Acting Chairman
Jane Brown
Membership Council
TRBL, Eden Rural Foyer,
Old London Road,
Penrith. CA11 8ET
jbrown@britishlegion.org.uk

Membership Support Officer
Clive Sumpter MSO
TRBL Eden Rural Foyer
Old London Road
Merlin Suite
Penrith
CA11 8ET
csumpter@britishlegion.org.uk

Treasurer
Robert Gordon
TRBL, Eden Rural Foyer,
Old London Road,
Penrith. CA11 8ET
robert@gordonconsultancy.co.uk

23rd February 2019

Cumberland and Westmorland Royal British Legion
County Meeting Minutes 23rd February 2019
Penrith Methodist Church. Beacon Room, Penrith

In Attendance:
JBrown (Acting County Chairman), I Fisher (County Vice Chairman), R Gordon (County Treasurer) C Sumpter (County
MSO) M Wadsworth, J Couling, (Carlisle and Stanwix Branch). P Holden, L Harrison, (Appleby Branch) E Willacy,
(Arnside Branch). B Pease, (Brampton Branch). K Rishworth, (Egremont Branch), R Glenister (Windermere Branch) D
Cradduck (Bransty Branch) N Cross (Sedbergh Branch)
Apologies For Absence
R Eglin, (Bransty Branch). J Train (Kendal Branch), G Edwards (Egremont Branch) D Ballantyne, J Henderson (Carlisle Branch).

10 30 The Acting County Chair, Jane Brown opened the meeting and invited everyone to stand for the Exhortation.

Minutes of the County Committee meeting October 2018:
The Chair asked if anyone had any matters to raise from the emailed October 2018 County Meeting minutes.

No matters were raised so the minutes were accepted as a true reflection by the Committee.

Minutes of the County Committee Meeting February 2nd 2019:

MSO C Sumpter informed the meeting that he now had clear guidelines as to where and when the County Standard can be paraded. I Fisher who raised this issue at the last meeting is aware and the new system for County Standard
attendance at an event will be put in place immediately and the County Standard Bearer will be informed. This also applies to Branch Standards.

No other matters were raised and as such the meeting minutes of Feb 2nd 2019 were accepted as a true reflection.

Correspondence:

MSO reports he has only had one piece of correspondence this is reference to a event that will be taking place in Kendal before Armed Forces day and that the County and the Local Branch have been invited to attend. No further details are
available at this time however it was agreed that the MSO would immediately forward all information he received on to the County Committee as delaying until the next meeting would be too large a time lapse.

Acting County Chairs report

J Brown informed the CC that due to securing employment with the RBL it was envisaged that she would be standing down from the Membership Council (not Committee) after National Conference in May 2019. The Director General has
given dispensation to continue in her voluntary role until then due to the Regional situation.
She went on to assure the meeting that, once she did resign, the County Vice Chair had agreed that he would step into the role of Acting Chairman until the County Chair Election Process was undertaken in line with the Membership
Handbook. The date of commencement of this process to be given at a later date. She also reinforced that all County Committee places would be subject to the election process as, although it is very clearly a requirement in the Membership Handbook, this had not been undertaken for a number of years in the County.
J Brown went on to reiterate the need for all CC Members to become a Contact Person, or if necessary an Advisor, to those branches geographically closet to them. She followed this by describing the various roles that are required to be
undertaken by County Committee Members which are CRO, CPM, CYO, CTO and County Poppy Appeal Co-ordinator. A member has expressed an interest in the CPM role but is not yet at the required standard. It was agreed he would be
sent onto a Refresher Course as soon as possible to get him to the required standard.
J Brown explained to the Committee that Extra General Meetings were required in three branches and the following CC Members volunteered to do them: K Rishworth and G Edwards.
J Brown concluded by asking CC Members to encourage all branches to take advantage of the Office 365 training that was currently taking place.

Question E Willacy (Arnside Branch) Could a paper copy of these minutes be sent to her Chairman as he has no email?
MSO agreed to include in his mailing list.

County Treasurer’s Report

No report as yet as the County Treasurer is still not trained to take up his post full time.

Membership Support Officers Report

MSO informed the mtg that Office 365 training had been taking place and he was prepared to attend any branches or individuals to maintain the work around getting all branches onto Office 365 as quickly as possible. MSO also informed
the meeting that a new Branch Community Support Training Package had been released and BCS training will be taking part in and around Cumberland and Westmorland he further asked that Branches try to put someone forward as their
BCS representative. The County directory is still in progress and the MSO is currently waiting for branches to give him the information for the list of meetings and places of those meetings. The welcome pack for all new joiners is still under
construction and should be ready to deliver to new members and for County Approval at the next meeting. The latest set of Ammonisation figures have been released and emailed to the respective branches for a donation to the County
Welfare Fund.
An allocation process took place as to which County Members would become advisors to which local Branches please see attached list for information.
MSO has attended meeting of the Events Committee and changes had been discussed that would affect the County and would be circulated as soon as they had been approved. These would be discussed at the next CC Meeting.

Judith Reay Community Fund Raiser – Report

CFR Report not available at this time.

AOB

It was agreed at the meeting that Mr R Eglin and Mr D Cradduck are co-opted onto the County Committee until the next AGM.
The County Standard has been requested to attend the funeral of Maj J Mark in Carlisle. The County Standard Bearer has agreed to attend if the County Committee agree to the Standards Attendance. This was carried unanimously.

Acting Chair has asked if County Members would consider applying for some of the current vacant County Specialist Roles as below:
County Training Officer
County Parade Marshall
Principal County Recruitment Officer
County Youth Officer.

A brief resume of each role is below taken from the Membership Handbook would any Committee member who would like to carry out any of the specialist roles please indicate their willing ness to the current Chairperson.

County Training Officer (CTO)
1.1. The CTO is a vital role in maintaining a high standard of effective delivery of a variety of matters across the County by providing regular training and refresher course. This is highly important to new members of a Committee, who might not have the experience to fulfil their role effectively.
1.2. The CTO promotes National training courses and works with the Membership Training Department to put in place local arrangements.
1.3. The CTO is responsible for the planning and delivery of local training in accordance with current TAG policies. The courses must be registered with the Membership Training Department.

2. Principal County Recruiting Officer (PCRO)
2.1. The PC/DRO is to advise the County Committee on the recruiting structure in the County, briefing the Committee on the membership situation in the County, planned recruiting activities and the results of such activities, advising the County Treasurer on provisions for recruiting in the County budget and assisting the Treasurer in the control of recruiting expenditure.

County Youth Officer (CYO)
3.1. The role of a County Youth Officer (CYO) is to promote and assist with youth activities by Branches and to ensure that they are compliant with Legion policies, procedures and legal requirements.

5. County Parade Marshal
5.1. The County Parade Marshal is appointed by the County Committee to be actively involved in the planning and organising of all County Events which include ceremonial. The County Parade Marshal must attend and pass a Parade Marshal’s course. They are to be fully conversant with the Legion’s Ceremonial Handbook.

Meeting Closed 11 55 am

DATE OF NEXT COUNTY MEETING is yet to be set and MSO will inform all as soon as possible. VENUE TO Be CONFIRMED.