Secretaries half year report 2006.

 

 Shipmates, the Branch has had another reasonable half year and so I will not dwell on the ins and outs of this subject.

 

Our prime concern lies in our numbers and the fact that we are not attracting more new Members. A campaign has been launched to rectify this as you all know, but, to date we are seeing no fruits to our labours. As ever Cec Nichols has played his part to the full and as ever I have nothing but praise and admiration for his work.

Cec has not been very well lately and at his time of life he should be slowing down. There are ample Members within the Branch to cover this work done by Cec and I ask you all to give this some consideration over the next few days towards the next Committee meeting.

 

I am hoping that Dave Price can give the members a date for their promised day out. I would also ask that another day is brought forward also to give the Members another day out locally as I feel this is where the Branch lets its self down through non activity. I would not worry about finance or the cost to the Branch as that is irrelevant at this time and the Members do deserve something in return for their loyalty.

 

Another aspect that must be raised and it will be debated is Branch representation at national level. It is not always possible for us to attend council meetings and of course we also have to take into account Terry Carr’s health, as he to has not been very good of late.

 

I have noted that the national council meeting for July is to be held in Bristol that puts us right out of the frame as the Branch could not afford to send men down there for several days as the cost would run to around £700.If National keep on taking this stand of having meetings all over the country away from Birmingham then I am going to ask the question of “Do they really want us in the MNA” as they seam to be leaning in favour of the southern Branches and not the northern ones.

 

I have deliberately kept my report to the minimum so that we have more time to debate the content, so all I have to do now is thank the officials who make my job easy, the Committee for their continued belief in the Branch and you the Members' because without you there would be no Branch.

 

As we stand at the moment Mr. Chairman the Branch in my opinion is holding its own but, as ever I give the same warning as always, keep a weather eye open for new Members.   

 

D. Buckworth

Branch secretary.