THE FEBRUARY LUNCH was hosted by Mike Carn,
as I was absent in London and Manchester on
family matters. It was a welcome return, and
Marti ten Sijthoff gave an intriguing address concerning
debate and dialogue. John R wrote an interesting report
of this which you can read on the CADS website.
British Ambassador H.E. Paul Arkwright
At lunch on the 30th March the British Ambassador H.E.
Paul Arkwright will be addressing us. The subject is still
embargoed until the day, so do turn up to find out what it is
about! We will also be introducing two new members, and
handing over the monies collected through our sponsorship
of, and participation in, the CADS Olympic Mile, which will be
held on Friday March 23rd at 1500hrs. If you haven’t yet signed
up to run or sponsor, please consider that.
“We have 12 runners signed up, and over 1,200 Euros of
donations promised already.”
There will also be a report on the Poppy Appeal, Hounds for
Heroes, and some further news from Marti ten Sijthoff.
So overall a busy agenda…
On the wider front, the Leveson inquiry has continued to cast
light on the dirty business practices of News International.
Two dozen more arrests have now netted the unspeakable
Rebekah Wade and her husband, together with reporters, another
policeman, a MoD official, and a serving army officer. More senior
policemen have yet to fall, and it remains to be seen whether some
senior civil servants and politicians will suffer the same fate.
Quote from Sue Akers, the no-nonsense senior Met officer responsible
for the investigation:
“Payments by journalists to public officials have been identified
in the following categories: Police; Military; Health; Government;
Prison and others. The evidence suggests that such
payments were being made to public officials across all areas
of public life. The current assessment of the evidence is that
it reveals a network of corrupted officials.”…” As the investigation
progresses it is anticipated that detailed enquiry will identify
the corrupt public officials and they will be arrested.”
Dates for your diary:
April 27th – CADS Jubilee St George’s Day lunch. Prize for the most
outrageous/patriotic English dress. Our speaker is Chris Lorraine, head of
the Dutch Military Aviation Authority, and one of the few qualified Spitfire
pilots still flying that fantastic machine.
May 12th – CADS Jubilee Britannia Ball. Classical music over a good dinner,
followed by a dance band until late. Reserve the time, dust off your evening
dress and dancing shoes, and reserve your tickets quickly, as IoD, GNE
and BritSoc members will also be invited.
June 29th – CADS Jubilee boat trip.
July 27th – VRA vs Gloucestershire CB40 cricket. CADS Olympics
lunch event, with coverage by Sky Sports.
Sept 14th – CADS Olympic golf competition hosted by CADS at HGC.
Members and guests will additionally play for a London Olympic year
trophy to be retained by the winner.
Chairman’s Corner Jan 2012