Minutes
of the Annual General Meeting
of The Lyme Regis Branch.
Held on
24th
of November 2011 at 19:30 Hrs.
Present:
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Appointees.
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Mr Cecil Quick
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President
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Mr Bill Reed
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Vice President
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Mr James Rice
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Standard Bearer
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Committee.
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Mr Ken Whetlor
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Chairman
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Mr Tony Smith
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Honorary Secretary
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Mr Martin Jones
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Honorary Treasurer
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Welfare Chairman
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Mrs Ania Driver
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Welfare Secretary
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Mrs Sylvia Marler
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Poppy Appeal Organiser
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Mr David Humphrey
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Recruitment Advisor
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Mr Keith Austin
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Member
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Mr John Hunt
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Member
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Mr Mike Lloyd
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Member
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Mrs Angela Manners.
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Member
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Mr Kevin Taylor
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Member
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Attendant.
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Mr Philip Evans
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Branch Member
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Mr Ted Bignal
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Branch Member
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Mr Peter Ward
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Branch Member
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Mrs Jacqueline Ward
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Branch Member
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Apologies:
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Mr David
Manners
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Vice
Chairman
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Rev Jane
Skinner
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Chaplain
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Mr Murray Kirkby
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Branch Member
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Mr Vernon
Rattenbury
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Branch
Member
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Mr Jeremy Robson
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Branch Member
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Exhortation: The President
President’s Address
May I welcome you all to my 64th
AGM. Thank you all for coming this evening and you are all very welcome.
First of all I want to say thank
you to Bill, our Vice President, for coming along this evening and joining us,
and retaining his interest as always.
Our Vice Chairman has been very ill but, in spite of
that, he carried on with all his duties. He organised the Festival of
Remembrance, the Church Parade, the Church Service and everything else
concerning Remembrance Week. I would like The Committee to pass a vote of
thanks for all that and send best wishes for his recovery.
I am not going to pick out any
individual to-night, but just thank the whole of our committee for the work
they have done during the year. It has been a successful year and I am very
grateful to everybody for the part they have played.
I remember some fifty years ago
there was a competition to find the best branch in England Dorchester
(sic) as one of the best branches in the county. So keep up the good work, and
keep the Branch going, as it is worthwhile.
I would ask our Secretary please,
if you would send a letter to David Manners wishing him a speedy recovery.
I wish you all a very Happy Christmas. Thank you.
Response.
The Vice Chairman, Mr Bill Reed, stated: “we owe so much
to Cecil as, under his leadership, for the last fifty or sixty years, he has
kept us together. We have had bad days, bad weeks, bad years but we have had
very good ones as well, and it has all been under Cecil’s direction. For that
Cecil, can I say thank you and I am sure the rest of you agree with me”. This
sentiment was applauded by the meeting.
Minutes of the Last Meeting:
The Minutes of the last Meeting
held on the 25th November 2010 were agreed as a true record and
signed by The President.
Matters Arising:
None.
Additions to the Agenda.
Mr Martin Jones would like to discuss the dedication of a
beach hut to The Red Arrows. See Any Other Business below.
Chairman’s Report.
Our branch still maintains its
usual consistency of loyalty to the Legion from Committee and members alike.
We had a new Secretary start in office at the
beginning of the year, Tony Smith, and I congratulate him on doing a good job
on the takeover. Not an easy task.
All Committee positions have been
taken up and fulfilled to the job required.
All Committee members will give
their reports as per the Agenda.
We have held six meeting in the
past year; unfortunately I was absent from one through illness.
I would just like to comment on,
and congratulate the work of our poppy organiser, Sylvia, who has the most
hideous task to keep up with expectations of that position. The Legion cannot
thank her enough for the time and effort she gives to the appeal.
A sincere thanks to our
Treasurer, Martin Jones, for laying the two crosses at the memorial on his
visit to the Falkland Islands .
The Quiz night was a success as
usual, held in the Nag’s Head. We raised the sum of £135.06
Rogation Sunday - Blessing of the
Boats was well attended; although I had to miss that because of illness I have
already mentioned.
We had no request this year for
tickets for the Festival of Remembrance at the Albert Hall. (After Minute: Mr
and Mrs David Humphrey did request tickets and attended.)
The refurbishment of the Polish
War Memorial has taken place during the year.
