The Annual General Meeting of our club brought a number of changes to the committee.  Margaret Davison who has been our Treasurer since June 1977, a period of some 24 years, has retired.  She has given extremely good and loyal service to the SGSC and I would like to thank her most sincerely for all the work she has done on our behalf.  It was unanimously agreed at the A.G.M that she should become an honorary member.  Ron Pickett who became a committee member in 1992, and has for the last few years held the position of Vice- Chairman has also retired from the committee.  For his work on the committee and organiser of the annual Newbury meeting, it was unanimously agreed that he should become the Vice-President.  We are pleased to welcome to the committee Terry Simister who has become the new Treasurer and Doug Robinson who has been a member of SGSC for many years and a regularly attends our London meetings.

The Club will be having a table at Thematica, which is being held at Carisbrooke Hall, 63, Seymour Street, London over the weekend 23rd-24rd June.  The committee hopes that some of our members will be able to visit this show.  I will be attending the International Philatelic Exhibitions at the Heizel Building in Brussels in June and the International in Copenhagen during October.  I would be pleased to meet members of our Club if they are attending these Exhibitions and I will be staying in Brussels from 8th - 12th June and in Copenhagen from 15th-19th October.  If you are likely to attend, please write or send an email.  It is hoped that there will be a few Scout Philatelic exhibits from our European members.  The Spanish Scout Stamp Club exhibition in Madrid is from 19-26 October, and having been to a couple of their shows, I can highly recommend a visit.

I have recently attended a meeting at Gilwell Park at the invitation of Clare Kelly, (Executive Officer) and Dr Derek Pollard (Chairman of the Board of Directors) of Scouting 2007.  This committee has been set up to be involved with all activities connected with the Centenary of the Movement and especially the 2007 World Jamboree being held in the U-K.  My reason for attending was to discuss all aspects of the philatelic side of the Jamboree and with advice I had from our member Fred Maarsen (who was involved with the Post office at the 18th World Jamboree in 1995), it proved to be a good meeting.  Although it will not please all Scout collectors, they hope that every country that will be represented at the Jamboree will also issue stamps to celebrate both the Jamboree and the Centenary of the Movement.  Souvenirs for sale were also discussed as were labels similar to those sold in 1957.  It is hoped that the SGSC will be able to have a base at the Jamboree.

For those who browse the web, our recently joined member of SGSC, Colin Walker, has produced some very interesting non-philatelic web pages concerning the early days of the Scout Movement.  If you go to the heading www.scoutingmilestones.freeserve.co.uk you will find illustrated articles on B-P. at Charterhouse School, The Mafeking Cadets, Brownsea Island and its significance, The Scout Badge - Swastika, Arrowhead or Fleur- de-lys, The Cruise of the Calgaric, The Cornwell Scout Badge, The Boys Brigade and Aids to Scouting.  Also included is "The Lead Jamboree" which gives details and photographs from Colin's collection, which is probably the most complete Scout Lead figures display in the world.  These well-researched articles are the first of many that are being prepared by Colin, who has recently retired and specialises in old toys.

Illustrated is a postcard sent on 16th August 1935 from the Girl Guide National Jamboree held at Breaza in Romania from 5th - 26th August 1935.  Although this scarce cancel is listed in the Romanian postmark catalogue, it is not recorded as far as I know in any Scout list.  It is only within the last few years since the end of communism that such unusual items have appeared on the market.