If I am remembered as President of the Society, it seems likely that it will be as the President who managed to lose Richard Lynham. This is a very serious charge but as the last of the seven Presidents under whom he has served I wish to add my tribute to him as well as associate myself completely with the comments made elsewhere in this issue of the Newsletter. There is an interesting symmetry to Richard’s service with the Society. As he came into office we were preparing the Spring Meeting in Belfast, and he now leaves as we are preparing for the Spring Meeting in Derry.

As a consummate mandarin, Richard was always well aware that the Society is run by its members through their elected officers and committees and that he was the servant of the Society. However, by dint of his experience, management skills and deep knowledge of both the Society and our specialty, as well as the respect with which he is held by everybody in the Society, he was able to exert an enormous amount of influence - an influence always for the good. As others have recalled in the Newsletter, he was the master of timely advice to officers, including Presidents, and the advice was always good, saving many from damaging either themselves, or even worse, the Society. He was able to combine respect for the office, friendliness, and informality in a way which made working with him a pleasure.

Richard rightly saw himself as the guardian of the constitution of the Society, as well as being responsible for its financial probity and needs of its members. He was also ready to accept change and, during his time, the Society has seen many changes. The membership has greatly increased, the meetings have changed both their venues and their format, and perhaps most significantly, the Society has purchased its own premises. The fact that this has been achieved so successfully, both organisationally and financially, is a great tribute to Richard’s management skills. The changes with which I am most familiar are the recent amendments to the Society’s constitution, reflecting the devolved governance of the United Kingdom. Having accepted that these changes were necessary and were approved by the then Council, Richard set about the enormous task of preparing for them. This involved drafting and redrafting articles of association, consultations with the Society’s lawyers and with the Charity Commission, and the organisation of two extraordinary general meetings. Having achieved these changes, they then had to be implemented, particularly with respect to the National Councils for England and Wales, which did not have these already in place. Richard’s help, support and unstinting hard work during this time made all this possible.

I was surprised to read that Richard only acquired a computer in 1998, because having come into office as President Elect in 2000 I was immediately impressed with his emailing skills. As others have mentioned, his e-mails delight for their good advice, timely reminders and the humour which is particularly shown in the titles. One I particularly remember was when he told me about his health problems and the title was, ‘Its official! Lynham is rotten to the core’. Nothing of course could have been further from the truth. Richard’s integrity is one of his most important characteristics.

Richard cared deeply for our Society and had a profound knowledge of its affairs. However, his care and knowledge extended to all aspects of our specialty and he always had at his fingertips, knowledge of all aspects of the National Health Service which affected our members. He was constantly alert for any threats to our specialty or opportunities to advance our cause. Probably only those of us who have had the privilege of holding office in the Society fully realise the enormous contribution he has made.

Richard now retires to have time for his other interests. I know that I speak for the whole Society when I wish him a speedy return to good health and a long and healthy retirement. We will look forward to continue seeing him at Marjory Warren House and at Society meetings.

Alex Mair
Many members will have had the opportunity of meeting Alex at the Autumn Meeting, and will have been impressed by his friendly approach and his rapid grasp of the business of the Society. We welcome him in his new appointment as Chief Executive, wish him well and assure him of our support as he carries out his duties.

Bob Stout