CHAIRMAN’S. REPORT 2005.

WELCOME TO THE 2005 AGM AND A PARTICULAR WELCOME TO OUR NEW MEMBERS.

FIRST LET ME PASS ON OUR APPRECIATION TO HAZEL FOR ALL THE HARD WORK SHE HAS PUT IN BRINGING THIS

REUNION TO FRUITION.

SHE HAS EXPERIENCED NUMEROUS PROBLEMS SINCE NOVEMBER LAST.WHAT WITH THIS HOTEL BEING TAKEN OVER BY ANOTHER GROUP,AND ALSO HAVING DEALT WITH NO FEWER THAN 4 DIFFERENT EVENTS ORGANISERS. AT HER OWN EXPENSE SHE HAS VISITED THE HOTEL ON 3 SEPARATE OCCASSIONS,AND ALSO GIVEN UP HER FREEBEE OF 2 FREE NIGHTS FOR HERSELF AND TED WHICH IS THIS HOTELS POLICY FOR THE EVENT ORGANISER. THIS AS YOU NOW ARE AWARE WAS RAFFLED LAST NIGHT AT OUR GALA DINNER. THANK YOU VERY MUCH HAZEL.

THIS HAS BEEN A DIFFICULT YEAR.IN APRIL GORDON PARK WHO SERVED IN 16 SIGS lN THE EARLY 60s PASSED AWAY.MYSELF,KEN O'HAGAN,ERIC FIRTH AND TED HEBDEN ATTENDED HIS FUNERAL AT DARLINGTON CREMATORIUM.

THIS WAS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED WHEN AUDREY GRAINGE INFORMED ME IN MAY THAT OUR OLDEST MEMBER BILL HIGGS WHO WAS SSM OF HQ SQ'N 1965-1969 PASSED AWAY ON THE 26 APRIL. BILL WAS CREMATED ON THE 6th MAY IN BIRMINGHAM. UNFORTUNATELY DUE TO THE LATE NOTIFICATION OF BILLS DEATH ONLY TED HEBDEN WAS ABLE TO ATTEND THE FUNERAL. PETE WEEDON HAD BEEN A REGULAR VISITOR DURING BILLS ILLNESS WHEN BILL WAS STILL IN LONDON. PETE AT THE TIME OF BILLS DEATH WAS ON HOLIDAY, HENCE THE REASON FOR LATE NOTICE!!

WE'VE ALSO HAD TERRI UNDERGOING MORE EXTREMELY DIFFICULT OPERATIONS AS A RESULT OF HER CAR ACCIDENT

TREVOR:-WHO HAS UNDERGONE CONCENTRATED RADIO THERAPY FOR LUNG CANCER! BUT GOOD TO SEE THAT HE BEING A FIGHTER,CONTINUES WITH A WONDERFUL ATTITUDE, WHICH I FOR ONE GREATLY ADMIRE.

THEN GRAHAM JOLLY:- WHO SUFFERED A HEART ATTACK SEEMS TO BE WINNING HIS BATTLE.

THEN A NEW MEMBER DAVE BRACEY WHO ALONG WITH HIS WIFE SHEILA (NEE GOODTAR) WERE DUE TO ATTEND FOR THE FIRST TIME RECENTLY HAD TO PULL OUT!! DAVE WAS DIAGNOSED WITH BOWEL CANCER!! I SPOKE TO DAVE ON MONDAY AND HE IS TO UNDERGO CHEMOTHERAPY IN 3 WEEKS TIME.

IN JANUARY OF THIS YEAR LORRI WAS INTERVIEWED BY A LOCAL RADIO STATION, RADIO YORK, REGARDING OUR SETUP!! THIS CAME ABOUT BECAUSE OF A SANDY DUNLEAVY EX WRAC WHO SERVED WITH 16 SIGS AND NOW WORKS FOR THE STATION AS A MORNING PRESENTER. SHE HAD HEARD ABOUT US.

REGARDING OUR ASSOCIATION’S COMMUNICATIONS. AS YOU ARE AWARE WE HAVE OUR WEB SITE AND THE MERCURY MAGAZINE (which is published bi-annually). KEN O’HAGAN RUNS OUR WEB SITE AND TAFF POWELL THE MERCURY. BOTH DO AN EXCELLENT JOB; BUT THEY NEED OUR HELP AND OUR INPUT TO MAKE THEM WORK!! SOI WOULD ASK FOR YOUR ASSISTANCE IN DELIVERING THE MATERIAL.

THANKS GO OUT TO JACKIE CARVILLE AND THE NEWLY FORMED ENTERTAINMENTS COMMITTEE. THEY HAVE ENDEAVOURED TO MAKE OUR WEEKEND EVEN MORE ENJOYABLE. GOODNESS KNOWS WHAT TONIGHT WILL BRING. ANY BLAME WILL BE FIRMLY PLACED ON SID WILSONS SHOULDERS.

FINALLY MY PERSONAL THANKS TO BUD,LORRI,KEN,TREV,TAFF, JACKIE AND SYD FOR THEIR ASSISTANCE GIVEN TO ME NOT FORGETTING OUR POET FOR TAKING TIME OUT TO CONTRIBUTE WITH HER VERSE, THANK YOU MARLENE.