Minutes of the RBL Byfield and District Committee & AGM meeting held at Byfield Village Hall on 6 November 2023 at 20:00

Present: David Bradshaw Chair / Treasurer, Caroline Crewe Secretary, Alan B, Max B, Rob C, Jane H, Chris K. Graham W.

Also in attendance: Robbie Paice, Chair RBL Greens Norton and RBL Northants County Club Liaison Officer

Apologies received: Terry H, Bob & Bernadette C.

COMMITTEE MEETING

1. Treasurers report: Due to the nature of this particular meeting, this item is published here unedited.

Current Account balance stands at £476.72 after paying £248.50 for the remembrance wreaths for the district villages. A further £15.30 will be due for the hire of Byfield Village Hall for this meeting. BFI balance £2,483.24.

2. Remembrance Sunday 12 November 2023:

Byfield School children will be at the War Memorial on Friday 10 November between 9.00-9.15am to lay their crosses. David Bradshaw will represent the branch and read the Roll of Honour. Any other member is welcome to attend on the day if they wish.

The actual Remembrance Sunday service will be at Byfield Church on Sunday 12 November at 10.00am. Chris Kiely will carry the RBL standard and Graham Walker will lay the RBL Byfield wreath at the War Memorial. We usually gather just after 10.45 at the War Memorial. David Bradshaw will represent the branch on the day and Bishop Ed will be conducting the church service. Rob Crewe to fly the flag at the War memorial on both the Saturday 11th November and Sunday 12th November.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2023

1. Confirmation of AGM Minutes 2022: David Bradshaw read out last year’s minutes. These were approved by Max B. and seconded by Chris K.

2. Secretary’s statement: Caroline Crewe announced that she was standing down as Secretary at this AGM and asked to read out some brief words which are shown below.

“I’ve been involved with the branch since Terry Hoyle moved to Colchester late 2020. Initially by taking over writing the Byword RBL branch words, and then in June 2021 attending my 1st RBL committee meeting. Our branch members that I have met are friendly and committed and as I am now standing down from the role of Secretary, I would like to personally thank a few people if I may, so not in any particular order:

• Alan Bailey – who was holding the branch together when I first attended, holding down the roles of Chair & Secretary. He has been a stalwart within the branch and impresses me with his continuing kindness and dedication.
• Chris Kiely – who I know has been a previous Chair of the branch, remains our Standard Bearer and does this so well, and was also our BCS rep until he recently resigned this post.

• Bob Cubitt – who stepped up to the role of Secretary in 2021 and then also Chair in 2022, who arranged our last couple of quizzes and helped me out on more than one occasion. His support has been invaluable to me.

• Jane Holland – who quietly keeps in touch with many of our older members who are not on email and asks for no thanks for this, and if I have ever needed help, I have known that I can count on her.

• Max Burnett – who assisted me with the Poppy in a Jar event, and has also been involved with meeting the local Scouts on a few occasions and talking about the RBL and Remembrance with them.

• Terry Hoyle – who in spite of no longer being local has kept our Website and Facebook presence up to date, and continues to take an active interest in the branch and its going's on.

• And finally, David Bradshaw – who recently took on the role of Chair as well as Treasurer in an effort to keep the branch going.

To any member that I haven’t mentioned by name, thank you for any support that you have given both me and the branch over these years.

It honestly has been an honour and a privilege to have been involved with your branch, and I thank you all for being so tolerant with me.”

Members then present thanked Caroline for her work for the branch.

3. Election of Officers: No nominations had been received for any committee roles. David Bradshaw advised he would be happy to continue as Chair and Treasurer.

Then Robbie Paice spoke to the members present about the options now available to the Branch.

4. BRANCH CLOSURE: After that, it was regrettably voted by a majority of Members present for the branch to close.

Robbie Paice will discuss this decision with Ian Byrnes, RBL Northants County Chair. Caroline Crewe will send these Minutes to County, and the process of closing the branch will begin. It will take some months to finalise and Caroline Crewe is happy to remain as the RBL portal contact until this process is complete.

Caroline Crewe to advise RBL Byfield and District members about contact details for the nearby branches of Daventry, Middleton Chaney, Banbury and Southam in case members wish to nominate one or more pf those branches to take over their membership allegiance. RBL Members can belong to up to four branches at the same time.

Jane Holland thanked all members present for the interesting times that she has enjoyed and David Bradshaw for taking on the role of Chair recently.

Chris Kiely has paraded the RBL standard locally for 31 years and will represent our branch for the last time this coming Remembrance Sunday.

There being no further business David Bradshaw closed the meeting at 20:35.