The Semaphore Circular No 659 The Beating Heart of the RNA May 2016 HMS Mersey alongside in Antigua where she is currently the West Indies Guardship. The photo is courtesy of NCM 6 Shipmate Keith Ridley who was hanging around hoping for an invitation on board!!! This edition is the first on-line version of the Semaphore Circular, unless you have registered with Central Office, it will only be available on the RNA website in the ‘Members Area’ under ‘downloads’ at www.royal-naval-association.co.uk and will be emailed to the branch contact, usually the Hon Sec. 1 Daily Orders 1. April Open Day 2. New Insurance Credits 3. Blonde Joke 4. Service Deferred Pensions 5. Guess Where? 6. Donations 7. HMS Raleigh Open Day 8. Finance Corner 9. RN VC Series – T/Lt Thomas Wilkinson 10. Golf Joke 11. Book Review 12. Operation Neptune – Book Review 13. Aussie Trucker and Emu Joke 14. Legion D’Honneur 15. Covenant Fund 16. Coleman/Ansvar Insurance 17. RNPLS and Yard M/Sweepers 18. Ton Class Association Film 19. What’s the difference Joke 20. Naval Interest Groups Escorted Tours 21. RNRMC Donation 22. B of J - Paterdale 23. Smallie Joke 24. Supporting Seafarers Day Longcast “D’ye hear there” (Branch news) Crossed the Bar – Celebrating a life well lived RNA Benefits Page Shortcast Swinging the Lamp Forms Glossary of terms NCM National Council Member NC National Council AMC Association Management Committee FAC Finance Administration Committee NCh National Chairman NVCh National Vice Chairman NP National President DNP Deputy National President GS General Secretary DGS Deputy General Secretary AGS Assistant General Secretary CONA Conference of Naval Associations IMC International Maritime Confederation NSM Naval Service Memorial Throughout indicates a new or substantially changed entry 2 Contacts Financial Controller 023 9272 3823 [email protected] FAX 023 9272 3371 Deputy General Secretary 023 9272 0782 [email protected] Assistant General Secretary (Membership & Slops) 023 9272 3747 [email protected] S&O Administrator 023 9272 0782 [email protected] General Secretary 023 9272 2983 [email protected] Admin 023 92 72 3747 [email protected] Find Semaphore Circular On-line ; http://www.royal-naval-association.co.uk/members/downloads or... RNA Website – Members Area – Downloads – Circulars – Code (shipmate) Snail Trail Mail - Postal Address RNA Central Office, Room 209, PP70, Semaphore Tower,3 HM Naval Base, Portsmouth Hants PO1 3LT Dear Shipmate, Welcome to the May Circular – the first electronic copy, with hard copy to the few branches that remain off-line. This is now our main way of communicating with Branches and Members and it is vital that the information that it has is passed on. I hope you are enjoying the lovely longer evenings and the trees coming into leaf – I am enjoying the odd drive in with the top down on my MX5 which is great – good thing I still have my hair (unlike the rest of the Central Office male staff). I hope you have had a chance to pass around the various materials sent last month, the annual report and accounts as well as the Conference Agenda and the letter from NP and NCh regarding the subscriptions motion. If you have any questions, particularly about the accounts or the trustee report (which does have some technical detail in it), please contact me directly. I am delighted to explain or expand on any aspect of the accounts – and would prefer to do that before Conference rather than an off-the-cuff response which might not be as thorough as I would like. We will be launching Project Semaphore at the Conference, so even if you only have an observer (better still a delegate), you will be able to meet with the Project Manager, GS or Mr S/M Keith Ridley (NCM6) at the Pussers Rum and dream factory Hugh Player who helped us with the bid and register interest for as part of his latest WI deployment you or your members who don’t have access to a computer. This is an entirely ‘without strings’ programme and I am keen that all 1,500 iPads go to RNA members or their naval veteran shipmates. We will also work closely with the RMA in the first instance. We are in the throes of kicking the project off with the Apple provider – who will sort out training, support, broadband and all things necessary to make this a roaring success. Branch secretaries please share with your members and get some interest going. You will be pleased to hear that the recently re-launched Shipmates and Oppos programme is working very well with many applications to register coming in, with many more marines