Minutes of the Annual Conference of the Legion of Frontiersmen
held on Saturday June 5th 2021 at Whakatane: starting at 9.30 a.m:
Present:
NZHQ:
L247 Commandant Lieut Colonel Val Baker, Pnr, LMSM, LCM, LSEM [NZ, UK & Australia], LSM, ACM, AMM, CDSC, CDMM, CTBM, MCH, CGA, SD
3992 Deputy Commandant, Major Joe Yearbury LSM
2126 Staff Adjutant/North Island Liaison Officer, Major Arthur Myers Pnr, PC, LMSM, LSEM, LSM
3689 South Island Liaison Officer, Captain Murray Hamblin Pnr, LMSM, LSEM, LSM
L255 Records Officer, Captain Ali Baker LSEM, LSM
L84 Central North Island Liaison Officer, Captain Kathy Butler Pnr, LSEM, LSM
2127 WO1 RSM Ross Vaile Pnr, LMSM, LSEM, LSM, SD
Units:
F: 1570 Sgt Don Yearbury GPNR, LMSM, LSEM, LSM, AMM
3976 Lieut Clive Bracey LSEM, LSM
L3 Sgt Dawn Yearbury Pnr, LMSM, LSEM, LSM
L284 Fm Chrissy Yearbury,
3791 Fm Tony Tedbury,
Sarah Peachy
J. L254 Sgt Florrie Baker, LSEM, LSM
L104 Fm Ann Sheary Pnr, LSEM, LSM
4021 Fm Wei Zhen Kim
3980 Cpl Martin Layzell
O. 3534 Sgt/Sec A. Webb Pnr, LSEM, LSM
3833 Fm Bjorn Hamblin
P: 4008 Mike Subritzky, Pnr, LSEM, LSM, AFSC
W. 3403 Lieut Graham Stokes, Pnr
L265 Sgt Carol Stokes
4013 Fm Rob Roy
L270 Fm Raewyn Roy
Y. 3812 Cpl Reg Clarke, LSM
L250 Fm B. Clarke, LSM
L300 Fm A. Clarke, LSM
L261 Vicki Jordan, LSEM, LSM
L272 Julia Stevenson-Renwick, LSM
Procedural:
RSM WO1 Ross Vaile brought the meeting to order, NZHQ and guests were brought into the meeting, taking their places at the top table. Lt Colonel Val Baker requested that the "Pioneer axe" was brought into the meeting by the Pioneer Sergeant Don Yearbury and placed at the head table to signify that the meeting was about to commence.
All were seated.
Major Arthur Myers OC Host unit welcomed everyone to Whakatane,
Lt Colonel Val Baker introduced Whakatane Deputy Mayor Andrew Isles. Andrew extended a warm welcome to all and declared the Conference open.
Lt Colonel Baker introduced Rev Linda King of the St George & St Johns Church who blessed the meeting.
Lt Colonel Baker requested that Arthur lead the meeting to sing God Save the Queen would play
God Save the Queen
Last Post Roll Call:
2019 – May 2020:
1360 LEPPER A.W, Gold Pnr. - L Squadron, 11 Jan 2020
L192 BRACEY D, Pnr. - F Troop, 26 Jan 2020
L82 ALEXANDER D,R, QSM Pnr. - F Troop, 20 Apr 2020
3670 CHESSUM R.S. - CMO, 5 Jun 2020
1527 HOOKE A.G. (Sonny), - N Squadron, 2 Dec 2019
3562 HUGGARD B.D, - past member, 17 Sep 2019
1444/3052 APIATA R, - past member, 5 Mar 2020
June 2020 - May 2021
3700 COTTER T.W, - E Squadron, 7 Dec 2020
L123 COURTNEY M. - H Troop, 14 Dec 2020
4086 HOHEPA L. - Y Squadron, Feb 2021
3072/3314 RATU Ray. - past member, 26 May 2021
HRH Prince Philip
One minutes silence was observed
Life Members - Long Service: Read from newest to longest
3403 STOKES G. - 42 years, W Troop
3013 NELSON S. - 44 years, P Troop
3087 PEAKE T. - 46 years, D Troop Waihi
3315 WEST D. - 47 years, N Squadron
1624 BOWEN L. - 49 years, D Troop Waihi
2112 SMITH A. - 50 years, attached to NZHQ
2127 VAILE D.R. - 51 years, J Troop
2126 MYERS A.G. - 51 years, Y Squadron
1846 LYNCH E. (Ted) - 56 years, D Troop Waihi
1570 YEARBURY D.A. - 61 years, F Troop
1105 YORKE D. - 66 years, F Troop
Commandants Report: Read by Lt Col Val Baker.
