CSSA Celebrate Golden Jubilee
| Upon reaching their 50th year, the Civil Service Sailing Association (CSSA) staged a special Jubilee Lunch to commemorate the occasion. Guests flocked to the Royal Air Force Club in December 2007 to remember the founding of the association and hear an interesting first hand account of how it first formed. Founder Member of CSSA, Ann Kahn, was present at the lunch and took members back to 1957 when one small letter set the wheels in motion for what is now a fully established association. "It had all started more or less by accident, as some happy inspirations tend to do," Ann recalled. "I wrote a letter to the Civil Service Sports Journal and somewhat to my surprise replies came flooding in, saying what a good idea. A meeting was arranged in a room in the Treasury on 29 May 1957 - about 90 were expected, some 250 crowded in and overflowed into the corridor." The lunch also gave the association a timely opportunity to reward two Officers, Clive Press and Ted Giles, who were invited as guests to mark their retirement from CSSA office after very many years of service. In summarising the previous 50 years of CSSA, Commodore Alex Allan colorfully described the relationship between the association and CSSC. He said. "We have had a close relationship with the Council almost from our beginning, and the Association has benefited enormously over the last fifty years from its support. "We are well aware that the Sailing Association does not fit the mould of other sports. We have no doubt caused much scratching of heads with several 'unique opportunity' requests for large loans to dig out parts of Her Majesty's harbours, and to build things, not to mention umpteen new yachts. "Marian Holmes, her predecessors and their staff have tolerated us well." For the full review of the dinner, click here to read an article published in the January 2008 edition of Civil Service Sailing Magazine. |
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Sports & Activities