DISBANDING THE ASSOCIATION - ADVANCE WARNING OF EXTRAORDINARY MEETING

In recent years we have been struggling to maintain the Association in the face of diminishing numbers, most especially the lack of new members.  In particular, we have failed to recruit serving members and, with a very few notable exceptions, there has been no interest or support from the Squadron, now No 1 Air Mobility Wing.  Only 52 of our ‘paid up’ members are serving in the RAF.  The difficulties have multiplied as we have been unable to find a Team Brief Editor to replace Mick Cocker and without the Team Brief we will be unable to keep in touch with all of the membership.

In an effort to turn-around the decline in membership, which is now dipping below 340, we asked AMW to see what was wanted from the Association and, as an encouragement, asked what we could do to show support for their very busy time on Operational duties.  We were told that when faced with a membership fee (and let’s face it, £6 per annum is a little over 2 beers today) they asked “what’s in it for me?”  In response to our idea of giving a small memento to recognise their work it was suggested that we paid for one of their new AMW shoulder flashes which all Wing members now wear on their uniforms.  As there are now just 10 members currently serving on the Wing, your Council saw little merit in such a gesture on our part. 

The likely demise of the Team Brief within the next 12 months, a declining membership (less than a dozen new members recruited in the last 5 years) a growing isolation from the Wing and limited interest in meeting together for the September “Big Weekend” all lead to the desire by your Council not to preside over a sad decline of the Association.  We therefore propose to convene an Extraordinary Meeting some weeks after the AGM (which is held during the September “Big Weekend”) to formally disband the Association.  We will of course take account of those who have paid for future years and we will mark our demise with a suitable flourish.

The current reaction to the personal invitations to attend the “Big Weekend” has been disappointing.  Apart from Council Members, less that a dozen have indicated attendance at the Friday Beer Call and on the Saturday AMW Families Day.  Seventy have responded to say they will not attend that weekend but we appreciate that they have completed their AGM postal voting slips.  The number attending the Dinner Night in the Sergeants Mess is unlikely to exceed 100 but we will ensure that they have a lovely evening together and enjoy what might be our ‘final’ formal event.  Incidentally, if you have not confirmed your attendance at the “Big Weekend,” please do so immediately.

Not everything will be lost.  We will try and maintain records as up to date as possible and provide them to any others who might decide to “resurrect” the Association in the future.  We will continue to support Tony Gale’s OBA Website and use it to contact friends and colleagues.  We will still use e-mail to stay in touch with as many as possible and to suggest a beer call or “meet and greet” from time to time.  Whilst we are unwilling to continue to try and maintain standards whilst enduring a slow death, we will continue to try to keep the flame of friendship alive and stay “Swift to Move.”

Chairman UKMAMS Association 

24 July 2008

UKMAMS ASSOCIATION DISBANDMENT-
THE OPTIONS FOR THE FUTURE 

Dear All

My thanks to Tony Gale for supporting the UKMAMS Association over the years and his current offer of assistance in publishing this message on his OBA website. 

There have been several Movers who have expressed concern about my letter in the last Team Brief (also reproduced here) explaining why we, the Council of the Association, thought that the time had come to call an Extraordinary General Meeting (EGM) to arrange the winding up of the Association.  So, with your indulgence, can I now add to that message as we have had time to reflect upon it, gauge reactions to date and discuss the ‘way ahead’ for the Association?

Where we are now

The ‘bottom line’ for many of us has been the lack of new, practical support for the running of the Association.  I have been Chairman for some 13 years and, several years ago, I called for ‘new blood’ and new ideas and asked for someone to take over the Chairmanship from me.  However, over the ensuing 4 years there has not been one volunteer and, although I have been proud and privileged to lead the Association, I am not willing to preside over its decline and fall.  Paid up Membership has fallen by about 30% in the past 3 years.  The replacement for UKMAMS, No 1 Air Mobility Wing at RAF Lyneham, is extremely busy on operations and unable to provide a replacement Editor for Team Brief or recruit new members from within the Wing.  We must also recognise that the modern RAF and No 1 AMW are very different in their tasking, priorities and attitudes from the RAF that most Association Members were part of in the 20^th Century.  The outgoing OC 1 AMW believes that there is little interest in the Association from members on his Wing and suggests that we should become an Association of ex-MAMS personnel who would be invited to join the Wing from time to time; for example when they hold a Families Day.

Mick Cocker has been Editor of Team Brief for some 8 years, over 3 years longer than his commitment at the start!  Although the latest Team Brief would indeed be his last in that format, he remains willing to continue to edit and produce a Newsletter sized publication (probably less than 10 pages) in the future, mainly consisting of information for those who have retired from the Service: 

• From the 540 - looking back at past glories (thanks to Ian Berry’s work),

• Membership news (thanks to Colin Allen and Steve Beaumont’s contributions)

• Publication of your inputs and old memories as submitted to him in the future.