Commandants Report:
This is my second report presented to you our members since I took up office in 2018. We started out well in 2019, and then 2020 Covid hit us all in different ways, the first time we could possibly not come together since 1945. Thankfully we are able to attend this conference, enjoy it and remember it. Like many things due to time, life and time changes everything.
I am going to see how many of you can remember some of the following which many younger people don’t know what we are talking about. To survive and have younger people we must change, it doesn’t mean forget it means modernise be up with the times.
I was driving to conference in my “Jalopy” and I was hoping that everything would be “Hunky Dory”. Now I am fortunate that my girls have been brought up with the old sayings, so let us see how many you remember.
“Don’t touch that dial”, or “Carbon Copy”, “You sound like a broken record”, and are we being “Hung out to dry”.
Back in the olden days we had a lot of “moxie”, we’d put on our best “bib and tucker”, “to straighten up and fly right”. “Heavens to Betsy!” “Gee whillikers!” “Jumping Jehosophat”, “Holy Moly!” Or we were “in like Flynn” and “living the life of Riley”; back in the olden days, life used to be “swell”, but when is the last time anything was swell? “Swell has gone the way of beehives, pageboys and the DA: of spats, knickers, poodle skirts, saddle shoes and pedal pushers.”
Oh my aching back! Kilroy was here, but he isn’t anymore. We wake up from what surely has been just a short nap, and before we can say, “Well, I’ll be a monkey’s uncle!” Or “This is a fine kettle of fish!” We discover that the words we grew up with, the words that seemed as oxygen have vanished with scarcely a notice from our tongues and our pens and our keyboards.
Poof, go the words of our youth, the words we’ve left behind. We blink, and they’re gone. Where have all those great phrases gone?
Long gone: Pshaw, The milkman did it. Hey! It’s your two bob. Don’t forget to pull the chain. Knee high to a grasshopper. Well Fiddlesticks! Wake up and smell the roses.
It turns out there are more of these lost words and expressions, leaves us to wonder where Superman will find a phone booth,
The point of this all is to remind you all of the past but if we are not using anything any longer it will be forgotten, we must keep the past in the present mind and remember it all. To survive the Legion must keep up to date, we must modernise and its approach to modernisation for its survival, we must look to the future and change our thinking, gain more members.
I hope that this conference we have the courage to discuss how to modernise to ask and hear views on how to do this, it has been raised by some in our last journal I for one am looking forward to this debate when those ideas can be shared or are they also just words.
Okidoki, See ya later, alligator, WOW, that’s a Duesy!
You’ll notice I left out “Monkey Business”!!!
Moved Captain Ali Baker/RSM Ross Vaile “That the Commandant’s report be received and accepted. Carried
As there were a few minutes to spare before morning tea the Commandant asked if there were any questions that the meeting could answer for the guests. Linda asked what work the LOF did and the command members replied, Andrew asked how the Whakatane council could help the LOF in Whakatane and it was suggested by the Commandant to use the LOF at the 11 o’clock civic service and maybe any inaugural venues held by council.
Meeting broke for morning tea.
Apologies:
E.Lt Mike Smith E Squadron, Gary Domingo, Andrae Peipi,
F:Fm Des Yorke Gold Pnr
J: Fm Stephen Sheary
N:Pnr Dave West, Pnr Alf Hepburn, Fm Maxine Beaumont, Assoc Shane Funnell
O:Pnr R. Paton
P:Fm S & E Nelson
Y:Fm J McNaughton, Fm C Stevenson-Renwick, Fm M. Clarke,
Moved by Lt Graham Stokes/Pnr Ann Sheary “That apologies be accepted" Carried
From this point onwards in these minutes awards will not be mentioned, refer please to above lists.
Minutes of Previous Conference:
Moved Pnr Arthur Myers/Pnr Ross Vaile“That the minutes be taken as read and are a true and correct record.for the postal vote 2020 and conference 2019” Carried
Matters Arising:
Nil
Correspondence: Inwards/Outwards
Moved Murray Hamblin/Mike Subritzky “That we update the information for printing in the New Zealand Distinguishing Patches of the Army new edition by author Cliff Lord” carried
H & A News Letter: discussion followed if you need copies please forward name to commandant to be sent on via email.
Letter from Mike Subritzky regarding using P Troop’s interest to purchase a new jacket and belt for him. Trousers, tie, shirt are to be purchased by him, it was further recorded that if something happened to Mike the jacket and belt would be returned to QM stores.
Copies of Old Minutes required by Lt Col Baker for completion to be bound are 1989, 1994 1995, if anyone has them please forward to the Commandant.
