Royal Naval Association No4 Area

NCMs Report to No 4 Area Meeting at Sherborne on Saturday 26 January 2008

1. Last meeting held 6 Dec at Civil Service Club in Whitehall.

2. Much of the first part of the meeting taken up with matters arising fromthe Sept meeting. Not least was the matter of the OverSeas Rep that Conference instructed National Council to pursue. The outcome of Motion 5 at Conference last year was, as I have said before, a second division result, due in the main to an OverSeas delegate not understanding motion and amendment procedure National Vice President Geoff Hayhoe has thankfully taken the job temporarily, otherwise the National Council would not have been able to meet the will of Conference in accepting the badly worded amendment. Proper permanent situation has to be reached and to this end the NCMs from 8 and 12 Areas will carry out a study into a long term solution and produce a report for the next N/C Meeting in March.

Post Meeting note: Study report has been seen which will need refining from some 10
alternatives to manageable number of realistic options, but at least we will have something to
report back to Conference at Dundee in June.

3. Relocation has not exactly hit the buffers, and is actively being pursued. The Deputy
National President has already briefed the whole Association via Nov HQ Circular. The most
difficult aspect is meeting the term 'cost neutral’, but so long as we remember that remaining
in our London HQ is not cost neutral, we can get the picture.

4. This last week I have been in Portsmouth with the Gen Sec S/m Peter Reed (Area 3 NCM) looking at new options. One is in Her Majestys Naval Base above Admiralty library might offer a long ground lease or a freehold opportunity. The latter option in Her Majestys Naval Base has strong support from Naval Base Cdr P, Cdre David Steele, who kindly gave us almost an hour of his precious time to talk RNA. He feels our new HQ ought to be there and really belongs in the naval base. Again this emphasises the increasing high regard with which the RNA is held in the Royal Navy today.

5. Election of National Ceremonial Officer (or now known as Adviser) took place. S/m Alan
Robinson received all but one vote, that single vote going to a challenge from a
SCC CPO in No 5 Area.

6. Report by the National Ceremonial Adviser included the Biennial Parade and
Remembrance Day Parade, both in Whitehall. RNA contingent on 11 Nov included a number of the snip's company from HMS BULWARK. Again the number of parade tickets issued out to RNA members greatly outnumbered those on parade with the RNA. If anyone has the answer to ensure all RNA applicants for tickets are in the RNA platoon on the day, then N/C will be
grateful.
Post Meeting Note; it's heartening to learn that 1 or 2 other ex-naval organisations have
expressed a wish to join the RNA at Whitehall this year.
Since the first announcement that the Nat Std Bearers Comp would be held in Dundee over
Conference weekend; there was a change to HMS FORWARD, the RNR Comams Div at Birmingham on Sat 14 June , (2 wks prior to Conference) . This is due to a number of competitors still in full time work saying that the extra day off onto the Conference weekend at Dundee was a difficulty. There is now a further change and it will be at Chatham (as 2006 venue) on 7th June.

7. Report from Nat Charities & Welfare Adviser. S/m Rita LOCK brought National Councils attention to refurbishment of Victory Services Club near Marble Arch. Donations of £30,000 being sought from organisations, companies etc to assist with costs. In return, donors would have a plaque placed on one of the doors of a refurbished room in the Club. As expected, much muttering followed, mainly disbelief at the cheek that a successful business, a Ltd Company, in central London, should be seeking such donations. What benefits the RNA membership would gain for giving that sort of money is hard to gauge. A decision will be made at March N/C Meeting, but in the meantime investigations with the CC will determine the legality of the KM A as a charity doing such a thing. whatever the CC decision will be irrelevant as it is hardly likely Council will agree. what has been agreed is a £15,000 grant to Help for Heroes. This will go some way towards providing a swimming pool for casualties, particularly amputees, from our forces involvement in action in Iraq and Afghanistan. The blue uniformed naval forces suffer little in the line of casualties, however, our Royal Marines do and are included in the treatment centre at Headley Court where this £5M planned swimming pool is intended to be built.
Difficulties have been experienced at community swim pools, particularly Leatherhead,
where some local swimmers have complained that while they have to pay to swim, the amputee
servicemen get to swim free. Also apparently, some others dislike the sight of an amputee getting
into or out of the water. Even worse the amputees are getting verbally abused. As explained in the
latest HQ Circular any opportunity for Branches to make donations to Help for Heroes will be an
extremely worthwhile cause. Details are in Circular held by Branch Secs.
Additionally, of growing interest is parcels for 40 Cdo RMs and KAS sailors with them in
Afghanistan. Some branches have sent out scores of parcels prior to Xmas. However, this isn't just for the Xmas season, so again if any charity money is available in Branch funds, then what a good way to donate it. Parcels to be under 2 kg in weight and can be sent free through Post Offices. Monica and I sent a couple off in Nov and the mixed feelings of pleasure hope and gratefulness while making up the package was remarkable. Again details in the Circular. At your next meeting if your Branch Sec fails to read out any of these important bits - and others in HQ Circular, then jolly well embarrass them into doing so. I have a list of suggested contents for the parcels if anyone is interested.

