THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION SUFFOLK COUNTY NEWSLETTER Spring 2014 POPPY APPEAL AS AT 7 March 2014 Suffolk 612,032 Currently only 2% down on last year so well on the way!! National total 612,032 currently 3.6% down COUNTY NOTICES The Suffolk County Standard Bearer for this year is Gordon Palastanga from Ixworth and was charged with the Standard at this years Annual conference. Mick Norman from Stowmarket is Deputy for this year DATES FOR YOUR DIARY FOR STANDARD BEARERS APRIL 27 TH SUNDAY ANZAC DAY HADLEIGH MAY 29 TH - THURSDAY SUFFOLK SHOW MAY 31 ST SATURDAY STRADBROKE JUNE 7 TH SATURDAY WOODBRIDGE JUNE 28 TH ARMED FORCES EVENTS SUDBURY OR LOWESTOFT- take your pick JULY 27 TH - SUNDAY WOODBRIDGE AUGUST 3 RD BURY ST EDMUNDS CATHEDRAL AUGUST 4 TH IPSWICH CANDLELIGHT VIGIL AUGUST 9 TH NEWMARKET RACE DAY SEPTEMBER 29 TH COMPETITION!!!!!
COUNTY NOTICES & EVENTS - CONTINUED SUFFOLK COUNTY CALENDAR OF EVENTS 2014 March 10 Monday Commonwealth Fly the Flag Ceremony Ipswich Town Hall April 12 Saturday County Committee - Saxham 27 Sunday Anzac St Marys Church Hadleigh 3.00pm May 4 Sunday Suffolk Junior Cavalry closure presentations 10 Saturday Suffolk County RBL Youth March Chantry Park, Ipswichj 15 Thursday Leiston RBL 19.30 Shades of Blue Big Band. Leiston Film Theatre. Contact Trevor Peskett or Leiston Film Theatre 28 Wednesday Suffolk Show 29 Thursday Suffolk Show standards required this day please 31 Saturday Stradbroke RBL Concert Overlord with Sheringham Shantymen. 7.30 Stradbroke High School. Contact Joyce Cooper. Standards please 31/1 Sat/Sun County Conference - Haughley contact Peter Gipson pete@gipsons.co.uk June 7 Saturday Woodbridge Branch RBL Event Dday commemoration 13.00 Elmhurst Park 7/8 Sat/Sun Branch Management Couse- Haughley contact Peter Gipson pete@gipsons.co.uk 14/15 Sat/Sun Branch Treasurer s course Haughley - contact Peter Gipson pete@gipsons.co.uk 14/15 Sat/Sun Riders branch 100mile bike ride and rally - Felixstowe RBL Club 21 Saturday Suffolk County RBL Concert Needham Market Community Centre 7.50 with Suffolk Concert Band. Contact Margaret Buttle 01449 770353 28 Saturday Lowestoft Branch RBL Armed Forces Day 28 Saturday Sudbury Branch Armed Forces Day 11.00am parade in town July 4 Friday Sudbury Branch RBL American Independence Day ceremony 12 Saturday County Committee 19 Saturday Haughley Branch Centenary event renactment Christmas truce football. Haughley Playing Field 12noon. Contact: Margaret Buttle 01449 770353 27 Sunday Woodbridge Branch RBL WW1 Event Flame of Remembrance. Kingston Field, Woodbridge 13.30. contact Steve Lockwood 28 Aug 9 th Sudbury Branch WW1display in library. August 3 rd Service of commemoration St Gregorys August 3 Sunday Suffolk County WW1 Commemorative even song 3.30pm Bury Cathedral standards required please 4 Monday Ipswich ~WW1 Evening Civic parade, service and candlelight vigil standard bearers invited. 9 Saturday Newmarket Race Day standards required please September 7 Sunday Brampton Plough Day Beccles RBL attending 13 Saturday County Committee
20 Saturday Henham Steam Rally Beccles RBL attending 21 Sunday Henham Steam Rally Beccles RBL attending 29 Saturday Standard Bearers Competition Needham Market October 11 Saturday Suffolk Game Show 12 Sunday Suffolk Game Show 25 Saturday Poppy Appeal Launch & Parade, Woodbridge 31 Friday Remembrance Festival Woodbridge community hall November 6 Thursday Remembrance Festival Leiston 6 7 Friday Remembrance Festival Apex Bury St Edmunds 22 Saturday County Committee 2015 January 10 Saturday Annual conference Needham Market Community Centre Please keep County Secretary updated with your events so I can publicise them as best as I can
ANNUAL CONFERENCE DELEGATES SEMINARS PROGRAMME - CANCELLATION Dear All HQ I write to advise you that for a variety of reasons the provisionally booked seminars for Annual Conference delegates programme has been cancelled entirely. One of the reasons is the fact that some counties and branches are promoting the view that these seminars are another example of the Board of Trustees seeking to influence debate on motions. I am sure the subject will be covered at the Chairman's Visit to Haig House on 11 March where a fuller explanation will be made known. If that is not the case, the matter will be covered at the Membership Council meeting on 11 March following which County and District Chairmen will be advised. Please pass the National Chairman's apologies for any inconvenience caused. Please ensure branch chairmen and delegates are advised of this decision. In view of this decision, the possibility and advisability of distributing explanatory notes on Annual Conference motions is being considered but a decision on this will not be made until closer to the Annual Conference 2014. Kind Regards, Colin Kemp CS KEMP, Membership Council Representative Eastern Region BFI interest The high rate interest of 3.2% on BFI expired on 31 st March. Despite a lot of research, the highest interest HQ have found is 2% so this will be in place until 31 st May 2014 NEWMARKET RACE DAY AUGUST 9th LOMAS TRAINING Please note that at this stage we do not have any future training dates scheduled. In order to ensure the system performs well and that we have the necessary user support during the year end period, it has been decided that no new users will be set up until at least the end of summer. If you wish to register for the next training please ensure your County Secretary has your contact details Look out for information about any discounted tickets for members
