KOSB Association

The KOSB Association exists to promote and maintain a bond of friendship between its members regardless of rank, time served, or locations and operational theatres served in. It will only survive with the support of all those who served as or with Borderers.

As you will have read in AGM minutes and in the recently-updated Constitution, it has been necessary to amend the annual subscription to £25. This increase reflects rising costs over many years, including amongst others staff costs that used to fall to the MoD, the production costs for the Chronicle, and providing for the Minden Day parade in Berwick. These costs have up to now been largely absorbed from investment income, and subscriptions have not kept pace with them. However, this income can no longer sustain the costs in the medium-term, and steps need to be taken now to help reduce the burden on this single source and ensure a healthier future for the Association and its members. 

The Officers’ Club is treated as if a separate branch of the Association, so membership of the Association is necessary in order to be a member of the Officers’ Club.  A separate subscription applies. 

At present there is quite a wide difference in what Borderers are paying every year to support the work of the Association; the Trustees, and the members at last year’s Association AGM, considered that it is only fair that we all pay the same minimum rate where possible.

The benefits of membership of the Association are outlined in the attached information note. A large element of our annual Association expenditure is on welfare and support for those Borderers in difficulty, and these are coordinated through SSAFA and RHQ SCOTS. It may be that hopefully most of us will never need help but it is important to know there is a safety net for those who do. Welfare aside, the Association does a great deal in addition to support, enable and enhance the promotion of the comradeship of its members and the long and distinguished history and heritage of the Regiment. But this cannot be achieved without cost.

Association Notes

1. Membership is open to all who have served as a KOSB either in the Regular or Reserve forces.
2. Membership is open to members of attached Corps who served with KOSB.
3. All potential members must read the Constitution and agree to abide by its rules.
4. The £25 annual subscription is the requested minimum amount; there is no upper limit.
5. You are encouraged to promote the “buddy buddy” system in identifying Borderers who may need assistance.
6. The Benefits of membership of the Association include:

• Preference to welfare assistance if required, as provided for in the Constitution; all retired KOSB personnel, and serving personnel (with time served in the Regiment up to 2006), are entitled to welfare assistance if necessary, but preference is given to Association members. Welfare assistance requests are processed by SSAFA and RHQ SCOTS, and the KOSB Association gives funds to RHQ SCOTS to assist with welfare support.Supporting, through your Association subscriptions, the funding of the staffing and work of the Association HQ and its activities, such as the annual Minden Day parade,  the Borderers Chronicle (the cost of your Chronicle is included in your subscription) and other Regimental events.
  • Entitlement to attend the Association AGM and raise matters for the benefit of the Association and all its members.
  • An annual grant to all active KOSB Association branches, based on numbers.
  • Unlimited free access to The Barracks, the Association HQ, the KOSB Museum and, by appointment, to the Museum Library and Association archives.
  • The chance to apply to become a Museum Volunteer.

Association Sign-Up Form