CHAIRMAN'S COMMENTS
The National Executive Committee have recently received a few grumbling letters from members, stating that the Club at the moment seems to be in a state of limbo, with nothing much happening, that the Club is in the doldrums, and that something must be done to bolster some enthusiasm, or the Club is in danger of folding. I personally do not go along with these views, but as I am your present Chairman, I thought it was time for me to redress the balance. Firstly, 'I wish to thank all the present Committee for the hard work that they are doing'. To put this in prospective, I know that RON CROAD, spends at least four or five full days a week weighing chemicals parcelling them up and sending them out, this also applies to the film sales. this is addition to his other position as Club Secretary which involves a great deal of correspondence. BILL REID, your Editor (Who is always pleading for you to send him copy to print in the Newsletters) spends a great deal of his free time, at his computer editing the copy he does have!, or if he has none, which is more often than not, he tries to find something that is not only printable, but is also interesting, Bill as most of you know also organises the AGM/Show at Didcot, this is again, all on top of his job as a train driver with BR, working all those un-social hours. COLIN POWELL the Treasurer although retired spends a lot of his weekdays keeping the Club accounts up to date. BRIAN SAVAGE as well as being one of your Technical Advisers, is also Area 14 Co-ordinator. My job as Chairman is the easiest, but I also act as Publicity Officer, writing letters to magazine's and clubs etc. trying to attract new members, (which has lately paid off, and I am also Area 20 Co-ordinator.
What is all this chat leading up too? I hear you asking!, Well! I know the committee do not want praise, or any remuneration, but we do need YOUR HELP, VERY MUCH! and we would like you to do something to help the committee generate some new enthusiasm, it is always very easy to sit back and let other people do the work and then moan after. You should have received a questionaire that I would like you to complete and return, to me as soon as possible.
As we do not have regular meetings, the only contact we have with you is by letter, please do not put it in the bin, as it is with your views that the committee can plan the Club's future. I have tried by other means to get feed back as I sent letters to all the Area Co-ordinators, and I only received one reply. It would also be nice if you could attend the AGM/Show in May, to also air your views, you never know, you may also like to join the committee, I say again, as I have said in the past, 'IT'S YOUR CLUB, YOU PAY THE SUBS, YOU CALL THE TUNE'
I will close now, and with your help I hope we can dispel these grumbles, and show that the Club has a very bright future indeed!.
Pete Guy. Hon. C.R.C. Chairman.