975

Sapper Jenkins Member since 1983 (in 2004)

'The following Sappers have resigned or have been considered as having done so for failure to pay their subscriptions:

Sappers Hewish, Sandy, Kitching, Birch, Chappel, Parfitt, Gardiner, Sir Neil Westbrook, Whitmore.

 

8. Nominations for new members.

 

Applicant

Proposer

Seconder

Mr Terrel Wyatt

Sapper Muller

Sapper SGH Sinclair

Mr Thomas Knott

Sapper Freeman

Sapper Stevenson

 

Both were duly elected.

 

9.       Attendance and Arrangements for 2nd Oct Lunch.

There will be 69 taking lunch which includes 10 guests. The Principal Guest is the EinC (A) Brigadier Chris Sexton.

To stand for introduction Sprs Troulan & M Douglas.

 

10.       Any Other Business

         

1.            The Chairman informed the meeting that 12 Engr Bde had been nominated for an award through the BCI for Camp Bastion

2.            The Chief Royal Engineer had agreed to write to all Cols and above to encourage them to become Blythe Sappers. Hon Sec to discuss with Sapper Hamilton and Corps Sec to write to Lt Cols.

3.            Lunches for 2008 will cost £43.50.

4.            A gift to the Staff of the Army & Navy Club was agreed at £100.

5.            It was agreed that £1,800 should be paid to the Blythe Sappers Fund for Adventurous & Challenging Pursuits before the end of the 2007. The Treasurer reported the fund stood at £4,319. It was noted that reports on these pursuits were not being received by BS and that the Honorary Treasurer would write to the Corps Treasurer.

6.            Sapper John Fitzmaurice, Chairman 2008, informed the meeting that the following have been invited as principal guest in 2008

     4th March 2008               Major General Albert Whitley

     4th June 2008                  Mr John Stanion, CE Vinci plc

     30th September 2008      Field Marshal The Lord Peter Inge         

     3rd December 2008        General Sir Kevin O’Donoghue KCB CB

 

12.     Date of Next Meeting   The next meeting will be at 1100hrs on Wed 5 Dec 07. 

 

Sapper Stuart Sinclair

Chairman

The Blythe Sappers

Sapper John R McLennan

The Blythe Sappers,

Honorary Secretary

 

            December 2007

 

12th Nov 2007

 

Annex A to

Blythe Sappers Management Mtg

2 Oct 07

 

 

TREASURER’S  NOTES FOR THE BLYTHE SAPPERS MANAGEMENT MEETING HELD ON 02 OCT 07

 

TRIAL BALANCE AS AT 30 SEPTEMBER 2007  (The bank statement for Sep has not yet between received)

 

CREDIT ITEMS

 

1.             Cash at Bank.  Cash at the bank at the start of the year was £3,643.57

2.         Bank Interest.  For the period Jan -  Aug  the interest gross was £170.46

3.         Subscriptions.       Subscriptions received so far total £3045.00.  Still awaiting Mandate from         Lt Col Jarratt but assured he wishes to become a member and will attend lunch today.

4.         Overpaid Subs.    Sherrett, Grear, Padmore, Lewis

5.         Joining Fees    Fees from the 8 new members total £80.  Fees from Jarratt and Douglas not yet on bank statements.

6.         Donations.  Sprs Fitzmaurice £10,  Burford £20,  Dewjo  £5.  Total  £25.

7.         Lunches.    Total fees collected  for the March and May lunches were  £5998.50  More under item 10.

8.         Guest Night Dinner.     Fees collected amounted to   £3757.34.

9.         Derby Sweepstake.    Sales of tickets raised £714.00

10.        R & C.     £137.50.  Note:  £222.50 was sent to the bank on paying-in slip No 000230 covering fees for the May Lunch and sweepstake tickets for Spr Berry £47.50, Spr McLennan £90 and Spr Inge £85.  Only £137.50 showed on the August bank statement, i.e. Sprs Berry and McLennan fees.  Spr Inge cheque has not been found by the bank.  Spr Inge says that the cheque has not been cashed.  I am still in contact with the bank about this.  Spr Inge cannot cancel the cheque as he does not know the cheque number.

 

 

DEBIT ITEMS

 

12.        Lunches.    Paid to A & N Club for the March & May Lunches  £6034.30.

13.        Hire of Meeting Room.   March & May meetings  £238.40                                      

14.   .    Guest Speakers    The cost of lunches for the guest speakers was £85

15.  .     Lunch refunds    Refunds for Sprs Bouwen (£41), Pigott (£2.50) was  £43.50.

