April 2009
• Annual Fees. Can I please remind all Members of TOPS that the Annual fees became due on 1st April and that only fully paid up Members are entitled to vote at the forthcoming Annual General Meeting.
• Annual General Meeting - 14 May 2009 - 7.15pm in the Annexe to the United Reformed Church in Bradleigh Avenue (TOPS usual rehearsal venue). Notice of the Annual General Meeting has already been given. Under the terms of the Constitution, anybody who wishes to place any matter on the Agenda for consideration at the meeting, needs to give Notice to the Secretary at least seven days prior to the meeting.
• StageAbility Road Crew Concert - Singular Sensation - 6 June 2009 - 7.30pm - Main Hall adjacent to the United Reformed Church. Please remember to sell the tickets (£5 each) which are now available for this Concert, which is being produced by the Road Crew specifically to raise funds for TOPS. We have to show our gratitude for this magnificent gesture by ensuring that the event is a sell out. I shall be extremely disappointed if it is not!
• West Side Story - 1 to 4 July - Towngate Theatre, Basildon. This is the latest production by the very talented Youth Section of the Essex Group. Anyone who has seen their previous productions such as Les Miserables and Seussical the Musical will know how special their shows are. I recommend that you order your tickets through Ann Sullivan (01376 567677) at the earliest opportunity.
• Rose of England - A Memorial Concert to Jose Webb - 26 July 2009. I don’t need to remind anyone just how important this Concert is. With that in mind, please remember that we will not be using books and it is the responsibility of everyone taking part to learn all of the songs that they are involved in.
The Dress Code for the Concert for the Ladies is Formal Evening Wear – Dresses or Skirts should be ankle length. The dress or skirt/top combination should either be all red, all black or a combination of the two. Men will be wearing formal Dinner Suits, White Shirt and Red Bow-Tie and Cummerbund. The intention is that all the men will wear a red rose button-hole.
As expected, tickets (£8 each) are selling well. Please make sure that you have ordered sufficient for your friends and family before they are sold out.
• TOPS 50th Anniversary Dinner/Dance - 18 June 2010. To celebrate next years half-century, a Dinner/Dance has been arranged to take place in the Monks Barn Restaurant at Ye Old Plough in Bulphan. Tony Jose, the founder of the Society, together with his wife Mary, will be our Guests of Honour.
The final price per ticket can not be established until we know better how many will be attending, but I can say that the cost will not be more than £50 per head. Please order your tickets on that basis and we will refund any surplus once we have finalised the price. Obviously there is a restriction on the number that can attend, so please don’t leave it too long before reserving your place. Basically, if you put to one side £1 per person per week you will have paid for the tickets and be able to include some drinks. In fact Suzanne Gunn, our Treasurer, has offered to take in payments from anyone who wishes to save for this on a weekly basis. Now we can’t say fairer than that – thanks Suzanne.
• Social Events Calendar. Social events as previously announced are listed in the social events section of this site. The Beetle Drive, held on Saturday 18th April, was successful in as much that it raised just under £50 towards the TOPS Funds. However, as is so often the case, there was a disappointingly low turnout from the TOPS Membership. Such events apart from being a sociable and fun occasion, serve to offset the losses that are always incurred in putting on our productions and without the additional income from fund raising activities throughout the year the only alternative is to charge more on Subscriptions and Fees. I have said before that it is always the same minority subsidising the majority and that should not continue to be the case. Nobody expects everyone to be able, or even want, to attend all of the events, but I do hope that more of our Members participate in some of the following. (One Member made a voluntary donation when prevented from being able to attend the Beetle Drive. Perhaps others might take that lead).
Ken Baker Chairman of TOPS
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