HAAA/103
MINUTES OF THE HALTON
AIRCRAFT APPRENTICES ASSOCIATION
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING –
25h JULY 2009
Present: R Brumpton Chairman
Sir Dusty Miller Vice-patron
Gp Capt G Tunnicliffe President
D Larkin Deputy Chairman/Archivist
D O’Brien Office Manager
F Crooks Treasurer
J Nelson Deputy Treasurer
A King Membership Secretary
Peter Brown Deputy Membership Secretary
Peter Milner Branches Secretary
W Kelley Haltonian Editor
D Grant Welfare Co-ordinator
A Parrott Trading
F
P Ayres Museum
A Farley IT Manager
B Smith Council Member
C Brooks Webmaster
Sqn Ldr J Shelley Liaison Officer
P West General Secretary
Plus 53 members
Item
1 – Introduction and Apologies
The chairman welcomed Sir Dusty Miller, Gp Capt Tunnicliffe, and the previous presidents attending. He also welcomed the senior members present, Bill Phillips and Denys Dalby of the 34th. Apologies had been received from our patron, Sir Michael Armitage and 12 members.
Item
2 – Minutes of the Previous Meeting
The minutes of the previous meeting held on
Item
3 – Matters Arising from the Previous Minutes
There were no matters arising from the previous meeting that would not be covered by the day’s agenda.
Item
4 –
The membership secretary explained that, to harmonize with the HAAA accounts period, the membership statistics were now based upon the financial year which ended on 31st March. Annual payment by cheque had been actively discouraged and was not now offered to new members. Members were regarded as lapsed one year after subscriptions were due and remain unpaid. Four members had resigned due to either age or infirmity.
The Triennial Reunion last year generated a surge in new members and explains why new member numbers show a reduction this year. A potential exists for recruitment from entries between the 90th and 130th as they come up to retirement age. New members have been gained during visits to the station by entries. All members were asked to contribute to the recruiting drive. The need for accuracy of our records was stressed and members were encouraged to keep the HAAA office up to date with any changes. Surprise was expressed that trace of 60 members had been lost, and it was agreed that our website could be used as a vehicle to help regain contact. The chairman thanked Tony King and Peter Brown for their hard work over the year.
A breakdown of membership
figures is at Annex A.
Item 5 – Branch Matters
Peter Milner had transferred from
membership secretary to branches secretary last February. He had written to all branch and area
secretaries on the contact list he inherited to bring it up to date. Response from the earlier entries had not
been great due probably to advancing years.
Response from the mid 50s entries until the 100 plus was very good and
also from craft entries up to 218. Where
there was no representative listed for an entry, he had approached an entry
member at random to obtain a volunteer.
Representatives were needed from later entries, and members were asked
to assist in making contact. Furthermore,
entries were encouraged to link their own websites with the association’s
site. The chairman thanked Peter for his
efforts.
Item
6 - Association Finances
The treasurer
presented the statement of accounts and balance sheet for the financial year
(FY) ending
a. Income. Total income for the year was £62,611 which
was £10,841 higher than the previous year and £9314 higher than the budget
forecast. Income from subscriptions, deposit account interest, donations and
gift aid were all higher whilst income from the sales of memorabilia was lower,
this was not unexpected as the previous year had been a Triennial Reunion year.
The principle contributor toward the increase in income was from bequests which
totalled £23,240 for the year.
b. Expenditure. Total expenditure for the year was £62,633
which was £18,877 higher than the previous year and £25,993 higher than the budget
forecast. The principle cause of this increase was a loss in value of
association investments of £20,374. Council members travel costs and donations to other charitable
organisations had also increased. Additional expenditure on the World War II
Memorial and the Halton Grove re-dedication had also been incurred. The
accounts as presented showed a small increase over that published in the last Haltonian
for council member travel costs, this was also reflected in a change from a
published small profit to a small actual loss. The net result for the year was
an excess of expenditure over income of £22 compared with £867 the previous
year and a budget forecast loss of £717.
c Donations. A total of £5,400 had been donated to a
variety of Service and local charities. This was £1400 more than was normally
donated. £1000 of this had been brought forward from FY 2009/10 to ease the
expected deficit in the forthcoming year.
d. Investments. The value of Investments had fallen by £20,375
or 12.2% over the year and 1.9% since the original investment value. Two
investments had been cashed in and one new one opened with the balance being
transferred to the deposit account. The ratio of funds held on deposit against
those invested was 3 to 1, the association policy being not to hold more than
50% on investment. The current value of the investments was now starting to
show signs of recovery.
