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The Company

The Sponsorship Committee

The Sponsorship Committee performs a very important function. Whilst we are a Livery Company
and seek to give as much as we can to Charity, both our own internal Charitable Trust and other
good causes within the City, we also run events for our members. The cost of these is always
increasing and over recent years we have depended to quite a large extent on external agencies
supporting our programme. The Sponsorship Committee has the difficult job of balancing the
commercial advantage gained by our sponsors with our role as a Livery Company, particularly where
Charity events are involved. There are many who would say that this should never be an issue, and
with some of the more established Livery Companies it isn’t, because their income is assured from
historic investment. Ours is not, and funding to maintain our charitable commitments is always an
issue.
The Publicity, Events and Membership Committee
The Publicity, Events and Membership Committee is probably the workhorse of our organising
committees in that it is responsible for organising all our informal events, which are the fundamental
component of our outreach and fellowship activities. The chair of the committee is CA Andrew
Hornby, who would welcome any suggestions from members and readers for future events, which
can be sent to The Constructor.
The Honorary Treasurer
We also rely on the services of our Honorary Treasurer (Arthur Seymour) who records all monies
paid and received by the Company and provides the accounts necessary for our monies to be audited
each year. It is he who administers our day to day accounting and also manages member’s
retrospective payment for events.
Membership
There are various grades of Membership. Most new members join as Freemen, in the process of
making certain commitments, or Obligations to the Company. Freemen are entitled to apply to the
City Chamberlain to become a Freeman of the City of London. That achieved, and after a period of
satisfactory service with the Company, a Freeman can apply to become a full Liveryman, which
entitles him or her to vote in City elections and attend certain events, like the United Guilds Service at
St Paul’s Cathedral
Other grades of membership include Yeomen – most of whom have been scholars or prize winners;
Apprentices; bound to a Liveryman or member of the Court for a prescribed period of indenture, and
inroled at Guildhall; Companion - the widow or widower of a member of the Court or a Liveryman.
The Company has also recently admitted International Constructors, the first of whom was Frank
Lesh from USA and Honorary Members, who are recognised as being leaders of their field and highly
supportive of our objectives as Constructors. These include Senior Officers of our military affiliates,
members of the Upper House as well as Mike Bowron (Lately the Chief Constable of the City of
London Police, and now the Chief Constable of Jersey) and of course Lady Valerie Dixon, who has
been extremely supportive of our cause as well as being most generous in her support of our
educational scholarships. This year, at the Sir Christopher Wren Banquet we also invited Alderman
Doctor Andrew Parmley and Alderman Baroness Scotland QC to become Honorary Members and we
are delighted that they have both accepted.

Autumn 2015 | The Journal of the Worshipful Company of Constructors | 23