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BRANCH ACCOUNTS

All Branch Treasurers should have now received the AnnualAccount Return forms and guidance notes. These are to becompleted and returned by 30th September 2016. Please noteAccount Returns DO NOT need to be signed off at your branchAGM before sending them in – please send them in as soon asthey are ready, they can been reviewed at your AGM at a laterdate. Remember to use a RBL Independent Examiner ifpossible. Details of these can be found in your Essex Handbook

In line with the revised Membership Handbook (Part 3 Section3.19 branch Finances, 3 Banking) ALL branches MUST makesure that their accounts are in accordance with the following:

Only 1 account should be held. Each of the funds can beidentified within the one account and accounted for separately. Ifyou have more than one account then this should beconsolidated.

The Charity Number of 219279 must form part of the accountname and appear on the cheque book

Surplus funds in excess of £5000 must be moved to a BFIaccount in order to obtain a higher interest. If a Branch does notcurrently have a BFI account, the Branch can open one throughthe Finance Department in Head Office.

ESSEX WIS TOP ROYAL BRITISH LEGIOL AWARD

COUNTY WELFARE FUND

GROUP & BRANCH DONATIONS

1 JULY 2015 TO 30 JUNE 2016

THAXTED £ 100HORNCHURCH £ 1000KELVEDON £ 1400WIVENHOE £ 277TAKELEY £ 500HEDINGHAMS £ 1000WIVENHOE £ 751BRENTWOOD £ 83HARLOW £ 466SOUTH WOODHAM £ 600GREAT WAKERING £ 3000BURNHAM £ 500BROOMFIELD £ 2500WIVENHOE £ 444B GROUP £ 100WIVENHOE £ 362COGGESHALL £ 315GREAT BADDOW £ 5000CHELMSFORD £ 1000WIVENHOE £ 112WALTON ON THE NAZE £ 2000EPPING BRANCH £ 29000WIVENHOE £ 198HOCKLEY £ 500WITHAM £ 260WIVENHOE £ 507

TOTAL RECEIVED FROM BRANCHES ANDGROUPS THIS FINANCIAL YEAR TO DATE:

£51975TOTAL RECEIVED FROM OTHER SOURCES

£23068*COMBINED TOTAL TO DATE:

£73578*

*NOT FINALISED AT TIME OF PUBLICATION – SEE NEXT EDITION

‘Coming together is a beginning.

Keeping together is progress.

Working together is success.’(Henry Ford)

COUNTY NOTICES

THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGIONESSEX COUNTYNEWSLETTER

BRANCH FUND INITIATIVE

1.9851%

JULYAUGUST

2016

WELFARE EXPENDITURE

AS YET THIS FINANCIAL YEAR

£20834*

SOME PEOPLE WANT IT TO HAPPEN,

SOME PEOPLE WISH IT WOULD

HAPPEN

OTHERS MAKE IT HAPPEN

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

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FESTIVAL OF REMEMBRANCE

All Branches are able to apply for up to 4 tickets for theirmembers to attend the evening performance.Applications for these must be forwarded to the MSO nolater than the 26th August 2016 so that we meet theHead Office deadline. If Branches wish to apply pleasemake sure you include the following details:NameAddressDate of birthContact detailsBranch nameMembership number

Each year there are a number of excess tickets for theevening performance. From the 3rd – 9th October, thesewill be available to Legion members via the Royal AlbertHall’s box office on a first come, first served basis. Toensure these remain exclusively for Legion members,individual membership numbers will be needed topurchase tickets. This further minor change is designedto ensure members have a fair and equal opportunity toattend. There is a nominal charge of £10 per ticket for allevening performance tickets. Branch action required:Applications for these must be forwarded to the MSOno later than the 26th August 2016

For the afternoon performance, as in previous years,tickets are available exclusively to Legion members fromthe Royal Albert Hall’s box office from 4th July to 6th

September, after which remaining tickets will go on saleto the general public. Tickets for the afternoonperformance range in price from £15 - £30 and memberswill need to quote reference number 23396 whenprompted. The telephone number for the Royal AlbertHall’s box office is 020 7589 8212.