8. Report of Comms & PR Adviser. S./m Steve Caulfield spoke of the last Area PROs Meeting in November. S/m Joe Morton will brief us more in his report. Advertising expenditure has been reviewed in an attempt to cut costs to the national Budget, but hopefully not to the detriment of the Association.

9. The Pingat Jasa Malaysia Medal seems to nave dropped off the Circular and N/C agendas lately. But there are still difficulties and complaints with regard to supply of medals, distribution and presentation of them to a considerably larger number of UK armed forces personnel than the Malayan Government ever dreamed of.

Branches having Bank Accounts with the Portman Bldg Society which has merged with Nationwide should be aware they could receive bonuses along with ail other account holders.
Portman/Nationwide say the R&A is a corporate body which will receive just one bonus, instead of the individual branches who are entitled. Be advised HQ will refuse a single bonus award because branches are self-governing with their own trustees and accounts.

10. Something I wish to pass across my Area before the next National Council Meeting is on the
subject of a certain Mr Devauden who has been menacing certain members of the N/C and HQ
staff for some 9 years. This man causes a lot of extra unnecessary work for the Gen Sec, who
already has a full desk. National Council decided to seek an alternative firm of solicitors to give
advice on how we might go forward. This has been provided and at our March Meeting NCMs will be asked to vote as to whether we pursue a course through the courts to get injunctions against him, or to ignore all future ill-informed and abusive correspondence he chooses to send.
Any Comments

11. RNA Clubs don't concern us much in No 4 Area, but elsewhere in other Areas they are causing much concern, struggling with the mass of new Regulations and some difficulties with trustees not willing to shoulder their responsibilities, or even aware of them. A number of clubs have closed their doors in recent months and more are due to follow in the not too distant future. Next month, as Chairman of the Clubs Committee, I go with three of the Committee up into No 10 Area to see if some assistance can help out one club in difficulty. Before I go I would appreciate hearing from anyone knowing the whereabouts of a second hand flak jacket or a policeman's old knife proof vest. Anyway, something from the club world which might be of interest to any who do visit clubs and enjoy spending a bob or two on bingo or tombola snowballs. New gambling laws now dictate that it is the end of the snowball. It is judged that everyone who contributes should have an equal chance of winning. So those present last week, but are not present this week, don’ t have that equal chance. I expect Charles is glad he is no longer at the Portland Kimberlin Club ! !

12. It’s that time of the year when subscriptions are forwarded to HQ. Now can I ask all delegates to take back to their branches the need for as many members as possible to sign up for Gift Aid. Only about 10% of the Assoc do Gift Aid and this figure needs to be increased. It costs nothing, but it is free income to the Association from the Treasury and we should have it. Unlike the old covenanting which needed renewing, Gift Aid is once-only that lasts.

13. Motions for Conference are to be lodged with the General Secretary by 22 February.

14. I had hoped to be at Lvmpstone for the Area Std Bearers Camp on 1 March, but sadly I shall be chairing the Finances and General Purposes Committee Meeting at Headquarters , in company with Raymond.

Headquarters of the Royal Naval Association - Location Analysis

2. The National Council of The Royal Naval Association directed The General Secretary to undertake a Location Analysis for the Headquarters of The Royal Naval Association, and he presented his findings to them on 2nd December 2006. The National Council noted his report and ordered the establishment of a Relocation Working Group (RWG) to be led by The Deputy National Chairman assisted by the General Secretary and augmentees from The National Council and external consultants.

Click this logo for the

Location Analysis pdf file

The RWG is tasked with conducting a Feasibility Study with the aim of promoting discussion at The Annual Conference in June 2007 which could lead to a final decision on relocation. This is obviously a topic which will be of interest to many, and to inform the debate National Council directed that the text of the report be communicated to the membership at large.

From: S/m David White, RNA National Chairman

The Recent Review of HQ and the Association

This Review has become something of a discussion point throughout the Association and at the same time also created confusion over a few aspects of its content. In particular, the reasons behind the appointment of an Executive Assistant (EA) which do not seem to be fully understood, or appreciated.

Perhaps through the medium of this No 4 Area website I can try to explain some of the points that have been directed to me over the past few months, from branch officials and members.

The Reviw of HQ, and of the Association as a whole, was sought from a completely independant source in an attempt to look deep into the future of the RNA and how best it can perform its duty and its responsibilities to its members.

Such a review would have cost between £25K and £30K under normal circumstances had the RNA wished to pay for one. However, it was carried out at no cost to the RNA, by Commander Paddy McClurg, a highly respected Chartered Management Consultant employed within the MOD.

