No 4 Area

(The South West Flotilla)

National Council Members Page

NCM's Report to No 4 Area Meeting at REDRUTH on Saturday 21st January 2012

1. The last National Council Meeting was held at the RNA Headquarters, Portsmouth on Saturday 3rd December 2011.

2. It is sad to report that since the meeting Shipmate Bill Murray the National Council Member for No.2 Area has crossed the bar. Bill seemed fine at the meeting in December and his passing took everyone by surprise. Bill was also the Chatham Branch Secretary and the Overseas Representative for the National Council. Shipmate Mick Cox has now taken over as NCM of No2 Area.

3. AMC Reported on their meeting.

a. Rule Review. The Rule Review work is still in progress and this also includes a review of the By-Laws. It is intended to complete the review in time for Conference in 2013. The Review team have completed the Rules and are now looking at the Standing Orders. The NC will meet for 2 days in September (7th & 8th) in order to go through the draft new rules. b. Investment in property. There was a discussion with regard as to why there was consideration being given to investing in property. The role of the FAC is to look at reviewing our investments and the General Secretary and the National Chairman suggested property as a possible investment. This needs careful thought and consideration but for now this remains just an idea. c. Conference Study Group. As you know, this has stirred up a few discussions and feelings about how the CSG Report has been handled by National Council. The AMC brought this back to the table and the proposed guidelines were discussed.

The guidelines will be proposed to Conference 2012 by the NC. The GS was invited to send the Conference Study Group Report and the Revised Guidelines to all branches as a draft for comment and consideration.

• Some of the recommendations from the NC included: o To dispense with President’s dinner and instead have a reserved VIP table at the main Friday event. o To remove reference to the centre of the UK as stated in Guideline 1. o To add a Guideline5, this is regarding Reporting on the Conference Preparations by the organising committee.

d. Mentoring

GS briefed about the mentoring programme in HMS COLLINGWOOD. RNA Shipmates had started the programme and had been very well received by both trainees and training staff. The task consists of either:

• Meeting classes in COLLINGWOOD for an informal chat about naval a career and life at sea or • Meeting a class at RNA HQ and then to accompany them on a day in the dockyard.

The COLLINGWOOD task may lead to a relationship with the class and an invite to the graduation parade.

There was a discussion about providing a prize for COLLINGWOOD. It was agreed in principle to award an annual RNA prize of £100. The General Secretary still has to agree details with Victory Squadron and bring it back to NC. The prize should reflect Unity, Loyalty, Patriotism and Comradeship and would be left to Victory Squadron to nominate a recipient.

e. Ceremonial

Chair of AMC briefed that the National Standard bearers’ competition would be held in Crieff, Scotland, on a date to be decided but would be in the Spring term.

f. Seminars

• The Welfare seminar can no longer be held in Liverpool following the death of Bill Rutter, the Branch Sec. NCh discussed using Royal Leamington Spa RNA club. He will raise this with the Branch.

• The Club seminar will be held in Uxbridge club on 21 April 12.

• The NC had a discussion about the subsidy for seminars, away from the flat £50 per branch/Area, which did not work well for those travelling from a long way. A brief discussion about adopting the pool fares system showed that it would not work. The AMC was invited to review the repayment policy.

The Headquarters was pleased to receive thank you letters from Shipmates for the Open Days held in Portsmouth. Please keep sending them in.

4. Report of the FAC

a. Branch and club Support Fund TOR

The NC discussed the proper name of the Alec Madden (AM) Fund. The NC also reviewed the TOR regarding the granting of loans and applicability to clubs independent of their home branch. Grants had to be in accordance with the charitable objects of the RNA. The terms of loans to be rolled forward from the AM Fund, suitably updated.

b. Audit and Independent Examination.

The Accountant briefed the NC about the Charity Commission rules regarding independent examination (IE) over audit. He pointed out that all branches and the RNA itself could all be subject to an IE, at considerable saving. He pointed out that on turnover and Company Law all RNA clubs could have an IE.

He pointed out that the Rules of the RNA used the word audit, clearly drafted in the years before IE, and that to allow IE the Rules need to change. A brief discussion about waiting for the Rules Review will result in the FAC drafting a Motion for Conference 2012 to change the rules immediately to allow an Independent Examination.

The GS was directed to check the rules for NI and Scotland.

c. Salary Review Panel

The Salary Review Panel (SRP) had met with GS and taken recommendations regarding cost of living and bonus payments for staff. The SRP had considered the GS salary in session without GS.

d. Accounts

The Accountant briefed NC on the third quarter accounts, key points • Income is well ahead of budget, subs are higher than budget. Legacy received. • Marketing cost higher because of VAT (possibly recoverable) and Shipmates (grant). • Legal and Professional charges due to legal costs of recovering VAT, more than covered by rebate. • Unrealised loss on investments of £81,432, but surplus for year means loss at 3rd quarter only £27,000 • Blackrock investments recovering a bit, performance ahead of the FTSE • Management accounts are spot on.

e. Budget FY 2012

The Accountant presented the budget for FY 2012, key points emerging and adjustments made to proposed budget from FAC:

• £19,550 to come from Shipmates grant will fully meet costs. • NC is planning a deficit budget, raising subs is a way of addressing the issue. NC felt that level of reserves, pressure on pensions, and the fact that legacy income is not budgeted means that they will not recommend an increase in subs to Conference 2012. • Circular and Newsletter printing and postage costs remain high (Circ £1,400 per edition; newsletter £3,000 per edition). GS directed to bring costs to attention of Branch Secetaries. • A discussion about the marketing figure of £20,000 to cover Phase 2 advice, limited advertising and some gizzits agreed.

f. NC meetings in Areas

NCh had discussed in FAC and now proposed to NC that it should meet in the Regions so that members could observe the working of the NC and support democracy in the RNA. Key points in the discussion:

• Cost varied from £1,300 (in Portsmouth) up to £2,500 extra per meeting out of Portsmouth. • FAC advice was that no more than one a year, if it was wanted by NC. There would be issues about possible confidentiality of agenda items if casework arises. • Number of observers might be an issue, affecting room size, arrangement to be made with the Area Committee.