Unit Reports:
The unit reports are to be printed in the journal using those yearly reports supplied to NZHQ with the annual returns; this has been done in the March issue.
Financial Report:
Moved Rob Roy/Alistair Webb “That the financial accounts be accepted” carried
Appointment of Auditor:
Moved Lt Col Val Baker/RSM Ross Vaile “That Sgt Florrie Baker would do the accounts and then give them to Bhavesh of Accounting for Success to sign off on” Carried
Conference Levies:
Open discussion took place by the members and they were asked what they thought the levies from NZ Command should cover: It was decided that the following should be covered by the levies and are important items to hold a conference:
A wreath for Sunday parade, A bugler for Toast to 9000 and Sunday parade or substitute, Hall hire for conference venue. A stenographer to take minutes if a member could not be found to do the minute recording. A photographer or substitute.
The levy was not for gift packs, registrations would cover members meals and other items for conference.
Moved Pnr Ross Vaile/Pnr Clive Bracey "That the levies remain at $15.00 per head for life members and full membership." carried
Capitations:
Life membership: Moved Lt Col Val Baker/Major Joe Yearbury "That life membership remain at Zero" carried it is noted that units could make a donation to the command if they so wished.
Associates: Moved Major Arthur Myers/Pnr Alistair Webb "That associates are $10.00 for renewal plus $2.00 for new associates" carried
Cadets: Moved Pnr Clive Bracey/Pnr Murray Hamblin "That cadets are $10.00 for renewal plus $2.00 for new cadets" carried
Discussion followed: reducing the amount by $10.00 Only two units do not pay the full capitations to the command.
Capitations which are paid to the command cover the costs of NZHQ travel and accommodation, the cost of the journal production the biggest cost is the postage if it can be emailed then advise the Editor. Insurance to cover the members doing duties the active units are only 6 costing each of those units about $108.00, o.k if the units have large numbers however if we go back to the units paying the insurance and we charge it out on a per member bases that are active it would mean the unit would have to pay $14.80. The $10.00 per week is the equivalent of .50cents per week a member has to find.
Veterans: Moved Pnr Murray Hamblin/Pnr Kathy Butler "That veterans remain at $50.00 and the full membership be set at $50.00 plus $10.00 for new members" carried
It was raised that the command look into applying for post envelopes in A4 size to post out the journal.
Public Liability Insurance:
Moved Lt Col Baker/Captain Ali Baker "That NZHQ pays the public liability insurance when it falls due." carried
Results from Elections:
Major Myers: announced the results from the postal vote for Commandant 68 votes were received 55 to Val Baker 13 to Clive Bracey.
Moved Pnr Dawn Yearbury/Pnr Graham Stokes "That the voting papers be destroyed" carried
Appointments:
Archivist: Moved Pnr Clive Bracey/Pnr Ross Vaile "that the archivist remains the same Lt Colonel Baker" carried
Editor: Moved Pnr Clive Bracey/Pnr Ross Vaile "That the editor remains the same Lt Colonel Baker" carried
Quartermaster: Moved Pnr Clive Bracey/Pnr Ross Vaile "That the quartermaster remains as J Troop" carried
Webmaster: moved Pnr Clive Bracey/Pnr Ross Vaile "That the webmaster remains as Lt Mike Smith" carried
Mike Subritzky opened the discussion on the costs of the website: He has offered to help pay for this, currently Lt Smith and Lt Colonel Baker share the costs equally paying $75.00 each. This way Lt Smith still had control on his own site.
Moved Pnr Clive Bracey/Sgt Carole Stokes " That the LOF Command pay the $75.00 instead of the Lt Colonel as contribution to the website annually." carried.
Lt Colonel Baker made two further appointments and announced that the two new members Mark Beech barrister and Andrae Peipe would both be given the Honorary rank of Captain. Mark Beech to be the Honorary Solicitor for the Command and Andrae Peipe would be Command Padre.
Conference Venues:
2022 Whangarei
2023:Palmerston North hosted by W. Troop
Remits:
Add to section 2.0 Elections: add New clause 2.1.6
“The incumbent Commandant is automatically nominated for re-election, however they may choose not to stand and will notify in writing of their withdrawal.”
Reason: Clarification of Procedures:
•There is no status quo in the rule book or the constitution.
•There is no rule to allow command members to vote in the Commandant off the floor at conference.
•You could come to an election and conference; if no nomination form is received no one can be nominated off the floor.
•If the incumbent Commandant doesn’t want to continue then they must notify the command by the 31st December in the year prior to elections.
•To avoid having no nominations for Commandant received by the 28th of February in the year of elections.
Pnr Dawn Yearbury raised whether advertising the remit in the journal met the criteria of being circulated by the Staff Adjutant.
