During the last couple of months a number of ICS branches have held revision sessions, PREP 2007 for our students in order to boost their confidence and gloss their knowledge of the Professional Qualifying Examination subjects they will be sitting next week. Alongside last minute revision classes it is also a good chance to network with other students and tutors from all around the globe. Below are accounts from the events that were held in China, South Africa and the United Kingdom.

In the evening of 2 April, a PREP seminar was held at the historical Shanghai Concert Hall function room by ICS DLC China for the 2007 Qualifying Examinations. This is the very first time that the examinations will be held in mainland China, and now enables all candidates and students to enjoy easier access to both the exam sittings as well as the ICS support in London. A total of 19 people attended the PREP seminar, which included 14 students, 2 MICS and 1 FICS. All attendees expressed that they both enjoyed and benefited a lot from the seminar. John Liu and Windy Zheng of the DLC China gave an introduction of the Centre and the 2007 exams followed by Steve Kunzer FICS of Zodiac Maritime who highlighted and provided some hints as to how to approach the exams. It was also announced that in view that this is the inaugural sitting of ICS exams in mainland China, the DLC China will present a prize to the candidate who will achieve the highest marks.
Windy Zheng



The 10th annual PREP of the SA Branch was held during the weekend of 23 to 25 February. This year 35 students and 11 tutors attended as well as the two ICS administration officers. Once again PREP was held at Glengarry Park, a venue that is situated half between Durban and Johannesburg. It is a resort in beautiful surroundings in the foothills of the Drakensberg Mountains. Accommodation was provided in rustic thatched bungalows. On arrival, students were divided into groups and a team event task was set which encouraged students to work together and apply their knowledge in a practical manner. On Saturday evening the team event presentation was held, followed by a quiz. This was very entertaining and enjoyed by all. Students and tutors were spolit with delicious meals the entire weekend- everyone is a couple of kilos heavier by the time they leave on Sunday. Hopefully the knowledge gained is far more than the weight gain!
Fiona de Goede



Oversubscribed PREP was once again a huge success. Held between 23-26 March at Warwick University our students, 110 in total, prepared for their examinations by attending tutorials and lectures over the weekend. Advice on examination technique, support from 17 of our attending tutors and a mock exam were also part of the weekend packgage. On Saturday evening a Good Luck Dinner was held and we made sure all our students left in high sprits even if they were to lose an hours sleep due to British Summer Time changes!! We also made sure we celebratedHarry Lorkin's 60 years ICS Membership. The bar next door to the function room soon became a disco with students and tutors on the dancefloor! PREP also proved to be an ideal opportunity to socialise and network with other student as well as meet members from the shipping community. Attendees flocked from all over the world, including the USA, Europe, Columbia and Brazil.
Julia Huff

A jolly Executive Council meeting in Cardiff

A typical Welsh evening with singing, dancing and a four course meal was enjoyed by the delegates, Branch members and their partners on 21 March. In addition to the dinner they were entertained by a group of very talented young people from the Welsh College of Music and Drama who also acted as waiters and waitresses. One surprise item during the evening was a solo, unaccompanied, by the London Chairman Mr. Jeffrey Blum of a Russian love song. Jeffrey's voice ranging from a deep bass to a high tenor was something not to be missed. Exceptional!

Branch Chairman Roy Le Gros gives his comments below:-

'ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT! That was the unanimous decision of the Executive Council at the end of their Cardiff visit. For me, it was the highlight of my term office. With our President, International Chairman, Director and Delegates descending upon us from all corners of the Globe one could be excused for feeling a little overwhelmed, but I had nothing to fear, our arrangements were all in place and everything went according to plan thanks to team efforts of Theo Coliandris our own Council member, Secretary David Moore and our wives.
With everyone present on Wednesday, we took full advantage with a Membership committee meeting in the morning and the Council meeting in the afternoon. I am sure that all Institute functions such as this one play an integral part in strengthening our profession and sharing the event with our international colleagues and partners was equally important.
The traditional evening of food, wine and entertainment was undoubtedly the highlight of the visit and I hope the delegates and their thirteen partners returned home with fond memories and new friendships having been formed.
We are indebted to our sponsors Associated British Ports, Celtic Logistics, Graig Shipping, Minton Treharne and Davies and Svitzer - Wijsmuller Marine, who made the event possible.'

It was unanimously agreed that an excellent time was had by all. Some photographs of the festivities below.

Poseidon Challenge Update

Intertanko held their annual event in Houston late last month and we were required to advise them as to how the Institute has done in its Singapore 2006 commitment to the Poseidon Challenge.

