Minutes of the Executive Committee meeting held in Gloucester 11th October 2011
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TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR THE PRESIDENT’S AWARD

1. The President’s Award is awarded to an Association member who has given exceptional service to his Branch.

2. Branches will make nominations to their Executive Committee member who will submit his top 3 nominations to the Regimental Secretary Gloucester or Salisbury at least 3 weeks before the first meeting in the year (normally in March). It is the responsibility of the Executive Committee Member to approach his Branches for nominations. A citation should describe why the member should receive an award and highlighting his achievements in no more than 200 hundred words.

3. There are to be no more than one nomination per Branch per year and no more than 3 nominations per Committee Member per year.

4. The Executive Committee will consider the citations at their first meeting in the year. Citations will be scored using the MS scoring system with marks out of 10 with the spread of scores being no greater than 2 from each Committee Member. Generally the top 3 nominations will receive an award each year though in exceptional cases and approved by the President, this number may be exceeded.

5. Awards will be normally presented by the President or by someone nominated by him for example, an Honorary President or the Association Chairman. Awards will be presented at a reunion (in Gloucester, Salisbury, Reading and Devizes) in the same year they are nominated. The citation of the recipient is to be read out publically prior to him receiving the award.


Resolution to change the name of the Regimental Association

The following Resolution to change the name of the Regimental Association was mailed to The Charity Commission on the 19th May 2011, following the AGM 7th May 2011. Please read in conjunction with the minutes listed below.
The change has been approved by the Charity Commission.
Hereinafter the title of the Association will be 'The Regimental Association of The Rifles and The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment'.

To Charity Commission
PO Box 1227
Liverpool
L89 3UG
In accordance with paragraphs 48 and 49 of the Constitution of the Regimental Association The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment I, the undersigned Trustee, certify that, at the 17th Annual General Meeting of the said Association, held at Beachley Barracks, Chepstow, on the 7th May 2011, it was resolved by 2/3 majority vote that the name of the Association be changed to: 'The Regimental Association of The Rifles and The Royal Gloucestershire Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment'. This decision is minuted at Item 4 of the attached Minutes.

Moreover, I certify that the titular change be applied to the following numbered registered charities:

1038526 - Regimental Association
1054647 - RGBW Officers' Trust
255781 - Rocke Bequest
1054654 RGBW Perm Endowment COIF

SJ OXLADE
Chairman and Trustee
 

MINUTES OF THE 17^TH ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATION OF THE ROYAL GLOUCESTERSHIRE, BERKSHIRE AND WILTSHIRE REGIMENT
Held at 1130 hrs on Saturday 7^th May 2011 at Beachley Barracks, Chepstow, NP16 7YG.

Present:

ITEM 1 – REPORT FROM THE ASSOCIATION CHAIRMAN  

1.         RIFLES Operational Update.  Thanks to Maj Tris Carter, 1 RIFLES Rear Ops, for the use of facilities at Beachley Barracks and for kindly giving an update on operational matters. 

2.         ‘Rifles Notes’.   The Chairman thanked Lt Col Mike Motum for producing ‘Rifles Notes’, copies of which were distributed for information; the Chairman drew attention to the number of Riflemen killed in action and speculated on the size of the Regiment  post 2015, when there was going to be another Defence Review in 2015 following the probable cessation of Op HERRICK. 

3.         Association Secretary.   The Chairman thanked Maj Chris Willis for his services to the Association; he leaves the Gloucester Office at the end of July.   

4.         Rifles Regimental Association.   A Working Group has been set up by RHQ Winchester to establish the rules and procedures for this Association. 

5.         Whitehall Cenotaph Remembrance Parade 2011.   Following on from the success of last year’s Association participation, there are another 24 tickets available for this year’s event.  Bids to the Gloucester office. 

6.         1 RIFLES Sjt’s Mess.   The Chairman thanked Mr North for organising the dinner at Beachley Barracks prior to the deployment of 1 RIFLES on Op HERRICK 14 and stressed that Association Branches should do more to support the Rifles if they can. 

ITEM 2 – MINUTES OF THE 16^TH AGM & MATTERS ARISING 

7.         The minutes of the previous meeting were accepted with no actions outstanding.   

ITEM 3 - REPORT ON THE ACCOUNTS FOR THE YEAR 1 APR 10 – 31 MAR 11 

8.         A brief summary of the value of funds currently held was given by the Secretary. 

ITEM 4 - CHANGES TO THE CONSTITUTION RULES.  

9.         The motion that the name of the Association to be changed to:  The Regimental Association of The Rifles and The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment (followed by branch title) was carried by over two thirds majority as required by the constitution.  

10.       The motion that the yearly Council meeting be abolished was carried by over two thirds majority as required by the constitution.  

ITEM 5 – NOMINATIONS FOR EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE 

11.       Mr Miller announced that Mr Alan Williams (IOW) may be interested in being his successor on the Executive Committee. 

Afternote: Mr Miller has agreed to remain on the Executive Committee. 

ITEM 6 - REUNIONS 2011 

12.       These were outlined as published in the 2011 Annual Newsletter.   

ITEM 7 - RGBW ASSOCIATION WEBSITE 

13.       The Chairman exhorted the membership to make good use of the web site and recorded a vote of thanks to Mr Miller for his excellent work as Web Master.  Mr Miller, who will publish the result of the day’s voting, urged all branches to use the web site to publish and share information regularly. 

ITEM 8 – ANY OTHER BUSINESS 

14.       Women Branch Members Vote.  Requested for consideration by Mr Devine (Bournemouth) in view of the number of women members who are instrumental in the running of some of our Association branches.  The Chairman was sympathetic but was constrained by the Constitution, which restricts voting rights to only those members who have served in any of our former or existing regiments.  

