Minutes of the Toddington Branch of The Royal British Legion

Debrief Meeting 7:30p.m. on

Wednesday 29^th November 2023

Attendees

Pippa Brazier, Debbie Gibbons, Graeme Kelly, John Wood, Bill Levinson,

Melanie Parker, Lee Stone.

Remembrance Debrief

The purpose of tonight’s small meeting is to discuss the details of this year’s Remembrance service and parade, all at the meeting agreed that the service and parade went off very well, with a good attendance considering how wet it was.

• It was a wet day, the first one for many years, we took the decision to put up our large gazebos, one over the Town band the other over the OAP seating area, we also put up another small gazebo over the P/A and microphone to protect the electrics.
• P/A system

There were still some people saying they could not hear the service very well, it was recommended that we do a better sound check with someone checking by the village sign, outside Panache, near where the OAP seats will be and by the bus stop on the other Green. That the speakers are put as high as possible on the stands, and angled down slightly to stop water collecting in them.

• A suggestion was made that before the parade begins, we should ask any veterans attending if they would like to march with the parade.
• Some people said that they did not have a service booklet, there were plenty of people about giving them out, a couple of mentions on the P/A that there are plenty available should correct this.
• Police did not attend, see if we can chase them up a couple of weeks before to at least know if they are coming or not
• Road Closures, more bodies/helpers are required for this role, especially if the police do not attend, ask the people who help set up if they can stay and help at the road closures during the service, and not go off to do something else.
• Try to find a choir/singer to assist with the hymns, especially the last one that not many people were familiar with.
• Purchase some medium sized plastic stackable storage crates for the service booklets.

Christmas Tree Festival.

A theme was discussed and decided on for the Tree festival. Korea “70” Remembered

To commemorate the end of Korean war 70 years ago. John and Lee have researched some images of the conflict with pictures of the Korean flag and national flower to go onto the tree.

John, Bil and Kelly will be erecting and decorating the tree on Wednesday afternoon 6^th December

The meeting was closed at 21:10pm