NON COLLECTION - CLUB FEES

At the last Membership Council meeting on 1st June2016, the Membership Council voted overwhelmingly tonot collect club fees centrally in the forthcoming renewalsround or for new members.

Clubs will therefore need to collect the relevant fees fromtheir Members directly. Members that complete anapplication form and send in a cheque must only includethe membership fee payment and any applicable Branchadmin fees. Any renewing club members must only paytheir membership fee and applicable admin fees toNovacroft. All club fees MUST be paid directly to theClub. All Club’s have been written to and informed.

MEMBERSHIP

CHANGES AND TRANSFERS

Lapsing, address change, etc. will be closed as ofWednesday 13th July. Any changes made after this datemay not be taken into account. Any changes you havemust be passed onto the MSO who will make thechanges once the system is up and running again.. Thestate of data on Wednesday the 13th of July will form therenewal file based on which renewal letters will beprinted. Renewal letters will be printed for the week of15th of August. Members who wish to cancel or remove adonation, will have the first three weeks of the six weeksrenewal period to make required changes on line, overthe phone or by contacting TRBL staff.Transfers will not be permitted from 11th July, as thismight affect the balance due. Unfortunately in the periodbetween 11th July until the date when a member pays fortheir renewal, they will not be allowed to change thebranch

STANDARD BEARERS

COMPETITION

The Essex County Standard Bearers Competition for2016 will take place on Sunday 16th October 2016 at theArmy Reserve Centre, Springfield Lyons, ColchesterRoad, Chelmsford, CM2 5TA. We strongly encourage allBranch Standard Bearers, or their deputies, to enter thecompetition (one entry per branch). Competitors shouldreport to the Army Reserve Centre by 1.00pm and thedraw for the order of appearance will take place shortlyafter. Judging will commence at approximately 2.00pm.

The closing date for entries is Friday 30th September2016. No late entries will be accepted. The MSO willcontact Standard Bearers separately in order to confirmtheir entry has been accepted.

Branches who wish for their Standard Bearer to enter thecompetition must complete the entry form which isobtainable from the MSO and return it to all three of thefollowing:

Jamie Robinson – Essex County Parade Marshaljamierobinson61@yahoo.com

James Grovesessexstandardbearers@yahoo.co.uk

County MSO’smsoessex@britishlegion.org.uk

COUNTY OFFICE NEWS

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FROM CHRISTINE HIGGINS –

WICKFORD & DISTRICT BRANCH

A little while back I was approached by a photographystudent who was writing a book, her thesis I suppose, onveterans and could I supply any? We had only one – 90year old Sid Black – who she interviewed and he features inher book and the photo exhibition she had at the TrumanBrewery, Brick Lane. Have attached her photo with thephoto of Sid, with his kind permission!

Samantha Dyer, age 21, from Brentwood studying for herPhotography B.A at University of East London, hascompleted a book on WW2 veterans and their wartimeexploits which featured Sid Black 90, ex Royal Marines,from Wickford. She held an exhibition of her work at theOld Truman Brewery, Brick Lane, E1 from 24th-27th June,which Christine, PAO Secretary from Wickford visited atSamantha’s invitation. Having approached Sid for his co-operation in this work, which he was more than pleased todo. Samantha had approached different RBL Branches asan obvious avenue to explore for veterans. She interviewedSid last summer and her exhibition was the culmination ofher hard work in researching his life and others in her book.

Branch Community Support

(formerly Branch Visitor

Volunteers)

Following the Branch Welfare pilot last year, andsubsequent feedback from the Membership Support OfficerConference, Membership Council and the County andDistrict Chairmen, we have now officially renamed theinitiative as ‘Branch Community Support’.

Branch Community Support will give you, our Members, theopportunity to provide information, companionship andsupport via the five activities you told us you and your fellowmembers could, or do already, provide for the beneficiariesthat are within your local community; home and hospitalvisiting, support for the bereaved including Standardbearing at funerals, telephone buddy services, communityawareness raising events and setting up local outreachcentres.

