Page 6 - RAPTC Mind, Body & Spirit

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www.raptcassociation.org.uk
Once again, I am indebted to the contributors to this edition of the MBS and I understand that within our busy lives where instant messaging,
texting and recording everything on Facebook is the
norm, trying to find the time to record our activities
over the past 12 months in the old-fashioned way can
seem irritating and time consuming. But, have you
asked yourself what happens to your social media
profile when you have moved to the big gym in the
sky? In a lot of cases what you have recorded will
be lost in the ether and not accessible to anyone, so
all those photos and memories will be lost forever.
Taking the time and making the effort to record your
activities in the MBS is a certain way of ensuring the
memories and experiences of your time in the Corps
will live on through the pages of the MBS for future generations to look back on. So, with this backdrop of instant recording I am pleased to note that we have received a record number of submissions for this edition which I and I’m sure the readers of today and in the future, are most grateful.
The diversity and disparate roles of the modern day Corps Officers and Instructors are once again highlighted within the pages of this edition of the MBS and demonstrate their versatility and can-do attitude. Without the medium of the MBS the opportunity to
showcase what the Corps gets involved with would be lost in the mists of time and as such the MBS is not only an historical reference but a shop window for the members of the Corps to show off their professionalism, resourcefulness and flexibility.
Unfortunately not all have made this edition (mainly due to the space available) so I apologise to those who have submitted articles which have not made the final cut, but please be reassured, your articles are retained for historical reference.
Editorial Notes
The Editor accepts photographs for publication on the understanding that those submitting them have, where required by data protection legislation, obtained consent to publication from those depicted. Anyone who believes this is not the case or has a DPA-related concern should contact the Editor.
The views expressed in this journal are those of the writers and should not be interpreted as MOD policy.
EDITORIAL
Lt Col (Retd) G B Jones
RAPTC Association Regimental Secretary
Introduction. As the Commandant of the Royal Army Physical Training Corps (RAPTC) and Chairman of the Association Executive Committee I am pleased to report that the RAPTC Association Trustees and the Regimental Secretary have continued their excellent work to meet the charities objectives during this reporting period. These objectives are articulated in the RAPTC Association Constitution which is the governing document that holds us to account and ensures we are delivering our objectives for the good and benefit of all our members. The Constitution is registered with the Charity Commission of England and Wales and is also available on the Association website.
There are 14 trustees of which 7 are serving members of the Corps and classed as Ex-officio trustees which mean their trustee appointment is tied to a particular military assignment. As such, these trustees move on when they are reassigned; this explains why we have a regular turn-over of trustees on the executive committee. As a result of these reassignments we have said goodbye to a couple of trustees during this period and I thank them for their conscientious professional approach and the work they have undertaken on behalf of the Association.
Finance. Our accounts are managed and administered in accordance with Service Funds Regulations and I am most grateful for the support provided within HQ RAPTC to ensure we
conform to the regulations that govern charity funds. Expenditure is managed and monitored on a daily basis by the Regimental Secretary to ensure we do not exceed our annual income and I can report that we have again, remained within budget during this reporting period. I am also pleased to note that as a Corps the voluntary contributions from our serving members continues to be amongst the highest in the Army. Without these voluntary contributions the Association would struggle to survive. We have also received a small number of donations this year, including a donation of £15,000.00 from ex WO1 (SMI) Ronald Perry’s estate all of which enables the Association to continue providing benevolence and welfare support in a number of areas to our
serving and retired members. Our accounts have been audited with no adverse comments and submitted within the directed timeframes to the Charity Commission.
Investments. The Association investments are held in the Armed Forces Common Investment Fund and managed by Black Rock on behalf of the Association. Our investments are monitored regularly and Blackrock provide an annual overview of the financial markets for the Trustees; they also provide quarterly updates on the performance of the Association investments. I am pleased to note that the investment portfolio has again performed well and as a result of the change to our investment strategy the investments have provided quarterly dividends; this additional income will be
CHAIRMAN’S ANNUAL STATEMENT
1 April 2017 to 31 March 2018