ROYAL ARTILLERY GOLFING SOCIETY
Lieutenant General A R Gregory CB
President
Chief of Defence Personnel
Ministry of Defence
Whitehall
LONDON
RAGS
SW1A 2HB
0207 218 6057
07584 063384 andrew.gregory820@mod.uk
gregoryar@hotmail.com
January 2014
Dear RAGS Member,
With all the horrendous weather that we seem to be enduring at the moment, a ray of sunshine is always provided by the prospect of RAGS summer golf at great venues and with like-minded individuals, namely RAGS members and opponents. So it is with pleasure that I add these few words to the 2014 Fixture List to give you a feel as to how our Society is faring.
As was agreed in the RAGS Strategy paper, our main effort remains one of increasing the Society’s footprint in and benefit to the serving community. I was particularly pleased to see really excellent attendances at both the Spring Meeting and the Royal Artillery
Championships in 2013 – 39 and 65 players respectively; these are significant increases on previous years, something we must continue to build upon. A consequence of this is that, despite the pressures on its resources, our RAI bid for funds was successful and met in full. This, combined with the generous sponsorship of the RA Championships by
Hurst Financial Consultancy, means we are financially viable
– though only just. Hence, other sponsorship options are being sought to support both RAGS as well as golf within the serving community; any new ideas of organisations who might be amenable, or - better still, offers of money, from members would be much appreciated!
Notwithstanding the above, I am clear that RAGS must continue to offer a sustainable, balanced and attractive fixture list to all RAGS members. Following consultation with match managers and the opposition, we have reduced the number of serials to 31 in
2014 from last year’s 38; those removed are the matches against Chorleywood, Defence
Academy, RMAS, REGS, AGC and Royal Blackheath as well as the Winter Meeting. As a result, there has been a change in a number of match managers, not least to try to get a Serving lead for matches identified as, ‘Priority to Serving’. The changes are:
Matches removed:
Match
Chorleywood
Defence Academy
RMAS
REGS
AGC
Royal Blackheath
Winter Meeting
Match Manager
Mark Woolveridge
Mark Lacey
Maj Simon Dunk
Terry O'Neil
Maj Jim Pritchett
Dick Pearson
Hon Sec

Changing Match Managers:
Match
RLC
REME
RM
Seniors (away)
Rye
Outgoing MM Incoming MM
Lt Col Trevor Parks Maj Tim Thornton
Graham Russell Lt Col Eddie Grace
Bill Easterbrook Lt Col Simon Dunk
Anthony Broke-Smith Chris Copeland
Dominic Evans Mark Lacey
Thank you to the outgoing match managers – indeed thank you, as always, to all match managers! Whilst all match managers cope admirably with their matches, sometimes in the face of adversity with recent dwindling availability, I would like to pay particular tribute to 3 outgoing match manag ers: Terry O’Neil for the REGS match which has struggled to retain its popularity in spite of the move from Hankley Common to Frilford
Heath in 2013; Dick Pearson for the Royal Blackheath match (as a member of Royal
Blackheath, Dick had run both the RAGS and Blackheath teams since he instigated the match 20 yrs ago – 2014 would have been the 21st playing of the match. Sadly, Dick has advised us that he “…decided that enough was enough. I have had great difficulty this year getting members to play in the ma tch...”); and Anthony Broke-Smith for running the ‘away’ fixture against the Seniors at Woking, keeping this match afloat and hence keeping RAGS in the conscience of this influential opposition. Thank you in advance to the 5 incoming match managers, particularly Chris Copeland who is now running 2 matches (RN and Seniors). We will keep the remaining matches under review to ensure their relevance and financial viability, not least by assessing the popularity of matches through the year.
Finally, I want to bring to your attention our new website: www.army.mod.uk/artillery/33240.aspx
The website is important for RAGS’ success in 2014 and thereafter; I would urge you all to use it. Many thanks to Trevor Parks for creating its new format and to Dominic Evans for all that he did in running its predecessor, starting, in the process, the move of RAGS into the electronic age and hence setting the conditions for where we are now.
That’s quite enough from me! Thank you again to both participants and match managers for your continuing support. Thank you also to the committee who are key to keeping the Society working and to moving it forward. Congratulations to Martyn
Gamble on his selection for promotion to Brigadier and command of 160 (Wales)
Brigade, welcome to Tim Thornton who is appointed as the Serving Representative on the committee, and a very special thanks to Scott who puts in so many hours to make our golf in this fine institution happen and without whom it simply wouldn’t; we are very grateful to you!
Good golfing to one and all in 2014.
Best wishes – and apologies for the impersonal electronic signature,
Andrew.