Once Navy Always Navy

The Overseas Area

A Message to Overseas Branches from S/M Vice President Geoff Hayhoe MBE – The Overseas Corresponding Representative.

Dear Shipmates,

May I remind you that Motions for Conference are required to reach the General Secretary by 20th February 2009 and that if you wish me to consult with other Overseas Branches on your proposals, then it would be helpful if they were to reach me as early as possible before that date.  They can be sent to me at my home address:  5 Banbury Close, Somerset Road, Ryde, Isle of Wight PO33 1DP.

While I am switched to transmit, may I also remind you that I am the primary point of contact for all enquiries from the Overseas Branches and that I am charged with ensuring that you obtain the service and answers you require.  The General Secretary and I speak frequently and we are both dedicated to giving you the best service possible – tell us what you need and we will make every effort to provide it for you.

A final reminder – those of you visiting UK from overseas are particularly welcome to visit the RNA Headquarters in Portsmouth – all you need to do is to give a short period of notice – call the Headquarters on 02392-722983.  Similarly, those visiting outside Portsmouth can inform us of the dates and locations of your visit so that we can let the RNA Branch nearest to your visit location know of your presence.  We are keen that you should be made to feel welcome.

Geoff Hayhoe MBE
Vice President  
vhayhoe@onwight.net
telephone number and fax number is 01983810919

Review of Overseas Branches Representation on National Council
by NCMs Areas 8 and 12
Click here to read the Review

The decision taken by National Council (NC) at their September 2007 meeting, and subsequently confirmed in December, was to interpret the Motion 5 resolution from Conference 2007 as excluding any member of Council who already held a representative or other role on Council.  The inevitable outcome of this was that there was only one available candidate that it could appoint, VP Geoff Hayhoe.  The Council felt that this was not a satisfactory solution in the long term, not because of any reflection upon Geoff whatsoever, but because it had no other choice.  It also meant there was no possibility of appointing a deputy. As a result of that unsatisfactory situation Council commissioned this review to see how the OBs might best be represented in the future, to provide them with the regular input and communication with the NC that they want.

Shipmate John Bailey a visitor to South African waters and apparently global traveller from Yorkshire (Huddersfield Branch?) was here just before Christmas.
John who enjoys back packing holidays first port of call was Capetown of which he contacted the

Capetown RNA branch which was closed for the holiday season as well as the East London branch which was also closed, but the secretary there was able to put together a lunchtime meeting with John and the local shipmates before he moved on to Kwazulu Natal and made contact with our Secretary Mike Jackson.
Mike in his normal tradition invited John into his inn eh sorry house for Christmas day not allowing John to spend it at a lonely backpackers place or a barn and because he was such good company was invited back to celebrate New Year with Mike, wife, family and friends.
Three days before John left South Africa on the rest of the tour he was doing, several other local shipmates joined John at Mike's again for a bar-bee-que to bid him a fond farewell and God speed.
We would like to wish all shipmates a Happy and hopefully prosperous 2008
From the shipmates of Natal, South Africa.

Natal Branch Shipmates enjoy a Sunday mid-day barbeque or braai as we call it here