 However, unless this Newsletter can be delivered by e-mail, and only a third of our current Members have given us their e-mail addresses, there would be a cost of publication and postage to be paid for.

Below are some of the ideas which have been discussed by the Council and amongst various members in recent weeks.  There are 2 alternative solutions that we have evolved which will be discussed at the AGM and finally decided upon at the EGM. 

Alternative 1 – UKMAMS Association “Lite”

The fact remains that the UKMAMS Association Council has largely depended upon the same dedicated people serving on the Council since the Association was formed in 1991.  Although there are attractions of continuing an Association in the form of UKMAMS Association “Lite”, there would still be a fundamental requirement to appoint a Treasurer and Committee to administer payments made by members and to be accountable to them for the Association’s funds. Under Alternative 1, the Association would continue to collect subscriptions and function as follows: 

• Retain the website (and continue to cooperate with the ‘Old Bods Association’ website run by Tony Gale in Canada.)

• Maintain records and administer the Membership as we now do, but concentrate effort on recruiting members from those who have retired from UKMAMS and RAF Service.  Membership will remain open to all Movers who have served with the RAF (as it is today) but it should be recognised that, to date, very few non-MAMS personnel have joined the Association since it was opened up to all Movers.

• Re-write the Constitution to simplify the way the Association is run.

• Produce a periodic Team Brief Newsletter (see above) and send it to interested former members by e-mail and surface mail.

• Maintain liaison with No 1 AMW but run the Association separately with an all-civilian and smaller Council/Committee)

• Elect a new Chairman, Treasurer and Membership Secretary and confirm the current volunteer for Editor of the Team Brief Newsletter.

• Only consider retaining the Association “Lite” if the following criteria are met:

  • Membership increases by a minimum of 60 paid-up members (returning or new members) by the date of the EGM, thus restoring the membership to 400.

  • Volunteers for the appointments of Chairman, Treasurer and Membership Secretary are forthcoming before the EGM.

Alternative 2 -  UKMAMS Association “Ultra Lite”

The other alternative will disband the organisation, disperse the funds in the account and then bring together an informal group of people (possibly mostly drawn from the present Council Members) to maintain a framework of the Association, without subscriptions from Members, as follows: 

• Retain the website (and continue to cooperate with the ‘Old Bods Association’ website run by Tony Gale in Canada.)

• Try and keep a record of members and former members on a spreadsheet, updated largely by word of mouth.

• Produce a periodic Team Brief Newsletter (see above) and send it to interested former members by e-mail only and place it on the website.

• Arrange the odd ‘Meet and Greet’ in Swindon/ local area/ China Fleet Club etc and perhaps the occasional dinner or more formal event from time to time.

Alternative 2 would keep the Association flame alive pending any resurgence of interest in a formal organisation in the future.  (We might have to approach friends from time to time to contribute a small sum to pay for hosting the website and retaining the domain name of UKMAMS.)  This Alternative 2 was what was envisaged when I wrote my first message to inform you about the calling of an EGM to disband the current Association.

The Way Ahead

The way ahead has been planned as follows: 

• AGM at RAF Lyneham at 1330hrs on Saturday 27 September will have the EGM and Disbandment as a special Item for discussion.  This is the opportunity for all those who want to discuss the future of the Association to come and make their opinions count.

• Following the AGM a special Team Brief Newsletter will be sent to all Members to explain where we stand and it will notify the date and venue for the Extraordinary General Meeting.

• The EGM will be held (on a date and venue to be decided) in January 2009.  This meeting will debate and decide the future of the Association.  If sufficient members attend who want to retain the Association in some form, and they offer direct and practical commitment to sustain the future organisation, then the current Council will confirm either disbandment and winding up arrangements or the formation of a replacement organisation to take the UKMAMS Association into the future. (ie Alternatives 1 or 2 discussed above and  as modified in the intervening period)

We have much to remember with pride (and some sweat!)

It is with a heavy heart that I write these words but the ‘writing has been on the wall’ for some years.  You will recall that I have discussed the future of the Association in the Team Brief on several occasions and debated it during the annual General Meetings.  I think that Members have had good value from their modest subscriptions and have enjoyed several very successful reunions as well as smaller events and the arrival through the post of the Association’s own publication - Team Brief.  I would commend to you the enthusiastic and dedicated work of your Council members.  It has been a great pleasure to work with them.  I hope that the name and reputation of UKMAMS, earned over 40 years, is remembered with respect and warm memories of good friends and colleagues.  They have done a good job for the RAF and the nation.

 Very best wishes for the future

Bob Dixon

Chairman

24 August 2008