The NCM agreed to discuss with their Area Committees to gather advice and feedback on whether or not the Area would support Regional National Council Meetings. The cost to the RNA would be about £1,500 per meeting, and there could be an evening social.

g. Charter Challenge 2014

NCh raised the point that Association of Royal Naval Officers had rejected the idea of an officers’ memorial as not comradely but had done the research on costs. They have offered their work and their GS has said they may be interested in a Naval Service memorial.

A Naval Service memorial would serve the wider object of bringing Associations together. Concern was expressed with regard to meeting on-going costs, which could be considerable. GS briefed that it was normal to set up a trust with an endowment to meet future costs, but that might have to be a considerable amount of money.

The NCh was invited to sound out other Naval Associations about the idea of a Naval Service memorial.

h. Associations joining the RNA

GS briefed that a group of interested folk had asked about setting up a Type 42 Association within the RNA.

The discussion widened to cover having informal groups where shipmates could no longer form a committee and a branch could have a tender to assume some of the admin load.

The Type 42s and any other group could set up as a Branch in the Area where their committee normally meet.

Informal groups serviced by the HQ could be set up.

i. Peter Scott Legacy.

A brief discussion confirmed that all unspecified legacies are paid into the Investment Fund. No need for FAC to report.

j. Branch Annual Returns

There was a brief discussion about annual returns and the need for the second copy to go to the Area NCM. FAC invited to review: • The value of the return • The need for the NCM to have a copy • How the system is working with Michelle. During the discussion of the Alec Madden Fund it was suggested that an application for financial support would go via the National Council member. The NCM is not in a position to say if a Branch or Club is in a financial position to warrant a loan, unless in possession of Branch Accounts. Personally I would rather leave this to the Area Treasurer and Chairman who are in a better position to do this.

5. International Maritime Confederation The Report of the IMC Executive Council (EC) commenced with the NCh reminding NC that a motion before conference to withdraw had been postponed until conference 2012 when the NC was to come with a recommendation. Main points:

• Paul Quinn as Secretary General of the IMC during RNA Presidency had drafted a strategy paper for the IMC, building on earlier work by DNP, to break the log-jam. • All proposals had been accepted by EC/IMC, particularly recruiting an IMC pat-time staff officer and establishing a website. Both to be paid for by German Naval Association (DMB). • The main point of effort will be Task 1 with Task 3 the sailing camp as second priority. • An exchange/twinning programme will be started. • DMB are offering a reduced rate to IMC members in their hotel in Kiel. • A working group would be started to take the issues forward. • NCh thought that this was good progress and we should give it another year to see if it came to fruition. • NP was more measured than NCh, whilst EC was encouraging he would want to see the strategy more into action, such as the website before recommending one way or the other to NC • NP had received an offensive letter impinging on his honesty about this issue and was very offended that anyone could think that of him. • NCh undertook to forward the finalised minutes of the EC to NC. • NP discussed using the IMC to support the 12 Area appeal for the Atlantic memorial. RNA Londonderry had written to at least one IMC member nation and not through the HQ. Agreed that NP could sign a letter drafted by Londonderry. NCM 12 to take forward. • NCM12 took exception to the strategy being drafted without NC clearance. NP explained that there were no cost implications to the RNA and that this was done at IMC level to take to the member nations.

Agreed to wait until the March meeting before making a further decision, this may mean providing a motion to Conference.

6. Life Membership. A proposed motion had been sent to National Council by a Branch for the NC to formulate a rule to enable the removal of the Life Membership status by the National Council from those Full Life members who are in default of the rules and values of the RNA. This would effect a revision to By-Law 5.

A discussion ensued in which the mood of the NC was that expulsion would normally be the level at which removal would occur, if at all, but not suspension.

After discussion it was agreed that there may be unforeseen circumstances where this power may be required, but that it would be very exceptionally used, if ever.

It must be remembered that if a Life Member resigns from a Branch and does not join another branch or the HQ Role, then that Life Member is no longer a member of the RNA.

7. The NCh open a notified discussion:

‘Should the National Chairman chair the National Council’

NCh main points were:

• NP has raised the profile of the RNA, but he is subject to some very rude and nasty letters and comments that should not be going to the President of the RNA, but to the National Chairman, as the senior elected official. • NCh as Chair of FAC and an Area delegate to NC may provide a challenge. • It would be a welcome move to a more democratically accountable model. • The NP should still chair the National Conference to enable the NCh to make the report from the NC and FAC and address questions from the floor on behalf of NC. • The NCh would like to air the issue so that a decision can be made one way or the other, • NCM to take back to their Area Committees to take a view for consideration at the March NC meeting. • If approved, this should not happen until after the Sept 12 elections for NCh and NVCh.

Points in discussion were: • The President is in an honourable position and should not be a target of abuse. • Would the NP attend NC? Would he remain a Trustee? • This should help recruit a new NP in due course and would help to keep the NP for longer. • Term of Office of NCh would need to be addressed – possible annual changeovers not acceptable.

8. 2012 dates

National Council 10 March 8 June 7-8 September (Rule Review 1 day) 8 December

AMC:

18 February 8 June 4 August 17 Nov

FAC

25 February 8 June 25 August 24 November

SOC meetings 18 February (to consider motions) 10 June (Conference Wash up)

9. Next Meeting The next meeting of the National Council is 1030 10 March 2012 at RNA HQ. That concludes my report.

Ken Knight