COUNTY NOTICES - from The Secretary ACCOUNTS The end of year accounts are already looming again. Do make sure that there is a reconciliation at your next branch meeting then at least then it is no big step to get the end of years correct. It is the responsibility of all elected officers as Branch Trustees to ensure that these accounts are completed on time and are accurate. Do not leave it all to the poor old Treasurer!! #CHRISTMAS BOXES# - AN ABSOLUTE NO NO Just to reiterate again about branches that insist on spending Legion money on Christmas boxes. This is fraudulent use of Legion money. Money is raised under the auspices of TRBL and under our charity number but many Christmas boxes are given outside of the Legion beneficiary criteria therefore this is not correct use of Legion money. 10 tokens can be given by your qualified Hospital and Housebound Visitors suitably logged on the correct form for your Branch Treasurer and then if any service / ex-service / families are in need then they should be put into the formal welfare system with having a Form A completed. Just being a member is not a criteria for receiving a gift! CONGRATULATIONS TO HAVERHILL BRANCH ON A YOUTH AFFILIATION WITH ANOTHER OF THEIR LOCAL CADET UNITS. You can do this too!!! CONGRATULATIONS TO PETER GIPSON from Bacton ON HIS NATIONAL LIFE MEMBERSHIP AND MICHAEL WRACKHAM from Wrentham ON HIS GOLD BADGE AWARD. They can t have them awarded if you don t put them in for them!!!
MEMBERSHIP TRAINING Please ensure that at least your Branch Officers have received up to date training. It never hurts to do a refresher either!! 25-Mar-14 26-Mar-14 Branch Management 29-Mar-14 30-Mar-14 Branch Management 05-Apr-14 06-Apr-14 Branch Management 05-Apr-14 06-Apr-14 Branch Treasurers 14-Apr-14 15-Apr-14 Independent Examiners 23-Apr-14 24-Apr-14 Branch Management 07-May-14 08-May-14 Branch Treasurers Norwich Notts County Sussex Norfolk Sussex Lincolnshire Lincolnshire 10-May-14 10-May-14 QPM Update TBC 10-May-14 11-May-14 County Conference Haig House Committee 30-May-14 01-Jun-14 National Branches Finance and Independent Examiners 31-May-14 01-Jun-14 County Conference Committee 07-Jun-14 08-Jun-14 Branch Management 14-Jun-14 15-Jun-14 Branch Treasurers 21-Jun-14 21-Jun-14 Standard Bearer Judges 22-Jun-14 22-Jun-14 Parade Marshals Update / Refresher Midlands TBC Haughley, Suffolk Haughley, Suffolk Haughley, Suffolk Loughborough Loughborough Grammar School 26-Jul-14 27-Jul-14 Qualified Panel Haig House Member 01-Aug-14 01-Aug-14 QPM Update Haig House 26-Sep-14 Please contact pete@gipsons.co.uk 28-Sep-14 Peter Gipson if 01449780128 Standard Bearer Judges you wish to do any of Loughborough Grammar School these: MY OFFICE IS TO STAY AT HENLEY UNTIL MAY 2015 AT LEAST
COUNTY ACCOUNTS 2012-13 THESE HAVE NOW BEEN AGREED BY HQ AND ALIGN WITH TREASUERS BOOKS AND THIS YEARS TO DATE HAVE BEEN CHECKED AND ARE ALSO OK. I WILL SEND OUT COPIES OF ACCOUNTS AS SOON AS I AM ABLE It is with regret that the WICKHAM MARKET BRANCH AND THEIR AFFILIATED YOUTH UNIT SUFFOLK JUNIOR CAVALRY announce the shut down of the Junior Cavalry Unit due to lack of numbers. There will be a closure display and presentations on 4 th May. Further information to follow
OTHERS Inter Service Football - Royal Navy v RAF 18 March - 19 March 2014 Inter Service Football pits the Royal Navy against the Royal Air Force at the Victory Stadium in Portsmouth over two days. The Royal Navy Women's team plays their RAF counterpart on Tuesday 18 March at 2pm and the Men's teams battle it out on Wednesday 19 March at 7.30pm. Entry is free to both matches. Where: Victory Stadium, Burnaby Rd, Portsmouth IN CASE YOU ARE IN THE AREA When: 2pm, 18 March and 7.30pm 19 March Tickets: Free Entry. ARMED FORCES DAY FUNDING Please see the link below, up to 10k to support AF Days. https://www.gov. uk/government/n ews/your-countryneeds-you We are at 1775 so far!!!!!!!!!! DO YOU WANT TO RECEIVE THIS NEWSLETTER VIA YOUR E- MAIL? THEN PLEASE INFORM sbromley@britishlegion.org.uk 01473 784618 Any information to be included for the next newsletter, please have into the Office by IF YOU WISH THIS NEWSLETTER IN LARGE TEXT OR CLEARER TEXT FORMAT, Please contact the County Secretary