The volunteering roles for BCS are very much focussedaround comradeship, and as such do not require the samelevel of processing required when volunteering as aCaseworker or Information volunteer. As a result, brancheswill be required to undertake local checks in accordancewith guidance provided but no DBS check is required. Thisapproach builds on the foundations already created by thehard work of our branches and reinforces the delivery of arange of activities to meet the current and predicted needsof the Armed Forces Community. Branch CommunitySupport falls under the following key activities:

Legion Awareness EventsTelephone BuddiesHome & Hospital VisitorBereavement SupportLocal Touchpoints

A page within Office 365 is now active, enabling branchesto officially sign up to one or more of the 5 activities listed.The branch will need to follow this link, log in to Office 365(utilising their current log in details) and fill out the BCSregistration form to sign up to undertake BCS.

BRANCH AND GROUP NEWS & EVENTS

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BURNHAM ON CROUCH BRANCH

SOMME 100

On Sunday 3rd July Burnham-on-Crouch Branch of the Royal BritishLegion with support from the Burnham-on-Crouch Town Councilheld a Ceremony of Remembrance to commemorate the centenaryof the Battle of the Somme at the Town War Memorial.

The Mayor, Cllr R Pratt welcomed everyone attending, about 200people. The Legion Branch Chaplain, Fr Mark North opened withprayers. There were readings Cllr P Elliott, Chairman of Maldondistrict Council and Sarah Grimes, Town Clerk. Terry Saunderssang “Down Upon the Dugout Floor”. The names of the 21Burnham-on-Crouch Men who died during the Battle were read outand after Branch Chairman David Price had said the Exhortation, aTwo Minute silence, with the last Post and Reveille being soundedby Peter Bearman of Rayleigh Brass. The Mayor and the BranchChairman laid Poppy Wreaths, followed by 21 Wooden Crosses witheach man’s name and sate of death, these were laid by a membersof the local community and relatives of the Fallen.

The Burnham-on-Crouch Branch Standard with those from the LocalBranch of the RNLI, the ATC and the Scouts were also on parade.After the Ceremony the town council generously providedrefreshments in the Council Offices where the Town Clerk hadarranged for an appropriate display to be set up in the CouncilChamber

WICKFORD – SOMME 100 EVENT

The Somme 100 event held in Wickford Memorial Park onthe 9th July was a tremendous success. The weathercouldn't have been kinder after someepisodes of rain of Biblical proportions! Along with theexhibits of original WW1 vehicles, including the LondonTransport Museum Battle bus, which had come from theSomme only the previous day, the Royal NorfolkLiving History Group had set up a full camp in original WW1tents allowing visitors to view the enlistment process, fieldkitchens, blacksmiths, farriers, machine gun teams andmedical tent. This event was organised by the Wickford WarMemorial Association, Basildon Civil Military Partnership,Basildon Borough Council, who also sponsored the eventand the Basildon Historical Society; but thanks must also goto Co-op Funeralcare for their kind donation towards costs,the Wickford Royal British Legion Club Limitedand also to Harriet Bowman, daughter of Karen, BillericayChairman and PAO, for her expertise in re-creating woundsand injuries on the volunteer Cadets with her theatricalmake up.

COGGESHALL BRANCH FUNDRAISING

Coggeshall Branch raised £548.00 for the PoppyAppeal from their Tombola Stall at the Annual VillageCarnival in July and a further £280.00 from a Lunch atPrail Court to celebrate the Queen’s 90

thBirthday.

BRANCH AND GROUP NEWS & EVENTS

MORE

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B GROUP

Major David Swann TD, Membership CouncilMember, presenting the RBL Gold Badge forMeritorious Service to Lawrence Rawlinson(Wethersfield & Shalford Branch) at the B GroupJuly meeting.

HOCKLEY & DISTRICT

BRANCH

Some new members on the Club Committee andhelpers arranged an afternoon tea party for theQueen's 90th Birthday Party. Alongside a mouthwatering array of cakes there was also a BBQ and ahamper was raffled. £231 was raised for the PoppyAppeal. Congratulations to all those who workedhard to make the event a success.