The value
of tangible assets, which represents the value of computer equipment, shown on
the balance sheet, has fallen due to depreciation. The value of investments has
also fallen with a corresponding increase in cash and deposit holdings. There
was little change in creditors, debtors and the value of memorabilia stock.
Despite the large loss in the value of investments the total value of the association
was £307,941 which was £22 less then one year ago. This was still a very
healthy figure. A questioner from the
floor asked who made the decision as to which investments were made; the
treasurer responded by saying that the advice of our independent advisor was
taken. It was proposed by Ian Blunt and
seconded by Sir Dusty Miller that the statement of accounts and balance sheet
as presented for the FY ending
e. Budget Forecast. The Budget forecast for FY 2009/10 income and
expenditure was presented. Income for
the year was expected to be £12,777 less than 2008/09 due to reductions in subscriptions,
gift aid and interest on deposits. Income from donations and bequests was
unknown and could not therefore be accurately forecast. Despite reductions in outgoing donations and council
members travel costs, expenditure was forecast to exceed income by £8,039. It had become clear that the association’s
running costs had now reached a stage where they were exceeding the normal
level of income; this was income less proceeds from donations and bequests. After
careful consideration the council recommended that membership fees should be
increased by £2 per year to take effect from
The chairman thanked Fred Crooks and John Nelson for their hard work over the year.
Item
7 – Welfare
A sad loss to the association occurred when
Dave Holcroft died on 3rd July this year. Dave had been welfare co-ordinator for many
years and had done sterling work. A
number of ex-Burmese apprentices had been identified as being in need of
assistance and £500 had been donated and targeted at them through the good
offices of the British Embassy in
The welfare co-ordinator then outlined some of the activities in which he was involved, including war pension and care home advice, direct support, and liaison with service charities. The chairman thanked Duncan Grant for his efforts over the period.
Item
8 - Haltonian
The latest Haltonian had been well received. This was the first occasion on which the editor and his wife did not have to pack and distribute the magazine which was a great relief. The editor’s wife had received a bouquet of flowers from the HAAA office in recognition of her efforts over the years. The chairman thanked the editor for his good work and emphasized the need for a volunteer to replace Bill Kelley when he retired.
Item
9 –
The museum had been in existence for 10 years and was judged a great success, but we had to move forward and some exhibits needed refurbishing. There were now some 5000 visitors a year. The curator singled out his helpers for praise for all their hard work namely, Peter Ayres, Brian Ellis, Maurice Messenger, Tony Merry, and not forgetting Min Larkin our archivist. However, he did not have enough helpers and was looking for more volunteers. The chairman thanked Francis Hanford for this hard work over the year.
Item
10 -
Constitution
The chairman thanked his predecessor, Ian Blunt, for negotiating the terms of the proposed new constitution with the Charities Commission, and he now believed that, if approved, we had a constitution that better reflected the aims and working practices of the association. The key points were: to ensure the constitution aligned with the working practices, to introduce associate membership for ex-instructors and staff, to strengthen learning initiative, and to introduce the use of modern communication systems. The proposed revised constitution had been displayed on our website, and there had been 2 requests for hard copies.