The branch was presented with an
oak goblet by Steve Staples, ex- Royal Marine, carved by him from oak from HMS
Victory. It is to be used on Trafalgar night for the loyal toast. It is now in
the Lyme Regis Museum
Last, but not least, to all those
who gave their time for our Remembrance evening at The Woodmead Halls, the
Lifeboat crew and our wonderful Town Band, Standard Bearers and members. Thank
you all.
I would like to extend special
thanks and appreciation, on behalf of us all, to Philip Evans for a superb job
as compere for the evening. He is always a strong supporter of our work here in
Lyme Regis, and has provided excellent newspaper coverage on our behalf.
The Chairman proposed that a cup that used to belong to
the old Boys Club should be presented to The Hub Youth Club as the Branch’s
contribution.
Seconded: Mrs Angela Manners. Motion carried unanimously.
General Meetings: protocol. Only
elected members of The Committee are entitled to attend meetings and vote on
agenda matters.
During the discussion about protocol it became apparent
that our Branch Rules booklet is inaccurate. The Chairman proposed that it
should be scrapped forthwith. The Branch Management Handbook will be used as
the only guide in future.
Seconded: David Humphrey. All
agreed.
Vice Chairman’s Report.
Absent through illness.
Honorary Secretary’s Report.
The County has a Three Year Plan – basically to increase
membership and income. It would be a good idea if we adopt a similar plan at
this Branch so that we conform to the county guide lines and, as a policy,
follow their lead.
Seconded: Mr Ken Whetlor Motion
carried unanimously.
The Form MS 1, which we complete after elections
this evening, has a section where we sign to say we acknowledge our
responsibilities as Branch Managing Trustees. I ask David Humphrey, who works
at county level, to explain the meaning of this to us.
David stated that signing the MS1 Form, as a committee member, is a
commitment to safeguard the Branch Funds that we hold. We are responsible for
this money but, it is not actually the money of this Branch, but everybody’s
money in the country; we are just holding public money. By signing this form we
are agreeing that we will look after this money to the best of our ability.
The Welfare Chairman supported this and stated that at the Management
Course it is emphasised that everybody is equally responsible for any
mismanagement.
Honorary Treasurer’s Report:
We have received donations in memory of the late Peter Flux
for £83.26 plus £10.00 making a total of £93.26. I ask the Secretary to
acknowledge receipt of the funds.
The Annual Accounts have been audited and need to be signed
by The Chairman, The Treasurer and The Secretary; The Vice Chairman will sign
subsequent to this meeting.
I would ask The Secretary to thank Keith Jenkin for auditing
our accounts and express our gratitude for waiving their fees.
The Income Sheet contains one very large number which is the
subscriptions from members paying cash. Fund raising this year yielded £839,
from quiz nights and the Prize Draw. If anyone has any ideas for fund raising
they would be most welcome.
Last year we only received £30 in donations; this, of
course, varies from year to year.
The interest on the funds that we hold is not as
attractive as it used to be: we get about £350 per annum, at about 3.2 to 3.4
%, which is as good as we can get in the current market. So our income comes
from fund raising, gifts and donations and the interest accumulated from money
that we have.
Expenditure includes administrative costs, such as the
hiring of rooms for meetings and The Festival of Remembrance and the outlay for
badges. The Benevolent Fund received over £500 for their activities in the
local area.
Overall our funds have increased over the last year:
The Branch holds:
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Last Report
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This Report
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24 November 2011
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6 October 2011
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Current Account
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£ 337.85
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£ 596.66
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Branch Funds at Head Office
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£13,094.29
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£11,794.29
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Total
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£13,690.95
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£12, 132.14
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The details are attached to this report. Click Here for more details
Note: The
subscriptions collected by David Humphrey have been deposited in The Branch’s
BFI Deposit Account, along with other monies received from bequests, so our
real value is about £1,000 less than the above total.
It was recorded that The Welfare
Committee did not have any need for money at this point.
The Chairman thanked The Treasurer for all his work. He
stated it was a great deal of money for a small branch; it is a tribute to all
of us that we manage to keep it on that amount of money. It does not seem to
get less every year – it seems to get more, which is incredible really. The
Treasurer added that it is due to the fund raising activities exceeding our
expenditure. The Chairman opined that this is excellent.
Welfare Chairman’s Report.
Nothing except to draw to people’s attention that a beneficiaries spouse died; ..................................................................................... *At the moment he
does not need any assistance.
Welfare Secretary’s Report.
The person I was concerned about
appears to be ok, and just to say to Bill I hope I am running as good a show as
you did.