and officers than before. Andy and Chrissie are touring the establishments with Release desks and meeting the Writers (or civilian staff), there. The programme is always very well received. I do get teased by the ‘and Oppos’ bit of the title with some members panicking that will are doing away with the title Shipmate in the RNA!! The title of the programme is there to appeal to Royal Marines too – many serving RM have spent little time in ships having been in hot and dangerous parts of the world – given enough time back in HMS OCEAN, ALBION and BULWARK – we’ll get them squared away!! Some admin details • Don’t forget to buy your Conference raffle tickets, if you need more books give Nigel a ring please. • Don’t forget to ask around for helpers for the SF(UK) Flag Day and the Childrens’ Fund Street Party at Portsmouth Dockyard for Her Majesty’s 90th Birthday • Please ensure that your accounts and membership forms and fees are submitted in good time and in plenty of time before Conference. 4 • Please register your delegate for Conference. We will not be accepting delegates on the day, or delegates from branches who do not comply with the Bye-Laws regarding membership dues and accounts. • The Charity Commission is chasing branches that are out of date with their annual returns. This can look a bit scary since they talk of large fines etc. Please do not ignore, give me a ring and we can sort it out. If your branch income (from all sources) is under £5,000 for the year – you only have to fill in a simple on-line form and once the website knows you are under the £5,000 figure will cancel the need for you to submit accounts. • The other lesson is to ensure that your Charity Commission contact is up-to-date, has an email address and that you have filled in your annual return form as soon as the books are checked for the end of year. • If your Branch Treasurer, or you, don’t have a computer to contact the Charity Commission then chat to me about Project Semaphore and get on-line for your branch for free. The CC is not easy to chat to by phone and impossible by letter (all due to staff cuts and savings). You might be interested to know that 4 years ago my chum who ran the Sailor’s Society rang to say that he had this old wooden door in a skip in Falmouth, from the hostel that they were selling and was I interested? It had a plaque on it saying it was the Chapel door from HMS WARSPITE (first and second WW 15” gun battleship). Well next week it is going on a 3 year loan to the Naval Museum in Portsmouth for their Jutland exhibition, which HMS Caroline getting dolled up for opens on 24 May. It is going to be a 4 man lift to get it Jutland celebrations in Belfast. there, solid oak! I often think of the countless men who went through that door after Jutland or the many engagements of 2WW looking for comfort or somewhere private to pray or gather their thoughts for lost shipmates or a lucky escape. Finally, last week I was privileged to arrange for the first issue of 2WW medals to a local man Marine George Higgins who was an LCVP driver on D-Day (Sword beach) and for the following 3 months. His 2 stars and 2 medals were never issued!! Col Mike Tanner the Captain of Portsmouth Base made the presentation, which you can see with an interview from me on http://www.portsmouth.co.uk/news/defence/d-day-veterans- 70-year-wait-for-medals-is-finally-over-1-7346322. Col Tanner was also able to present the Legion d’Honneur too Looking forward to seeing many of you at Conference – still plenty of rooms and spaces left. All the best from me and the Central Office (HQ) team George Higgins and Col Tanner Paul 5 Daily Orders 1. April Central Office Open Day. The photo shows Shipmates attending the recent Open Day after their harbour Boat Trip. Guest Branches included Area 3, Aylesbury and Christchurch. However pride of place for the branch who travelled the greatest distance to attend goes to the first four Shipmates on the gangway........ BZ and well done to Aberdeen Branch for travelling 587 miles to attend and for making the effort. There only disappointment was the ‘English’ beer was no were as good as a pint of Heavy!! 2. New National Insurance Credits for Service spouses and civil partners to help protect your future State Pension Shipmates will be interested to know, in the article below, which was received from the NNF (Naval Families Federation), that spouses and civil partners of Service Personnel will be able to apply for a new type of National Insurance (NI) credit to protect their State Pension.