THE ROYAL BRITISH LEGION ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2006
HELD AT THE OPERA HOUSE THEATRE,
THE WINTER GARDENS, BLACKPOOL
27, 28 and 29 May 2006
Delegate: Martin Foster
INTRODUCTION
At the opening of Conference, 85 standards were paraded, and 555 delegates were present.
ELECTIONS
NOMINATIONS FOR THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE FOR THE YEAR 2007 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Note, of the nominations received below, three were to be elected, and these were:
A.R.P GOODWIN BEM East Midland Region – 308 votes
MISS S.E. KELLY Northern Region – 287 votes
R. WICKSON West Midland Region – 249 votes
The unsuccessful candidates received the following number of votes:
MRS K. HUMANN-FITZPATRICK Overseas Districts – 172 votes
J. MORRISON Ireland Electoral Region – 177 votes
E.J.SEYMOUR MBE Eastern Region – 212 votes
PLACE OF YEAR 2010 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
The Isle of Man (nominated by Isle of Man County) was voted as the location of the 2010 Conference by 347 votes. Birmingham (nominated by Shropshire) received 141 votes.
Note: the venues for the following years are:
2007 Bournemouth
2008 Southport
2009 Eastbourne
BRIEF SUMMARY OF ADDRESSES TO CONFERENCE
After prayers and Silent Tribute, the Mayor of Blackpool, Councillor Allan Matthews welcomed Conference to the town. Then the National Vice President Colonel Peter Howells (officiating for the National President, Commander The Earl of Effingham unable to attend due to illness) opened Conference before handing over to the National Chairman, John Hawthornthwaite JP.
The National Chairman’s address on the work of the Legion mentioned the 60th anniversary of the end of World War II and the new Legion clubs. He also talked about the new welfare identity developed to promote the Legion’s services called Poppy Support. This was to be launched on 5 June, and covers six areas of the Legion’s work: advice, funds, homes, volunteers, breaks and travel. Backed by a national PR and advertising campaign to be followed by key regional launches, the Legion will employ Poppy Support to raise awareness of its services and encourage more people to come forward to claim the help that is rightfully theirs.
The Director General (DG), Brigadier Ian Townsend’s speech was his last at Conference as after 10 years in the role he is retiring on 1 September (he will be replaced by Brigadier David Wills). He looked back at some of the wonderful times he had had over those 10 years.
The Audit Committee Chairman John Tedder gave a breakdown of the accounts for 2005 as shown in the Annual Report and Accounts. (Details of these are available from the TRBL website.)
Colonel Paul Davis gave a very interesting talk on the work of the Royal Commonwealth Ex-Services League.
A bucket collection for the Poppy Appeal on Monday 29 May realised the sum of £1,902.08 with Gift Aid adding the further sum of £215.23.
It was announced that the Poppy Appeal for 2005 raised the magnificent sum of £24,556,279.18, which was up on the previous year’s sum of £23,327,071.58.
CHARTER MOTIONS
(Charter Motions are worded to show all changes to all appropriate paragraphs in the Charter – most of these have been removed to save space)
CM 1. Where a Branch has less than £200 in reserve at the end of the previous financial year, the approved expenses for a delegate to Annual Conference shall be met from Central Funds.
NORTH WINGFIELD & DISTRICT DERBY COUNTY
DEFEATED
Votes For: 288 Against: 219 (Two-thirds majority not reached)
CM 2. To retain the current balance of representation at Conference the qualifying figure enabling Branches to send two delegates should be raised 301 to 501 Members.
HANTS COUNTY
DEFEATED
Votes For: 285 Against: 220
CM 3. Remove the requirement for a candidate for National Chairman or National Vice Chairman to provide evidence of military service.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
CARRIED
Votes For: 408 Against: 105
CM 4. To enshrine Remembrance of those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in the Aims and Objects of the Legion, add the following to Article 3;
"(e) to promote public benefit by the commemoration of those who have died whilst on active Service with the Armed forces of the United Kingdom."
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
CARRIED
Votes For: 523 Against: 9
CM 5. To ensure that the interests of beneficiaries are safeguarded and the furtherance of their interests is enshrined in the Aims and Objects of the Royal British Legion, add the following to Article 3;
"[(e) or (f)] to safeguard and further the interests and rights of beneficiaries."
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
CARRIED
Votes For: 462 Against: 66
CM 6. In order to ensure that members understand that only ex-Service personnel and their dependants are eligible to receive assistance, extend the definition of those eligible to receive assistance to include partners, step children and grandchildren, and make the following changes:
delete reference to definition of "Dependant, spouse" etc, and substitute:
"Dependants has the meaning given from time to time by the Governing Regulations."
Page 4:
Article 3(a), (b) and (d) delete "spouses, children and".
Article 3(b) delete "relieve need and" and "in service".
Article 3(b) after "those" insert "beneficiaries".
Article 3(c) delete "spouses and".
Article 4(b) delete "widows, widowers and children", and after "assist" insert "dependants".
Article 4(d) and (e) delete "widows, widowers, children and".
Page 19, Governing Regulation 2, delete definitions of "Dependants" and "Spouse".
