Association Newsletter

THE BRIXMIS ASSOCIATION AGM AND REUNION – SATURDAY 25TH OCTOBER

The 24th Annual General Meeting and Reunion of the Association will take place on Saturday 25th October 2008, in the WOs’ and Sgts’ Mess, RAF Northolt, by kind arrangement of Committee Member Ian Jebson.

The camp is located in the Ruislip area of NW London, situated on the west side of the A4180 (West End Road), just north of the junction with the A40 Western Avenue.  The nearest tube station is Ruislip Gardens on the Central Line to West Ruislip.

There is ample parking within the camp for those taking cars.  However, please note that your vehicle details must be provided for security purposes.  Given the current security situation in UK you are advised to have some sort of photo ID with you to enter RAF Northolt.

The AGM, which is open to Association Members, their spouses and partners, will commence again this year at 1800 hours, to take account of the chef’s mandatory rest period.  Private guests may be invited to the Reunion, which will begin immediately after the meeting, at approximately 1900 hours.  Tea and coffee will be available in the Ante Room from 1700 hours.  As the same room will be used for both functions, a few ‘willing volunteers’ will be required to move furniture around!  Those persons not wishing to attend the AGM, may be accommodated in an adjacent room; it is hoped that the bar will be open at this time, and will remain so until midnight.  You will all be very pleasantly surprised with the cost of drinks, which remain at Mess prices!

There will be a hot buffet, probably consisting of chilli con carne, chicken fricassee and a vegetarian option.  The cost is £10.50 per head.

AGM  

Please note that, in accordance with the Constitution, any Member who wishes to raise an item for the Agenda, where discussion and/or voting may be required at the AGM, must inform the Secretary beforehand.   Minor matters and general comments may be raised under AOB.

ORDINARY MEMBERSHIP

Since the last AGM, we have recruited a further 11 new members:

       Pete Trennery - RAF driver 1981-84

       Gordon Rodhouse        - RASC driver 1961-63

       Bill Wheeler - RASC clerk 1952-53

       Danny Williamson - RASC driver 1954-55

       ‘Paddy’ Hayes - RASC driver 1953-56

       Eric Noble - RASC driver 1953-55

       David Bredon - RCT driver 1981-83

       Tommy Nibloe - RCT driver 1973-75

       Murray Brock - Spandau Office 1989-90

       Fred Aldridge - RCT driver 1965-67

       John Blake - RCT driver 1974-77

The following deaths have been reported: Freddy Bonnart, Interpreter 1946-47 and GSO3 1948-49 (April 2008); Dick Ives, Tour NCO RE 1971-72 (June 2008); Jeff Lloyd, RASC/RCT driver 1969-72 (August 2008).  The Chairman has sent letters of condolence to their spouses/relatives, on behalf of the Association.

We have also recovered four ‘lost and found’ over the period.

HONORARY MEMBERSHIP

We have received one request to join the Association as an Honorary Member:

Mrs ‘Pip’ Jones, widow of SSgt G J Jones, Survey Specialist 1981-84, put forward by Tony Johnson.

LOTTERY HERITAGE FUND

The Secretary has received a message from Angus Southwood, to the effect that the Defence Museum trustees will be pressing ahead with their application for LHF funding, and wondered if we were still doing the same.  After some discussion, the Chairman mentioned that he had received information from the LHF people to state that, as the Museum is not in effect open to the public, it was unlikely that either application would be successful.  Also, if two applications for virtually the same project are received, it was likely that both would be rejected.  We have invested £1000.00 from the Diamond Jubilee Fund in the Premium Bond, and if we have a win over £20,000.00, that will be used to fund the ‘interactive’ project. It was therefore decided that we would not proceed with our application. 

The Chairman will draft a suitable response to the Chairman of the Museum Trustees for Sir John to reply.

Thanks are recorded for Dave Butler’s earlier work on the grant application.

COMMEMORATIVE ITEMS

The Chairman mentioned that most of the items have now been completed, all of the art work etc. approved, and that they will be ready for the AGM.  He will take those ordered items to the AGM for those attending, and the others will be posted shortly afterwards.

VOTING RIGHTS

In the past, there has been some confusion over voting at the AGM, particularly regarding the rights of Honorary and Associate members, and spouses/partners attending the meeting.  The only reference in the Constitution to voting rights is in paragraph 6: ’15 Ordinary Members of the Association shall form a quorum for voting purposes at the AGM’, which, by implication, excludes all others.

The Secretary mentioned that in previous letters of welcome for Honorary members, mention was made that they did not have voting rights at the AGM, but this appears to have been left off the recent version! 

The following addition to paragraph 6 of the Constitution will be made at the AGM:

‘Only Ordinary Members are entitled to a vote.’

ARCHIVE FILMS

The following report has been received from John Elliott:

‘We have made excellent progress with the sifting of the 35,000 films that we rescued from the MOD. We delivered the first batch to the museum at Chicksands a few weeks ago. At the AGM this year, we should be able to gather together most of the remainder of the films for delivery. The volunteer ‘sifters’ have done extremely well to have done so much in the past 18 months. The general opinion was that there was a lot of rubbish, but that there was much that was worth keeping. Only future researchers will be able to decide how useful the exercise has been, but at least we have given them something to work on. We have reduced the number to be kept to about 10% of the start number of films. There was a reasonable variety of equipment, both ground and air, in b&w, colour and colour slides. Well done all those involved, and thank you for giving your time and effort.’

RAF 90th ANNIVERSARY MEDALLION

The Tower Mint (www.towermint.co.uk) sent to the Secretary a sample of an 'Officially licensed RAF 90th anniversary medal'. It is a 38mm nickel silver medal. It has the official RAF logo stamped in colour on one side and the images of an SE5, a Spitfire and a Typhoon on the other, with the dates marking the 90th anniversary. It comes in a guilded presentation case. The cost, including our onward postage cost, will be £8.75. The minimum order is 50. 'Part of the proceeds from this product will contribute to the preservation of the UK's unique and extensive aviation heritage by supporting the work of the RAF Museum'.

John Elliott showed the sample at the meeting at the Cold War Museum at Cosford, and there was some positive response. John will act as POC. He will bring the sample to the AGM. Please contact the Secretary if you would like to have one or more medallions. If we have 50 interested, we will collect money and then order the medallions. (Do NOT send any money yet).

COMMITTEE MEMBERSHIP

All Committee members have to be re-elected at the AGM, in line with the Constitution.  Due to his permanent move to Spain, Bill Hogg would be unlikely to attend future Committee meetings, and Mark Knight’s work and other commitments had also precluded his attendance.  It was decided that the Chairman would approach both of these members with a view to stepping down from the Committee.  It was also mentioned that Rod Saar and Dave Cockburn had indicated their willingness to serve, should there be a future vacancy. 

The Chairman has since contacted Bill and Mark, and both have since replied that with regret, but understanding the circumstances, they are willing step down.  The Chairman will therefore approach Rod and Dave, to confirm that they are still happy for their names to be put forward at the AGM for election.