Statement from the President SAMA82

Dear SAMA(82) Members – I wanted to update you all having just held an important Extraordinary Trustees’ meeting. Some of you may have seen my recent message on the Facebook page where I acknowledged Members’ concerns about the unexpected change of Chairman and promised that I would look into it and then update Members further.  

The extraordinary meeting enabled me to understand what had led to the change of Chairman and to explore the actions that the Trustees had taken in making that change. In simple terms, an allegation of misconduct had been made against our stalwart office staff, suggesting that they had unilaterally changed their office telephone access hours. This was of real concern to the Trustees who examined this allegation in real detail and requested evidence but found that none was forthcoming. This led to the Trustees voting to remove the Chairman and elect Chris Howe MBE in his place, and this vote was done in line with association policy. The office staff subsequently found out about the allegation and have been understandably upset by it as they completely refute the claim.  

My summary as President: the Trustees were faced with a difficult situation and acted in line with their responsibilities and association policy, and so they retain my full confidence.  

I am pleased that the former Chair, Tom Herring, will remain a trustee (it is for you the Members to vote in/out trustees) as he can have an important role in liaison with Pangbourne ahead of next year’s 45^th Memorial event. I am also pleased to have received clear assurance from the meeting that all can now move on and return our focus to the core aims of SAMA(82). 

My plea to members is to ‘be kind’ as there have been some pretty bruising comments online concerning these unexpected developments, perhaps fuelled by an initial reluctance on behalf of the Trustees to explain the specific detail of what had happened. This has been a very difficult situation for our Chair and Trustees to navigate, and it’s not lost on me that they are all volunteers who work very hard for the association in their spare time, doing all the unseen work that enables the SAMA(82) to function. I would encourage maximum engagement with the next AGM, where you can all have your say, including as to who you want as Trustees. 

I would like to assure Members that I will stay closely connected with Chair and Trustees and ensure that we are all focused on the aims of the association, which are to serve you all and foster comradeship.

Rich Cantrill OBE MC

Major General Royal Marines

Commander Operations (COMOPS)

Maritime Operations Centre