WHATS HAPPENING IN ALDBURY BRANCH?
Diary Dates 2024:
- 18th December 2023 Branch Christmas Luncheon at the Greyhound In;
- 19th January - Burns Night at the Veteran's Hall Aldbury with Pipe Major Stephen Marshall of Harpenden Pipe Band.
- 27th January 2023 County Annual Meeting – Stevenage
- Monday 23rd April St. Georges Day Luncheon at the Greyhound Inn
- 10-12th May National Conference – Newport, Cardiff
- Trooping the Colour: Dates: 1st, 8th, 15th June
- Waterloo Day Sunday 16th June - Edlesborough
- Armed Forces Day - Saturday 29thth June Hemel
- Poppy Appeal Collection 30th October -10th November
- Remembrance Service & Annual Meeting Sunday 10th November 10.00Hrs at Poppies Café.
- Armistice Day Observance 11:11:11 – Poppies Café Garden 10.50Hrs.
12th December 2027 The Centenary Celebration of Aldbury Branch
What's Happening Now:
- Our Remembrance Day went off with full military honours observed as did our AGM. This years Poppy Appeal raised £4,693.63p.
The Sovereign's birthday is officially celebrated by the ceremony of Trooping the Colour (King's Birthday Parade) and is one of those events which is always with attending and if you have never been you should! Tickets go on sale in March at www.kbp.army.mod.uk There are three events the first two effectively being training runs ready for the King on the 17th and the cost for seats alters accordingly. This year the Welsh Guards are trooping their Colour. The first Trooping, which is reviewed by their Major General is on the 3rd June at the cost is £10. The second Trooping, which is reviewed by The Colonel of the Regiment, HRH The Prince of Wales, and takes place on the 10th June, seats cost £15. The final in the presence of HM The King in attendance is on the 17th tickets are £30 paid for in advance but a ballot is held which means you may not be successful. All events require you to be dressed in a collar and tie, medals may be worn.
Burns Night: All agreed yet another great Burns Supper was held on the 27th January at the Kings Arms Tring with Pipe Major Stephen Marshall with £225 being raised towards the Poppy Appeal!
Branch Christmas Lunch 2022: A great day was had by the 35 attending and we raised £300 for the Poppy Appeal, we had a few drop out at the last minute and a few last-minute replacements, not all Branch Members yet, but they have threatened to join! It was great to host serving member Captain Jacob Barr from the RLC currently on Christmas leave recently returned from Germany & Norway. The 2023 luncheon is already booked for 2023 on the 18th December.
Secretary’s Review of 2022 for Aldbury Branch
January:
The start of the new year opened in the knowledge that our small Branch of Aldbury had beaten our record for fundraising for the Poppy Appeal by returning £4,631-21p in 2021 with a mixture of events throughout the year plus a big push during Remembramcetide; with many thanks of course to all our Poppy Appeal Collectors.
- In 2022 we started the year with a very successful Burns Night held at the Kings Arms in Tring after securing the services of Pipe Major Stephen Marshall of Harpenden Pipe Band who donated his services free of charge in the knowledge that this was a fundraising event for the Poppy Appeal where we raised a further £680 for the appeal through ticket prices and a large raffle.
February:
Saw our local GP’s at Rothschilds House Group Surgery accredited as a “Veteran Friendly Surgery”, a matter we have been advocating, influencing and encouraging the Surgery to do for some time now which has now, come to fruition. Practices can qualify for veteran friendly status under the NHS & Royal College of GP’s by offering extra support for ex-military personnel who may face additional challenges when they return to civilian life.
April:
- April witnessed the beginning of remembrance for the Falklands Campaign 40 years on, which was nationally recognised on the 14th June at the National Memorial Arboretum in Staffordshire attended by many Falkland Veterans themselves and jointly recognised at our own Armed Forces Day event in the village.
- The 21st witnessed our St. Georges Day Luncheon, a great social day at the Greyhound where a further £120 was raised towards the Poppy Appeal.
- We also saw the opening of Poppies Community Café within our Hall still in business today but new customers are always welcome and true to its name, the promotor of the business, Jude Glenister, has based the theme of the café on promoting Remembrance and the Poppy Appeal. An all-year-round collection box located there so far has raised in excess of £400 towards the Poppy Appeal.
May:
Mid May was the National Conference of the RBL, this year in London due to the cancelation of the Centenary event last year due to the pandemic. Your secretary attended the weekend meeting and reported back to the Branch by your regular monthly Branch Newsletter.