Poppy Appeal Organiser’s Report.
First I would like to thank anyone who helped in any way.
The Summary of Donations for the 2010 Appeal, Lyme Regis
(TCF 18), was presented to The Committee. The details are:
Direct Total
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£101.41
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Business Boxes
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£0.00
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Direct Church Collections
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£0.00
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Direct Gift Aid
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£1.41
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Direct Donations / Sales
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£100.00
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Direct Special Events
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£0.00
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Direct Wreaths
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£0.00
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Not Restricted Funds
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£0.00
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Poppy Appeal
Organiser
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£5,320.62
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Church Collections
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£371.24
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Donations / Sales
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£40.50
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House to House
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£0.00
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Special Events
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£455.67
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90th Anniversary
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£0.00
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Static Point Collections
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£0.00
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Static Point Manned
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£2,446.68
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Static Point Unmanned
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£1,553.47
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Street Collections
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£0.00
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Unallocated
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£320.06
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Wreaths
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£133.00
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GROSS TOTAL
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£5,422.03
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Expenses Claimed
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£0.00
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Expenses Claimed at Source
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£0.00
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NET TOTAL
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£5,422.03
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We are up a bit since last year
by £94.84. We need to find some more collectors if anybody can think of anyone.
If anyone wants to see the figures I have got them at home.
The President thanked Sylvia and congratulated her.
There is still the same number of
boxes distributed. Mrs Angela manners said that Sylvia should be congratulated
for that as it is a lot of work .
Mr James Rice said that next year
he will assist with this.
The Chairman thanked Sylvia on
behalf of The Committee for her efforts, and asked that any recommendations for
next year should be submitted in good time.
Recruitment Advisor’s Report:
The branch has lost 11 members
since last November: 6 have died and 5 have Refused payment. Those who died
were:
Mr Elliot Leonard Harvey
Mr David Rattenbury
Mr William Croad
Mr Lionel Harry Fisher
Mr Raymond David Hallett
Mr Peter Flux.
On a positive note the Branch has recruited 11 members
this year, the oldest being 51 and the youngest 25.
Overall the membership has remained steady at 183, the
same number as at the last AGM. So we are bucking the trend by not decreasing
our Branch’s membership over the year, as is happening with a lot of branches
throughout the County.
107 members pay by Direct Debit, 74 members pay by Cash
and 2 are life members.
Whilst on the subject of membership, can I just ask those
people who pay by cash, or know of any member who pays by cash, to consider
paying by Direct Debit, as cash payers cost the Royal British Legion over £1
million pounds a year in administration fees. I am sure we all agree that this
could be spent on better things.
David explained that
cash payments are held by this branch prior to sending them to National Office
whereas Direct Debits go straight there.
I sold a batch of badges over the
last year making a profit of £29 for The Branch. I have at the moment nine
membership badges and £55.00; badges are still £5:00 each.
The monthly draw this year has 48
members taking part. £180.00 will go to prize money, leaving a profit for The
Branch of £396:00. Since the draw started three years ago it has made a profit
for The Branch of £1,346:00.
One of my agenda points is the
abolition of The Branch Administration Fee. Two years ago I introduced this.
The cost of joining The RBL at the moment is £12; we charge an extra £1 which
goes towards branch administration costs. The National Committee has agreed
that branch fees will increase annually. I feel that if we remove it now it
will be easier for members next year.
I propose that this fee is abolished. Seconded by Angela;
carried unanimously.
The next couple of items are just ideas and do not
require a vote.
We have commented on how well the Poppy Appeal Organiser
has done, and quite rightly so. We all know that this is not an easy job.
Before the next General Meeting in January, I would ask people to think about
forming a Poppy Appeal Subcommittee. This would not have to hold formal meetings
but would be a group of four or five people willing to help.
The next thing is the Relocation
of the Legion Crest. The Crest used to be outside The Ship, then it went to the
bar in the Nag’s Head when meetings were held there, but it is no longer on
display. As we now hold our meetings here, it might be an idea to ask The
Woodmead Halls Committee if a place could be found for it here.
Mr Philip Evans said he did not
think there would be any problem. The Committee is very pleased that The RBL
use this hall. The Halls are meant for the community and the Legion a big part
of the community; they would consider it an honour to have the badge outside or
wherever you want it. I am sure I am speaking for The Committee.
Mrs Angela Manners will speak, on behalf of The
Committee, to Rob, the owner of the
Nag’s Head, to ensure he would be happy with the plan. The Chairman asked for a
report at the next meeting.
