Why Livery Companies support the military services Monday 19th April 2010

Dinner with the Chartered Surveyors' at Stationers' Hall - full house, packed out and buzzy. Significant presence of their three associated service units, one for each service. Noted that these units' work reflected the core surveying skills e.g. geographical, map makers, aerial photographers etc. This is HMS Echo, one of the Royal Navy's ocean survey vessels, supported by the Chartered Surveyors.

The speakers were both retired naval and military senior officers and they emphasised the importance of the "military covenant" between society and the armed services. This unwritten, "psychological contract" is under strain at the moment, as described in this article in The Times that appeared just days after the dinner. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/leading_article/article7104224.ece

Support from the Livery Companies helps remind our military service people that they are not forgotten and that there are people who care about them, think about them and do things for them and with them.