From: 163 Spring 2026
Author: Peter Smith
The committee are all volunteers and are always keen to welcome enthusiastic new members. We now have nine active members with a vacant Chair post. All the other formal posts are filled, but several members are “without portfolio”, who regularly attend committee meetings to support the Chair and the activities of the committee, and engage in our agenda discussions.
Sometimes specific interest areas, or projects, need someone to volunteer to lead, support or report back on, such as Port Meadow matters, an apprenticeship award scheme (if resurrected), potentially some new raising our profile initiatives, and also continuing to review our merchandising offer.
Please do consider volunteering for something, as our organisation relies on the committee and volunteers to keep going. The committee meet in the Town Hall approximately every three months for an hour and a half.
The Chair role is certainly an interesting opportunity for someone who is confident and enjoys social events. It is a privilege to represent the Freemen at a limited number of formal and some less formal events throughout the year, some of which are regular, some adhoc or unusual, but all involving meeting people. There is the scope to get involved in more “hands on” activities, beyond core responsibilities, if desired.
‘The Chairman Writes’ articles give a flavour of what events the Chair attends. The core Freemen events are the Admission ceremony in March, St Georges Day procession and Civic Service in April, Lord Mayor & Sheriff Making (as a guest) in May, Port Meadow Sheriff’s inspection and Aunt Sally match in June, the Sheriff’s Round Up, Remembrance Sunday procession and wreath laying, and the annual Christmas meal. There is the opportunity to attend other optional events that we may be invited to. The Vice Chair deputises when the Chair is not available.
It is important the City of Oxford Freemen, Oxford’s oldest organisation, continues to be viable. For that to happen we need an enthusiastic new Chair to lead the committee, and also new volunteers to join the committee and help run it, so that it remains relevant not only to Freemen, but to the wider Oxford community.
Please contact Chris Butterfield (details on the inside front cover) for an informal discussion. If anyone may be interested in getting involved, please also consider coming along, without obligation, to the 18th June committee meeting to get a flavour of what the committee does.
Even if you do not want to join the committee, please support the committee by attending our events when you can. While the Aunt Sally match and Christmas meal are always popular, attendance at other events has been weak in recent years since Covid. It would be a boost to the committee, and to our external image, to see more Freemen coming along in support.