Dear Members

I’m writing this on a wet Bank Holiday, but am I downhearted?  No…because there are 2 ETPSA events coming up this summer!

 

The first is a kind invite from ETPS to go along to that world famous sporting event, the Annual Staff vs Students Cricket Match on Tuesday 5 August.  As you know, no student side that has gone on to graduate has ever won, so it's sure to be a tense match with some characteristically inventive rule-making from the staff side.  We're expecting the event to start at about 2pm on the cricket pitch at Great Durnford (opposite the Black Horse). The cost (including the post-match snack BBQ and a drink or 2) will be £5 per person.  Note that we will need to limit the number of places available for this event to avoid swamping the organisers!  Details on how to sign up coming shortly.

 

The next event is our own ETPSA Annual BBQ for which numbers are definitely not limited! This will be held in the Mess on Saturday 6 Sep 2008 - same format as usual, with the same great weather as always. Tim the Treasurer will include a sign-up form with our next newsletter.  Alternatively (and preferably) please take advantage of the electronic sign up which will open on the website. And while we’re talking about Tim, congrats to him on his promotion to group captain and his appointment as the next Boscombe Down Chief Test Pilot, taking up post this summer. 

 

It was great to see so many ETPSA members at the Annual Test Pilot Dinner on 28 March. This is always a wonderful evening and this year’s event was no exception with around 100 test pilots past and present sitting down to dinner. Also, thinking back to our AGM in February, I’d like to pick up on a couple of things that came up. Firstly, the Association does not have a President.  When we wrote the constitution we recognised that one day we may wish to appoint a President:

It may be found appropriate to seek Patronage for the Association and/or appoint a President of the Association. Suggestions may be made by members and will be investigated by the Committee. If suitable persons are found, the Committee may appoint him or her without reference to the Membership. 

 

However, we've never really had the debate about whether we'd like a President to act as our figurehead and if so, who it should be.  Please let me know what you think by writing to me at chairman@etpsa.org.uk.  Do you think we should have a President?  If so, who would you nominate?  I had a couple of good suggestions made to me after the AGM, but I won't tell you what they were in case it colours the debate! 

 

Secondly, we're going to try to combine a few social events with ETPS.  The cricket match will be the first of these. However, at the AGM I also suggested that we may wish to change the format of next year's AGM to combine it with an ETPS function.  Please let me know what you think.  I've already had quite a few comments on that suggestion, most positive but a few less so.  Again, please write to me and tell me what you think.

 

Meanwhile, have a great summer and please fill in that BBQ application form now!