Page 10 - 2009 AMA Winter

Your Committee
There have been some changes on the Committee in the past few months, and on your behalf, I would like to acknowledge the service of Maj Mike Laing, Capt Mike ‘TK’ Treffry- Kingdom and WO2 Daz Doyle and thank them for all their hard work.
Mike Laing was General Secretary for some time before having his arm twisted into taking over as Treasurer. He has filled this appointment, (not his natural milieu as he would be the first to admit), for four years, during which time he has left the Regular Army and started a career as a self employed instructor. How he managed to juggle this amount of change and provide continuity as Treasurer can only be imag- ined and not by one who loses the will to live by NAAFI break when checking the WO & Sgts Mess accounts! We wish him very well in everything he moves onto and I am sure we will see him in the hills and at Meets.
TK was on the Everest West Ridge Development Team and as a way of giving something back, took on the post of General Secretary. He carried out these duties for a number of years before a change of employment and impending fatherhood meant he felt he could not commit further time. We are very grateful for his enthusiastic approach to merchan- dising (the ‘Army Mountaineer’ T shirts
were his idea) and thank him for the superb Dinner he organised at Minley Manor for members, when we had the honour of hosting General Lamb.
Daz was likewise a veteran of the EWR Dev Team and took on the post of Meets Coordinator until his job got too busy and he had to hand on the baton. Sgt Barry ‘Baz’ Whale, fresh from the adventure that was Lotus Flower Tower, has volunteered to take over this position and we look for- ward to a good year of Meets next year.
Maj Matt Hing, our Makalu summiteer from the last Joint Services expedition, has taken over as General Secretary, but at present, the Treasurer’s slot is vacant and being looked after by Paul Edwards, our Vice Chairman Mountaineering. This, how- ever, switches his attention from his proper remit. Mindful of the difficulties of recruiting treasurers, we are training the Membership Secretary, Helen Smith, to carry out the book keeping functions in which she already has some experience. This will make the Treasurer’s task far less onerous and I would urge anyone who feels up to the budgeting and forecasting task, in which all heads of areas in the AMA assist, to volunteer.
This seems an appropriate point at which to highlight the magnificent contribution
Helen Smith has made to the smooth run- ning of the Committee and many other of our activities over the past years. She is our continuity and works tirelessly on behalf of our membership, for which we should all offer our heartfelt thanks.
Lt Col Cath Davies AMA Chair
AMA TIE
A tie is being commissioned for the association so that we can proudly fly the flag in those settings requiring more than a bit of spit and polish to your stickies. The tie will be black and white, represent- ing the mediums over which we as mountaineers move and will have the AMA crest emblazoned on the white stripes.
The tie will be free to members of the committee (there has to be some perks for the hard work!) and available in time to members for around £14 (TBC). If you would like a tie, then please contact Helen, the Membership Secretary.
British services Antarctic Expedition 2012
Patron: Major General The Duke of Westminster, KG, CB, OBE, TD, DL
An expedition to explore and climb remote areas of the Antarctic Peninsula
Mountaineers, small boat experts and skiers of all standards required
The entry deadline for BSAE 2012 has been extended. This expedition intends to spend two months exploring and climbing on the Antarctic Peninsula in early 2012. Anyone interested in this expedition should read DIN 200907-082 dated June 09 ‘Joint Services Mountaineering Expedition 2012’ and apply to amavicechair@armymail.mod.uk
For more information: e-mail amavicechair@armymail.mod.uk or find DIN2009DIN07-082
8 ARMY MOUNTAINEER