FEBRUARY 2013

IN THIS ISSUE

POPPY APPEAL REPORT …………………… 2FOUND IN THE ORGAN LOFT ….................. 22012 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING ............ 3SENIOR CITIZENS SOCIAL …....................... 4DERBY DRAW …............................................. 4SCAMS ….......................................................... 4BRANCH MEMBERS DINNER ….................. 6WELFARE NOTES …....................................... 7NEWSLETTER PUBLICATION ….................. 7HAVE A LAUGH...…………………….……… 8ARMED FORCES DAY …................................ 9NOTICES …....................................................... 10BRANCH COMMITTEE …………….............. 11DIARY DATES ..……………………….......... 12

THE EXHORTATIONThey shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.At the going down of the sun and in the morning

We will remember them

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Bodicote BranchNewsletter

IncludingBalscote & Shutford

POPPY APPEAL REPORTThe final total for the year ending 30 September 2012 was £13,698.49 for the Branch as a whole which was a new record with an increase of £929.40 over the previous year. Bodicote’s total was £10,345 up by £88 and Balscote and Shutford up by £840. The national total was £39.36 million.It is very difficult to keep beating the previous year’s total and I think we may well come down to earth this year as the total collected over Remembrancetide was down by approximately £500. We can only do our best and we still have 9 months to go so things may improve.Home Collection Units are still available so if you would like one please give me a ring.

John MillsPoppy Appeal Organiser 265629

FOUND IN THE ORGAN LOFTWhen they were clearing out Horley church a Royal British Legion standard was found for Horley Branch together with the standard bearers white gauntlets and leather carrying strap behind the organ. Several people who had lived in the area for some time were asked about the standard but no one knew that the Horley Branch ever existed.Enquiries were made at County and it was established that Horley Branch opened on 29 November 1946 and closed on 26 September 1959 but there is no record of the standard ever being “laid up” which is usually the case when a branch closes.There are several options open to the people of Horley :-

Lay up the standard in the church, there is a special ceremony for this, Return the standard to the Royal British Legion, orIf there is sufficient interest join the Balscote and Shutford sub-branch which will require their agreement and the standard could then be paraded on Remembrance Day and on other occasions.

If you know anything about the Horley Branch please let us know . We willkeep an eye on this and let you know if anything is resolved. 2

2012 ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING The Branch AGM was held on 6 December 2012 but unfortunately only committee members turned up. The committee was re-elected in their current offices. To bring new ideas into Branch activity we need some new blood on the committee, the younger the better, so if you are interested in joining the committee please give me a ring.At this year’s County Conference the Branch was awarded the Norris Trophy for branch efficiency. This is the third time we have won it in the last five years and it is in recognition of all the hard work put in by the committee and I would like to thank them on your behalf. At our last meeting we discussed venues for trips but if anyone has got ideas of places that they would like to visit please let one of the committee members know and we can discuss any ideas at our next meeting.You can read the minutes of this meeting online by visiting:http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/branches/bodicote/branch-information/agm-minutes John MillsChairman tel: 265629

Our Chairman with the Norris Trophy

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SENIOR CITIZENS SOCIALThe Senior Citizens Social Event will take place on Friday 17th May 2013 at Bodicote Village Hall from 16.30 until 18.45. Anyone who is eligible and wishes to attend please contact Maggie Mills, Barry Hobday or any member of the Committee who will be pleased to forward your details.

DERBY DRAW

Our annual Derby Draw will take place this year on Monday 27th May with the race taking place on Saturday 1st June. Tickets will be distributed in April and the price of tickets will be unchanged at 20p each. All profits from this draw will go towards the Branch Social Fund.

So look out for the tickets, buy them, and you may well be in line to win the top prize of £50.

SCAMSThe third and final part of our series.

Direct mail scamsReceiving unsolicited offers of products and services through the post can be irritating, and often puzzling. However, this ‘junk mail’ can cause problems for vulnerable people who are unable to judge the products being offered.Direct marketing companies in the UK are required to follow certain rules. By registering with the Mailing Preference Service you can have your name taken off most direct mailing lists, although the service does not cover mail that is unaddressed, addressed to ‘The Occupier’ or originated overseas. Once you are registered, reputable marketing companies should not contact you, so you might want to ignore any that continue to do so. Unfortunately, many scammers and criminals also use letters to contact potential victims. Some common types of direct mail scams are listed on page 11. Many direct mail scammers are based overseas, so they are unregulated and largely beyond the reach of UK authorities. If you receive a direct mail invitation of this kind, ignore it and throw it away. Never reply to these letters. If you do, your details could be circulated to others running similar schemes, and you could end up being bombarded with scam mail.

