Page 20 - Microsoft Word - The Constructor 2016 A5V28

The Company Officers

PAST MASTER JOHN ROBSON

John was our Master in 2002/3. He writes “The Editor has invited me to recall
some of my experiences when serving the Company as Master and his words
included the dubious description of “Past” and “respected”. I answer to the
former but remain hopeful of the latter.
I was invited to join the Company in 1985 and was proposed by the then Court
Assistant David Sheppard. I got to know David very well through working with
him in my career developing airports. No formal networking existed in the
Company and at that time would have been discouraged.
In 1985 there was no e-mail communication and the then Clerk, who was Tony Appleton, had to
provide a plethora of paper in order to keep the members informed of all matters that led up to the
Company gaining Livery in 1990. I was elected to the Court in the next year and subsequently
became Master in 2002.
Up until this time the Court was held in either the Aldermans’ Court or a committee room in Guildhall
free of charge. However, this was frequently an unsatisfactory arrangement as at the whims of the
Guildhall management the locations were frequently changed at the last minute much to the
detriment of the formalities of the Court. In order to bring a degree of decorum to the Court
meetings it was accepted that the Company would have to pay for the use of Livery Halls where the
surroundings could enhance the occasion, especially with the introduction of new applicants and
appointment of officers and members of the Court. Shortly after taking office as Master I had the
task of finding a replacement to our then Clerk, Lee Brace, and was fortunate to appoint Tim
Nicholson as his successor. A period of time in a Master’s Year without a Clerk is not an enviable
situation when managing and responding to Livery, City and Company business.
During the year the Master organises a weekend break. My predecessor Paul Lacey arranged for the
Company to have an enjoyable time in Guernsey. It seemed appropriate to arrange a weekend with
easier travelling arrangements, and with an eye on the cost I arranged for the Company to visit
Portsmouth. During the year less formal social events were introduced, including the Companions’
lunch and a “Bangers and Mash” evening as a way of encouraging wider Company fellowship.
During the Master’s year it is customary for all the Livery Masters, together with their
spouses/partners to attend a weekend at Ironbridge Museum. It is here that the Masters select a
Chairman to form the Past Masters’ Association for that year, together with an identifying name. My
year being 2002/3, and it being 50 years since the Queen`s coronation, the association decided on
the name of “Coronation Masters”. Each Past Masters’ Association arranges a programme of dinners
and social events and the Coronation Masters spouses/partners have their own dinners but we meet
together for social visits to theatres and over the years we have also arranged visits to Zurich,
France, Portugal, Switzerland and the Middle East. However, as the years pass the numbers
attending decline unlike, I am pleased to say, the Constructors Company.
I am sure each Master of the Constructors Company, on becoming “Past”, reflects on matters in their
year that they would have handled differently. Those of us sitting in Court amongst the purple
gowns respect the decisions of the Master and Court and only occasionally are we moved to seek
permission to offer advice on matters that we feel are to the detriment of the workings of the
Company. You may rest assured that we act in good faith for the benefit of the Company.”

20 | Autumn 2016 | The Journal of the Worshipful Company of Constructors