Königslutter Reunion

The 16th AGM and Reunion

Friday 12th to Sunday 14th June 2009

Secretary’s Report.
Good afternoon everybody, Welcome to our 16^th AGM and reunion, who would have thought that in 1992? I Hope that you all had a safe and uneventful journey and have all settled in your accommodation.

This year, obviously because of the unique occasion, 75 members are in attendance and in total, with families and guests, 140 of us will be enjoying the weekend.
(This does not include the local and civic guests that will be joining us tomorrow). Considering the general economic situation it is a fantastic turnout, we have tried to keep costs down to a minimum, all our expectations have been realised and I hope that you will find that this years gathering will be one for the memory.

Since the last AGM 20 new members have joined us, (who said we were a dying association?) Our official total membership now stands at 418.

You may not realise it but this weekend has been three years in the planning, the idea for the commemorative stone was first suggested at the 2006 reunion in Loughborough, we made our first application to the Landkreis Helmstedt authority in June of that year, a lot of letters, E-mails, phone calls and hard work by many people, not to mention the fantastic financial support of our members, has brought us to this point today.

We would especially like to thank Paul Ellis, our very talented stonemason for what is indeed a work of supreme dedication and skill as you will all see tomorrow.

We thank our Assistant Secretary John Richardson for representing us over here, for leading us through the bureaucratic minefield and for choreographing tomorrow’s order of ceremony and the weekend Itinerary. We also owe thanks to his able team of Dave Thomas and Paul Croxon for helping organise the ceremonials, for obtaining the services of the army band, for arranging the excellent exhibition in the Town Hall and on top of this obtaining a handsome donation from the Intelligence Corps Association.

Our thanks must also go to John Rosson for arranging and financing, at no small cost, the delivery of the commemorative stone to Germany and to Peter Ellis for babysitting the stone on its journey over here.

I would also like to take this opportunity to thank Marlene Brooks, our excellent Newsletter editor for her work in successfully launching the “Listening Post” which was so well received and is especially intended for our members who otherwise miss out on what is happening in our association. I am sure the next issue in August will be mainly devoted to this weekends’ events. Don’t forget to send in your articles and photographs, the newsletter can only survive with your input.

Enjoy the reunion, enjoy old and new friends, and let us hope that the weather is kind to us during our stay.

Minutes of the 16th AGM
Held at the Königshof Hotel Königslutter
Friday 12^th June 2009.

The meeting was opened by our Chairman Jim Husband at 1615 hrs; the Chairman welcomed the members and introduced the committee.

First to speak was the Secretary who gave the apologies of those members who for various reasons could not attend. The minutes of the 2008 AGM had previously been distributed and were deemed to be a true record of the meeting, proposed by Paul Croxson and seconded by Sam Cowan and accepted unanimously by the floor.

The Chairman then introduced our President Peter Baldwin who perhaps, in view of the fact that he was destined to give two more speeches over the weekend, kept his message short. Peter spoke about the deployment of Royal Signals personnel and equipment in Afghanistan and the gradual lessening of our involvement in Iraq. Recruitment in all the services is steadily rising as is usual in times of recession and growing civilian un-employment but recruits for the Royal Signals are still below required levels.

The Chairman introduced our treasurer Gerry Kane who gave a detailed account of the association’s income and expenditure, which while showing a healthy balance, was in danger of being diminished because of the unexpected costs incurred over the commemorative stone weekend.

Gerry advised the floor that he would be collecting monies at the end of the meeting for the cost of the buffet at the civic reception and the Saturday evening fee for the Schützenfest supper, plus the cost of the return bussing to Langeleben. The acceptance of the accounts proposed by Stephen Vaughan and seconded by Dave Thomas was again unanimous.

For Secretaries report see above:

Election of officers:
All the committee members agreed to serve for the following year and were unanimously returned.

Any other business:
Member Steve Vaughan advised members that he was looking for sponsors for a 100 mile charity walk in aid of MacMillan nurses that he was participating in the over a week in July.

The Secretary introduced assistant secretary John Richardson who went over the arrangements for the dedication ceremony on Saturday morning and arranged a rehearsal for the five standard bearers after the AGM.

2010 Reunion:
It was agreed that we should return to Burleigh Court Loughborough for the end of May bank holiday weekend if we could agree favourable terms.

The meeting closed at 1730 hrs.

REUNION PHOTOS

DEDICATION PHOTOS

PHOTO'S FROM RON & BOB BERG

TRANSLATION OF NEWSPAPER ARTICLES

PHOTO'S TAKEN BY TREVOR - JOHN ELLIS