Minutes of the RBL Byfield and District Committee meeting held at Byfield Village Hall on 4 September 2023 at 20:00
Please note these Minutes were copied from a transcript provided by Jane H who kindly agreed to cover for Caroline, our Secretary who was away at the date of this meeting.
1. ONLY FOUR Members attended this month's meetings, with apologies for non-attendance from nine others. We were also able to welcome David Morse, who gave a talk about the St. Paul’s Watch.
Jane advised that David’s presentation was very interesting and that it was a terrible shame that no more than four members were at the meeting. The Watch were witness to the key moments of London’s Cathedral’s experience of the Blitz. St Paul’s received two direct hits from high explosives, one at the East End on the 10th October 1940, and one over the North Transept on the 16th April 1941. The Cathedral also had several ‘near-misses.’ The most hair-raising was a high explosive bomb weighing 225kg that fell directly to earth several metres from the West Steps on the 12th September 1940. After failing to detonate, it was eventually excavated and safely removed by a team of Royal Engineers, the leader of which was awarded the George Cross for his bravery.
David Morse asked us to remember his grandad, Mr. Blythe, who was a “Watcher” at St Pauls.
2. Confirmation of Minutes August 2023 These were accepted by all present as complete & accurate.
3. Finance report
David B advised that despite the lack of fundraising events this year, the c/a still has a healthy balance after paying for the cost of Village Hall hire. And also the BFII is well stocked.
4. BCS report - No report available.
5. Succession Planning
David had put signs around Byfield. So far neither he or Caroline have had anyone express interest in being our Secretary. Caroline will be putting an appeal for volunteers in the next Byword (Oct/Nov23) that should have been in by 3 September, but the editor has kindly agreed that RBL copy may go in latest Friday 8 September. To be discussed further at October’s meeting ahead of November AGM.
6. War Memorial competition
Caroline lodged Byfield’s entry and David is the contact. So far David has not heard anything further about this.
7. Remembrance Sunday 12 November 2023
Major Tom will give Caroline & Rob C the wooden crosses upon which the children at Byfield School will write the names of Byfield’s fallen. David will read those names out to the children at their Memorial service at Byfield’s War Memorial on Friday 10 November 2023. It is believed that the time for this is 9am. Caroline had sent the Remembrance Sunday protocol to David.
On Remembrance Sunday David will read the Roll of Honour and will also contact our Vicar to discuss proceedings for the day. It was mentioned that someone may need to bring an extension for the tape machine to play the bugle call, but this can be checked with the church contact.
8. Poppy Appeal
So far Byfield has had SIX of its thirteen door-to-door collectors advise they will NOT be able to collect during this year’s annual poppy appeal. Caroline has contacted Major Tom, the Poppy Appeal Organiser for our district and Byfield will focus on commercial premises and events such as the November Big Breakfast instead. If any of the remaining Byfield door-to-door collectors still wish to do a route then this will happily be arranged. It is believed that other villages are also experiencing some difficulties with door-to-door collections.
Caroline will put a note in the next Byword that if anyone wants a wreath to please contact either her or Rob. RBL wreaths to be discussed at October meeting.
9. Quiz Night
Caroline advised that she has the PTA contact details if bacon butties are required, and that we had an offer of raffle prizes from Richard B. Caroline had also received a member objection about the fact we are considering not running a bar or having the bacon butties.
Caroline had emailed the following for consideration at the meeting:
“I don’t know if David has managed to muster any help yet but without sufficient support my view is very regrettably that we should not attempt the quiz night. Please do consider the required advertising, the hall set up on the night, the need to mark the papers of say 14-20 tables and put the results up, the need for a quiz master to keep control etc. It’s a lot of effort and needs a lot of support, even without a bar, and personally, sad as it is, I don’t think the branch has that – unless perhaps you would consider making it a joint event with say something like Byfield Over 60’s or the WI – just a thought if another club would be happy to do something jointly.”
It was decided after consideration by those present that we do not have enough support to attempt a Quiz Night this year. Caroline will be asked to cancel the provisional Byfield village hall booking and put a note in the October/November Byword.
10. Contribution to County Newsletter – None received
11. AOB
Chris K passed the the district War Memorials records book to David B, along with a briefcase of other documents.
The branch had received a request from Wendy T for an RBL member to go along to Beavers on Tuesday 17 October or Tuesday 31 October at 5:30pm for an hour. That’s to talk about getting ready for Remembrance Day, and the RBL’s role. The Beavers will be asked to bring in or talk about people in their family who have served in the forces. Max B has kindly agreed to attend on 17 October 2023.
Meeting closed 21:25
Date of next meeting: Monday 2nd October 2023 in Byfield Village Hall Meeting Room 20:00.
