"Closure" - A sad yet glorious day!

The Cranwell Electrical and Wireless School Boy Entrants Association
CEWSBEA
or better known to some of us as the
"Pre-war Boys" or "The Cranwell Boys"

The following are extracts of minutes from the Associations last AGM held on 4th September 2004 at RAF Cranwell and are reproduced here with the kind permission of their Secretary, Michael Frere.

The President Gordon Minchin welcomed the members present. He looked back to his own first attendance in 1996 when there were 106 members present, now there were 37 members present, underlining the inevitable diminishing numbers. He gave thanks that he had been able to keep in touch with so many members by telephone over the year. He also commented on how blessed we were in being able to continue our meetings at Cranwell over the years, since the foundation of the Association in 1971.

He said that now the question arose as to our future, and said that there would be a proposal before the meeting to close the Association, but thankfully the Secretary had agreed to continue in touch with the members with a few newsletters each year, and generally act as a correspondent.
     
The Secretary thanked the many members who had written, telephoned or e-mailed during the year. They made it obvious that there was a great deal of goodwill for the Association, even though a great many were unable to attend the Annual Meetings; distance or ill health making it impossible.

As had been mooted over the year since the last AGM, there were many who thought that it was coming to the time when the Association should fold. The age of the membership was increasingly making attendance impossible, ill health wasn't helping, and the inevitable dwindling numbers was making the actual attendance smaller every year.

As this was a special occasion, being the 70th Anniversary of the foundation of the Boy Entrants Scheme in 1934, and several members had made a special effort to be there for that reason. It was suggested that the Association should close on a high, rather than just dribble away.
As a consequence he put the following resolution before the meeting:

"That this Annual General Meeting of the CEWSBEA, do declare that this shall be the last and final meeting of the Association; recognising that the age and health of the members is such that continuing is getting increasingly difficult. There will no longer be an active Committee, other than the Secretary becoming a 'Correspondent' for a group of ex-Cranwell Boy Entrants, who would wish to keep in touch with one another, by two or three yearly newsletters, passing on news and items of interest sent to the Correspondent by various individuals, and titbits from the considerable notes the present Secretary has accumulated over the years. Any funds left over after settling current debts (i.e. expenses of this meeting) would be made available to the Correspondent for postage and such expenses."

Addendum by Secretary - "I commit myself to writing such newsletters as long as I am physically able."
     
There followed considerable discussion, and various suggestions, including some from both the President and the Treasurer. There was a definite alternative proposal put forward to the effect that the present proposal be divided into two, but there was not any concrete support for this and the original proposal on being put was carried by 34 votes to 3.

It was left to the Secretary and the Treasurer to arrange how this was to be carried out. The Treasurer would settle all outstanding accounts, and the Secretary would inform all interested parties.
Jack Bury asked if he could address the members present, he said:

Greetings Gentlemen,

It is difficult to realise that myself and Jim Baxter (also present) and members of the first entry came in through East Camp Gates about this time 70 years ago. Much water has flowed under the bridge since then.

I remember an incident on our 'Passing Out' Parade, when a very senior officer, after inspecting us, said: "If you maintain this standard of smartness and progress, some of you could reach the rank of 'Corporal'. I think we made it!

Many Boys served overseas, in some cases several tours. Many became aircrew; who, of necessity flew obsolescent aircraft in daylight in the early days of the war, and sacrificed their lives against overwhelming odds, until more modern aircraft with appropriate navigation and bombing aids could be introduced for their successors.

It was good thinking in 1970 when our Patron Sinclair Davidson, Robbie Robertson and others formed this Association, which allowed us to meet old comrades who we would probably have never met otherwise. Many changes have taken place over the past years and a number of our members have joined the ranks of the Departed.

I have enjoyed these meetings over the past 30 years and my periods as Secretary and President. I regret that this will be my last attendance, but I feel proud and privileged to have been a member of such a prestigious Association, and to have had such magnificent Comradeship.

Thank You Gentlemen - May God Bless You.