Editor: Ann Mason
Published: Autumn 1996

Contents

• PRESIDENT’S PROLOGUE
• EDITORIAL
• FORWARD THE MORRIS!
• GENERAL
• FINANCIAL SERVICES
• PUBLICITY
• TECHNICAL SERVICES
• DIARY
• NOTICEBOARD
• TOURNAMENT OF FOOLISHE SPORTS
• ONWARDS TO THE MILLENNIUM
• JOINT MORRIS ORGANISATIONS MEETING
• EVENTS
• JOB ADVERTISMENTS
• NOTES FOR CONTRIBUTORS

Editorial

Lots of penultimate in this Newsletter from myself, (Ann Mason, Publicity Officer) and Jane Shaw (Technical Officer). Neither of us is standing for re-election at the AGM. So, this is the penultimate Newsletter that I am editor of.

My friends keep saying “Its not newsletter time again ALREADY”. As it takes several/many evenings over a period of three to four weeks to put it together this only leaves a two month interval between each one, and yes, it does seem to come round very quickly. This Newsletter has some large areas of white space in it. This is in response to a letter from Val Stevens who kindly wrote some useful comments about the Newsletter. She is concerned about the amount of paper the Newsletter takes and the large typeface used. Some of this is for historical reasons, magazines develop a “house style’ and as the MF Newsletter was originally typed with cut and paste inserts, the style still reflects these origins. It is published on A3 paper and then folded, this means that it has to be in multiples of four pages, sometimes I squeeze it all up, sometimes I spread the text out – it depends on the amount of material at my disposal. With the ever increasing sophistication of computers and access to desk-top publishing a complete change of style resulting in a more compact Newsletter would be possible. However to change the style radically would  require serious discussion in Committee (a task for the next Publicity Officer?). As for recycled paper we can ask our printer to investigate this.

I am accused of using acronyms and referring to people only by their first names. Guilty. I do try to eliminate these in the contributions and then find I’ve done it myself in the Editorial. I will try harder as this can create  a ’them and us’ feeling.

Two interesting articles about public image and the millennium from Janet Dowling (President). We met Dick Taylor of Flag Crackers of Craven at the Joint Morris Organisations Meeting, he was brimming over with energy, enthusiasm and ideas for his plan for the largest Morris event ever. If he gets the sponsorship and it takes place it will be amazing – put the date in your diary now. (Spring Bank Holiday 2000)

A great deal is happening on the workshop front with Roy Dommett doing much of the work. Roy is running a workshop in January based around what has been learnt about the Morris, and teaching the Morris in the last twenty years. A great idea, we all know how time consuming and frustrating it can be re-inventing the wheel.

I missed Sidmouth this year, having just returned from two and a half weeks in France I couldn’t take the time off. I understand that a member of my side Mary Jo Searle of New Esperance came second in the Jig competition with her new Esperance Jig (our own tradition) – congratulations. Congratulation also to Jameson Wooders for winning the competition and to Vivian Bailey for coming third.

Included with this issue is the Morris Ring Good List. This was supposed to have been included with the Summer Newsletter, but arrived too late. The Ring has a large number of items available including audio tapes and the Black Book.

See you all at the AGM. And remember we still need nominations for Publicity Officer, So if you are even vaguely interested give me a ring on 0181-558-2547.