Not too much has happened since the last newsletter with the potentially cold months of December, January & February being avoided for fund raising activities. It was also a time when I could sit down at my computer and catch up on acres of paperwork that I had neglected. We did have a highly successful Music Concert at St. Botolphs Church. Everyone who I have spoken to who attended the concert says how much they enjoyed it. The West Bergholt Concert Band also told us how much they had enjoyed the evening and how it was the most successful and enjoyable that they have experienced. They would like us to arrange a further concert in 2003 and we are looking to early November for this. So lets make the 2003 concert an even better occasion than the last one and lets see everyone possible there. Having so few members, your committee will have to work overtime this year so, don't forget, if you know anyone who may be willing to join the committee please let us know.
May I pay tribute to Stan Angier who, as usual, turned out every Thursday afternoon for 6 weeks for Cards for Good Causes. 2002 was the last year he will do this as Stan is finding it more and more difficult to get around. Good on yer, Stan, thank you for all your hard work over many years.
I have at least found 2 ladies who have agreed to help with "Cards for Good Causes" in 2003. One of them helped out on one Thursday in December, enjoyed it & has persuaded a friend to help her next year. Thank you Gina and everyone else who helped in 2002 at all the fund raising activities that were arranged.
The AGM will be at Ipm on Saturday 15th March 2003, at Tollgate Hall & will be attended by Geoff Wiseman. This will be your last chance to say thank you to him for all that he has done for Muscular Dystrophy over the last few years. We will miss him -we are already missing him -I certainly am with the extra workload that I have inherited. Your committee have already decided that, with our reduced numbers we shall be unable to attend the various fetes this year but will try to arrange regular store collections. This is, of course, dependant on the goodwill of the stores concerned. Is there anyone out there, please, who could help us with these collections on an occasional basis? All you need to do is turn up at the store in question and "shake a tin" for an hour or two. You will not be on your own as we always arrange for 2 people per session. We have collections organised for 2nd August at Waitrose Sudbury & Sainsbury's Priory Walk Colchester on 15th & 16th November. Please let me know if you can help with these collections.
I hope those who have regularly turned up at our AGMs in the past will attend this one and that those who have not attended before will attend this time. I am extremely busy but agreed to do this work because I believe that I can make a difference, with the invaluable help of the rest of the committee. We would love to see even more of you at the AGM where the formal, stuffy stuff is kept to a minimum and where we can see you and talk to you and you can talk to others in the same boat as yourselves. Who knows we may even be able to help you in some small way! Karen & Kevin certainly feel that we have been able to assist as their "profile" in the last News Letter showed. Who else would like to have their profile in the News Letter next time? Please contact me if you would like to be considered. Please make every effort to attend the AGM on 15th March 2003- please mark your diaries NOW.
If anyone has E-mail & would be willing to receive their newsletter in this way please tell me.
November 2002 -- The West Bergholt Concert Band -- Net £549.01
November/December 2002 -- Cards for Good Causes -- No figures available.
We also had further contributions from Maria's Kefir (up to £563.61 in 2002- any bets on 2003?) and from Tony and Bridget Farley with their lovely organ (over £1,200 in 2002). Finally, we had further funds from collecting boxes placed in a number of pubs, dentists etc. Thank you again Maria, Tony & Bridget and also to Janet Saunders for arranging to collect a considerable number of collecting boxes. Thank you also to all those who I only have to telephone and they agree to help in one-way or another.
Maria is now managing to make herself available for monthly meetings and will, I believe, be willing to stay on the committee for the next year. Jan Jarman has, for a large part of 2002 and continuing into 2003, been co- opted onto the committee and I hope that we can formalise her position there at the AGM. Is anyone else willing and able to join our committee -I promise we won't bite!
Now a little humour:
We are all aware that some stress is healthy but too much stress is very
unhealthy. The problem is that we do seem to have periods in our life when
we are getting someone else's stress as well as our own. How do they do
that? -transfer it I mean. It is time that there was a prayer for those
feeling under the weather from stress and -here it is! A Prayer for the
Stressed:
Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, and the courage
to change the things I cannot accept.
Grant me the wisdom to hide the bodies of those I had to kill today because
they got on my nerves.
Help me to remember, when I am having a bad day and it seems that people
are trying to wind me up, it takes 42 muscles to frown, 28 to smile and
only 4 to extend my arm and smack someone in the mouth!
Help me always to give 100% at work: -12% on Mondays 23% on Tuesdays: 40%
on Wednesdays: 20% on Thursdays and 5% on Fridays
But I will still accept the overtime!
Chris Jenkinson,
Branch Acting Chairman,
Treasurer and Editor
60 Marlowe
Way,
Lexden, Colchester CO3 4JP.
Tel: 01206520986
Mobile 07973 121073;
E-Mail: christopher.jenkinson@ntlworld.com
Website address: http://peter.fremlin.de/mdgroup