Derby Nottingham Branch

Annual Report for 2010

Our Chairman’s Report 1st February 2011

At the last AGM, we saw the standing down of Brian Ireland after 10 years as Chairman.  The members were so appreciative of his service to the Association in general and the Branch in particular, that the members presented Brian and his wife Sylvia with appropriate gifts.  The Committee also nominated him for an Association President’s Commendation.  This was duly granted and on 1st June, Barry Woodward, Area Vice President, travelled from Yorkshire to present The Association President’s Commendation to Brian “in recognition of the outstanding work he has done on behalf of the Branch and his commitment to the Association”.  Although he no longer serves as a formal committee member, Brian, supported by his wife Sylvia, continues to serve the Branch in a welfare capacity, maintaining regular contact with members who have health and other problems, reporting back to the members via the committee and implementing their directions where appropriate.  Once again, we are indebted to Brian and Sylvia.

This would be an appropriate juncture to introduce myself to those who have not met me.  I am Ian Lawrence and was elected as Chairman to replace Brian.  I retired from the Army as a Major in 2003 after 34 years commissioned service in REME.  After working as a contractor for the MOD for several years, I moved to Newark on Trent and retired fully.  I have now been a branch member for 4 years.

All other committee members agreed to stand for a further year and, there being no alternative nominations, were duly elected.

2010 has been another year when the Branch has performed to the high standards it set itself in previous years.  Our monthly Branch meetings continue to be well attended by both full members and several wives and, as ever, we have maintained a good balance between formal business and a good social atmosphere; this does credit to the ethos of fostering the esprit de corps of REME.

Apart from Brian, other committee members have continued their own regular welfare visits.  During the year, we were also belatedly made aware of some new welfare cases.  We realised that it had been possible for a member to have problems and for us to be unaware of the circumstances until quite late in the day.  Therefore, we will now monitor members’ attendance at Branch meetings.  If a member does not attend or send apologies for 3 meetings in a row, a committee member will get in touch to offer mutual reassurance that the Branch is there to offer friendship always and assistance where necessary.

As with any organisation with a predominance of senior citizens, there will be some members whose health fails them and we have sadly lost several members due to illness.  Branch members attended the funerals of the following Corps and ex-Corps colleagues:  Col (Retd) Davies;  Jack Lund;  Glen Else;  Cpl Thomas REME, a serving soldier killed on operations;  Cyril Plant;  Bill Andrews ;  John Straw.  A moment of reflection in their memory would be appropriate.

To turn to more upbeat matters, we have had a full social diary.  We have had visits to Bletchley Park, Morgan Motors and Newark Air Museum.  We continue to maintain our relationship with the Rolls Royce Heritage Trust who kindly invite us to their events and lectures and more recently we have received invitations to Institute of Mechanical Engineers lectures at Loughborough University.  We have enjoyed the hospitality of our President and his wife Dorothy to stage our alfresco BBQ and Cheese and Wine Party in the summer and for the Christmas Party in December, thankfully indoors.  Our formal annual dinner in the WO’s and Sgt’s Mess at Chilwell was well attended with Lt Col Paul Fletcher, Comd ES 5 Div as our principal guest.  Our other guests included the Garrison Adjt and RSM and Fred Brunger, in-pensioner at the Royal Hospital Chelsea.  Feedback from the official guests, members and personal guests has been excellent and gives us every incentive to continue this format for the foreseeable future.

We must give thanks to Eric Chamberlain for managing our social calendar.  Eric has now stood down from the Committee and we are still looking for one or more volunteers to help the other members of the committee maintain an equally enjoyable programme.

Branch meetings and the Dinner would not be such a success if it were not for the hospitality of the RSM Chilwell Garrison and the members of the WO’s and Sgt’s Mess.  We are extremely grateful for this and I have been reassured by RSM Clarke that the arrangement will continue.

