I have been Club Chairman now for just over two months, and I am grateful for the extremely warm welcome I have received from so many of you. Those of you that I have not yet met, I hope to do so soon, as I am at the club most Saturday afternoons.

On arriving at Devonport Services, one of the things that has stood out for me has been the great legacy that your previous Chairman, Chris Saxby, has left behind; for which I am sure you will add your thanks to mine. I find a club with a strong identity, viable finances, enthusiastic players, including vibrant youth and girls sides; and of greatest importance for any club, a very dedicated committee and a small but highly committed team of enthusiastic volunteers. It is the committee and volunteers that make the club work – and until you have been involved in running a rugby club the size of DSRFC you have no idea of the hours involved, and they certainly deserve all of our thanks. We are always in need of more volunteers, so whether you want to do a little or a lot, there are plenty of opportunities to become involved in your club - if you want to do your bit, please get in touch with me.

One thing that is of immediate concern to me is Nigel Chivell’s pending departure as Treasurer. Nigel has done this job superbly for some time, and as he moves on we are left with a system that works well and very much less onerous that one might expect. We need a new Treasurer to take over in the new year, and I am asking for volunteers for this key position as a matter of urgency. Without a Treasurer the club cannot survive legally, never mind practically: so if you are looking to give something back to your club and community, or simply need to bolster your CV with a position of responsibility in a significant business, please contact me or one of the committee members. We will let you know what is involved and then you can decide. You won’t be left on your own, Nigel will continue to offer guidance and mentoring for several months to come.

On the social side of life we have the Christmas Party coming up on the 14th December. This is for Club members and their immediate guests only, so I hope to meet many of you there. Further down track, put the 10 May in your diaries for the Annual Dinner, which will be held at the Rectory again next year.

I hope to write out to the club on a routine basis, every two or three months, to keep you abreast of what is going on behind the scenes, along with the activities and decisions that affect you and your club. Equally, please let your representatives on the committee have your ideas about how to enable the club to continue to grow in strength and reputation.

Yours in Rugby,

Peter Coulson
DSRFC Chairman
18 November 2013