16         Secretary Expenditure.  Oct 06 – Apr 07  £117.56  was spent on postage and the web-site        

17.        Treasurer’s Expenditure  Jan – Sep 07   £112.01.  Postage, copying.

18.        Grant to Adv Trg & Challenging Pursuits Fund.     £1000.  See separate report

19.        Aramark.     Paid for Guest Night Dinner charges  £3468.05

             20.        Subs Refund.   £10.00  R L Jordan

21.        Sweepstake Prizes.     £300  Sprs Davis £150, Wilsher £100, Coney £50.

22.        Sundries.     £22.80.   Refund travel expenses Spr Lewins.

23.        Donations & Honorariums.       £100. (Spr Shapland £50,  Spr Woollett £50.)

24.        Debtor.     £85,  Spr Inge.  See item 10.

26.        Cash at Clydesdale Bank 30 Sep.   £5994.75.

 

 

 

 

       BALANCE SHEET.   The Trial Balance Sheet for the period Jan – Sep 07 is attached.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TRIAL BALANCE BLYTHE SAPPERS ACCOUNT AS AT 30 SEP 07

 

 

Item

    Debit   

    Credit   

1

Cash at Bank Clydesdale 1 Jan 07

 

               3,643.57

2

Bank Interest Gross Jan-Sep 07

 

                  170.46

3

Subscriptions Jan - Sep 07

 

               3,045.00

4

Overpaid Subs

 

                   40.00

5

Joining Fees  Jan - Sep 07

 

                   80.00

6

Donations, Fitzmaurice, Dewjo, Burford

 

                   25.00

7

Fees for Lunches  Jan - Sep 07

 

               5,998.50

8

Guest Night Dinner fees

 

               3,757.34

9

Sale of Sweepstake tickets

 

                  714.00

10

R &C

 

                  137.50

11

Balance

 

         17,611.37

12

A & N Club for Lunches

                  6,034.30

 

13

A & N Club for the  Hire of Meeting Room 

                    238.40

 

14

A & N Club for Guest Speakers Lunches

                      85.00

 

15

Lunch refund, Sprs Bouwen £41, Pigott £2.50

                      43.50

 

16

Secretary's Expenditure  Oct 06 - Apr 07

                    117.56

 

17

Treasurer's Expenditure  Jan - Sep 07

                    112.01

 

18

Grant to Adv Trg & Challenging Pursuits Fund

                  1,000.00

 

19

Aramark Guest Night

                  3,468.05

 

20

Subs Refunds

                      10.00

 

 

 

 

 

21

Sweepstake Prizes

                    300.00

 

 

 

 

 

22

Sundries

                      22.80

 

 

 

 

 

23

Donations & Honorariums

                    100.00

 

 

 

 

 

23

Debtor,  Spr Inge

                      85.00

 

 

 

 

 

25

Cash at Bank Clydesdale

                  5,994.75

 

26

Balance

                17,611.37

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Annex B to

Blythe Sappers Management Mtg

2 Oct 07

THE BLYTHE SAPPERS  – CORPS REPORT 2nd OCTOBER 2007

 

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.         Sadly we suffered our first killed in action, LCpl Ivano Violino from 20 Fd Sqn on 17 Sep 07.   On the same day Spr Paul Gillespie from 33 EOD Regt lost a foot and hand in a mine incident in Afghanistan.   On 18 Sep 07 Sgt Alistair Turner 26 Engr Regt died from a heart attack having just returned from OP Herrick.  

 

Operations

 

3.         Iraq MND(SE).    The UK force is now complete in Basra air station.   In the last 2 month period there has been a general reduction in the number of indirect fire attacks.   General force reductions down to roughly 5500 have started but there will be no reduction of sappers at the moment.   The main engineer tasks continue to be force protection, security and close engineer support to patrols.    22 Engr Regt Gp (3 and 5 Sqn, 6 HQ&Sp Sqn, 64 Wks Gp(-) and 49 EOD Sqn(-) deployed in June 2007.   21 Engr Regt Gp will deploy in Nov 07 until Jun 08 and includes 2 x Fd Sqns (4 and 73 Sqns), 7 HQ&Sp Sqn and half of 62 Wks Gp and 21 Fd Sqn (EOD). 

 

4.         Southern Afghanistan.    Engineers are heavily involved in close support of current strike operations in the Northern Helmand area.  They also 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.    26 Engr Regt Gp were replaced by 36 Engr Regt Gp 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). 

 

Manning     

 

5.         Unfortunately, the JPA “fog bank” is preventing updated manning statistics and hence there is no further update to report.   The Corps is currently recruited to 65% 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.  Soldier retention has stabilised at approx 7.8% but remains 2% above the Army average and continues to be a concern.     

 

(stats are as at 1 Mar 07 and compared with figs as at 1 Jan 07)  

 

6.         Officer strength is 1220 against a liability of 1200, overmanning is 1.7% or +20 officers (up 16).   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 7670 against a liability of 7980, undermanning is -3.9% or  -310 soldiers (up 48).   PVR is currently 7.8% (Army 5.8%).

 

Regimental Affairs

 

8.         Visit of Colonel in Chief 25 Oct 07.