The Academy is very quiet at the moment as we are on Spring Recess which allows us time to put all our new members onto the system.  The response from CGS's letter has been amazing - we have had over 400 new members - so a warm welcome to you all.  Please don't forget that our Annual Dinner Night is on 17 May - we have nearly 100 attending but have 20 more seats available.  Our after dinner speaker is Major General Patrick Cordingley and the Academy band will be playing throughout.  Please feel free to invite friends and family.  Don't forget our next Leadership Encounter evening is on Tues 3 June and is on Florence Nightingale - having already heard this lecture - it should not be missed - further details are below.

Finally the details for the Music on Fire event are now hot off the press and can be found below.

Leadership Encounter Evening - Tues 3 June 

David Williams is a prominent member of the Crimean War Research Society and visits areas of conflict in the Baltic and Black Sea every year organising Battlefield Walking Tours. David has given talks on Military History to Regimental Groups, educational establishments and is a frequent speaker at the National Army Museum and the Maritime Museum in Greenwich.  Although nomially retired David is still chairman of his own engineering group in Brooklands Estate.  David will be talking for us on 'Florence Nightingale'.  Please do feel free to bring along friends and family - children from the age of 15 are very welcome to attend.  For our new members - these are great social evenings  - starting with a drink then the talk followed by a curry.  Please click >>here to sign up or call Jules on 01276 412838 to book on.

Foundation Dinner Night - Sat 17 May

The Foundation Dinner Night will be taking place on Saturday 17 May - the Academy Band will be playing and Major General Patrick Cordingley will be the after dinner speaker.  This will be our third annual Dinner Night and we are hoping to fill the Indian Army Memorial Room to capacity - we currently have 100 attending and the room will seat 120!  So please do book your tickets soon to avoid disappointment (last bookings taken on 7 May) - tables can seat upto 10 and the ticket price is £40 per head.  Family and friends are extremely welcome to attend.  Please click >>here to sign up.  If you click on the title of the event (on the left hand side) you can see who is attending and to attend please click on 'Join Up'.

Commissioning Course (CC) Speakers for Summer Term

If you would like to attend any of the Speaker nights below please email Jules on jules.mccoll@sandhurstfoundation.org.  All Speaker nights start at 1815hrs and are held in Churchill Hall.  You are welcome to bring along family or friends but please ensure that we have all the details of those attending and they bring photographic ID with them.

Challenges of Civilian Leadership I - Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller DCB  - 9 Jun

Voice of Experience - Brig John Lorimer MBE (Former Commander 12 Mech Bde) - 12 Jun

Challenges of Civilian Leadership II - Maj Mark Overton SO2 TA RMAS, Vice President Strategy and Business Performance, Orange - 24 June

Talk by a CO - Lt Col Andy Barr, CO 22 Engr Regt - 26 Jun

EVENTS AT RMAS

RMAS Show Jumping - 24 May.  The day will start at 0900 and finish by 1600hrs. The event will consist of a number of classes from novice to advanced.  If you would like to attend please email Jules on jules.mccoll@sandhurstfoundation.org or call 01276 412838.

CSPA Charity Polo Day - 11 June - This is a fantastic day at the Academy to watch some great polo teams competing. If you would like to attend or get more information please email Jules on jules.mccoll@sandhurstfoundation.org or call 01276 412838.

Heritage Day - Sun 15 June - This is a great event to bring friends and family to.  Most of the Academy is opened up to the general public with conducted tours, marching bands, military stands and much more.  Entrance is free and you do not need to book in.  Please do come and visit our Sandhurst Foundation stand on the Grand Entrance steps.

All Arms Pacesticking Competition - 4 July - If drill was your forte - then this is a good day out to see how the 'real' professionals do it!  The competition starts at 1000hrs and there is both food and drink available.I f you would like to attend please email Jules on jules.mccoll@sandhurstfoundation.org or call 01276 412838.

Kermit Roosevelt Lecture - 9 July - will be giving the lecture.  The lecture begins at 1115hrs in Churchill Hall. If you would like to attend please email Jules on jules.mccoll@sandhurstfoundation.org or call 01276 412838.

RMAS Charity Polo Day - 10 July - if you are interested in this event please contact the office for further details.

Exhibition Polo Match - RMAS 'Present' Vs RMAS 'Alumni' - Fri 25 July

If you are interested in taking part in a Polo match or indeed just spectating then please click >>here for further details.

RMAS City Polo Association Tournament - 25 July - if you are interested in this event please contact the office for further details.

Music on Fire - 18 - 20 September

For those of you who have not experienced this event it is billed as the UK's most stunning outdoor spectacular.  The Army Benevolent Fund presents Music on Fire featuring a 007 James Bond Spectacular, with special guest star Hayley Westenra.  All the proceeds will be going to the ABF's new fund for veterans of current operations in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Music on Fire is a mixture of live popular and classical music, interspersed with a thrilling firework display and a magical Son et Lumiere.  Celebrating James Bond and the centenary of his creator, former Sandhurst Officer Cadet, Ian Fleming, world class artists perform with a 100-piece orchestra and a 100-voice choir in true 007 style.

