A Tribute to Roger Pearce
It was in 2014 that the Memorial Field Management Committee was faced with a dilemma. The Secretary/Treasurer had suddenly handed in their notice. The Committee advertised for a replacement, however, remuneration for the position was not attractive to say the least, resulting in no applicants coming forward.
The then Committee Chairman, Frank Pengelley, a man dedicated to seeing the Memorial Field continue to thrive and run smoothly, approached Roger who happened to live next door. Roger was just settling into a well-deserved retirement from full time employment!
Frank asked Roger if he would ‘step into the breach’ on a “temporary basis, just to tide the Committee over until a replacement Secretary/Treasurer could be in place”.
Roger being Roger said he would be prepared to help out as he did not want Frank who was elderly, to be under any undue stress.
In addition to the normal Chairman’s duties, paperwork etc. Frank would act as an ‘odd job’ man taking on much maintenance work in order to keep the overall running costs down to a minimum. Fortunately Roger also had the skills and the attitude to also undertake this general upkeep work, so things went forward on a ‘temporary’ team basis. Eventually Frank retired as Chairman and later sadly passed away.
This innocent and generous undertaking by Roger to ‘step into the breach’ on a temporary basis’ proved to morph into a decade long, something quite different!
Over the years Roger being Roger, who cannot do ‘half a job’, found that there was indeed much more to attend to beyond the paperwork. Without any fuss he willingly resolved the numerous maintenance issues that cropped up. Never ‘blowing his own trumpet’ he would often take a trip to Screwfix or wherever to ensure the everyday issues that arose at the Memorial Field were resolved.
During the ensuing years, numerous attempts to recruit a suitable candidate to take over failed for one reason or another but mainly the relatively poor remuneration being the issue. Thankfully this aspect has now been addressed in part.
There now occurred another dilemma regarding the post of Secretary/Treasurer to the M.F.M.C! This time as a result of a very serious car accident involving Roger and his wife. It was now without doubt time to ‘pass the baton on’ to someone else.
Amiee, the Sports and Social Club Secretary, was approached and fortunately she said yes. Therefore, Roger’s tenure of a ‘Very Temporary Secretary to the M.F.M.C.’ has reached its end!
Time now for Roger to enjoy the well overdue ‘original retirement’! He will undoubtedly be missed.
