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COUNTY NEWS

Royal British Legion, Kent County Office, Hermitage Court, Hermitage Lane, , Kent ME16 9NT

Welfare: 01622 722 292 Fundraising: 01622 722 296 Membership: 01622 722 293

General e-mail: [email protected] County Secretary e-mail: [email protected] County website: www.britishlegion.org.uk/counties/kent

September 2013

BRANCH SECRETARIES: PLEASE NOTE THAT THE ITEMS IN THIS MONTHLY CIRCULAR SHOULD FORM PART OF THE REPORT TO YOUR BRANCH COMMITTEE

COUNTY CHAIRMAN’S REMARKS I am very pleased to see that the staff in County Office is now up to full strength and I would like to offer a warm welcome to Nic Booth-Jones and Nikki Ward as the new Case Officers (CO) who replace the old County Welfare Officers. The complete team is now: Membership Tony West County Secretary (CS) Welfare Nic Booth-Jones Case Officer (East Kent) (CO) Nikki Ward Case Officer (West Kent) (CO) Emily Asseter Advice and Information Officer (AIO) Jo Burns Welfare Assistant (temp) Fundraising Julie Roper Community Fundraiser (East Kent) (CFR) Jane Ayers Community Fundraiser (West Kent) (CFR) The County Parade was very well supported this year and I thank all who took part. It was a pleasure to see so many members and their families in the church and at the reception afterwards. Special thanks must go to all the Standard Bearers who always do us proud - there were 21 on parade. Also to the Band of the ATC who led the parade with great pride, the Branch for hosting the event and the United Services Club for letting us use their facilities and providing the buffet. There are a lot of rumours going round about the future of Remembrance Day Parades which I trust will have been resolved by the time you receive this newsletter. On Friday 16 th August I had the privilege to represent Kent County and take part in the service in commemoration of Baron Jean de Selys Longchamps DFC a Belgian RAF pilot killed when he crashed at Manston Airport in 1943. It was a very moving ceremony. Can all Branch Chairmen please ensure that their Standard Bearers are made aware of the Standard Bearers uniform. The orders of dress are laid down in the Ceremonial Handbook. If you’re not sure please contact County Parade Marshal Richard Purton on 07909 837475 or at [email protected] . Aussie Walker

DONATIONS TO COUNTY FUNDS The following donations have been gratefully received: £50 Branch

IN MEMORIAM Donations have been gratefully received in memory of: £277 Mr Ernest Doble £30 Mr Roy Cavey

COUNTY DIRECTORY Attached (not to all) is the complete Branches section of the County Directory. This is the last issue until the new year and includes amendments for the ; Cranbrook; ; Gillingham; & Ebbsfleet; ; Maidstone; and Westerham Branches.

BRANCH ACCOUNTS AUDIT DAYS Please ensure this information is passed to the Branch Treasurer All Secretaries have been sent a letter inviting their Treasurers to have their accounts audited and signed off at County Office. This was very successful last year and this year there is a team of four qualified Legion Independent Examiners plus one assistant. The audit days, all commencing at 9.30 am, are: • Saturday 7 th September • Wednesday 18 th September • Saturday 28 th September - This date is reserved for last minute re-checks of previously audited errors and final sign off It is important that you email Richard Cast at [email protected] to book your audit slot. It is expected that each audit will take approximately two hours (depending on branch income & expenditure) as long as all books and records are complete and presented. PLEASE NOTE the Team will not write up your account sheets; they must have been completed by the Treasurer and signed by the Branch Officers.

MEMBERSHIP Please ensure this information is passed to the Branch Membership Secretary Renewal cards for cash paying members of all branches in Kent will be despatched to County Office on Friday 13th September. Thereafter branches will be able to make arrangements for their cards to be collected at their convenience. Please contact the County Secretary on 01622 722293 or at [email protected] to arrange a suitable date and time. It would obviously make sense for one person to collect for a number of branches in his or her area. When you receive your cards you should check each card against the branch list that comes with them and if there are any cards missing you should notify me immediately. I will then contact Membership Services for replacements. Don’t leave it too late or the replacement cards may not come free of charge.

BRANCH AGMs September sees the end of the Legion year and Branches are reminded that, in accordance with Governing Regulation 35 of the Royal Charter, all branches are to hold their AGMs between 1st October and 30th November. MS1s will be available shortly and please ensure yours is sent to the County Secretary as soon as possible after your AGM and certainly no later than the end of December.

