The Master’s Message

Welcome to the first newsletter of 2006! It has been my privilege to act as your Master in this, our silver anniversary year and I thank you very much for this honour. I can report that, whilst the Company is in good heart, it will always benefit from your continued support and involvement in all aspects of its work.

As you know, we took part in the Lord Mayor's Show, together with the other “modern Companies”. It was good to greet members of our Company along the way. I am grateful to the Junior Warden and Assistant Rushton for their support on what was a fine and memorable day. [Some photographs of the day, including a splendid one of Past Master Victoria Russell, are included elsewhere within the newsletter] .

I am also grateful for the support that you gave to me at the Annual Banquet of the Company held at the Mansion House. Those of you who joined us will recall what an enjoyable evening it was in a fantastic setting - and if you were not there, then that was a shame because you missed a great spectacle and, as well as a galaxy of distinguished guests including the Lord Chief Justice and the Master of the Rolls, a sparkling response to the toast to the guests by the President of the Lands Tribunal, George Bartlett QC.

I hope that you will have seen that his remarks have been published in the May edition of "Arbitration " [also reproduced on the back page of this newsletter]. They are well worth revisiting and are sure to bring a smile to your face.

It was nice to enjoy the support also of our former Beadle Ken Tappenden as well as our splendid Clerk, Gaye and Beadle, Roy.

I was also able to use this occasion to present to the Lord Mayor locum tenens Sir Robert Finch a cheque for £1500.00 the benefit of the Treloar Trust, the charity chosen by the Lord Mayor. I received from the Lord Mayor a letter not long afterwards expressing his gratitude for our contribution. I was very proud for the Company that we were able to assist so worthy a cause.

Mr Justice Colman did me the honour of presenting the Master's Lecture. Speaking with a minimum of notes, he gave a masterly exposition on the interplay between the Courts and sections 68 and 69 of the Arbitration Act 1996 under the title “Arbitrations and Judges – how much interference should we tolerate?”. This was a very well attended event and the questions posed by members of the Company and their guests at the end of the Lecture served only to show what a lively debate the Judge's remarks stimulated. That debate continued for quite some time afterwards in a very pleasant setting assisted by the warm hospitality on the part of Assistant Rushton and his colleagues at Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw. I am very grateful to them for providing the venue for the evening and for arranging for the recording and transcripti on of the Lecture itself.

The Master, Mr Justice Colman and Assistant Rushton fielding questions following delivery of the Master’s lecture at Mayer Brown Rowe & Maw

At the time of writing we are preparing for our Annual Church Service on 19th July and for the Supper at Armourers' Hall afterwards. I very much hope that you will be able to join us for one or both occasions. The church service in particular promises to be a memorable event, not least for the fact that the Bishop of London will be our preacher but also because it is very much hoped that we will have the Company anthem performed at the service, composed by the Director of Music at St Mary le Bow. The Supper will be less formal than other dinners in the sense that the order of dress is lounge suit rather than "black-tie". The Court and I very much hope that this will mean that you and your guests will be able to carry out a working day and still be able to attend with minimum of inconvenience.

The Master receiving his medal from the Immediate Past Master Ann Underwood before the installation dinner on 25th October 2005

This newsletter is the first (of many I hope) under the stewardship of Liveryman Matt Molloy. I thank Matt for taking on the burden of this newsletter and on behalf of the Company I pay warm tribute to Assistant Derek Ross, under whose watchful eye the newsletter has been published in recent years. Derek has overseen a change in the format and a continued improvement in the quality of the publication; Matt has a firm foundation on which to continue to build.

I can report to you that the Company is working hard to continue to promote its charitable objectives. The merger of our two charitable Trusts has just about been completed and I hope to be in touch with you in the near future about our ambitions in this regard. At the moment I am able to tell you that we have endowed a prize at King Edward's School Witley (a school with which the City has historic links) in the name of the Company. The inaugural prize winners are Stephanie Cook and Sam Situmbeko. They will receive their prizes at the School Speech Day on 7 th July.

The Trustees are also meeting with officers of the charity "centrepoint" to investigate how we might provide financial and practical assistance to them in learning about and practising dispute resoluti on techniques. The charity is on e that works exclusively with the young homeless in London, many of whose lives have been blighted by addiction and distress, offering them the opportunity of accommodation, guidance and support in establishing a life for themselves. Many of their customers would benefit from understanding how to deal with the conflicts that beset them all too often in life and I, together with the Trustees, are anxious to learn if the Company may yet be able to assist in some way.

Despite these activities the Company still needs your help and support to continue to flourish. That help and support comes not just in attending our formal and informal events but also by being willing to serve on committees or undertake a task for the Company. The Events Committee is one that always appreciates enthusiastic supporters and if you feel that you are able to help please do not hesitate to contact Hew Dundas or Karl Davies through our Clerk. We know that there is a lot of support out there for a thriving social programme. Our intended jazz cruise was oversubscribed and we are now looking into the obtaining another date in order to satisfy demand; my thanks to John Coleman who undertook the responsibility of organising this event.

The Master’s children, Jasper, the Rocker Hugo the Knight and Rupert the Gorilla at Lord Mayor’s Children’s Party

Please let Matt Molloy have your comments about the newsletter or, better still, any news or articles that you would wish to share with the Company. Similarly, if there is any matter that you would wish to raise with myself or the Wardens please do not hesitate to do so.

Catherine joins me in sending best wishes to all members of the Company and their families. We very much hope to see you at St Mary le Bow on 19th July.