Guests would be invited to picnic on the lawn in front of Old College from 4pm - show starts at 7.30pm 

We are hoping to be able to have some sort of Foundation focal point - perhaps a marquee or exclusive bar - more details on this to follow.

Tickets are £29 Standard and £39 Premium - central area directly in front of stage.  Children under 16yrs old are £21 Standard and £31 Premium.  Army (Regular, Reserve, TA or Cadets) £20(Standard) or £30 (premium) - only bookable by phone - ID available on the night.

Groups of 10+:10% discount  Groups of 40+: 15% discount

Tickets are available from Ticketmaster 0844 847 1657 or book on line at www.musiconfire.com

EVENTS

Charity Ball - Sat 12 July

A charity ball is being run in aid of Help for Heroes on Sat 12 July.  The event venue is the spectacular 5 Star Grange City Hotel just a stonethrow away from the Tower of London with reduced room rates for guests at the ball.  The evening begins with a champagne reception at 7pm followed by a 3 course dinner with wine.  Music and Dancing will follow with a charity auction and raffle.  The dress will be evening wear/black tie.  Ticket price is £95 per person and 10 can be seated at a table.  For further information or to book tickets please click on the following link:  www.acelebrationoflife.moonfruit.com

Project Hougoumont

Project Hougoumont is a new Charitable Trust set up to save and restore the famous farm of Hougoumont on the Battlefield of Waterloo.  A magnificent pair of paintings and subsequent publication of a strictly limited edition of prints depicting the action at Hougoumont that day, has been commissioned to raise funds and attract media interest.  Each work focuses on a simultaneous moment of the struggle as seen from two opposite positions, giving a unique double perspective of both the French assault and the British defence of the perimeter wall.

This is a unique opportunity for any would-be sponsor to become involved at the beginning of this ongoing series of prints entitled 'Waterloo Perpectives' by Chris Collingwood.  A pair of paintings will be released each year up to the 200 anniversary fo the battle in 2015 depicting selected events at Waterloo, after which is it envisaged that a book will be released.  A small number of these will be multi-signed by the artist and others in the Napoleonic fraternity such as His Grace The Duke of Wellington, Bernard Cornwell and Allan Mallinson, and donated to the project.

The first two paintings are currently hanging in the Sandhurst Foundation office and are amazing.  They are £400 each.  If you are interested please go to www.projecthougoumont.com  please contact Jules McColl on 01276 412838 or Steve Stanton on 0118 977 5501

ADVERTS

Smart Turnout - Season Sale

Head off the last of those april showers with great savings from Smart Turnout - plus brand new products - 20% of all Regimental Sweaters - please use the coupon code SWEAT2008 when placing an order at www.smartturnout.com.  Interested in wholesale for your regiment, school or club? If so please contact wholesale@smartturnout.com

Travelodge Discounts

All members of the Foundation have corporate rates at all Travelodge hotels.  Two new hotels are being opened in London , one in Southwark and the other at London Euston.  To take advantage of these fantastic corporate rates please contact Ruth McPherson on 07879 662014 or ruth.mcpherson@travelodge.co.uk

Children's Country Holidays Fund (CCHF) are looking for leaders of whatever age to come and help at their summer camps for disadvantaged city children.  If you think you can spare some of your time please click >>here to read how you can help - or maybe you know somebody else who might be interested.

Articles for The Wishstream - The Journal of the Sandhurst Foundation

We have already had a good response from some of our members but please do read on if you feel you may be able to contribute.......We are now well into the commissioning process for the 2009 edition of the Wishstream and from some of the returned proformas it is clear that many readers would like to hear more about the early conditions at RMAS between 1947 and 1955 - what the drill was like, day to day life of an Officer Cadet etc.  If anybody feels they would like to put some memories down please email them to Jules  - it does not have to be a complete article - we could make up half a page of short memories - any photographs would be excellent.

Reunions

The following Reunions have now been set up:

Intake 25 - 26 July 2008

Intake 39 - 27 July 2008

CC923 - 6 Aug 2008

SMC 32 - 6 Aug 2008

Intake 1 - 6 Aug 2008 - please contact the organiser, Charles Potts direct on 01905 620324

Intake 21 - 6 Aug 2008 - please contact the organiser, Malcolm Parry-Davies on 01202 700586

Intake 22 - 10 Dec 2008

SMC 34 - 7 Apr 2009

SMC 19 - 7 Apr 2009

CC933 - 5 Aug 2009

Intake 3 - 5 Aug 2009

Intake 23 - 5 Aug 2009

Intake 24 - 9 Dec 2009

CC942 - 10 Apr 2010

Intake 26 - 17 - 18 Sep 2010

Please click >>here to see further details and to add your name to the lists.  If you click on the actual title of the reunion (left hand side of page) you will be able to view who is coming. Please also pass the word around to friends who might not be members but would like to attend.

If you would like to have your Reunion organised please email the Foundation and we can get to work on it for you.

2008 Foundation Programme - please click >>here to view the programme for 2008 - this is constantly updated with new events.

The Sandhurst Shop  -  Please click >>here to see what is on sale in our shop  - we now sell a Foundation biro at £2 each.

Jules McColl
Sandhurst Foundation Secretary