Sgt Florrie Baker asked, if it was advertised to the members through the journal, when the editor happened to be the Commandant and that the Adjutant had spoken to the Commandant. As there were no other remits and they had agreed that this was sufficient notification by way of the March issue of the journal. An early remit was passed at conference that remits could be placed into the journal and that the other criteria was that remits had to be circulated two months prior to conference. This met the criteria.
Moved Pnr Ross Vaile/Sgt Florrie Baker "that this was an acceptable process" carried
The remit was discussed and put to the vote Carried.
HRH Queen Elizabeth II: (reference to her passing)
Discussion followed on what the command felt should happen with the passing of the Monarch.
Moved Pnr Arthur Myers/Pnr Murray Hamblin "Until the new Monarch is crowned the command will officially recognise the current Monarch." Carried
Moved Pnr Dawn Yearbury/Pnr Graham Stokes "That the Command will acquire a photo of the new Monarch and have it framed at the time." Carried
Moved Pnr Clive Bracey/Pnr An Sheary "That the wearing of a black button length of time is six months from the time of death of the Monarch" Carried
Moved Major Joe Yearbury/Lt Col Baker "That the flag is flown at half mast for the period from Death to burial." Carried
ID cards:
Andrae Peipe had wished that this be discussed at conference:
Although all reference to ID cards is to be removed from the rule book it was felt that those units who wish to have cards could upon request have cards made by laminating a card and supplying to members. The card would have on it a passport size photo supplied by the member, name, and number, rank, unit, Legion Logo,
If a member leaves they need to return the card to the unit.
Alan Lepper Trophy:
Discussion followed regarding the suggested rules and trophy could be if the command was in agreement:
Moved Lt Colonel Baker/Pnr Ross Vaile "That the command purchased the whiskey barrel suggested as the trophy, have it suitably engraved and follow the suggested rules" carried
The trophy recipient will be chosen at conference by the members of conference.
This will be an annual award:
There is a two part process,
1. The command members will nominate candidates and once selected.
Part one (can be between 10 and 12 names)
2. The command members will choose by majority the recipient.
Part two (Between 1 and 3)
Rules:
•Must be attending conference
•Be well presented
•A jovial person or have a good attitude.
•Be helpful to other members either at unit level or at conference.
•Either participated in unit meetings or at conference.
•Have assisted with duties at unit level. High hours for the unit.
NZHQ will select two people to collect the voting papers and write the winner down and present to the Commandant for the evening presentation.
Discussion followed regarding rules some of the items not everyone would be aware of, however it was agreed that the nominees do not have to fit all criteria just some of them and be a guide to nominating: The first four are probably the most important that everyone could note.
Shooting Trophies:
No one has shot for the trophies for a few years.
Moved Pnr Clive Bracey/Fm Rob Roy "That the trophies and targets be put into storage at 331 Hot Springs Road." carried
It is further noted that if any one decides that they want to shoot for the trophies ie a new unit then they could come back out of storage.
Conference 2022: this will be held at the Distinction Hotel which was the Kings Gate, a double room is $145.00.
General Business:
no further general business everything covered during the meeting:
Oath of Allegiance:
Captain Murray Hamblin took the command to swear the Oath of Allegiance.
Major Myers led the command in singing God Defend New Zealand.
Gold Pioneer Don Yearbury came forward to take out the axe:
Lt Col Val Baker stated as there was no further business the Confernce would be closed at 4.30pm
AWARDS
Gold Pioneer Axe
2126 Arthur Myers [2020]
2127 Ross Vaile [2021]
New Zealand Pioneer Cross
3689 Murray Hamblin
Pioneer Axe
3229 Stephen Sheary
Legion Meritorious Service Medal
L84 Kathy Butler
Bar to the Long Service & Efficiency Medal
3997 Mike Smith
3978 Derek Gordon
Long Service & Efficiency Medal
L272 Julia Stevenson-Renwick
L274 Catherine Stevenson-Renwick
3833 Bjorn Hamblin
Legion Service Medal
3951 Shane Gutsell
3980 Martin Layzell
Life Membership - Lt Pnr Graham Stokes
Claude Bathe Rose Bowl - Fm Wei Zhen Kim
Baden Henry Trophy - RSM Ross Vaile
Carlin Trophy - Sgt Florrie Baker
Dip Stick Award - Fm Rob Roy
Stirrers Spoon: (not available)
Doug Baker Round Tuit Award - Fm Rob Roy
Ray Hammond Memorial Inspiration Trophy - Fm Peter Hamilton
Claude Bathe Memorial Shield/Frontiersman of the Year: 2021 - Major Joe Yearbury
