Poetry Book
Some of you will remember our request last year to send in your submarine related poems. We had a tremendous response and Barrie Downer has painstakingly gone through every one for their suitability and quality and collated them into a chronological order. This has obviously taken some time but we are now in the position to finalise the cover and arrange printing. Lord Boyce kindly wrote a foreword and is clearly impressed with it. Watch this space for the cost and sale details.
And Finally
Bob Wishart was relinquishing his position on the NMC due to ill health so it is sad to report that Bob didn’t have chance to enjoy his retirement and has since passed away. Bob had been on the committee for many years and did lots of good work behind the scenes. I have honestly never seen so many at a funeral as there were at his. The crematorium was packed to overflowing with his family, many friends and acquaintances. His ashes have since been committed to the sea with a small, private service in an area of the Clyde which could be seen from his front window in Rhu.
Bob Seaward had a heart attack a couple of days before his first official duty as a Vice President in early May, but fortunately he is recovering well and hopefully soon back on the Association trail.
I would like to take this opportunity to thank those who have stood down from the NMC this year and who have done so much to further the Association.
Rick Elrick managed our financial affairs in a most impressive manner. I always had a good feeling whenever Rick was around and his calming influence and steady manner when carrying out his committee duties stood us in good stead over the last 8 years. The NMC, after some lobbying from a lot of members, unanimously decided to confer the position of Honorary Vice President for his unstinting work for the association. Rick accepted this and it is the first time I have seen him stuck for words.
Barrie Downer stood down from the NMC after the last reunion primarily because of his ever increasing work commitments. He took on a lot of extra curriculum duties on our behalf and he deserves a big pat on the back for all that he did for us. Although he has officially stood down he has agreed to continue with putting this newsletter together for which I am hugely grateful, completing the Poetry Book and is also still active with the Frankton Memorial.
Roy Dixon has been a stalwart committee member for quite a few years. He has been our representative on the board of the submarine museum trustees and also put together the SA diary for the past 3 or 4 years. Roy stood down this year and I would like to give him a big thank you from us all.
They all deserve our sincere and grateful thanks.
Well that's all for now
Finished with Main Engines and Steering. Coxn, pipe leave to all stokers and back afties. Seamen turn to and store ship.
Dave
Presidents Speech to Conference 2010
Chairman, Vice Presidents, Members of the NMC, Conference Delegates and Observers.
I would like to formally welcome Cdr Bob Seaward as a Vice President. Bob will be assisting me by taking the bulk of events north of the border for which I am most grateful.
Another year has passed since we had that excellent conference in Bangor Northern Ireland. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since then and we have much to do this afternoon.
Before we start on the main business of the day, I would very much like to thank Rupert Best and in particular David Heap and all the other members of the Dorset Branch for making all the arrangements for us to be here today. So far I think it has all gone very well and the hotel is fine and Nicola and I very much enjoyed seeing the Olympic Yacht Facility this morning.
One quick topic I want to mention is the Alliance Appeal. As you know she is in a poor state and needs about £4.5m spent on her to remove the corrosion, make access easier and conform to DDA standards. The heritage lottery fund has promised £3m and Vice Admiral McClement has raised £1.25m in matching funding already which is a fantastic achievement and should ensure her future for many years to come. There now is further fundraising to improve and build a better visitor centre for people to look at while waiting to be shown round so please keep working at it.
The SA has had a good year with another very enjoyable reunion in Nottingham. We had our first Fringe Show at the Edinburgh Festival with Glen Barrack which had a rave review by the Times newspaper so well done.
This year the National Draw is no longer a separate weekend but will take place during the reunion which takes some of the pressure off the branches and allows more people to see it take place. The November ceremony sadly was once again wet weather routine which is a shame as I still find the parade a very moving occasion and well worthwhile. There was a very reasonable complaint that the NMC does not arrange for Branches to be represented at the Cenotaph the following week. The history of this goes back to 1921 when Admiral Keys, the FOSM of the day, was invited on Remembrance Day to attend the then new Submarine Memorial on the Embankment. He declined because he had to be at the Cenotaph and suggested moving the opening forward by a week. This has ever since been our tradition to hold our ceremony a week early. The London Branch used to help organise the Garden of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey and Ian Tyson still does do that, and he also used to help form up a platoon of those who wished to march at the Cenotaph. If Branches would like to march at the Cenotaph, I think it is too much for the NMC to organise as well as the Embankment Parade but if any branch would like to take it on then that would be most welcome. I do know there are some who would be interested in participating. Iain Mackenzie (as Parade Marshall) is happy to arrange but not to attend in person.
Last year at this time I spoke about Branch closures Central Lancs. and Bury since last conference and reducing membership, membership marginally up in 2009 but has drifted down again in the first 3 months of this year and that we need to grab this and make whatever changes are needed to arrest this decline.
Well that is the main business of today as you know. It is a difficult and sometimes emotional subject and I hope the discussion this afternoon will be on the point, mature and constructive.
I would like to publicly thank Ted Hogben and Rick Rothwell, who sadly cannot be with us this weekend, for leading the very full and comprehensive study which is the basis of our discussions. The team did a great job and has given us all much to think about in formulating the future of the SA.
We do not need to change everything this year but there are things that need to be put in place sooner rather than later, and other things that can wait if they cannot be agreed on. I will say only this; The SA is your association and we must try to shape it for you and future members to enjoy.
I will not say more at this stage but I will be following the debate with great interest.