15.       Executive Commitee Resignation.  Mr Devine tendered his resignation from the Executive Committee as he felt he could no longer support the ‘Rifles only’ bias to its proceedings, which he felt belittled the former predecessor regiments. The Chairman thanked Mr Devine for his tremendous support to the Committee over many years and hoped that he would reconsider. 

16.       Effective Date of Name Change.  In response to this question from Mr Miller, Mr North quoted para 49 of the Constitution which states: ‘..until approval in writing to the Charity Commissioners….has been obtained.’  The Secretary will action this requirement as soon as these minutes are approved for publication by the Chairman. 

17.       Letterhead Standardisation.  This was proposed by Lt Col Motum; it was agreed that the Chairman would consult the Trustees and RHQ with a proposed format which was clear with no abbreviations and retained the word ‘Royal’. 

18.       Additional Branch Rifles Standards.  In response to this enquiry by Mr Tilley, Lt Col Motum quoted RHQ policy, which requires individual branches to make their own requests for Rifles Standards. 

19.       IOW Branch Travel Time.  Mr Miller requested on behalf of the IOW Branch that, to allow for travel time, meetings be held after lunch in future.  This was generally agreed.  

20.       1 RIFLES’ Families’ Trip.  Mr North announced that three coaches, partly sponsored by the Association, had departed that day from Beachley Barracks to take 1 RIFLES’ wives and children on a trip to Legoland.   

21.       Vote of Thanks.  Mr North recorded thanks from Reading Branch to Col Oxlade for all that he has done for the Association as Chairman; all expressed preference that he might not stand down as planned. 

22.       There being no further business, the meeting closed at 1230 hrs. 

Signed: 

Major [Retd] C J Willis MBE                                               Colonel [Retd] S J Oxlade MBE

Association Secretary                                                         Association Chairman

Date:          May 11                                                                Date:  

Minutes of the 16th Council Meeting of the RGBW Association held 7th May 20011
Present

ITEM 1 – OPENING REMARKS

1. RGBW Association Membership. Ideas are sought which will counter the general dwindling of membership throughout the Association Branches – with the exception of the newly-formed Kent Branch. It was hoped that improvement will be made by persevering with the web site; the newsletter (which is to be retained in hard copy until further notice) and by the inclusion of The Rifles in the Association’s name.

ITEM 2 – CHAIRMAN’S POINTS

2. President’s Certificate. The Executive Committee has decided to institute a certificate, to be presented by the President to individual members, in recognition of meritorious service to the Association. Nominations are to be passed by branches to the EC, for final decisions on recipients.

3. Funding for Reunions. Reunions will continue to be supported financially by the Regimental Trustees, provided they continued to be well supported in terms of attendance by the Membership.

4. National Arboretum Memorial. The stone has been acquired with work to commence shortly; installation towards the end of this year with official unveiling to take place in summer 2012 date and Royal participation to be announced in due course.

5. Regimental Representation. Thanks to those members who support funerals of our serving and ex-serving personnel; especially to our Standard Bearers.

6. Newsletter. With apologies for the late publication – due largely to IT problems - and despite the cost of over £6k for production and distribution, the Chairman is resisting calls for it to be online only, in recognition of those older members who do not have access to the internet. Any volunteers please contact the Gloucester office to facilitate production. Deadline for submissions next year: 01 Dec 2011.

7. Museums. The MOD seeks to reduce the amount of public money available to museums. In order to avoid our heritage being locked away, the Chairman asks that all seek to maximise the ‘footfall’ to our museums by encouraging visits and by seeking volunteers to help to man them.

ITEM 3 – SECRETARY’S POINTS

8. There were no points from the Secretary.

ITEM 4– POINTS FROM BRANCHES

9. It was generally agreed that new blood is desperately needed for the branches to survive and flourish. Mr Tilley pointed out the ongoing success of the Cheltenham Branch, who meet on one Sunday per month, as opposed to some branches that meet at lunchtimes during the working week. Several members asked if there was a mechanism whereby those leaving the Service might be tracked; Messrs North and Sherman both pointed out that ex-Servicemen tend not to consider participating at Assn level until at least approaching middle age and warned against the membership becoming too disheartened at present.

ITEM 5 – ANY OTHER BUSINESS

10. There being no further business, the meeting closed at 1130 hrs.

Signed:



Major [Retd] C J Willis MBE Colonel [Retd] S J Oxlade MBE
Association Secretary Association Chairman
Date: May 11 Date: May 11
 

Change of Address
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Membership
Irrespective of rank, full membership of the RGBW Regimental Association is open to all serving or former members of the
Royal Gloucestershire Berkshire & Wiltshire Regiment -  Gloucestershire Regiment -  Duke of Edinburgh's Royal Regiment Royal Berkshire Regiment - Wiltshire Regiment. [whether Regular, Territorial, Wartime or National Service] Full membership also includes adult instructors of the C.C.F and A.C.F units. Associate membership is available to those Servicemen and Women who have served in other arms and service units attached to our former Regiments.
Friends and family members are also welcome as Branch Associate Members.
For full details of membership and entitlements can be read in the  Constitution of the Association.

Joining the Association
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Benevolence
One of the principal aims of the association is: Relieving, either generally or individually, past and present members of the Regiment and the former Regiments and their dependants who are in conditions of need, hardship or distress. If you become aware of  members in such need please bring it to the attention of your appropriate County Office. See address details above. For former Glosters, RGBW contact the Gloucester office. For DERR R.Berks and Wiltshires, contact Salisbury.

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Services Provided by our Members
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