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Common direct mail scamsThe following are common types of direct mail scams:• Lotteries/prize draws You may be told you have won a large sum of money or a prize and asked to pay an administration fee before you can collect it. The prize is either non-existent or worth very little. You might beasked for further payments before this becomes clear.• Psychics and clairvoyants may claim to have seen something in your future and ask for money to disclose what it is.• Pyramid schemes can take the form of chain letters or selling schemes. The former can be illegal. In either case, you may be encouraged to send money to the person who has contacted you, either through the promise ofgreat rewards, or by threats about what might happen if the chain is broken.• All kinds of products may be sold on the basis of unrealistic claims about their usefulness or value. These products often turn out to be of a far lower quality than the original claims suggested. Miracle health cures are a good example of the kind of unrealistic claims made about products. Many of these medicines have not been properly tested and could even be harmful. Consult a medical practitioner before you buy any medicinal products.Don’t fall for fraudsters who tell you not to tell anyone about their letter. No reputable organisation would ask you to do this.Email scamsEmail offers a cheap way of reaching large numbers of people for very little cost, so it’s popular for both honest and dishonest purposes. Unsolicited bulk emails – generally known as spam – are generated in huge quantities. These can usually be spotted because you have not requested or agreed to the contact, and the message contains nothing that is specific to you personally. Bulk emails can be used by fraudsters to attract victims.The best-known type of email scam is called ‘advance fee’ fraud. This takes different forms, but commonly the initial email explains that the sender has money or something valuable and needs help to move it, often from one country to another, in return for a fee. Once involved, victims are persuaded to make a payment to help the transaction along. The promised large reward never appears. Alternatively, victims are asked to provide their bank details. These are then used to remove money from their account. As with other scams, once you have paid you will be encouraged to make further payments.

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Most email accounts can be set to block email spam: check your settings. If you do receive a scam email, forward it to the fraud department of the email provider hosting the scammer’s account (for example, abuse@yahoo.com ,gmail-abuse@google.com , report_spam@hotmail.com) requesting that the account be closed.

Identity theftYou might receive emails or telephone calls claiming to be from your bank or another financial institution, asking you to confirm your account details or other personal information. These are always fake and if open these emails or you disclose the requested information it may be used to raid your accounts. Banks and institutions such as the tax authorities will never ask you for your PIN (Personal Identification Number), password or other security information in full.If you are concerned about emails or calls claiming to be from your bank, contact your bank to discuss but make sure you use the contact details you received when you opened your account.Other ways you can reduce the risk of identity theft:• keep your personal documents safe and report missing passports or driving licences as soon as possible• cancel any lost or stolen bank cards immediately• avoid obvious passwords such as your mother’s maiden name• keep passwords and PIN numbers safe – don’t write them down and don’t disclose them to anyone• shred documents such as bank statements, receipts and card slips before you throw them away• check statements regularly for transactions that you do not recognise• ensure your computer has up-to-date security software• have your post redirected when you move house• check your personal credit file on a regular basis• visit the Home Office website www.identitytheft.org.uk for further information on how to prevent identity theft, including how to check your personal credit file.

BRANCH MEMBERS DINNERIt is hoped to arrange a Dinner Evening for Branch Members sometime in late February/early March. If you are interested give Sue Pye a call on

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01295 279827.WELFARE NOTES

Community Transport SchemeThe objective of this scheme is to help those who cannot readily access public transport and who cannot get to essential appointments. The scheme is administered by Volunteer Connect serving the Cherwell area, by recruiting volunteer drivers who use their own cars to take people to essential appointments, when there is no reasonable alternative way for them to travel. CTS will take passengers of all ages to medical appointments at doctor's surgeries, clinics or hospitals. Also visits to day centres, carer's groups, clubs, relatives in care homes, social events & shopping trips for essential provisions.The CTS is able to help anyone, young or old, who has a genuine need and who lives in the Cherwell area. Their drivers are all volunteers and give their time without charge. However, passengers must pay a mileage charge to help cover the driver's fuel costs. They must also meet any parking or congestion charges. Payments are made to the driver at the time of the journey.CTS require 3 day's notice of any journey although requests at shorter notice will be considered in an emergency. That every request for a journey will be met cannot be guaranteed but they will always endeavour to help.

To register for this service or further information call 0845 815 0087 or contact Volunteer Connect at 26 Cornhill, Banbury, OX16 5NG or email:transport@volunteerconnect.org.uk .Drivers! If you would like to drive for CTS, please contact them on the above contact information.

John WellsNEWSLETTER PUBLICATION

Future digital copies of the Branch Newsletter will be published on our Branch Website. Go to: http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/branches/bodicote/branch-newsletters where you will be able to select Word or pdf copy. Please let me know if you would still like an email copy. Paper copies will still be distributed as in the past but please let me know if you can access the newsletter online then I will stop your copy and save cost to the branch funds for welfare use.

