At that December 1975  meeting Jim Bush was elected Chairman and a target of raising £3,000 in the next financial year was considered, although discussion on how this was to be achieved was deferred.

The MLSC Sponsored Row held over Christmas was to raise £203 and a supper held at MLSC in March raised £113. Peter Burwood, Coxswain of the Harwich lifeboat was the guest of honour. The annual sherry morning was a "great social success" but raised little money.

There was good local publicity for the House to House and Street collections held in July and £829.96 was raised.  Talks continued about getting a shop for the sale of second hand goods but this scheme, which had been successful in previous years, did not proceed as premises could not be found. (Ironically there is now (2002 AD) a surplus of empty shops in Maldon but insufficient volunteers).

A buffet lunch was held at the Jolly Sailor (Landlord was Robert Lovall) and made £65.  This event was the forerunner of the Business Persons Lunch, which was to raise considerable amounts over the next 20 years.

At the December 1976 AGM Vic Tidbury was elected Chairman, Peter Woods Treasurer, with Vi Hall continuing as Honorary Secretary.  A total of £2,721 had been raised.

I do not propose to detail every year but 1977 was special in many ways.  Whilst the Sponsored Row, sherry morning, buffet supper and annual collection went on as before the Business Persons Lunch was established with a celebrity speaker, - Raymond Baxter.

However most publicity was gained by finding out that our Branch could not have existed over the previous 20+ years, as we had no 'official' rules or constitution. This omission was rectified in March and we had a most successful year raising £4,345.