Monthly Draw.
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November
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£10:00
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Mrs P M Freeman
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£5:00
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Mr T Rice
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December
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£10.00
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Mrs O Hill
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£5:00
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Mr G Jones
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Standard Bearer’s Activities.
Mr James Rice apologised for not being as active as he
would have liked to have been but he is working nights and sleeping during the
day, but he is available at key points when needed.
The Standard is looking a little bit tatty but should last
another year.
The gauntlets need to be replaced and can be sourced by
himself.
Members’ Report
Mr Keith Austin:
I would like to thank you very
much for helping me out to get the wreath for The Baptist Church. Sylvia got me
one and we were very pleased with it.
ELECTION OF THE BRANCH OFFICERS AND COMMITTEE
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APPOINTMENT
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NAME
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PROPOSED
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SECONDED
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Chairman.
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Ken Whetlor
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Ross Bennett
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John Hunt
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Vice Chairman.
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David Manners
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Ania Driver
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Ross Bennett
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Honorary Secretary.
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Tony Smith
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Martin Jones
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John Hunt
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Honorary Treasurer.
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Martin Jones
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David Humphrey
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Kevin Taylor
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Welfare Chairman.
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Ross Bennett
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Ania Driver
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Angela Manners
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Welfare Secretary.
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Ania Driver
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Ross Bennett
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David Humphrey
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Poppy Appeal Organiser.
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Sylvia Marler
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Keith Austin
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Ania Driver
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Recruitment Advisor.
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David Humphrey
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Kevin Taylor
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Ania Driver
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Members
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Keith Austin
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Ross Bennett
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Ken Whetlor
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John Hunt
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Martin Jones
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Mike Lloyd
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Mike Lloyd
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Ross Bennett
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David Humphrey
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Angela Manners
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Sylvia Marler
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Ken Whetlor
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Kevin Taylor
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David Humphrey
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Martin Jones
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Peter Ward
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Ania Driver
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David Humphrey
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Jacqueline Ward
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David Humphrey
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Ania Driver
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APPOINTMENTS BY THE COMMITTEE
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APPOINTMENT
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NAME
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PROPOSED
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SECONDED
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President.
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Cecil Quick
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Ken Whetlor
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David Humphrey
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Vice President.
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Bill Reed
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David Humphrey
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Angela Manners
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Standard Bearer.
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James Rice
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Ken Whetlor
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Kevin Taylor
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Deputy Standard Bearer.
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John Hunt
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David Humphrey
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Mike Lloyd
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Chaplain.
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Jane Skinner
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Ken Whetlor
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Ross Bennett
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Auditors.
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Keith Jenkin
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Martin Jones
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David Humphrey
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All of the nominees above received a unanimous vote.
FORM MS 1
This was completed
and signed by Branch Officers and Committee Members.
Nominations for County Office
None.
Motions for the County Annual
None.
Delegates for the
County and National Conferences.
None.
Award of the Jack Loveridge Trophy.
Mrs Sylvia Marler received the Jack Loveridge Trophy from
The President.
Any Other Business.
Lt. Col. Ross Bennett said that he would like to propose
a vote of thanks to Mr Philip Evans for everything he does on behalf of The Royal
British Legion. Seconded by Mr Ken Whetlor and applauded by the meeting.
Mr Martin Jones said that a current Town Councillor had
approached him with a germ of an idea to generate another point of interest in
the town, by dedicating a couple of beach huts, Numbers 3 and 4, to the two
members of the Royal Air Force Red Arrows Team who died this year. There is no
particular plan as to the form this would take, but he was seeking to gain the
general approval of The RBL, as representatives of the Armed Forces, that they
could go ahead with the idea.
I am proposing that we do accept interest and allow them
to proceed with the scheme.
Seconded by The Chairman and
given a unanimous vote.
The Chairman reminded the meeting
that we had received an oak cup during the year. This was carved out of a piece
of oak from HMS Victory and is now in the Museum. There was also a Certificate
of Authenticity which in the hands of a local calligrapher for completion.
Mrs Angela Manners has booked the
Hall for next year’s meetings and would present the dates at the next GM on the
5th of January at 19:00 hours.
Ania pointed out that if anyone
wished to receive an Agenda they should give their email address to The
Honorary Secretary.
Meeting Closed: at 20:47 hours.
* Details changed to preserve the beneficiaries confidentiality.