In June we manned a stall at Wollaton Park as part of the Armed Services Weekend.  We had great support from the general public for our “Lucky Dip” and children’s colouring competition as well as advertising the activities of the Branch and the Association.  We managed to raise just over £320 clear profit and, following a vote by members, we made a contribution of £350 to our chosen charity, St Dunstan’s, who support blind and partially sighted servicemen.  Indeed, one of our new members, Cpl Steve Shepherd, is a member of St Dunstan’s and he attends most Branch meetings with his guide dog Stanley, who appropriately wore a REME bow tie for the presentation of the cheque for St Dunstan’s.  Steve and Stanley were on parade at the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday and members heard about their experiences at the December Branch meeting.

Prior to our September Branch meeting, many members attended presentations by the CO of the RTMC and his staff at Chilwell where we learned about the mounting and rehabilitation activities of the unit.  We were surprised to learn that they prepare politicians, diplomatic staff and press for visits and duty in foreign theatres as well as ensuring servicemen are properly equipped and prepared for operational tours.  It is also encouraging to know that servicemen, physically and mentally injured in the line of duty, are well looked after on their return from theatre.

In October, Branch members attended the Corps Birthday commemoration at the National Memorial Arboretum.  The weather was atrocious and we all got very wet, in particular the standard bearers who did not have the benefit of protective clothing.  Despite the weather, the occasion was rewarding.

Branch members returned to the National Memorial Arboretum on Armistice Day when a wreath was laid on behalf of the branch at the REME Memorial.

On Remembrance Sunday many Branch members attended the ceremony at the memorial inside the barracks at Chilwell where wreaths were laid and then a service of remembrance in the surge hangar.  Afterwards, the majority of Branch members retired to the Sgt’s Mess, to again enjoy their hospitality, for a curry lunch.

At the formal ceremonies, the funerals and the dedication of new memorial in Clifton, the Branch has either been represented by our standard bearer, Dave Catling or his stand-in Keith Woods.  Gerrard Wadsworth has also played the bugle on a number of occasions.  Although Branch members always appreciate the gravitas their presence brings, there has been feedback from other people confirming this and I would like to express thanks on behalf of everyone.  Although the Corps has now provided a waterproof cape for the Branch standard bearer, we wait to test its effectiveness in inclement weather.

At every Branch meeting and social get together, we have had a raffle in aid of Branch funds, a good deal of which gets spent on welfare or donations to benevolent funds.  Thanks are due to Tony Bunce and his assistant Dusty Miller for organizing the raffles and also to members who have generously donated many suitable prizes.

Jim Grant has continued to give good Secretarial service, .responding to all mail efficiently and without delay.  I never cease to be amazed at his ability to record the proceedings of our meetings without the use of formal shorthand and to produce excellent minutes in such a prompt manner.  Those members who are unable to attend meetings and other interested parties really appreciate seeing an account of our activities and to note that we are a thriving Branch.

David Marshall has again managed our finances in a proficient manner and has successfully transferred our bank account to one that bears us some interest, an achievement in the current financial climate.  As you will see from his report, you will agree that we continue to be in sound shape.

Steve Stephenson has pressed on with improvements to The Website and the photo gallery provides an excellent record of our activities over the year.  However, Steve can only work with the material he is given and that must come from the members.

It is traditional that the Branch Chairman asks the President to continue for a further year in office; I am delighted to announce that John has accepted.  It is an appropriate time to again thank him and Dorothy for their hospitality at the social activities and also Committee meetings.  Our thanks too you both!

Finally, I must thank our ladies for the assistance they give us, partly for such help as catering at social functions, but more importantly, the knowledge that they are at our sides.

We could not have achieved so much without the efforts of the committee members to provide competent management of funds and the provision of entertaining and enjoyable social events, plus our ability to deal swiftly and efficiently with Welfare issues.  We will only maintain this success if we continue to give our wholehearted support to the Committee who, apart from Eric, have agreed to stand again for re-election.

Ian Lawrence