June:
On the 25th we celebrated Armed Forces Day at the Peace Memorial Institute together with Tring Army Cadets and joined by our MP Gagan Mohindra who raised the AFD Flag and spent a good deal of time talking to the Cadets and understanding all their issues. This event remains only one of two, held in the whole of Hertfordshire County on this special day.
August:
Your secretary went to prison, not as an inmate but to advise Veteran inmates and Staff alike at HMP The Mount what welfare services the RBL & SSAFA had to offer them when on the brink of release and thereafter.
September:
The 8th we sadly witnessed the sad loss of our Patron Her Majesty the Queen and we of course welcome and pledge our loyalty to our new King and trust he will in time be able to accept this currently vacant patronage role.
November:
Our busiest month of the year in promoting the Poppy Appeal and fundraising and of course our special Service of Remembrance in Aldbury Church followed by our Annual Meeting. Which also saw the completion of all our Branch compulsory paperwork ensuring that our Branch remained compliant for yet another year with HQ.
Our Poppy Appeal was curtailed this year by both dismal weather at Ashridge and Rail strikes followed by Tube strikes at Tring Station; all having a detrital effect on our best efforts. We are forced to complete a return to HQ at the end of November each year, despite the fact that the Poppy Appeal is live each year until the end of May the following year, and we as Aldbury Branch submitted £3,500 in November 2022.
December:
Monday 19th we had our Christmas Lunch at the Greyhound a great social event and well attended where we raised a further £300 for the Poppy Appeal.
This Year:
- 7th January 2023: Hertfordshire County Conference and competition is to be held in Stevenage. As a Branch we will be entering the Branch Efficiency Competition which includes these following main elements compared to other Branches based upon last year’s figures:
- Membership compared this year to last was increased by 3 - 54:51 (already 56 currently).
- Poppy Appeal: Last three years: £1,623.45 - £2,981.47 (83%increase) – last Year £4,631.21p (55%increase).
- We were represented at both the County & National Conferences.
- We submitted our compulsory Branch paperwork before deadline, on every occasion.
- We promote ourselves within our local community.
- We operate the Branch Community Support programme in order to support Veterans in need locally
- National Conference this year is in Torquay during May and this year we have put the Branch forward as a competitor in the Haigh Cup Competition, the most senior of all competitions in respect of Branch efficiency as we have now grown out of size (in membership terms) to enter the Lister Star competition.
2027:
On the 12th December 2027 we will celebrate our own Branch Centenary a major event in our Branch calendar and we would like to consider at this early stage a special dinner to recognise this milestone in our history but we seek your thoughts now; albeit 4 years away.
Current Branch Membership: Our membership has increased by one to 55.
RBL Membership Lapsed? Not a problem please hit the link below and follow the on-line instructions to re-join Aldbury Branch BR0551 for just £21 per year to help this great cause!
https://www.britishlegion.org.uk/get-involved/things-to-do/membership/become-a-member?_ga=2.32721591.808567007.1605508164-2041989031.1605287397
Membership of Other Branches: The current membership rules means that if you are our Branch Member, you can also join up to 4 other branches; at no additional cost (however the other Branch may charge you their admin fee-usually £2).
If interested please use the email address below to Membership Services, inform them which Branch you are from and quote your membership number then request joining the other Branch(s) of your choice. For example; if it is “Berkhamsted, Tring & District” BR0557, in order to join their Club Bar (which is inter-affiliated to all RBL Clubs), once your new card is returned to you, will need to go to the Club and speak to the Steward who can issue an application form together with collecting an annual subscription of £10.
membershipservices@britishlegion.org.uk
Understanding & Interpreting the Royal British Legion Standard:
Our Standard which having been solemnly dedicated in a sacred place,
represents the ideals of service to God and to our King and country.
The Union Flag, in the top left-hand corner, is symbolic of our unity and our loyalty to the crown, community and nation.
The royal blue signifies fidelity, and the gold band recalls all those who have died in the service of our country,
and reminds us who remain that we must ever be true to our motto of
“Service not Self”.
We exhort you all to remember always that this Standard is a sacred emblem,
and it is now placed in your charge to be cared for in the name of
The Royal British Legion.
Each Standard sometimes carry symbols of National Awards-We display two:
In the bottom right-hand corner, The Lister Star (awarded in 2020 for Small Branch Efficiency, named after the co-founder of the Legion but only one Branch is awarded this each year which is achieved by competition). We also display the Ypres Scroll as one of the Branches attending the Group Pilgrimage 90 event held in 2018, the largest membership event ever held by the RBL where 1000 Standards were paraded through the Menin Gate replicating an event held by the Legion, 90 years earlier.