In response to a question, the chairman
stated that the new category of associate membership would provide all the
facilities enjoyed by full members, and they would pay the same subscriptions
but would not be able to vote at an
Item 11 – Halton Grove
a. Dedication Service. The chairman reported that the service to dedicate the new plaque at the Halton Grove was very successful, and he thanked Denis O’Brien for his efforts in this regard. Thanks was also due to our team at the arboretum led by Ron Priest for the grove’s splendid appearance. About 120 members attended the ceremony, and Richard Lee, our association padre, led us through the service. The Queen’s Colour of No 1 S of TT was on parade supported by an RAF Central Band trumpeter and an RAF Halton Band piper. Wreaths were laid by Vice Patron Air Marshal Cliff Spink and Bob Shilling who had been instrumental in producing the WWll Roll of Honour. Vice Patron Air Marshal Sir Dusty Miller gave the address. Members subsequently enjoyed an enjoyable lunch.
b. Future Developments. In the absence of Ron Priest, Duncan Grant outlined the proposals for development of the grove. Since its dedication in 2000, the grove’s infrastructure had suffered and was now in need of enhancement. The British Legion now managed the National Memorial Arboretum and any changes were subject to formal procedures. Consequently, a working group comprising Richard Cook, Duncan Grant, Ian Sloss and Ron Priest as chairman was set up to determine the way ahead. Key proposals were recommended namely: a new access path, a disability pathway around the ‘wheel’, a purpose built visitors’ book and tool storage facility, the standardization of the commemorative tree plaques, and the need to exercise control over entry and individual commemorations by means of a formal change/approval structure. Additionally, new gates at the entrance to the grove were proposed and a competition for their design would be held. The overall cost of these developments would be in the order of £17,900 (over 3 years). Moreover, the association had received significant bequests over the years and the allocation of these funds to this project was considered most appropriate. It was proposed by Ian Blunt and seconded by Bill Kelley that:
1. Members agree in principle to the overall project (£17,900 over 3 years).
2. Members approve expenditure commitment up to £5,000 in FY 2010/11 prior
to the 2010 AGM.(No expenditure this FY).
3. Further costs/proposed expenditure to be presented at 2010 AGM.
Item
12 – Chairman’s Report
The chairman opened by saying that, although this had not been a Triennial year, it had been a very busy one. He thanked the office staff and the grove team for their support. He also thanked the president and his staff at Halton for their invaluable assistance as we could not operate as we do without them. The office under Denis O’Brien was now well established but recruiting for the association was always a concern. New blood to replace eventually the office key staff was urgently needed.
a. WWll
Roll of Honour Dedication Service. The
roll of honour was dedicated at last year’s remembrance service and was now on
display in
b. Triennial
Reunion 2010. The next Triennial was
planned for 25th September next year. The excessive workload on
office staff and the station had necessitated a change, which had not been
taken lightly, of the format from concentration on the airfield to an event centred
on the Henderson/Grove area. The likely
programme would start with a meet and greet at the large drill hangar, followed
by a sit down lunch in Henderson Mess.
After lunch we would parade on the square before marching down the hill
to
c. 90th Anniversary. The 90th anniversary of the first apprentice entry at Halton would be in 2012. As we already hold our annual remembrance service at Halton and 2013 would be a Triennial year, our current thinking was to have the celebration at the Halton Grove possibly combing with the other apprentice associations.
d. Windows. The windows project originated when our
association padre, Richard Lee, made a ‘throw away’ remark in 1997 to Min
Larkin about the uninspiring plain windows at the rear of the church. This led to the 63rd Entry window
which was installed in 1998 and many others followed in subsequent years. The
last 3 windows in the rear panels were fitted this month. Visitors beyond the apprentice fraternity
were now being drawn in addition to those visiting during entry reunions, and
over £10,000 had been donated to church funds.
e. Website. The webmaster outlined the development of the new HAAA website which had been well received. He described the various web pages that were available and their features including the WWII Roll of Honour. He encouraged members to contact him if they discovered any mistakes. The chairman thanked Clive Brooks for efforts.
d. Future Events. Two events were planned for this year. The annual remembrance service at Halton would be held on Tuesday 3rd November and the parade at the Cenotaph would take place on Sunday 8th November.
