Page 6 - QARANC Vol 14 No 12 2016

4 QARANC THE GAZETTE
Dates for your Diary
QARANC Association –
Annual Reunion and Lunch
The 68th Annual Reunion of the QARANC Association and Lunch will be held at the Union Jack Club Waterloo London on Saturday 7 May 2016 commencing with a briefing at 1130hrs followed by lunch. The cost is £20 for QARANC Association members and £25 for guests. Accommodation can be booked through abo@ujclub.co.uk or by telephoning 020 7902 6000. Please complete the booking form which can be found towards the end of the gazette and return to RHQ.
CNO(A) SYMPOSIUM 2016
After much consideration the decision has been made to cancel the CNO(A) Symposium, due to take place 12/13 May 16. The decision has been influenced by multiple factors but essentially the long delay in identifying how professional leadership was to be provided to the Corps following the loss of the DANS appointment, ensured that valuable planning time was lost. This is particularly relevant when trying to attract high caliber speakers, whose diaries are booked well in advance. Whilst it would have been possible to provide an event, the programme would have relied on availability of speakers rather than quality and content, running the risk of appearing somewhat random and would have lacked the impact of previous events. It is really important that when personnel are required to take time away from their primary duties to attend that it is a worthwhile use of their time and by delaying the symposium and setting up a dedicated planning team, we can set the conditions to provide a symposium which is professionally and militarily relevant to our audience. Please be assured that this decision has not been an easy one to make and is very much regretted.
Ceremony of Turning the Pages
The ceremony of Turning the Pages of the QARANC memorial book takes place four times a year. The ceremony honours those who have given their lives in the service of their country. The ceremony party is comprised of QARANC regular, reserve or retired officers and soldiers. This year the ceremony will be held across units around the country. Members of the QARANC (Regular, Reserve and Association) are encouraged to support this event. In 2016 the ceremony will take place: June – DMGSE, September – DMG Northallerton, November – DMG South. Dates and timings have yet to be confirmed. Once known units and branches will be informed by the Regimental Secretary. Further information can be sought on 01276 412754 or gensec@qarancassociation.org.uk
Florence Nightingale
Commemoration Service
The Service will be held at Westminster Abbey on Wednesday 11th May 2016, commencing at 1830 hours. As well as being an Act of Commemoration for Florence Nightingale, it celebrates the professions of nursing, midwifery and health visiting and everyone, whether qualified or not, working in these services are invited to attend. Entrance to the service is by ticket only. These are free and are available from the address below during March and April. For Security reasons, it is important that applications are made in writing, by email or by using the proforma on the Foundation Web Pages under Commemoration Service 2016. Tickets will be allocated on a first come first served basis and sent to you by post. Florence Nightingale Foundation, Suite 3, 38 Ebury Street London SW1 0LU. admin@florence-nightingale-foundation.org.uk, www.florence-nightingale-foundation.org.uk
Notices
Branch Membership
Members of the QARANC Association who are members of Headquarter Roll are asked to consider joining a branch if there is one in their area. Branches are an excellent way of meeting people and each committee attempts to provide suitable functions and events for its members.
Branches are located in Aldershot/DMGSE, Catterick/ DMGN, Chester, Jurassic Coast, London (Millbank), Midlands, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne, Northern Ireland, Portsmouth/DMGS, Scotland, Wales, West Country and Yorkshire & Humber. Further details are available from the Regimental Secretary.
Association Subscriptions
Members who still pay by Standing Order are urged to consider payment by Direct Debit. The necessary mandate is available Association Administrator at Headquarters.
South Atlantic Medal
The qualifying period for the award of the South Atlantic Medal without the Rosette will be extended
from 12 July to 21 October 1982, when the airfield at Mount Pleasant was completed. Applications for the South Atlantic Medal, under the new time extension, will be accepted from 1 October 2014 onwards. The applications will be dealt with in date order.
How to claim: Full details on how to claim the new awards are available at https://www.gov.uk/the-ministry- of-defence-medal-office please complete the application form (from the link) and return it to the address stated. The following information will be required; Service number, Regiment/Corps, Full name, Date of Birth, Rank and date of discharge, plus your current name and address. Please ensure only you, as the veteran, sign the application from.
Veterans Badge
The Veteran’s Lapel Badge has generated an incredible amount of interest from veterans since its launch in May 2004.
If you think you may be eligible and would like to obtain one, you can apply in a number of ways. Either on-line at www.veteransagency.mod.uk, via the Veterans helpline 0800 1692277 or by writing to: Veterans badge, Veterans Agency, Room 6108, Norcross, Blackpool FY5 3WP