REMEMBRANCE DAY PARADES Many of you will have seen the report in the 19th August edition of the Sunday Express concerning the withdrawal of police support for Remembrance Day Parades, in particular that at Dymchurch. The police have most certainly not withdrawn their support and although are unable to provide officers at any parade due to a lack of resources, they continue to advise and assist the organisers of all parades to ensure they go ahead safely. Please bear in mind that, although local branches often do the organising, the responsibility for organising such parades lies with the local authority, not with the Legion.

SPEAKER TRAINING It has been decreed by Head Office that all those who give talks to schools, colleges, adult groups etc. should give the same up-to-date and accurate information and that all speakers should be given adequate training in order to do so. As a result, the Community Fundraisers ran two half-day sessions for the first volunteers. Those that are now qualified to give talks are: Mr Richard Cast Mr John Elson Canterbury Mr Ian Armitage Gravesham & Ebbsfleet Mrs Cherry Taylor “ Mstr George Taylor “ Mr Jeff Mullender Mrs Janet Newcombe Mr Barry McLoughlin - The County Training Officer will be holding further sessions for those interested in giving talks. Only those who have received the appropriate instruction may do so.

ANNUAL COUNTY CONFERENCE 2014 Next year’s County Conference will take place at Headcorn Village Hall on Saturday 18th January commencing at 1 pm. Branch Secretaries will shortly receive the papers branches will need. All paperwork concerning Conference will be printed on green paper to make it immediately identifiable. Please remember, if you wish to send a delegate to County Conference or to Annual Conference in May your R&P / Branch Accounts form must be received at County Office by 30th September, your MS1 must be received by 31st December and your Annual Membership Fees must have been paid by 31st March . There were some disappointed branches last year. Remember, if your Branch Delegate does not attend your voice can not be heard. This is your chance to put your points of view over for discussion. Delegate applications must be received at County Office by no later than Friday 6th December. The guest speaker will be the National Vice Chairman, Terry Whittles. There will be time for a question and answer session and it is hoped that all branches will make an extra effort to attend so that they can put their questions to him. Any questions should be submitted to the County Secretary in advance, by no later than 2nd December please, to give the National Vice Chairman time to obtain answers – he doesn’t know everything.

THANET FESTIVAL OF REMEMBRANCE Tickets for this prestigious event, which takes place at the Margate Winter Gardens on Friday 25th October, are still available from the Box Office on 01843 296111 or 292795. Branch Standards are most welcome, the more the better, so to book a place for your Standard please phone the County Chairman on 01843 224805 or at [email protected]

HALSTEAD BRANCH Between 1995 and 2013 this Branch forgot to apply for awards to its loyal band of collectors. As a result a backlog developed and nine ladies were overdue for various awards. These were applied for and a presentation ceremony for seven of the nine was held when our Chairman, Bill Stovell, awarded them as follows: • 20 year brooch, 25 year “For Merit” brooch and 30 year long service medal/brooch to Ronnie Barnard, Win Camp and Gill Johnston. • 5 and 10 year certificates and 15 year brooch to Sheila Bent, Jean Cook, Norma Payne and Maddie Sands. • 5 year certificate to Edna Parker and Anita Wilkins. A quick sum reveals that the nine ladies between them have collected for the Poppy Appeal for 175 years!!!

Back row L-R: Edna Parker, Maddie Sands, Anita Wilkins and Sheila Bent Front row L-R: Gill Johnston, Win Camp and Jean Cook

SWANLEY, & BRANCH On 11th July Branch Chairman Jackie Best together with Branch Officers attended a special meeting of the Westerham Sea Cadets, TS Gallant, to sign an Agreement of Affiliation. During the evening the cadets demonstrated the various skills that they had achieved and Legion Members were privileged to be present when certificates and cups were awarded. This is the second such ceremony the Branch has attended. On 30th April the 593 () Squadron Air Training Corps also signed an Agreement of Affiliation with the Branch. The Squadron has also invited Legion Members to their Annual Awards and Inspection Parade on the 13th October. By these affiliations the Branch is strengthening the bond that is already established with the Cadets Forces and will continue to make other such contacts wherever possible.

BIRCHINGTON BRANCH The Branch will be holding another of its Indoor Boot Fairs on Saturday 7th September at Church House, Kent Gardens, Birchington from 9 am until noon. The event will include bric-a- brac and other stalls plus there will be a raffle. Light refreshments will be available. Entry is by donation and all are welcome.

SANDGATE BRANCH On 16 days between January to June the Branch Chairman and PAO, June Hammond Tucker, and Vice Chairman Eric Harris have been permitted to set up a Poppy stall in the concourse of Eurotunnel at Folkestone. So far have amounted to a little over £997 for the Poppy Appeal and there will be more days there to raise funds before setting up for the Remembrancetide period.

