CONA
Room 209
Semaphore Tower
HM Naval Base
Portsmouth
Hampshire
PO1 3LT 02392 720782
Draft Minutes of the Conference of Naval Associations Meeting –
23rd July 2015
Duncan Lecture Theatre - Victory Building, HMS Naval Base, Portsmouth
Associations Representatives Present
President-Vice Admiral Jonathon Woodcock OBE
Chairman -John McAnally (RNA )
RNA -Paul Quinn (Working Group Chairman)
FNA-Peter Webster
-Robbie Robson
Submariners-Chris Freeth
Ton Class -Charlie Farnes
AOWrens -Julia Clark
QARNNS -Alice Morris
Bulwark, Albion
Centaur Assoc-Mike Noonan
RMA -Mike Ellis
F390 Loch Fada-Frenchy (Roy) De La Haye
Ganges -Shep Woolley
Communicators Assoc-Carl Beeson
HMS Relentless Assoc-Steve Newton
HMS Dido Association-Brian Thompson
HMS Lowestoft Assoc-Steven Foster
HMS Bristol Association-Steven Foster
Widows Association -Sarah Clewes
HMS Resolution Assoc-Terry Nowell
Britannia Association -Graham Robinson
Type 42 Association-Chris Smith
HMS Llandaff-Brian Hall
Loch Class-Andrew Nunn
-Ann Nunn
-Dennis Cracknell
Survey Ships -Joe Erskine
Fly Navy Federation -Mick Worship
MS-SC-Gary Bassett
Secretary-Andy Christie
Apologies-Castleford & District Naval Association
-Chatham Officers’
-ARNO
-MNA
-RFA Association
-2nd HMS Manchester Association
-FAAOfficer Association
-FAA Association
-Surface Warfare Officers
-Type 21 Association
-3rd Sector (Liz Douglas)
Attending Briefers;
UK Holiday GroupMr Harold Burke
All about Admin Mrs Sarah Clewes
No / Item / Discussion and Decision1 / Chairman Opening Remarks / The Chairman welcomed Associations to the meeting particularly new members attending for the first time. He also stated he was looking forward to welcoming Vice Admiral Jonathon Woodcock OBE, the Second Sea Lord and CONA President who would be joining the meeting shortly.
2 / Minutes of the last meeting / The minutes of the last meeting were accepted unanimously.
(P-T42, S-RMA)
3 / Matters Arising / There were no matters arising.
4 / Welcome new Members / The Chairman welcomed the following new CONA members representatives;
The Loch Class Association, Survey Ships Association, HMS Llandaff Association and MS-SC (Marine Society - Sea Cadets).
5 / Election of Officers / CONA elects the following Officers; Chairman, Chairman(Working Group) and Secretary annually.
For the 2015 election no other Association put up any representatives for election and so the current incumbents will remain in office for a further twelve months.
Chairman John McAnally
Chairman (WG) Paul Quinn
Secretary Andy Christie
The Chairman on election wished to convey how deeply touched he was at his re-election...
6 / Chairman of Working Group Update / ChWG explained that the last Working Group meeting was cancelled pending the results of the Grant Application for Admin Support. He reported that we had been successful and that SF(UK), Greenwich Hospitals and RNRMC(Awaiting grants committee result ,but looking good) had agreed to fund Admin Support for a year.
All About Admin had been invited and accepted the role of Admin Support as a ‘call off contractor’ and would be available to visit CONA Members UK wide. All About Admin can deal with all Finance, Admin, Website advise (both management and design) issues.
Please see All About Admin presentation at end of these Minutes.
(Post Meeting – All About Admin have already visited the Bulwark , Albion and Centaur HQ (Chairman Mike Noonans house) and successfully resolved a number of IT issues.)
7 / Individual Associations
Briefs/Updates / Ganges
- 2016 Reunion at Hayling already sold out.
- Ganges now have full time almoner.
- 2016 40 years since Ganges closed
- 2081 Members
- New Chairman Howard Trotter
- Reunion ‘15’ 11 June 2016
- Reunion ‘14’ in 2015 raised £1,379.00 for Service Charities.
- Concern about difficulties of Security clearance getting harder for Mess functions. (All agreed need for Security but it is getting the balance right)
- 35 years young with 700 Members
- Good liaison with current ships particularly Senior Officer HMS Albion
- Next reunion Bosworth Hall
- Sea Cadets sponsored in Royalist.
- Next reunion 2016 Chatham
- Membership up from 78 to 98
- Recommend tour of Royal Armouries in Leeds
- Ton Class
- 1300 Members Patron HRH Prince of Wales
- Website updated regularly
- 2015 Reunion 9 Oct 15 POW Hotel Southport.
- Project Vernon please see Website for update.
- Membership of the Association is doing well applications are at roughly the same rate as lost members.