In alphabetical order insert:
"Dependants: any person who, in relation to a beneficiary, is one or more of the following:
a spouse or former spouse
a current civil partner or former civil partner
a cohabiting partner
a widow or widower
a son or daughter
not a son or daughter of a beneficiary but who is treated as a child of the family in relation to any marriage, civil partnership, or cohabiting partnership to which the beneficiary was a party
a grandchild
a parent
a brother, sister, half-brother or half-sister
in the care of the beneficiary
and is or was emotionally, physically or financially dependant on the beneficiary or in the case of a person in the care of the beneficiary, is or was dependant on the beneficiary for care.”
KINVER & ENVILLE SOUTH STAFFORD COUNTY
GREATER MANCHESTER COUNTY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
DEFEATED
Votes For: 130 Against: 400
CM 7. Various changes to Rule 5 to allow the Women’s Section to give the same membership status to non ex-Service as ex-Service, in line with membership of the Legion.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
CARRIED
Votes For: 508 Against: 19
MOTIONS
Group "A" Welfare and Resettlement
Motion 1. This Conference calls on the Board of Trustees to rescind their order to the CFO’s that Counties and Branches be approached to pay 30% of the cost for help that clients require.
KINGSTANDING BIRMINGHAM COUNTY
DEFEATED
Group "B" – General (Internal)
Motion 2. This Conference requests the Board of Trustees to consider, within the constraints of local council bye-laws, an extension of the Poppy Appeal bucket collection (which currently takes place during Conference and inside the Conference Hall) to encompass the route of the parade to the local War Memorial.
CONSTANTINE CORNWALL COUNTY
DEFEATED
Motion 3. This Conference urges the Board of Trustees to continue the excellent work done by the Gulf War Group. Furthermore, to keep the format in place and use the experience gained to assist veterans of present and future conflicts.
LISKEARD CORNWALL COUNTY
CARRIED
Motion 4. This Conference views with concern the developing practice of mis-selling of Legion items on the Internet site e-Bay and requests the Board of Trustees to make representations to e-Bay and other such organisations concerning the mis-selling of Legion merchandise and in particular the lapel badges to non Legion members.
HIGH ERCALL SHROPSHIRE
DEFEATED
Motion 5. This Conference resolves that the affiliation fee be increased (or decreased, if necessary) in line with the annual rate of inflation, each year, to the nearest ten pence.
CONINGSBY, TATTERSHALL AND DISTRICT LINCOLN COUNTY
DEFEATED
Motion 6. It is the opinion of this Conference that the white Poppy has no place in the Legion and that the two are incompatible.
BURNHAM-ON-SEA SOMERSET COUNTY
CARRIED
Motion 7. This Conference respectfully requests that the Board of Trustees revert to the original Disciplinary Procedures and the new system be discarded.
SOUTH WEST COUNTY
DEFEATED
Motion 8. This Conference views with concern the lack of consideration shown by some developers regarding memorials to ex-Service personnel which have been located in premises acquired for re-development. It therefore requests the Board of Trustees to approach H.M. Government to consider the implementation of a Conservation Order or the relocation of these memorials to an acceptable alternative location when required.
EVESHAM WORCESTER COUNTY
CARRIED
Motion 9. This Conference requests that the Trustees of the Legion call upon H.M. Government to fund the costs of The Armed Forces Memorial in conjunction with the present public appeal and upkeep in perpetuity the said memorial.
BIRMINGHAM FORWARD BIRMINGHAM COUNTY
CARRIED
Motion 10. This Conference urges the Board of Trustees to make representation to H.M. Government to pardon those soldiers of World War One who were shot at dawn for cowardice and desertion.
SALISBURY WILTS COUNTY
CARRIED
Motion 11. This Conference views with grave concern the current practice of allowing British Service personnel, in conflict situations, to be charged with War Crimes and requests the Board of Trustees to bring this to the attention of H.M. Government.
PADDOCK WOOD KENT COUNTY
CARRIED
Motion 12. This Conference urges the Board of Trustees to make representations to H.M. Government to issue a National Service medal.
HARWELL BERKS & VALE OF WHITE
HORSE COUNTY
DEFEATED
Motion 13. This Conference requests the Board of Trustees to open discussions with the Ministry of Defence with a view to ameliorating the distress caused by the present practice of issuing eviction notices to recently bereaved Service spouses or partners.
TORRE DEL MAR DISTRICT SOUTH SPAIN
DEFEATED
Motion 14. This Conference requests H.M. Government to issue a silver pendant to the next of kin of all British Service men and women who were killed in action or have died of their wounds from the Falklands War to date.
MELTON MOWBRAY LEICESTER & RUTLAND
COUNTY
DEFEATED
Motion 15. This Conference requests that HM Government amends current legislation in order to remove the disparity between payment levels of the Reduced Earnings Allowance (or Retirement Allowance) and the Acquired Lowered Standard Occupational (ALSO) payment following retirement so as to benefit the ex-Service community.
MID RHONDDA RHONDDA & PONTYPRIDD
COUNTY
DEFEATED
Motion 16. This Conference requests HM Government to reconsider their policies regarding funding of the National Health Service (NHS). In particular, those which are leading to the closure of hospitals throughout the UK and the redundancies of NHS staff; as such closures have an adverse effect on UK veterans.
LEISTON SUFFOLK COUNTY
DEFEATED
PRESENTATIONS
Cups and Awards were presented by the National Vice President.
The National Standard and National Junior Standard were presented to their new recipients.
The National Vice Chairman gave thanks to all those who assisted Conference.
The National Chairman closed Conference until it meets again in Bournemouth in 2007.