The Commitee

Organisation of the branches of The Watch Ashore is spear headed by the National Executive Committee, which is made up of Chairman, Vice Chairman, Hon. Treasurer, Hon General Secretary an Executive member. We endeavour to ensure that as many of the local branches as possible are represented on the Executive Committee, our present Executive has two members from Plymouth, two from Glasgow and one from Cardiff.

Our present Chairman is Margaret Gray from Glasgow who was preceded by Sue Vickery ( Plymouth); Pat Warren(Cardiff); Liz Swan (Derby); Doreen Morris (Sunderland); Fiona Cooke (Glasgow) June Barnes (London)

Annual and Triennial Meetings

The Executive Committee organises our Annual Meetings which are held in a different part of the country each year. Every Third year, in conjunction with a local Branch, the Executive Committee arranges our Triennial Meetings. For more information and to view the gallery of past events please visit our Triennial meetings page.

Over the past ten years we have met in Hull 2009, Glasgow 2006, Cardiff 2003, Plymouth 2000 and Hull 1997. It is at these Triennial meetings that our National Chairman comes into office (i.e. the Chairman steps down and is succeeded by the Vice Chairman.) Entertainment at Triennial meetings is very diverse and is usually hosted by the local Branch who provide entertainment with a local flavour.

Also as part of the Triennials we have been fortunate to enjoy Civic Receptions given by The Lord Provost in Glasgow and the Lord Mayors of Hull and Plymouth at recent meetings. Our next Triennial will be held in Hull in 2009 and preparations for this weekend are already in hand.

In the “non- triennial” years we hold an annual meeting in various towns and cities throughout England, Scotland and Wales. In recent years we have enjoyed weekends in Bournemouth, Gloucester, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, Leicester, Worcester and Sunderland.

On these occasions the National Executive organise an informal first night when we enjoy our own entertainment. In Liverpool we indulged in a musical evening with a special tribute to the Beetles from our Glasgow ladies. Our trip to Gloucester coincided with St George’s Day and Shakespeare’s Birthday so each Branch presented a Watch Ashore version of the works of The Bard. A visit to a local place of interest is always part of the weekend and we have enjoyed a barge trip (Worcester); Compton Acres Gardens (Bournemouth); The Hat Museum in Stockport (Manchester); Hartlepool Maritime Museum amongst any others.

The Executive Committee coordinates all members nationally. Some of our members do not live within reach of a local branch and so are given the title “Country Member”. Country members exist all over Britain and meet up with all the other branches at annual meetings and sometimes join in branch events when invited.