Rhodesian Light Infantry Regimental Association

UK Branch Newsletter / REPORT OF AGM

                               FEBRUARY 2008

Dear Members,

February 2008 has seen the first UK Branch RLIRA AGM / Reunion held in Sandy, Bedfordshire on the 9^th, February2008 at The Conservative Club.

It was a memorable and wonderful day, bringing together 60 members who brought with them emotions and memories of a long lost bond and folks who had not seen one another since the Rhodesia days and all that we stood for together. It has been so wonderful to have all the support and appreciation from those who attended I thank you all who have written expressing gratitude and appreciation for the happy time we had together. Lunch was buffet style 1pm

AGENDA FOR AGM   2.30 pm.

1. Opening address
2. Exco Council and its make up.
3. Patron’s message
4. Chairman’s Message
5. Tasks for 2008 Trooper Statue and Re-dedication Service
6. Fundraising
7. Administration Issues
8. Any Other Business
9. Thankyous.

The AGM began with the Chairman’s opening address and welcome to all present. Martyn introduced the Committee of our branch. A new secretary was proposed and seconded in the guise of Nigel Holmes as Vic Walker was not present due to personal commitments and had stood down from the post. Clive Larrett has become Chaplain to the Association and Mark Pilbeam is the extra committee member. Martyn explained that the UK committee have to be responsible to the world wide Executive Council which is made up as follows:

Patron :                 John Essex-Clark Brig. Ret

Chairman:             Ian Buttenshaw

CEO /Secretary :  Martyn Hudson

Three branch Chairman :  Australasia     Tony Young

                                          South Africa   Hamish Macintyre

                                           UK                Martyn Hudson

Legal Advisor  : Shaun Ryan  non voting member

Historian :        Chris Cocks   non voting member

Web Master :   George Dempster  non voting member

Martyn outlined the Tasks for  Year  2008 :

1. The Trooper Statue, to  have it repaired and  finished , is erected at Hatfield House and a Re Dedication service to be organised later this year.
2. The pre UDI Colours need to be encased in an airtight glass case, then they too will be mounted in the family Chapel at Hatfield House .The post UDI Colours will stay in the custody of the UK Branch, available for any occasion required, i.e. Remembrance Sunday here in the UK, Anzac Day Parade in Brisbane, Australia in April,  when Shaun Ryan will take them to Australia and have custody of them.
3. It is the world wide association’s decision to try and have the Re – Dedication Service at Hatfield House in September of this year when the airfares from the rest of the world to the UK are at their cheapest.

It was  explained that to achieve these Tasks we needed to do serious fundraising as our branch coffers at this moment in time were empty !! However with the help of the various stands in the hall eg. Book Stall with Steve Crump and the books from 30Degrees south, who on behalf of Chris Cocks  kindly donated of The Saints and Masodja books for our Raffle.

 RLI Memorabilia from Australia and New Zealand were all available and on sale. You have all been sent a list of stock items that is still available which we need to sell ASAP.

Raffle tickets were on sale and over 30 prizes had all been donated from suppliers through business contacts, whilst the best of all , a painting by John Wynne Hopkins donated by theRAA was to be auctioned in the evening after the Raffle.

If anyone is interested I have been in contact with Charlie Warren in South Africa and should you want to order a copy of his book “ Stick Leader “ let me know and I can do a bulk order as this is not available in the UK.

Finally ANY OTHER BUSINESS members were asked how you would like to see the Association progressing  in 2009.

It was decided that we would like membership cards and we are going to copy the original one and have enough printed to send to the other branches.

George Dempster sent a report to show that UK was the biggest user of the web site.

Suggestions for future gatherings whether regionally and annually were voiced with suggestions for a summer Braai as well as the annual AGM/Reunion. These  suggestions and the  tasks and the organisation necessary will be discussed at our Committee Meeting on 8^th March, 2008

Since the meeting some of the members have asked to have a braai this year, however as a committee we just have not got the time to do it , how ever Gerry Doyle is trying to organise an event we will keep you posted.

