Steve retires after 24 years service to the Dragon Boat Team

Steve Burton attended his final Dragon Boat Team meeting on Monday 22nd June before retiring from the Dragon Boat team. Steve was one of the 9 Founder Members of the Dragon Boat Com (including the then Pres and Pres Elect) and has played a major part in the arrangements ever since

Having said that it was an inauspicious start as at the first 2 meetings in April and May 2002, he sent his apologies – those were the days when we met in Com Members homes at 9.00am in the morning and started with bacon butties!  However Steve has certainly made up for those absences since by being not just a regular attender but very much a do-er

He received the team sponsorship money from Day 1 mainly in cash – tales of bags of cash being put through his letterbox - until replaced with on-line fundraising in 2021.

Steve took over as DBC Treasurer in about 2008 – keeping the finances on track -  and continued until succeeded by Mike Sullivan in March 2021.  Produced multicoloured income/expenditure tables recording the annual outcomes and analysing hundreds of pages of payment reports.

He was Minute Secretary on and off for many years until Jan took over a few years ago and he had is own style of minutes!

He chaired the Dragon Boat Committee for the 2007, 2008 & 2009 Challenges.

From 2007 Steve liaised with DBEL until this year when he has been handing over to Tim Duffy.

He looked after South Bank early morning set up for many years and when the lower tow path needed cleaning he could always be seen with a big brush - clearing all the debris and goose droppings.

To say that Steve has played a major part in both the organisation of the Challenges  and the action on the day, right from Day 1 – is no exaggeration – so many thanks Steve!

On behalf of the Dragon Boat team Brian Joscelyne presented Steve with a certificate of appreciation for all of his hard work.

Graham Wilford