Item 13 – Election of Officers and Trustees
All the existing officers and trustees were content to continue in office in their present appointments, except for Alan Farley who was standing down as a trustee but wished to remain on the council in a non-voting capacity if elected. There were no volunteers to stand as council members, and, therefore, it was proposed by Sir Dusty Miller and seconded by Mike Evans that the nominated officers be elected. The proposal was carried unanimously.
Item 14 – Appointment of Financial Examiner
There was only one candidate for the position of financial examiner, and it was proposed by Peter Brown and seconded by John Nelson that John Taylor, 137th, the existing examiner be elected. The proposal was carried unanimously.
Item
15 – President’s Address
The president expressed his pleasure at being present at the meeting. He then outlined the situation regarding the station today and its plans for the future. The station had been given core site status which meant that it had a future for the medium term. However, much of the infrastructure was old and in need of updating. Six barrack blocks were planned for renovation and new workshops would be provided. The station was growing in size, and there was a possibility that the PT school would come. Twenty thousand students were catered for this year rising to 23,000 next year. The programme was for 3600 recruits to be trained next year. Passing out parades now involved 120-140 recruits with a recent one totalling 170.
Because the second phase of airman training
could not keep up with demand, up to 400 personnel were being held back at
Halton. A programme was being devised to
provide more stimulating activities for them while they waited. These included adventurous training, air
experience flights, and a microlight aircraft had been purchased to this end. Management training for SNCO aircrew was now
being held here. The Airmen’s
The Duchess of Cornwall had been appointed Honorary Air Commodore and it was planned that she would visit Halton. The HAAA would be included in the programme. As part of a programme to commemorate in 2013 Halton’s 100 years military presence, WWII trenches were being rebuilt to 1914 standard and a WWII bunker was being renovated. The corridor in Kermode Hall would have a historical display. The president thanked the association for the opportunity to speak today.
Item
16 – Patron’s Address
Sir Dusty Miller read out a letter from our
patron who was unable to attend the meeting.
Sir Michael apologized for not being present but sent his best wishes to
those attending the
Item
16 – Closure
The chairman thanked those attending and closed the meeting at 1655hrs.
Original signed
R Brumpton P West
Chairman Secretary
Annexes:
Annex A
To HAAA/103
RAF HALTON AIRCRAFT APPRENTICES ASSN
2009 AGM MEMBERSHIP STATE
MEMBERSHIP TYPE
|
PREVIOUS
12
M TO JUN 08 |
CURRENT
9 M TO MAR 09 |
VARIATION
|
|
ANNUAL (STANDING ORDER) |
909 |
857 |
- 52 ( - 5.7%) |
|
ANNUAL |
16 |
10 |
- 6 |
|
3 YEAR |
624 |
604 |
- 20 ( - 3.2%) |
|
LIFE |
1911 |
1880 |
-31 ( - 1.4%) |
|
HONORARY - PAID UP MEMBERS |
15 (22 – 7) |
15 (22 – 7) |
0 |
|
BENEVOLENT |
7 |
8 |
+ 1 |
|
TOTAL MEMBERS A |
3489 |
3374 |
- 115 ( + 3.3%) |
|
OUTSTANDING SUBS B |
90 |
20 |
- 70 |
|
RECENT LAPSED MEMBER C |
67 |
61 |
- 6 |
|
TOTAL PAID UP A – ( B + C ) |
3332 |
3293 |
- 39 |
|
EVENT |
PREVIOUS
12 MONTH *
JUL 07 – JUN 08
|
CURRENT
9 MONTHS JUL 08
- JUN 09 |
VARIATION |
|
NEW MEMBERS |
223 |
95 ( = 126 Y) |
107 ( - 57 %) |
|
DEATHS REPORTED |
141 |
115 ( = 153 Y) |
12 ( + 8 %) |
NOTES:
* INCLUDES TRI-ENNIAL MEETING
( = Y) ANNUALISED TO REPRESENT ANNUAL FIGURES