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Delegate's Report Blackpool
Conference 06' |
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Newcastle under Lyme, Chesterton & District
Branch Delegate Bob Rankin's Report to Branch 11 June 2006 based upon
extracts from the Main Legion Site Report |
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Bob Rankin
Newcastle, Chesterton & District
BLACKPOOL Conference 2006 Delegate Report |
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NOMINATIONS FOR THE CONFERENCE COMMITTEE
FOR THE YEAR 2007 ANNUAL CONFERENCE
Election results:
A.R.P GOODWIN BEM East Midland Region 308 votes
MISS S.E. KELLY Northern Region 287 votes
R. WICKSON West Midland Region 249 votes |
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14. – PLACE OF YEAR 2010 ANNUAL
CONFERENCE
Election
result: Isle of Man |
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MOTIONS AND CHARTER MOTIONS |
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9. CHARTER MOTIONS
Any necessary consequential changes to the numbers of Articles, Rules
and Governing Regulations referred to in the body of the Articles etc
arising from these Charter Motions will be dealt with by the Board of
Trustees.
Only the Board of Trustees may change the Governing Regulations. Any
changes to the Governing Regulations proposed in the following Charter
Motions are included so that it can be seen what the proposers of the
Charter Motions are requesting the Board of Trustees to consider if the
Charter Motions are carried.
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1. Page 18, Rule 43, re-number existing
Rule 43 as Rule 43(a) and insert new Rule 43(b):
"Where a Branch has less than £200 in reserve at the end of the previous
financial year,
the approved expenses for a delegate to Annual Conference shall be met
from Central
Funds".
DEFEATED
Votes For: 288 Against: 219 (Two-thirds majority not reached)
NORTH WINGFIELD & DISTRICT DERBY COUNTY
Reason for inclusion: To encourage small branches to send a delegate to
Annual Conference.
Effect if passed: More small Branches would be able to send a delegate
to Annual Conference.
2. Page 14, Rule 21, line 2, delete "300" insert "500".
DEFEATED
Votes For: 285 Against: 220
HANTS COUNTY
Reason for inclusion: The combining of Ordinary and Associate members
into a single
category of ‘Member’ significantly alters the number of delegates
eligible to attend Annual Conference.
Effect if passed: Retains the balance of representation at current
levels.
3. Page 11, Rule 8 (c), delete section (iv) and re-number (v) as (iv)
CARRIED
Votes For: 408 Against: 105
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Reason for inclusion: Removes the requirement for a candidate for
National Chairman or National Vice Chairman to provide evidence of
military Service.
CARRIED
Votes For: 523 Against: 9
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Reason for inclusion: To enshrine Remembrance of those who have paid the
ultimate sacrifice in the Aims and Objects of the Legion.
CARRIED
Votes For: 462 Against: 66
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Reason for inclusion: To ensure that the interests of beneficiaries are
safeguarded and the furtherance of their interests is enshrined in the
Aims and Objects of the Royal British Legion.
Effect if passed: The interests of the ex-Service community must have as
high a profile in the Legion’s Aims and Objects as the welfare of the
ex-Service community. It will facilitate the way the Trustees justify to
the Charity Commission the level of expenditure on campaigning
activities for the ex-Service community.
DEFEATED
Votes For: 130 Against: 400
KINVER & ENVILLE SOUTH STAFFORD COUNTY
GREATER MANCHESTER COUNTY
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Reason for inclusion: It is important to ensure that members understand
that only ex-Service personnel and their dependants are eligible to
receive assistance. These changes also take into account the way modern
society has developed, and the changes in current Service families and
society. This has extended the definition of those eligible to receive
assistance to include partners, step children and grandchildren.
CARRIED
Votes For: 508 Against: 19
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Reason for inclusion: Allows the Women’s Section to give the same
membership status to non ex-Service as ex-Service, in line with
membership of the Legion.
Effect if passed: Members of the Women’s Section, apart from Life
Members, will have the same status.
Main argument: Since Annual Conference 2005 voted to have a "Membership"
category, all members have the same status whether or not they have a
military background.