VETERANS NEEDED TO SUPPORT THE POPPY APPEAL We are looking for veterans to support our Kent Poppy Day collections at a selection of commuter stations in Kent on Tuesday 5th November. London has a similar one-day campaign at stations in the city which collected £850k last year with great support by uniforms, veterans and celebrities. Following their lead we held our first Poppy Day at Ashford last year and raised a remarkable £1,500. It’s an early start – 6am to catch commuters and attract their generosity during Poppy Appeal - and the stations we are proposing to collect at are Ashford, , Maidstone East, and Ebbsfleet. If you are able to spend 3-4 hours that morning helping collect for Poppy Appeal please contact Giles Parry at the following email address – [email protected] or Julie Roper and Jane Ayers, Community Fundraisers for Kent, on 01622 722296. We need names, preferred station and contact details by 25th September to ensure we have enough people to support the collection. Thank you for your support. Julie and Jane Community Fundraisers THE POPPY CAMPAIGN Many of you will already be aware of an idea to distribute poppy seeds in communities across the UK to plant during the centenary period. This excellent proposal has been developed by members of the Greenhithe & Branch and we’re pleased to say the project will be rolled out nationally with the charity’s full backing. Head Office is in final discussions with a major retailer in regards to the distribution of the poppy seeds and there will be an update, by the end of August, which will include guidance on how to support this project in their communities before progressing any plans they may have further. Greenhithe & Swanscombe’s campaign has proved to be a success and has major backing, and not just from the Legion. This started off as “The Real Poppy Campaign” but is to be re-named “The Centenary Poppy Campaign”. The campaign possibly gave an idea to the residents of a Hackney Estate as the District Secretary, Sarah Stephenson, reports; “In June I was in Hackney, and parked up in the back streets in what was considered a ‘rough’ council estate some years back. But much to my surprise I was met with swathes of all different types of poppies all around the estate. There was an atmosphere of friendliness and I couldn’t see the usual vandalism or graffiti anywhere. This was a residents’ project and if this idea instigates the positive community change I witnessed on a national level, it would be a truly momentous campaign for the Legion.”

MILITARY WIVES CHOIR CONCERT The Shorncliffe Military Wives Choir will be performing a fundraising concert at the Hythe RBL Club in order to raise funds for the Poppy Appeal. The performance is on Friday 20th September, 7pm for 7.30pm start. Tickets cost just £12 and the price includes a Fish and Chip Supper. All profits from the ticket sales, raffles etc. will be donated to the Poppy Appeal. The Hythe & Saltwood Poppy Appeal total is standing at just over £19,000 but we would like to match the £20,000 raised in 2012/2013.

To purchase tickets please contact either Sarah Egan at [email protected] or on 07941 775479, or tickets can be purchased from the RBL Club.

Regards to you all Tony West County Secretary Email: [email protected]

LEST WE FORGET

Notification has been received that the following members have passed on:

Brigadier John Birkett OBE , Hartfield & District Ms Diana Martine Downs Mrs Joan Tugwell Elham Valley Mr Ronald Taylor Gravesham & Ebbsfleet Mr David Moran Littlebourne & District Mr Reginald (Mick) Moon Mrs Barbara Groombridge Swanley, Crockenhill & Hextable Mrs Jean Peirce “ Mr Richard Brimmicombe-Wood Mr George Larkin Woodchurch

Our deepest sympathies go to their families and friends

KENT COUNTY DIARY OF EVENTS - 2013

SEPTEMBER Sat 7th Branch Accounts Audit Day - County Office

Sun 8th Standard Bearer Training - Capel Morris Centre (10 am)

Sat 14th County Bowls Competition

Wed 18th Branch Accounts Audit Day - County Office

Sat 21st-22nd Salute to the 40s - Historic Dockyard, Chatham *

Sat 28th Branch Accounts Audit Day - County Office

OCTOBER

Sun 6th County Standard Bearer Competition - Ditton TA Centre

Fri 25th County Poppy Launch - Maidstone

Fri 25th Thanet Festival of Remembrance - Winter Gardens, Margate (7 pm)

Sat 26th County Poppy Lunch

NOVEMBER

Sat 9th Festival of Remembrance - Royal Albert Hall

Sun 10th Remembrance Sunday

Sat 16th Women's Section County Conference - Headcorn Village Hall

DECEMBER

Sat 14th Carol Service - Capel Morris Centre (3 pm)

JANUARY 2014

Sat 18th County Conference - Headcorn Village Hall (1 pm)

* County Recruiting Stall Updated: 1st August 2013