The Opening address finished with  thanks to all who had made the effort to be here today, and

To the RAA for donating the Painting by John Wynne-Hopkins, a FIRE FORCE Scene

To 30 degrees south for donating the Books  …..The Saints and Masodja

To Australia and New Zealand for organising the Merchandise on sale.

To all business suppliers for all the many Raffle prizes two televisions, 32” and15” top prizes

To all Martyn’s family for helping to set up and organise the day especially the RLI Taxi Service to and from the Sandy railway station, Conservative club and hotel as required !! Day and night !

MESSAGES from the Executive Council, OUR PATRON John Essex Clark Brig Retd and from our Chairman, Ian Buttenshaw were read out, congratulating us on growing the membership  so quickly which has continued since the reunion, and wished us all the best for our first AGM.

Clive Larret our newly elected chaplain to the UK branch gave a talk on the importance of the association , giving examples of what it meant to him , especially seeing people on the day that he had not seen for 25years.

At present Clive is a serving officer in the British army in the post of  Revd to the combined services , he told the members that the respect for the RLI is still spoken about within the UK forces and recently , there were studies done on Fire Force tactics.

But the main point he put across was the importance of friendship and maintaining the contact that we have all made, and what a world wide association can do for you.

TASKS for 2008  The Trooper Statue  and pre UDI Colours to be mounted at Hatfield House and a Re Dedication Service to be organised, plans are already in motion and details will be discussed at our next Committee meeting ,on 8^th March 2008. You will all be kept in touch by news letters of the developments. It is hoped this will be  at the end of September, 2008 and watch the web site for details, and organise our own Colour Party for Remembrance Sunday.

FUNDRAISING   The RLIRA Bank Account has now been opened, South Africa will be opening a world wide appeal on the website for the association  and donations  will be able to be paid  straight into the account from all over the world. Please look on the website for details soon.

ADMINISTRATION ISSUES  It was felt that members who would rather have their News Letters  posted to them , this could easily be done at a charge of £ 5.00 per year as the issues would be quarterly. Any one wishing this service please send £5.00 and contact Martyn Hudson.

This would cover the basic costs.( at present we post copies to 25 people which I am having to fund myself, so unfortunately this will be the last free posting )

At this point the meeting was closed and adjourned in preparation for the evening festivities.

The party started again at approx 7.00pm, although it did not stop for some (me included) we started with a buffet supper  and then drank and danced the night away until midnight, what happened after that you need to get hold of a copy of Nigel Holmes report published the next day

All I can say on the matter is the hotel have not invited us back for next year.

  .

The raffle was drawn and everybody was extremely happy with their prizes but I would like to pay a special thank you to Peter Pitman and Reg Ayling who won first and third prizes and re donated their  prizes to auction .

So this meant during the auction we raised £340.00 for John’s picture, £270.00 for Peter’s prize and £110.00 From Reg’s prize.

NEWS FROM THE OTHER BRANCHES.

Australia do not forget Anzacs day is getting closer see the web site for details, remember all members of the association are welcome.

A big thankyou to their members who organised the manufacturing of the association ties, blazer badges, CIBs etc remember support the association and not eBay.

South Africa has been very busy maintaining the web site and both Chris Cocks and George Dempster have agreed to set up the appeal fund world wide.

New Zealand although a charter of the Australasia branch, Hugh Bomford with Rhodesian Forces Association has a link on our web site and runs a very well stocked QM stores if you are looking for any thing else that we do not stock in the UK he is your contact.

OBITURIES

Phil Stubbins 3 Cdo died in Sydney,Australia on 24^th December, 2007

Finally to all you members for your support and I look forward to seeing you later this year.

MARTYN HUDSON

CHAIRMAN UK BRANCH

CEO/SECRETARY  EXCO COUNCIL

ADDRESS EMAIL   martyn.hudson2@btinternet.com

RESIDENTIAL : CORNERVIEW,1,SCHOOL LANE, BOLNHURST,BEDFORDSHIRE, MK44 2EN

TELEPHONE : 01234 376712

MOBILE   07788788095