The Athelings Association

The Athelings Association, Derby Lodge, Bisley Camp, Brookwood, WOKING, Surrey, GU24 0NY

Tel: 01483 473095 Fax: 01483 797 598

President: Lt Col Rex Goddard Chairman: position to be filled

19 November 2014

Dear All,

MEMBERS BULLETIN, NOVEMBER 2014

As you may be aware Lt Col Colin Grafton, the Chairman of the Athelings Association and the instigator of its foundation, sadly died on 10th November 2014. His funeral service will be held at St Mary’s Church, Bridgwater TA6 3EQ on Wednesday 3rd December at 1400. There is limited parking at the church but apparently Morrisons nearby has a large car park. Our President will write a tribute to Colin in due course which will be sent either in the next bulletin or in a special one.

One of the reasons for starting the Association was to enable Athelings to keep in contact with former team members, so it is always a pleasure to help potential reunion organisers get contact lists. We do not publish home or email addresses on the website, but anyone planning a reunion can get the information they need by contacting CCRS direct.

I draw your attention to the excellent CCRS website, www.ccrs.org.uk, which has a large section devoted to our Association and all the latest photographs and Tour Reports, along with records of previous year’s Team Lists going back to 1952.

We extend a warm welcome to the new members who have joined the Association recently, including the 2014 Athelings. We now have 568 members, although we know that there are still over 400 more who have been Athelings but who we have not been able to trace. I would like to repeat the message that if you come across former Athelings – perhaps from your year – who have not joined the Association please let us have their contact details so we can approach them. Life Membership still costs just £20.

CCRS

The Athelings Association is run under the umbrella of CCRS, and we are grateful to the permanent staff at Derby Lodge (particularly Gina) for their support.

Athelings Summer Function

Since the Association was founded in 1998 we have held twin events on the First Saturday of the Imperial Meeting - an Athelings Association match concurrent with the Daily Telegraph, and a Barbecue that evening, when we also hold the AGM and present our trophies. This year we again fed over 120 at the BBQ with – as is now traditional - the 2014 Athelings doing the cooking for us. The date of the 2015 functions will be Saturday 11th July.

2014 Athelings

The team led by Maj Jon Cload with Capt Sarah Proudlove, both Cheltenham College CCF, and Capt Alwyn McLean, Army Reserve, as Armourer for the shooting phase, had an excellent tour in Canada. The details are in the Tour Report, which is posted on the Overseas Tours section of the CCRS website www.ccrs.org.uk/overseas-exchanges/the-british-cadet-rifle-team-to-canada/ .
2015 Athelings

Next year’s team that will be led by Col Rob Hughes, Commandant Gwent & Powys ACF, with FS Helen Southall, 126 (City of Derby) Sqn ATC as Adjutant and Alwyn McLean, will be chosen at the Selection Committee meeting in December, and will be notified to Members with the Spring Bulletin.

Cadet representation in the 2014 Commonwealth Games

You may be interested to know that in the 2014 Games’ Target Rifle competition 17 of the 18 shooters/managers for the 6 Home Nations have or had some involvement with the Cadet Movement; 16 of the 18 shooters/managers learnt their full-bore target rifle shooting in the Cadet Movement and.7 of the 12 shooters were Athelings; an 8th was a member of GB Under 19 Rifle Team to South Africa.

Shooting Equipment for the Cadet Movement

You probably already know that over the last few years much work was done with Cadets Branch at Support Command to define the requirement for a replacement .22 rifle. This year the military secured funding for the selection and trial of candidate rifles to identify a successor currently called the N8RR for the No 8 rifle. Trials are due to take place in the new year which will result in a “preferred” rifle being chosen. Once this is done, when funding becomes available, the purchase of the rifle can take place. It will inevitably be in a number of tranches the size of which are likely to dictate the issue programme. We are not there yet but there is certainly light at the end of the tunnel.

The L81 A2 7.62mm Target Rifle remains in service for those attempting to reach the pinnacle of cadet shooting – selection for the Athelings. Its ‘service life’ will, we are confident, be extended again, and we hope that it will remain in service for a number of years more.

Administration

Communication with the membership is growing increasingly complicated as contact details change and understandably we do not necessarily get notified. Please complete and return, ideally by e-mail, the attached form so that we can update our lists. Our aim in future is to communicate electronically with everyone and thus eliminate a sizeable postage cost. Each Bulletin will also be placed on the website, www.ccrs.org.uk/overseas-exchanges/athelings-association/latest-members-bulletin/

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy and Successful New Year. I look forward to seeing you around the Common and in Derby Lodge next summer.

Simon Fraser

SB Fraser

Major

General Secretary

CCRS

pending the selection of a new Chairman for the Athelings Association

Email:

NB: Don't forget to keep tabs on The Association - and all CCRS matters - through our website - www.ccrs.org.uk

"The Athelings Association" is an organisation within the Council for Cadet Rifle Shooting,

Derby Lodge, Bisley Camp, Brookwood, Surrey GU24 0NY Registered Charity No 1151650


ATHELINGS ASSOCIATION MEMBERSHIP CONTACT DETAILS

Please return this form once completed to CCRS, as soon as possible.

Members Name:

Including title and decorations etc

Year in which I was an Atheling:

E-mail address:

Postal Address:

Phone number (as appropriate):