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The Society of M.I.C.E.

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Founded
  
1961

Method
  
Entertainment

Product
  
Fundraising

The Society of M.I.C.E.

Location
  
Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom

Area served
  
Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom

Mission
  
Fellowship, benevolence, charity

The Society of M.I.C.E. is a charitable organisation based in Kingston upon Hull. It was founded in 1961, by a group of dedicated entertainers working on an idea proposed by Al Gillyon. The society is modelled on the Grand Order of Water Rats. Its membership is exclusively of men, although the members wives, partners and friends often help out in varying capacities. MICE is an acronym for "Men in Charitable Endeavour".

Contents

The beginning

In 1960, Al Gillyon proposed the setting up of an organisation in Kingston upon Hull similar to the Grand Order of Water Rats. The idea was talked about in clubs, at shows, even in people's front rooms after a show. But, in the words of Al Gillyon, "We cannot hold a first meeting until permission has been obtained from the Variety Artist Association" of which all were loyal members. Permission of the association was granted and the first ever meeting To which hirteen entertainers were invited, was held at the Windmill Hotel, Witham, Kingston upon Hull on 13 February 1961. Ten were able to attend. Officers were elected, it was agreed that the aims of the group, Fellowship, Benevolence and Charity should be paramount and the group should be known as "The Society of MICE".

The Offices of the Society

The Society has the usual committee structure, with a President and Vice-president elected annually, chosen singly by the outgoing President and announced at the annual dinner, which is held in Mid February. There are also positions for chairman, Secretary, Treasurer and the Steward to the Elders. The only difference is the title of these positions, all of which are extremely fitting:-

  • President = KING MOUSE
  • Vice-President = PRINCE MOUSE
  • Chairman = TRAP GUARD
  • Secretary = SCRIBE MOUSE
  • Treasurer = KEEPER OF THE CHEESE
  • Steward to the Elders = PILOT MOUSE
  • There are other positions within the society, including the CONCERT MOUSE, who organises the concerts.

    Founder Members

    The following:

  • Al Gillyon
  • Harry Hemingway
  • Clive Hunter
  • Terry Matsell
  • Jimmy Welsh
  • Jack Wilkinson
  • Brian Winchester
  • are considered to be the founder members of the society as they were either present at the very first meeting of the society, or offered their apologies for absence. From these members, the first KING MOUSE was Al Gillyon, the first PRINCE MOUSE was Jack Wilkinson, the first SCRIBE MOUSE was Terry Matsell, and the first TRAP GUARD was Jimmy Welsh, who at the time was also the Vice-Chairman of the Variety Artists Association.

    Today

    The Society is currently made up of Singers & Entertainers, mainly from the Kingston upon Hull area, along with many other members who perform equally as important roles behind the scenes. Members of the 'Old Flames' (Retired members of Humberside fire brigade) have also joined the society" and Stars in Their Eyes" champion Ian Moor is a member and former holder of the office of Prince Mouse.

    The Society's aim is to raise funds for local good causes and charities, by means of live concert shows and other fund raising events. The society holds tombola & raffle stalls at various outdoor events throughout the summer and concerts are usually twice monthly in and around the Kingston upon Hull area. Venues vary from clubs to residential homes. It holds meetings every fortnight, to discuss future concerts and other matters regarding fund raising for the community. The meeting venue has changed several times over the years, and is referred to by members as the MOUSE HOLE.

    The MICE Singers

    In 1996, the society added an extra act to the concerts, in the form of a choir, made up of several of the society's members. Initially called "The Bolder Boys", named after Harry Bolder, who conducted the choir in its early years and whose idea it was to form the choir, today it is known as "The MICE Singers". As well as regular appearances at the society's concerts, they perform at many other venues, and are now in great demand throughout the year, with appearances at weddings, residential homes, harvest festivals, schools, and other events.

    Anthem

    The Society has an anthem, with lyrics written by one of the founder members, Clive Hunter, who adapted the words to the tune of Three Blind Mice. The anthem is sung at all concerts, and at the annual dinner by all the members present.

    The King's Special Project

    Each year the elected King Mouse nominates a charity or organisation to be the prime beneficiary of the years fundraising efforts and specific concerts and events are chosen to raise funds solely for this purpose. A cheque for the grand total raised is then presented to a representative from the charity or organisation at the annual "Special Presentation Evening", which is held at the end of January, shortly before the annual dinner.

    References

    The Society of M.I.C.E. Wikipedia