- It is thought that the increasing number of applications is coming from news of successful reunions, general meetings, branch anniversaries, and from social media.
- The WREN magazine is much improved with the office taking on the technical compilation of the magazine, so that it goes to the printer in publishable form, which is saving us money and there is now an editorial committee which is involved in making decisions about content.
- WRNS 100
The Aims
To celebrate the formation of the WRNS and its subsequent history.
To recognise the continuing role of women in the Naval Service today.
To publicise the work of the WRNSBT and the Association of Wrens.
We will also be publicising the work of the Royal Navy today.
We hope to achieve these aims through a series of national and regional/local events during 2017.
Commemoration
Service in Portsmouth Cathedral on 4 November 2017, followed by tea at Portsmouth Guildhall.
Commemorative stone in the grounds of the Cathedral. Design agreed and funding obtained.
Recognition of the centenary at the Festival of Remembrance.
Celebration
It is hoped to have a Summer reception/garden party at Greenwich, and to have recognition of the anniversary at the Mountbatten Festival of Music earlier in 2017.
Education
Exhibition in the Naval Museum from Easter to October - it is hoped the NMRN will ask other museums to hold exhibitions, ie The National Maritime Museum, Imperial War Museum etc. as well as local Museums.
Link in with the RNRMC Red, White and Blue Day.
A History written by Dr Jo Stanley is planned and will be published in 2017.
Communications
Social media methods are being used and there is a WRNS 100 website.
It is hoped to get banners, badges and brochures produced. The BBC has expressed an interest and we will be using professional PR advice to ensure that we get the message out.
We would appreciate your help in spreading the word to anyone who may be interested.
QARNNS
- 765 strong Reunion rotates between Portsmouth – Plymouth – London
- Still Main Issue – lack of funds to refurbish Memorial at Arboretum
- Subscriptions doubled
- 2,000 Members and 57 Branches..
- Next Reunion scheduled for Imperial Hotel, North Promenade, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY12HB Friday 22 April to Sunday 24 April 2016.
- 1st Nov 15 Submariners Embankement Memorial London
- Subscriptions raised.
- 25th Anniversary in 2016
- Reunion May 2016 to be held in South Shields
- Shipmates programme is going to be financed by Greenwich Hospital for a further 5 years. Re-launch plan still being finalised.
- Naval service Memorial is the most visited site at the National Arboretum.
- RNA Biennial Parade in Whitehall 06 Sept 2015. CONA Associations are very welcome to march/attend. If you are interested please contact Andy All are invited
- Current challenge is to double membership
- 11,500 Members with 20,000 target by 2019 (600 a year)
- Annual reunion Lympstone
- RM Shop going well
- 400 members
- 2016 Reunion in Southport
- Vacancy exists for Communicator Magazine Editor
- 560 attendees to Reunion 12 Jul 15 Whale Island
- £2,000 presented to RNRMC
- Hoping to have relationship with all T42 Cities
- 4 T42 Standards will be attending RNA Biennial Parade
- Welfare system now set up and liaison with Sea Cadets
- Reunion 2016 Portsmouth (details on Website)
- Membership now at 330 members
- Currently Project raising funds for Memorial at NMA
- 560 Members
- The October 15 reunion at the Royal Beach Hotel Southsea on 9/11 October
- Monthly Newsletter and website
- Ship scrapped in 1971 but Association formed 2 years ago
- 100 Members
- Steve Newton explained that the Association now had ‘with sympathy’ and Get well Cards if any other Association would like purchase some.
- He also briefed the Conference that his members now carried NOK credit card/wallet sized information. All agreed what a good idea this was.
- FAAA 2016 Reunion Aztec Hotel Bristol with Guest of Honour Vice Admiral Adrian Johns
- The May 2016 Lee on the Solent Memorial service (used to be the TAGS) is going to be sponsored by Victor Aerospace due to Gosport BC requirement for £10,000,000 public liability.
- RN has engaged(funded) the RN Historic Flight for 2016 2 x Swordfish and 1x Sea Fury so they will be seen at a number of displays commerative events
- 400 Units with 14,000 Sea Cadets UK wide
- Various events including; 5th Sept ‘Pulling’ (rowing) Competition
- Poole and Herne Bay SCC Bands parading at RNA Biennial
- Associations are encouraged to engage with local SCC.
- Membership down to 43 with Joining fee at £12.50
- Awaiting venue and date for next reunion but will not be held in HMS Bristol.
- Sadly Website has closed
- 145 Members
- 15th Reunion Scarborough 9-12 October
- 22 years old with 180 members
- Reunions 2015- 23/24 Oct Derby and 2016 Aztec Hotel Bristol
- Sponsor Hydrographic School Best Student Award
- 200 members - ships built between1944-46, 6 Lochs sent to NZ.