Review Report

The content of the report can be likened to a Staff Sea Check Report from FOST Staff at Portland, for those who have memories of such things. It was honest, factual, even discriminatory in places, ruthless in its assessment and hard hitting enough to be hurtful. There was recognition for the work the Association carries out and of its objectives, and much food for thought to bring about changes and improvements. Just what was needed.

The Appointment of the EA

Why Cdr Paddy McClurg was offered the position of EA, was quite simply because all of the 'Big Ideas' in the Report were HIS ideas; so who better to put his money where his mouth is, so to speak. The major points raised were:

a. essential administrative tools of business were not in place - and need to be put in place

b. some basic things were not right - and need to be put right

c. a much improved system of dealing with area and branch matters needs establishing

It was quite obvious that these tasks would not be possible to be carried out by the General Secretary or the Assistant General Secretary in addition to their ordinary day-to-day work.

A strict short term contract until early 2008 has been agreed, during which time all the matters requiring to be done, will be completed. The salary of £30K has been spoken of as excessive by many members who are currently retired, or when older members make comparison to their own earnings when working. It has to be borne in mind that a Petty Officer in the RN today is earning not far short of £30,000 a year, and an artificer certainly is.

The professional advice of the RNA's Accountant was sought with regards to the cost of the EA's appointment. Council was advised that this was very much affordable and was supported by:

a. the fact that the investment market had shown great improvements to the benefit of the RNA's income from that area.

b. the number of generous legacies over the past couple of years have collectively been very substantial.

c. that our financial reserves which are reported to the Charity Commission could well show an increase in the near future; thus attracting unwanted attention from the Commission

Executive Assistant

Firstly, it has to be understood that the appointment of an EA at HQ has nothing whatsoever to do with:

a. the increase in subscriptions

b. the work carried out by the General Secretary

c. the work carried out by the Assistant General Secretary

It is to establish, separate from the existing executive posts, a job that will examine closely:

a. the present situation (or plight!) of the Association

b. the way ahead that has to be adopted in order for the Association to survive - and to thrive

c. to create a plan for a proposed HQ relocation away from the London area

d. to revise the HQ system for dealing with communications and enquiries

e. to implement all of the findings of the HQ Review and its Report

Advertising the position

The 'job' was not advertised because, frankly, there was no job as such to advertise. The job needed to be created, then established and then got up and running. How could the question be answered from someone wanting to know what the job description was, or terms of reference were? Neither were in existence!

The immediate task of the EA was to form the job in relation to the work needed to be done from the extensive comments contained within the HQ Review Report.

Future of the EA

The EA is NOT the next General Secretary, "in waiting", Cdr McClurg is wanting to retire in a couple of years time, so it is expected that he will go at the end of the short term contract that has been agreed.

Cdr McClurg does not wish to be included in the RNA pension plan.
For the duration of January, February and until early March he has been working for the RNA at no cost, while on terminal leave from his last MOD appointment.

The position of the EA will be reviewed by the National Council towards the end of the short term contract. A decision will then be taken as to whether the post is needed to be continued, and if so, it is the intention the job shall be advertised within the RNA itself. If not, then the post will be discontinued, it having done what was anticipated it should do; namely to set the Association on a firm course for the future.

These facts do tend to put things a little more into perspective.

Relocation of HQ

Over the years at National Conference there have been motions put forward to try and get support to move HQ away from London. Why does HQ have to be located in 'expensive Chelsea' has been the cry? This is somewhat incorrect, because as has been explained in reply to those Conference Motions, the RNA has a particularly good deal for our HQ with the Cadogon Estate.

However, there is now to be serious consideration given to forming a business case on a relocation of HQ, possibly to within the Heritage Area in the Portsmouth Naval Base. There are so many benefits that will be gained by moving to such a location, not least will be the continuous flow of visitors passing through the base to see the numerous exhibits of our naval history that are in place in the UK's premier naval port.

It has to be realised that over three quarters of a million people pass through the Heritage Area each year, a great many of them having served in the naval forces, or who will have a family connection with the Royal Navy. The membership alone of the RNA cannot help but be improved by this vast corps of visitors being in the vicinity of a new RNA HQ.

RNA Future

We have exciting times ahead in the immediate future. The RNA can be turned around from simply drifting in and out with the tide, as we have appeared to have been doing for some years now, to getting under way strongly, with the distinct prospect of increasing our membership and public awareness.

If a branch would wish to question me in detail about any of the aspects of the HQ Review Report, then I am more than willing to respond, and if necessary - or desired - I can try to get to a branch meeting to do so in person. I am already heading to other Area Meetings to try and clarify things with their members and put over the points which many members seem either to have missed altogether, or have not been made fully aware of.

My thanks and appreciation go to the No 4 Area Webmaster for his kind assistance in getting this article onto the area website.