Page 34 - July 2020

THE SALAMANDER | July 2020
From the Clerk
Steven Tamcken
Friends and Colleagues,
Isn’t it amazing how quickly life can change? Normally I would be exceedingly busy at this time, dealing with the minutes of the last Court Meeting and the lunch monies etc., getting ready to say a “farewell” to our incumbent Master, and welcome to our New Master, Wardens and other Officers on the 3rd July at Common Hall.
Until early this year, everything was going to plan, and then along came a virus that frankly has changed the world, at great cost to some.
The Firefighters have had some close calls amongst its members, and although some have lost family, I am pleased to say that as of today, the Company has not lost any member due to COVID-19.
Now that the running of the Company has, since March, been placed in the care of the Emergency Strategic Co- Ordination Board (ESCB), there have been no meetings face to face, many of our members along with many others have had to learn a new skill – the art of Conference
Calling.
This does not mean to say that I have been able to relax, far from it. The ESCB has, during this period, been doing a lot of work behind the scenes reviewing several aspects of the Company and its paperwork, some of this will become clear later this year and some next year.
As you are aware there was no Common Hall this year, and the Master and Wardens will stay in post for a further 12 months, as is the Lord Mayor and Sheriffs of the City, but there have still been some important changes to the makeup of the Senior roles within our Company.
I, no doubt along with many of you, would like to add my thanks for their time and effort to Ian Parlane and Michael Leaver, as you will have seen elsewhere are standing down after many years’ loyal service to the Company as Honorary Treasurer and Chairman of the Finance Committee respectively. Both have assisted me over several years and I hope that they will enjoy their well-earned retirement and that I will see them at several of the Company events.
Also standing down after many years’ service as Constable, is Tony Skinner, and again I would like to place on record my sincerest thanks to him for all the work he did behind the scenes at the various functions. Along with Tony, another stalwart standing down is Alan Mabbutt as Sentinel, and I would like to wish him and Molly the best. (more on them later)
Lastly, I say farewell to my erstwhile and long-suffering (his words) Assistant Clerk, Stephen Sanders, who has now reached the heights
within the Company that he needs to concentrate on the forthcoming 2 years, when hopefully (as they say) Subject To Election, will become Master. During the last 6 years Stephen and I have got on really well and had several good laughs along the way. I wish him good luck for the future.
We all are aware that The Worshipful Company of Firefighters are known for its ethos of evolution not revolution, and I can honestly say that the replacements for those Officers will continue this.
We welcome Geoff as our new Financial Manager / Assistant Clerk, (FMAC), Barry Sargent as the new Constable and Jeff Borsack, Robert Bryant, and Robert Howard as our new Sentinels.
I also welcome, formally, Colin Simpson as the Company IT Manager. Colin as you know has been influential with all aspects of the Company’s IT structure and workings for many years, and will continue to look after, what has now been seen to be essential, our IT.
Due to COVID-19, and no doubt you have all read the articles in this issue of the Salamander to know how awful this disease is, and as I have mentioned above, there looks to be very little chance in us all meeting together in the foreseeable future, and it is something that the ESCB is keen to ensure that ALL members will be able to attend, and not have to discriminate against some due to age or health issues. So, we may be a bit behind other Companies in
Page 34