This weekend competitive rugby for the men’s section resumes with a friendly match against our league rivals Smiths, with the Ladies XV looking for a friendly fixture the following week to get their season underway. This seasons leagues will give us hard but hopefully competitive, enjoyable and ultimately successful rugby. Please give our captains Alex, Ash and Ellen your full support.

With the new season, we’ve had some changes to the committee running the club. After four years as Chairman, Al Lochhead has decided to stand down. On behalf of everyone at Service, I’d like to thank Al for all his hard work and commitment to the club. Al is also changing career and I’d like to wish him all the best for the future. I’m sure that we’ll continue to see him down the club on a regular basis.

Unfortunately I couldn’t attend the last AGM and am genuinely humbled and more than a little scared that I have been nominated to replace Al. Whilst we resolve things, I have offered to take on the position of Chair on an acting basis. At the moment the role appears to be rather daunting, especially so with all the changes that have occurred over the past few months and the key issues, such as training lighting and the replacement pitch, that still require some negotiation with CACCSA. I’ll endeavour to keep you all up to date as much as possible as these are resolved.

I’m delighted that Rhod Broad (Treasurer), Nat Clegg (Ladies Section), Tony Wegrzyn (Membership) and Helen Stanton (Ladies Fixtures) have volunteered to join the committee and I’d like to thank them, and the existing members for their support. If you could be willing to help out, please get in touch, we would delighted to hear from you. We especially someone to co-ordinate Veterans games and Men’s fixtures.

I intend to try and provide updates to you on an approximately monthly basis going forward and will try and watch as many games as I can. If you have any ideas or suggestions that could help take the club forward, I’d be delighted to hear from you, either for a chat at the club for via email, call, facebook etc. Likewise, if you’ve something you’re not happy with, I’d prefer to know. I promise that I will take any suggestion or complaint seriously (and confidentially if required) and will follow it up and keep you informed.
I look forward to seeing you down the club.

Yours in service,
Jim McGeough
Acting Chair, Cheltenham Civil Service RFC

(Feedback is more than welcome, please let me know what you like included in these updates. I’d rather they were read than not!)