A new face of the Royal British Legion

Throughout what has passed for a summer, Somerset based members of the RBL Riders Branch (www.rblr.co.uk ) have run a bikers nisht on Weston-Super-Mare sea front and have managed to raise over £7000 for the Poppy Appeal by asking for a £1 donation from all attendees.
This is a new way of showing support for the RBL and the important work it does supporting the armed force and the ex-service community and their dependants and it also shows the RBL isn't just about blazers and medals
I am proud to say I am a member of the RBLR, a branch of the RBL that was founded in 2004 with 14 members and currently has grown to 1400+ members, we are making the 'old guard' in Pall Mall slowly sit up and pay attention of the need to take the RBL forward
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=C0yQ6Zcb8f8

and some pics here of shiny motorcycles from the final bike night
http://www.flickr.com/photos/westonsupermarebikenight/collections/72157607532140092/

 

Well done all of you!!
MH

 

Good effort you!

 

I admire what you are doing but I do think that you are being a little bit too condemnatory about "the old guard". It was they who fought two world wars and lots of other "police actions" over the years and worked hard to help those of their comrades who needed it, and because they are naturally getting old (we all do!) we should not dismiss them but should try to keep them onboard. And a lot of them have computers and can read what you saying. Perhaps I am reading too much into your words; it's very easy to have innocent comments taken the wrong way. Anyroadup, goodonyer! :thumright:

 

i appreciate the work any Veterans organisation does for our current and ex service men ,i was at the help the heroes yomp on Dartmoor yesterday and it dawned on me after seeing young service men, and veterans who where disabled with a positive approach doing so much to inspire us lesser mortals who served but where not injured, we just need a nationalised veterans organisation, which supports every group,but every group supports the same cause, our servicemen,our veterans.

In my eyes the RBL do that, the RBL is our organistion, its is our voice they (im a member of the RNA) we should be united in one and that happens now

 

The old guard I was referrring to, are the people who sit in the HQ of the RBL and do things the way they do them because that's the way it's always been done, not those who have gone before. Trying to get the RBL to change is not easy and it needs to change to carry on it's work and retain membership. You don't need to hire in expensive image consultants to achieve this. The RBL is looking at change now but it is a slow process
We are also trying to show that you don't have to wear blazers and medals to be a part of the RBL but we have the utmost respect for those that do. In support of the above 15 riders branch members made a sponsored motorcycle ride and visited all 7 RBL care homes in 7days last month
We are also trying to appeal to a different section of society ie bikers, it's amazing how bikers have served and our recruitment figures speak for themselves
Thanks to all for the kind comments
If you want to know more about the RBL Riders Branch go to www.rblr.co.uk

 

"The old guard I was referrring to, are the people who sit in the HQ of the RBL and do things the way they do them because that's the way it's always been done"

Too true thats why i'm standing down as vice chair at the next agm. i'm fed up of the old treasurer complaining when we want to spend money, do we really need this or that,as the branch has operated for years without it.
He is even complaining when we finance the train fare of people going to Combat Stress.

 

I can't say that I blame you. To be truthful I couldn't stomach being a member of my local branch of TRBL, that's why I stay as a member of the national organisation only. The trouble with some (only some) of the "old guard" is that they don't accept that they are old and that they should step down

 

Without going into it too much ,as truthfully i don't know the full details, but my local RBL branch decided to set themselves up as "The ex-services branch" instead of an RBL one. One of the reasons being they were tired of being told how to spend the money THEY had collected etc....

GH

 

To continue the theme of 'a new face of the Legion':
Yesterday over 60 members of the RBL Riders Branch fell in as a branch to join in with the Service of Remembrance at Oldbury(Birmingham) Some members wore suits, a couple of serving members were in rig, but the majority of members wore bike clothing to pay our respects. This was well received by the general public. A large number of members also attended their own local parades and riders were also present at the Cenotaph
We were in Oldbury for our branch AGM on the saturday with 140 members travelling from all over the country to attend
I'll post a link to some pictures as soon as they appear on our site
Our Branch standard was also paraded for the first time at the Royal Albert Hall on saturday

 

And I have to say BQ is very sweet in his leathers! He used to turn up at the solicitors office where I worked and ask to see me. He used to tell the Receptionist to tell me 'there is a sweaty man in leathers in reception for you'!

 

I belive that the only way you can affect change in a group is by being part of the group. Don't stand down CH819. Get a few like minded member together and get one of them to stand as treasurer, get your message out to the membership and let them know that you are in it for the long run.

 

Kinda curious but isn't there a maximum period of time that people are allowed to stay on these committees? Wouldn't that be a good way of keeping things turning over and giving all the chance to make changes?

SF

 

I have a lot of time for the RBL and the Poppy Appeal ect. But I do think it is both sad and strange that there was a percieved need for Help for Heroes to be set up - it is the sort of thing that the RBL should have been all over