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13. MOTIONS |
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The subject matter of motions marked * (if
any) is already Legion policy. Such motions will be formally proposed
and seconded. They will not be debated but a statement may be made by
the Board of Trustees before the vote is taken. If formations have new
information on the subject which they would like included in the Board’s
statement it should be sent to the Director General as soon as possible. |
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GROUP "A" WELFARE AND RESETTLEMENT
1. This Conference calls on the Board of Trustees to rescind their order
to the CFO’s that Counties and Branches be approached to pay 30% of the
cost for help that clients
require.
DEFEATED
KINGSTANDING BIRMINGHAM COUNTY
Reason for inclusion: To withdraw the need to request 30% of welfare
funding for cases to come from Branch and County funds. |
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GROUP "B" – GENERAL (INTERNAL)
2. This Conference requests the Board of Trustees to consider, within
the constraints of local council bye-laws, an extension of the Poppy
Appeal bucket collection (which currently takes place during Conference
and inside the Conference Hall) to encompass the route of the parade to
the local War Memorial.
DEFEATED
CONSTANTINE CORNWALL COUNTY
3. This Conference urges the Board of Trustees to continue the excellent
work done by the Gulf War Group. Furthermore, to keep the format in
place and use the experience gained to assist veterans of present and
future conflicts.
CARRIED
LISKEARD CORNWALL COUNTY
4. This Conference views with concern the developing practice of mis-selling
of Legion items on the Internet site e-Bay and requests the Board of
Trustees to make representations to e-Bay and other such organisations
concerning the mis-selling of Legion merchandise and in particular the
lapel badges to non Legion members.
DEFEATED
HIGH ERCALL SHROPSHIRE
Bob Rankin
"I argued and voted against the Branch’s instructions as unbeknown to
the Branch part of the County’s new fund raising strategy is to set up a
Ebay Store. If the motion had been carried we would have not been able
to carry this out. However if the actual motion had been written to
exclude the wording Legion Merchandise then I would have voted for it."
5. This Conference resolves that the affiliation fee be increased (or
decreased, if necessary) in line with the annual rate of inflation, each
year, to the nearest ten pence.
DEFEATED
6. It is the opinion of this Conference that the white Poppy has no
place in the Legion and that the two are incompatible.
CARRIED
7. This Conference respectfully requests that the Board of Trustees
revert to the original Disciplinary Procedures and the new system be
discarded.
DEFEATED |
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GROUP "C" – GENERAL (EXTERNAL)
8. This Conference views with concern the lack of consideration shown by
some developers regarding memorials to ex-Service personnel which have
been located in premises acquired for re-development. It therefore
requests the Board of Trustees to approach H.M. Government to consider
the implementation of a Conservation Order or the relocation of these
memorials to an acceptable alternative location when required.
CARRIED
9. This Conference requests that the Trustees of the Legion call upon
H.M. Government to fund the costs of The Armed Forces Memorial in
conjunction with the present public appeal and upkeep in perpetuity the
said memorial.
CARRIED
10. This Conference urges the Board of Trustees to make representation
to H.M. Government to pardon those soldiers of World War One who were
shot at dawn for cowardice and desertion.
CARRIED
11. This Conference views with grave concern the current practice of
allowing British Service personnel, in conflict situations, to be
charged with War Crimes and requests the Board of Trustees to bring this
to the attention of H.M. Government.
CARRIED
12. This Conference urges the Board of Trustees to make representations
to H.M. Government to issue a National Service medal.
DEFEATED
13. This Conference requests the Board of Trustees to open discussions
with the Ministry of Defence with a view to ameliorating the distress
caused by the present practice of issuing eviction notices to recently
bereaved Service spouses or partners.
DEFEATED
14. This Conference requests H.M. Government to issue a silver pendant
to the next of kin of all British Service men and women who were killed
in action or have died of their wounds from the Falklands War to date.
DEFEATED
15. This Conference requests that HM Government amends current
legislation in order to remove the disparity between payment levels of
the Reduced Earnings Allowance (or Retirement Allowance) and the
Acquired Lowered Standard Occupational (ALSO) payment following
retirement so as to benefit the ex-Service community.
DEFEATED
16. This Conference requests HM Government to reconsider their policies
regarding funding of the National Health Service (NHS). In particular,
those which are leading to the closure of hospitals throughout the UK
and the redundancies of NHS staff; as such closures have an adverse
effect on UK veterans.
DEFEATED |
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Bob Rankin
Branch Delegate
11 June 2006
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