The first 30 days!
The first 30 days!
Having had the honour of being installed as Master of the Worshipful Company of Management Consultants on 18 October, I’m wondering where the last month has gone! Past Masters have warned me that the year as Master is rather like going over a waterfall, and it’s certainly proving that way!
Our Principal Guest at my Installation Dinner in Skinners’ Hall was the Minister for the Cabinet Office, the Rt Hon Francis Maude MP, who is at the heart of the Government’s efforts to achieve “Change through Wisdom”, and he shared his views of how consultants could play a part in a challenging address which certainly provoked much thought! 120 members and guests were sustained in this effort by a splendid dinner accompanied by wines chosen by our most capable Wines Committee.
The following week saw me invited to the Installation Dinner of the Company of Arbitrators where the Clerk and I had the opportunity to take some learning points from their Installation Ceremonial as well as enjoying their splendid hospitality at Sadlers’ Hall. To close an interesting week I was a guest at the Foundlings’ Museum and Coram Foundation chamber concert hosted by former Lord Mayor Sir Michael Bear, which serendipitously triggered another possible piece of pro-bono consulting kindly picked up to run with by Second Warden Patrick Chapman.
My first official duty in the following week was the very moving Garden of Remembrance Service in St Paul’s Churchyard at which 108 Livery Masters were marshalled by the imposing RSM of the Welsh Guards and took turns to place small crosses in the garden, thanking our lucky stars that the mild weather and soft ground meant that we could place the crosses without needing a mallet!
The Lord Mayor’s Show occupied the following Saturday and our marching party of PM Bob Garratt, Assistant Sally Garratt, First Warden Edward Sankey, Second Warden Patrick Chapman and the Clerk managed to keep up with the smart pace set by the Sea Cadets for a truly memorable parade. We waved, doffed and smiled our way around the route – refreshed at “half-time” in the Bear, immediately opposite the Royal Courts of Justice where we had a super view of the Lord Mayor’s arrival. We also had a great view of the Coach – which later misbehaved when there was no 250-year old mechanic available to fix a 250-year old wheel bearing!!
14th November saw another WCOMC gathering at Cass Business School when we held the first Company Debate for some years addressed by Honorary Freeman Jon Moulton and Philip Augar, the author of two significant books on the values and habits of the City (and now Chair of the UK Borders Agency), who debated the Motion, “This House believes that the City should exist for the benefit of the country not the country for the benefit of the City”. Philip proposed with support from PM Vicky Pryce while Jon opposed with support from PM Keith Burgess and, perhaps surprisingly, the final vote of the “House” of 70 members and guests was tied after some splendid displays of verbal dexterity and semantic slipperiness – by whom I shall not say!
Oh, and finally, I hope that all Members of the Company received my “Call to Arms” e-mail – of which more anon!