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John WellsHAVE A LAUGH

Golf and Whisky...

An 80-year old Scotsman went to the doctor for a check-up.

The doctor was amazed at the great shape the old fellow was in and asked.

'How do you stay in such great physical condition?'

'I am Scots and I’m a golfer,' said the old fellow, 'and that’s why I’m in such good shape. I am up well before daylight and out golfing up and down the fairways. I have a wee nip of whiskey on each hole, and that’s it.'

'Well,' said the doctor, 'I’m sure that helps, but there has to be more to it. How old was your dad when he died?'

'Who said my dad died?'

The doctor was amazed. 'You mean you are 80 years old and your dad’s still alive. How old is he?'

'He’s a 100 years old,' said the old Scottish golfer. 'In fact he golfed wi’ me this mornin’, and then we went to the topless beach for a walk and another wee dram, and that’s why he’s still alive. He’s a Scot and a golfer, too.'

'Well,' the doctor said, 'that’s great, but I am sure there’s more to it than that. How about your dad’s dad? How old was he when he died?'

'Who said my grandad is dead?'

Stunned, the doctor asked, 'You mean you are 80 years old and your grandfather is still living! Incredible, how old is he?'

'He turned 118 last month,' said the old Scot.

The doctor was getting frustrated at this point:, 'So, I guess he went golfing with you this morning too?'

'No. Grandad could’nae go this mornin’ because he’s getting married today.'

At this point the doctor was close to losing it. 'Getting married?! Why would a 118-year old bloke want to get married?'

'Who said he wanted to?'

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JOINT OPERATIONSOne reason the Armed Services sometimes have trouble operating jointly is that they often have different meanings for the same terms.If the Royal Navy were instructed to "secure the building" they would respond by turning off the lights and locking the doors.If Army personnel were told to "secure the building" they would occupy the building so that no one could enter.Upon receiving the exact same order, the Royal Marines would assault the building, capture it and set up defences with suppressive fire and amphibious assault vehicles, establish reconnaissance and communications channels and prepare for close hand-to-hand combat should the situation arise.The Royal Air Force, on the other hand, would act most swiftly to the command “secure the building” and take out a three-year lease with an option to buy

A laugh a day keeps the blues away

ARMED FORCES DAYArmed Forces Day will be on Saturday, 29 June 2013.

It's an opportunity to do two things. Firstly, to raise public awareness of the contribution made to our country by those who serve and have served in Her Majesty's Armed Forces, Secondly, it gives the nation an opportunity to Show Your Support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community: from currently serving troops to Service families and from veterans to cadets.

Across the country people are getting involved: communities hold local events and business show their support.

The National Event will be held in Nottingham, but there are many more events up and down the country being held in support of Armed Forces Day.

Do you have any ideas on how we in Bodicote can mark this day? If so please let myself or any other member of the branch committee know.9

John Wells

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HELP HELP HELPTo help us keep the production and postage costs down and enable us to devote more funds to our welfare causes future digital editions of the Bodicote Branch Newsletter will be published Online. To access the copy go to:http://www.britishlegion.org.uk/branches/bodicote/branch-newsletters where you will be able to select either Word or pdf copies.

If however you would like to receive subsequent editions by email please send your email address to the editor at

jtwcomerce@talktalk.net

Please specify in what format you would like to receive your copy – MS Word or PDF.

Please Note

If you have any articles or items for the next newsletter in June 2013 please let me have them by

Saturday 11th May 2013

My thanks for all contributions for this edition.All contributions will be most welcome, so come on let us

all share your tales of daring-do, pictures or otherwise.

Thanks

John Wells

THE COMMITTEE

President John Giddings

Chairman John Mills

Vice Chairman Barry Hobday

Secretary John Wells

Treasurer Sue Pye

Membership Secretary Mina Pegram

Newsletter/Website John Wells

Standard Bearer Ray Harden

Balscote & Shutford Vacant

Welfare Members John WellsBarry Hobday

Members Margaret BristowStuart DawsonMaggie Mills

Note: If there is any member of the Balscote & Shutford Branch who would be willing to act as the representative for their branch please contact the Bodicote Branch Secretary John Wells on 01295 251458 or email jtwcomerce@talktalk.net

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DIARY DATES

Late Feb/Early March Proposed Members Dinner

Friday 17th May 2013 Senior Citizens Social

Monday 27th May 2013 Derby Draw

Saturday 29th June 2013 Armed Forces Day

Next Issue: June 2013

KOHIMA EPITAPH

When you go home tell them of us and say -For your tomorrow we gave our today

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