Page 3 - Salamander News Letter August 2023

COMPANY NEWS
Matt Stokes,
Liveryman of the Company,
Recently clothed Liveryman Matt Stokes is heading up the New Member Programme and has designed a Guide for New Members of the Company .
The programme was devised to be completely voluntary and to assist New Members of the Company with an avenue for guidance and information with your progression and development through the Company.
However, whilst there is no formal sign off from the programme, it would be hoped that by the time you are Clothed in the Livery, that you would have attended several of the Company events and be proficient enough in the Company to request to come off the programme.
I am more than aware that some members interact with the company at different rates.
Please feel free to email me with your thoughts or ideas on how we can improve the programme for you and members to come.
For those new to the programme, my role as the New Member Liaison Officer is to:
• Allocate an Advisor / Supporter to each new member • To encourage the Advisor / Supporter and New Member
to communicate on a regular basis.
• To give ongoing support to the programme and assistance, if required, to you and your Advisor / Supporter.
• Provide the opportunity to discuss your progress and to obtain feedback on the Support Programme.
• Your advisor / supporter should provide advice on:
• To introduce you to the organisation, by way of Common Hall, Company Functions, and other means. • Give guidance and encouragement on becoming a Freeman of the Company and a Freeman of the City of London.
• To promote progression from Freeman to Liveryman within the Company.
• Be available either via email, telephone, ‘web chat’ or in person.
• Give guidance and support.
• Be available, or provide a proxy, at functions to introduce
you to other members.
• Explain fees and Quarterage payments.
If you have any concerns about the programme or issues with your Advisor, please do not hesitate to contact me.
I have been developing a handbook - A New Members’ Guide to the Company. This book in essence should contain all of the information a new member will need to explain the workings of the Company and describe the etiquette at Company events.
I would welcome any feedback on how this could be improved as it is designed to give a standard approach to information required just in case your advisor is not fully supporting you. However, if an advisor is not assisting you in your questions, please let me know. Remember, they are there for you and if you need them, please contact them!
I would also be interested to hear from those Freemen moving to Liverymen recently as to whether they feel that they can now come off the new member’s programme.
Vice-Chair of the Membership Committee & the New Member Liaison Officer Statto44@hotmail.co.uk
Follow us on twitter @LondonFire1666
www.flickr.com/photos/wcoff103/
https://www.facebook.com/wcoff1666/