MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE EDINBURGH BRANCH, QUEEN’S OWN HIGHLANDERS REGIMENTAL ASSOCIATION HELD AT THE SCOTS GUARDS CLUB, EDINBURGH ON 23rd SEPTEMBER 2007
The meeting opened at 13.45 hrs with 34 members present: (Lt Col (Ret’d) CPD Millar, Maj (Ret’d) D Shepherd, Maj (Ret’d) G Givens, Capt (Ret’d) GS Anderson, Mr R Griffiths, J Cumming, R Munro, P Kyle, M Bell, F Scott, J Meikle, D Murray, J Dunn, J Gilchrist, G Kidd, T Balloch, G McCann, T McCann, K Urqhuart, J Moore, T Munro, G Ballard, J Turner, A Malloch, I Malloch, G Stirling, A Dewar, T Brown, J McKenzie, R McMillan, P McMurdo, J Senior, J Skinner, J Meechan,
1. Fallen Comrades Deceased members from Edinburgh Branch and the Regiment at large were remembered during a one-minute silence. The following names of Branch members were read out: Brig DR MacLennan, Col ID Cameron, Bob “Chiefy” Reid, and George Fairburn
2. Apologies Apologies were received from Brig NJ Ridley, Lt Col RG Turner, Maj M Macleod, Mr. J Tullis, R Dall, S Bassett, G Lawson, A Cranston, J Ryan, T Murphy, E Maley, J Woods, A Kirkwood, J Clarkson, D MacCallum, N Nairne, K Reid, G Slight, S Byers, C Duncan, C Stewart, D Carruthers, J Donlevy, I Flynn, and W Gilmour
3. Minutes of last Meeting It was proposed by Bobby Munro and seconded by John Meikle that the Minutes of the Last Meeting were passed as read.
4. Matters Arising. Maj Givens reported that the committee had decided not to pursue corporate membership of the Scots Guards Club as the club were making ex-Queen’s Own Highlanders very welcome as a matter of routine, and it was felt that the extra cost of corporate membership could not be justified. It was also reported that a cull of the Branch membership list had been made and that anyone who had not contacted the Branch after several attempts to communicate with them had been removed from the mailing list
5. Chairman’s Report. Maj Givens reported that he had attended the Regimental Association AGM in June, at which time it was reported that a sum of about £24,000.00 had been spent on welfare matters over the previous year and discussions about an Association Newsletter were progressing well. Jerry Kidd at this stage wished to register his concern that an Association Newsletter had not been produced sooner, and especially after such a long gap following the last edition of The Highlander.
Maj Givens went on to report that the Garrison Sergeant’s Mess had encountered major problems with their boiler system, resulting in a loss of catering and cleaning facilities, and that this had necessitated a last minute change in venue for the summer dance (from a Saturday night at the Garrison Mess in June, to a Friday night at the Royal British Legion, Portobello in July). It was assumed that these late changes had contributed to a lower than expected turnout, however there was still a strong turnout and sufficient members present for everyone to enjoy both the dance and, for the first time at a Branch function, a live act. The state of affairs with the boiler had still not been resolved and Maj Givens saw very little hope of a function taking place in the Garrison Mess in the near future (see Minute 7 for subsequent discussions about future venues)
He went on to state that the Branch remained active with the following successful events taking place over the past year:
· Representation on the 12th November 2006 at Remembrance services at the City Chambers, the Garrison Church, and the Garden of Remembrance, Princes Street Gardens.
· Christmas Dance on Saturday 3rd December 2006 at Leith Ex-Servicemen’s Club
· Amalgamation Dinner on the 3rd February 2007 at Leith Ex-Servicemen’s Club
· Summer Dance on the 13th July 2007 at the Royal British Legion, Portobello
6. Regimental News. Maj Givens reported that:
· Lt Col Cummings had retired as Regimental Secretary and HHQ was presently being manned by Maj Maurice Gibson and Capt Mick Low.
· The Highlanders were currently at BATUS and were due for operational tours in 2008 (B Company to Afghanistan and the main Battle Group to Iraq)
· An Association Newsletter was about to be produced by David Terron – details about how it was to be distributed were still unknown, however Maj Givens encouraged members to submit articles or items of news for publication in the new newsletter
· Maj Givens then drew everyone’s attention to a copy of a letter attached to the agenda (and direct debit forms) from Lt Col (Ret’d) Bob Towns regarding plans for the Regimental Museum. Maj Givens explained about the refurbishment of rooms in the museum and the acquisition of more space to develop facilities within the building. He encouraged everyone to become involved and to give as much as they could afford to ensure that the memory of the Regiment continued to live on.
7. Options for Venues Maj Givens made everyone aware that he would like to book venues for the coming year early enough to put out a forecast of events with some form of stability. To this end he had asked the committee to look at various venues around Edinburgh and check them for such things as price, catering facilities, parking, and disabled access. He then drew the attention of the meeting to a list of nine separate venues attached to the agenda, listing the pros and cons for each location. After discussion about these venues and the increasing need to find locations with disabled access, it was decided to look in more detail at the Royal Navy Club and the RAF Club. The discussion ended with agreement that the committee should re-visit these venues and make the necessary bookings on behalf of the Branch. It was suggested that the Masonic Club at Shrubhill might also be worth considering.
8. Presentation of Medallions Maj Givens presented bars to Association Medallions to Pat Kyle, Frank Scott, and Mick Bell
9. Election of the Branch Committee Maj Givens reported that after many years on the committee, Pat Kyle had decided to step down as Branch Secretary, but to remain on the Committee. Maj Givens thanked Pat for his excellent service to the Branch and asked for a vote of thanks to be shown. The meeting responded appropriately. The membership was then asked if anyone would like to volunteer to take over as Branch Secretary. It was proposed by John Meikle and seconded by George Ballard that Danny Carruthers be nominated for this post. This proposal was passed unanimously. All other Committee members volunteered to remain on the Committee
10. Any Other Business
Bobby Munro announced that anyone who was eligible, and who wished to apply for the Pingat Jasa Malaysian medal, should see him for application forms.
There being no other business to discuss, the Meeting closed at 14.20 hours and the wives and families joined the meeting for a Curry and Salad Lunch.