Sunday (the 17th of July) saw Hockley Legion'sannual Fete on the Village Green with all proceedsgoing to The Poppy Appeal

Finally we are arranging on Saturday the 30th ofJuly at 3pm to show the 1966 World Cup Final in aneffort to cheer up the long suffering English footballfans, reminding them that we really did once have ateam to be proud of. We are looking to arrangesome special events on the day - numberspermitting

COUNTY, BRANCH AND GROUP NEWS & EVENTS

THE NEWSLETTERIs edited by Bryan Emery (Deputy County Treasurer)

He may be contacted on any matter concerning the newsletter including suggestions forimprovement, layout, or what have you! You may send contributions for inclusion in thenewsletter direct to the Email address shown below. It would be helpful if all contributions aresent using Ariel 9 point font. bryan.emery@btinternet.com

MAURICE CUP

ESSEX COUNTYEssex County Standard showing the Maurice CupScroll – see May/June Newsletter – Page 1 - for fulldetails of the award

PLEASE NOTE

Due to number of unforeseen problems withdownloading pictures and time constraints somearticles have not made this edition. Hopefully all willbe regularised in the next edition. In the meantime –my apologies!

FINAL THOUGHTS

OF COURSE I DON’T LOOK BUSY!

I DID IT RIGHT FIRST TIME!

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MAJOR J B BUCKLEY – SAXON

“BRAM”

21 JUNE 2016

It was with great sadness that we learnt of the passing of MajorBuckley-Saxon; always and universally known as “Bram”. Bramseemed to have been with us forever.

The Second World War interrupted his studies to follow his fatherinto the profession of surveyor. He enlisted in the WarwickshireRegiment and was posted to India with the Indian Army andfought with the 14th Army in the Burmese Jungles against theinvading Japanese. He spoke very little about these times exceptto say that when they were sleeping on the ground one couldwake up to find a snake snuggled up beside them!

Following his service in the jungles he was posted to the IndianArmy Intelligence Corps and rose to the rank of Major. On beingdemobbed in 1946 he resumed his studies and set up hispractice in Hadleigh. In 1948 he married Lorna with whom heenjoyed sixty eight happy years. He was a musician of sometalent and played in several local bands.

Bram served the community as Parish Councillor, but hisprinciple service was to the Royal British Legion. He held officewith the Hedinghams and District Branch, by turns as itsChairman, Secretary and Treasurer. He served the Essex BGroup and was for many years a member of the CountyCommittee.

Scouting was another long term interest and in Colne ValleyDistrict he held administrative posts and he was Chairman of theAppointments Committee, meetings of which took place in hisoffice followed by noggins all round at their conclusion!

The highlight of Bram’s long life came last year when he wasinvited to Westminster and the Horse Guards Parade to celebratethe conclusion of the Far East War. At last he felt the great effortsof the 14th Army were being acknowledged. He was taken to theevent, and looked after by Penny from the “Bell”. As the abovephotograph shows Bram had a truly great day, and was a happierman for the experience

REST IN PEACE, BRAM, REST IN PEACE

THANKS

From Malcolm and Shirley Ratcliffe

We would like to express our grateful thanksto all our friends and colleagues in the RoyalBritish Legion for the cards and messagesof sympathy on the sudden death of our sonIan. Your kind messages and support havebeen a great comfort at this difficult time.

E J B EVANS

“EDDIE”

Eddie passed away in June and his funeral took placeon 6 July. Eddie will be sadly missed and was anactive member of County Committee, D Group andthe Broomfield Branch for many, many years.

He held the position of County Chairman from 1991 to1997; County Sports Officer and County ConferenceCommittee 2002 – 2016. He also held offices atGroup and Branch level. The Broomfield Branch beinghis pride and passion.

Eddie was also a Life Vice-President of the EssexCounty Committee and until recent times, when illnesstook him, never failed to attend a County Meeting.

MAY HE NOW REST IN PEACE

OBITUARIES