A.G.M. Tuesday 26th April 2005
Chairman's Report.
Captain John Hart RN
Last year I spoke about setting standards for my team. Now in my second year I must report to you that I have had a first class team around me setting incredibly high standards of their own. These high standards have given us another superb year full of interest, good food and companionship. This is reflected in our membership which continues to grow in spite of a few long term loses. This happy state may become more difficult. Not only are we all growing older and less able to attend as often as we might wish but the Flotilla's sources of new members are shrinking Perhaps we should consider spreading our net a little wider amongst seafaring folk in the South West.
In this year before the Bicentenary it has been all hands to the planning front to make the events of the next Trafalgar celebration a most memorable occasion. Plans for the City Parade and the Cathedral Service are well advanced and given a fair breeze it should be a day to remember until the next centenary. Lt. Cdr. Gerald Newton is building on his success last Trafalgar Day and has a Guildhall lunch booked at which there will be room for 50 of us with representatives of the City and County to toast the Immortal Memory.
In this respect the City has been most generous meting some of the costs from their funds. This raises a point of policy on which you will be asked to give us your direction. At present we attempt to make all our functions self financing, consequently those attending bear the cost of our official guests. This is discouraging to some and I would recommend that we consider our guests to be guests of the whole membership of the Flotilla. This would mean our central fund paying for the guests whether attending the social functions or to lecture to us at evening meetings. I have been assured our funds will stand this cost without increasing our membership fee. The consequence may be that we have to look more carefully at our charitable contributions, but since we give a very large part of our membership collection to charity this may not be unreasonable. In summary our functions would be at coat to you, and my hope is that many more of our members can come and join us at regular meetings.
One further point on regular meetings. It has been found helpful to adopt a car sharing policy from various centres, presently Dartmouth and Cullompton. Thus we make the best use of our cars, and those less happy to drive late at night can join in and enjoy our fellowship.
An outstanding success in the passed year has been that nurtured by Lt. Ken Williams in the lecture programme. How he spreads his net so wide I marvel at but the US Army and surviving in Naples are just two of the far-flung areas from which he has found neighbours willing to talk to us. We must take care to make these speakers feel we appreciate their contributions. I must work harder at keeping the show on the road recognizing that some members are time limited by transport and ferries. Not to end on a dark point the programme has had something for everyone, Ken has done us proud with his beachcombing
Once again our Social programme has met all our needs: activity for the sporting in the Golf Competition; a chance to exchange memories of the past and the occasional risqué joke at the Stag Lunch; the refined decorum at the Guest Night; and the hearty companionship at the Summer Party.
For all these we owe a great debt of gratitude to the CTCRM Officers Mess and its staff. They add such quality to our functions by their hard work and ready smiles. The Brigadier gave us a pointer as to the future of Lympstone at the Stag Lunch and it is our firm hope that the welcome we so much enjoy will continue for many more years.
That, Gentlemen, concludes my report. Not a prime year in isolation but one of consolidation and planning for a memorable year to come. It is down to us now to make the next year an outstanding and memorable celebration of a great victory by a gifted maritime leader