BRANCH NEWSLETTER FEBRUARY
2009.
Dear Members,
Membership News
Sadly,
but in common with many other Branches, our numbers are falling,
and although we are nowhere near disaster levels, your committee
would like to see more people joining, especially some who would be
willing to take office in future years. The average age of the
present committee is 73 which means that some are significantly
older and may not wish to remain in post for very much longer. If
all of us in the Branch could recruit just one new member this year
our future might suddenly look much rosier. And just to remind
everyone, to become a Legion member and/or to take office in the
Branch it is NOT necessary to have served in the Armed
Forces.
Since
the last Newsletter we have lost Bob Chappell a
Watlington man who served in the Royal Pioneer Corps but moved to
Canada after the war: Bob was 93 when he died in December. We have
also heard the Last Post for George Gale ex Royal
Artillery who was 90; Eileen Catlin, 88; and as probably
everybody knows, the Ancient Mariner William Stone who
was 108. We shall remember them, and trust that they will Rest in
Peace. William's funeral at St Leonard's Church was a big event
organised by the Ministry of Defence: Mourners came from far and
wide, the church was full and many members of our Branch attended.
Although the Legion was not invited to play a big part in the
event, nevertheless 10 other Branch Standard Bearers as well as the
County Standard Bearer turned up to pay their respects, and they
made a fine display which William would have been
pleased to see as the coffin arrived and as it departed on its
final journey to the crematorium. After the service a dogwood bush
(Cornus "Midwinter") was planted in the churchyard by the Chairman
of the Parish Council and William's daughter, and a plaque in his
memory was unveiled by LadyMogg.
There
have been no new signings during the period, and two members
declined to renew their membership so by the end of January the
total was 223.
Branch Meetings
At
the start of the year we returned to the Memorial
Club for our monthly meetings after the Chairman negotiated a
satisfactory deal with the Club committee. Our thanks go to the
Parish Council for allowing us to use the Town Hall on very
favourable terms for the last few months, but the stairs proved to
be a problem for some of us.
Meetings
continue to be well attended and we manage to provide a guest
speaker on most nights. We are always open to suggestions for
topics and/or speakers so please get in touch with the secretary if
you have any ideas. The March speaker will be another ex local man,
Professor NevilleBrown talking on "Reporting on War", and
in April Mrs Marjorie Carter will give a talk
entitled "Dead End".