- Next Reunion 22-25 April 2016 Duke of Cornwall Hotel Devonport
- Loch Class have a Memorial at the NMA
8 / Presentation by Sarah Clewes -All About Admin / Sarah Clewes who has been recently appointed as Admin Support provided a brief on her company All About Admin and what it can do for CONA Members. Her detailed brief can be found at the end of these Minutes. As highlighted earlier All About Admin can deal with all Finance, Admin and Website advise (both management and design) issues.
9 / Individual Guests Updates / UK Holiday Group – Mr Harold Burke
Mr Burke took great pleasure in being able to present a cheque to CONA for the sum of £750 on completion of the first year of CONAs agreement with CONA Holiday Services. The Chairman thanked Mr Burke on behalf of all the CONA Associations
Mr Burke advised Associations that he could provide average savings of 10% and 60% on Cruises and that many more products are coming on line. He also stated that CONA Holiday Service are
delighted to provide quotes for reunions no matter the size!
Please keep getting the message down to individual members
(Remember the more ‘we’ as CONA spend the more CONA get back, next year it could £7,500!)
10 / President – Closing remarks / Admiral Jonathon provided a precise of his career to date which included service in; Leanders, T42s, the Royal Yacht, Ark Royal and CO of both Sultan and Raleigh and described his current job description as ‘a fun job’.
He very much enjoyed listening to the ‘two minute briefs’ given by each Association attending today and understood the CONA roles of; helping each other and individual resilience over the longer term.
With regards to the RN it is growing in numbers for the first time since 1945 an example being that currently there are 69 Fast Jet Pilots only 1 fewer than during the old Ark Royal days. Despite some manpower shortages particularly in the Engineering specialisations CONA Associations should encourage folk to join.
Finally the President was asked when the T26 would be ordered and informed all that approval would be sought this year and it is intended that there would be 13 built in Scotland displacing about 7,000 tons with the first steel cut 2016.
11 / AOB / Nil
DONM / Working Group – October 2015 (Date TBD)– Semaphore Tower
Conference – December 2015 – (Date and Venue TBD)
Action Grid for CONA Conference and Working Group
Meeting/Serial Number / Action / Responsible Person / Update / Current Standing
Nil
Introducing the new CONA Administration Assistant.
We are delighted to have secured funding to offer ‘back office’ administration support to the Conference of Naval Associations (CONA) members. Rather than take on a new employee, the role has been outsourced to Sarah Clewes of All About Admin. She addressed the Working Group at the meeting held on 23 July in Victory Building and outlined the aims of her new role as the CONA Administration Assistant:
- Provide flexible, ‘back office’ administration and business continuity solutions to all members of CONA.
- Identify the requirement for processes and procedures to ensure consistency and to share best practice.
- Provide support to enable the roles of Branch Treasurer and Secretary to become less time consuming and therefore more attractive.
- Offer bespoke training; where possible bring together key players for peer support.
- Investigate the requirement to address social isolation due to lack of IT; access and knowledge.
Sarah joined the Royal Navy in 1991 as a Writer and has served in HMS Coventry, HMS Invincible and HMS Argyll. Promoted to Petty Officer, she joined BRNC and became a Logistics Officer in 2005. Always looking for the next challenge, she graduated with a BA (Hons) Business in 2010 via the Learning at Work Partnership Degree Programme, offered by Portsmouth University. She opted for voluntary redundancy in 2012 in order to pursue a second career in the Charity sector.
Having worked as an Events, Projects and Fundraising Manager as well as undertaking voluntary roles as a committee member and Trustee for a number of military charities, she started her own business, All About Admin, offering flexible administration solutions and business development as a Virtual Assistant (for VA think Executive Assistant or Office Manager but freelance), specialising in charities and not for profit organisations.
Based on the ‘if you can’t beat them, join them’ theory, Sarah shares her husband’s (an ex POMEM (L)) passion for classic motorbikes and attends shows, track days and events both in the UK and abroad.
Sarah said “I am delighted to be able to offer support to the numerous naval associations that rely on volunteers and goodwill to operate. No doubt between us all, we have a huge range of skills that we can share to improve ways of working and ensure that our history is preserved; from ships and niche branches to Royal Marines and Sea Cadets. I am looking forward to working alongside like-minded people; supporting, training and spinning dits!”
Sarah can help with a range of tasks, including data base management and newsletters, social media and websites, arrange bespoke workshops and training, manage fundraising and events (reunions, AGMs in liaison with CONA travel) as well as offer top tips on Word, Excel and PowerPoint.
Her fist ‘customer’ was Mike Noonan of the HMS Bulwark, Albion and Centaur Association, he need help with printing labels and advice on Word “Sarah Clewes called in this morning and has put me straight on a list of word processing bits and pieces which is going to make my life a lot easier when producing our association magazine and hopefully give it a more professional look. It was time well spent.”
Please contact Sarah by email or text or phone on 07941 750954.
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