1) ' We fully support the Poseidon Challenge and we will promote this initiative when ever and where we can'.
I have attended and spoken at 4 international seminars in different parts of the world and given papers which promote the Poseidon Challenge and the Chain of Responsibility.
In addition I have spoken at 7 dinners attended by between 450-500 people each time including Government Officials and my talks were based on the same theme. The combined attendance of above has been 3500 and 4000 senior shipping Executives who have received the Poseidon Challenge message. In every presentation or speech I have challenged Governments to help in our efforts to raise professionalism in the shipping industry through education and training. I am pleased to be able to report some success here as the Irish Government now fully support students financially who commit themselves to some of the ICS courses and examinations.
This must be a first.

2) The Managing Director of Intertanko and Intercargo both gave papers in October last year to an ICS seminar held in London.

3) The ICS Education Trustees awarded their new prize 'The Presidents Prize' of £1000 to Capt Rakshit of Eagle Ship management Singapore who was the candidate who, in the Examination Boards opinion has been the most outstanding student of the year.

4) With regards to our challenge to those present at the Singapore event to submit 5 of their staff for our Foundation Diploma programme in the next 12 months. Here there has been a dramatic increase in the candidates sitting this years exams which has risen from 614 in 2006 to 940 this year or over 50%.
I am also pleased to be able to advise that we have had an additional 300 candidates apply for examination which is a 20% increase and over 4200 papers will be sat in April which us a further significant increase.

5) E-learning is now available through Coracleonline.com where most of our courses are available.

In view of the above I sincerely believe that the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers has fully met its commitment to the Poseidon Challenge.
I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate and thank all those involved in our education and training programmes and good luck to all the students.

Bruce Ogilvy FICS
ICS Chairman

ICS signing of Distance Learning Centre agreement in Singapore

3 April 2007 marked another milestone of the Singapore Branch. An agreement was signed with the Institute to set up a DLC in Singapore. The ceremony was held at the Raffles Hotel in Singapore. Alan Phillips represented ICS while Capt Subhangshu Dhutt signed the agreement on behalf of the Singapore Branch. Also present to witness the special occasion were the Members of the Management Committee: Matthias Cher, Lee Wai Pong, Capt S Chhabra and S C Lim and Amy Lim from the Singapore Secretariat.



Inchcape Shipping Services welcome Tom Wilson as a F.I.C.S.

We were pleased to hear about the recognition and support that companies give to the ICS membership's status and reputation. Recently Mr Tom Wilson from ISS was promoted to a Fellow of the Institute and this was reporterd in their house journal, ISS Reporter.

David Cook announced the promotion in the article below:

' I have the pleasure of announcing that Tom Wilson, the ISS Regional Manager QA & HSSE based in the UK, has been promoted to a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers. As a result he is formally permitted to be called a chartered shipbroker under the royal charter of the Institute.

Becoming a fellow of the ICS is no small feat. To secure the professional standing with the Institute requires significant study of the theory, law and practice of the maritime trade and the business of shipbroking. This study must be followed by the successful sitting for and completion of a battery of examinations. He was also required to have recommendations from industry representatives in good standing with the Institute.

The Institute of Chartered Shipbrokers sets the highest standards of professional service to the maritime industry worldwide through education and example. For Tom to have achieved this status at his age is rarely if ever done.
It reflects well on him and the company that he has reached this milestone and he can be justly proud.'

Agency Scales - The Office of Fair Trading

Due to changes in legislation, the Institute, following recommendations from the Office of Fair Trading, has withdrawn it's scale of agency charges. Whilst the OFT have advised that in their previous format, the scales may not be compatible with competition law, they have indicated that members could be provided with information enabling them to establish their own fees independently. The Federation Council has set up a sub-committee to consider the options.
Please contact Charles Stride for further details.

UK report: Container groups warn over railfreight move

Major container shipping lines have warned that a funding programme by the UK government geared to championing shortsea shipping may lead to freight being switched from rail to road. A number of major shipping lines are among those urging the government to rethink a reduction in financial support covering short distance railfreight services, describing the move as a backward step. ICS is heading the campaign and says the cuts in support will render parts of the UK susceptible to a move from rail to road of container transport.

Dates for the diary

And lastly......


Humber Branch News - Humber Branch celebrates half-century!

The Humber Branch celebrated its 50th Annual Dinner at the Willerby Manor Hotel, Hull on 9 March.

Over 340 members and guests were in attendance, including friends and colleagues from home and abroad. Special guests included Port Directors from Grimsby/Immingham and Hull/Goole, plus Chairman Robin Fenton, who had been Dinner Secretary at the time of the first Branch Dinner in 1957 and to Stephen Mercer of John Good (Shipping) of Immingham - winner of the Jack Jenkin Memorial Prize as the most successful local student and recently elected Member of the Institute. Mike Johnston of RMS (Europe) of Goole also received congratulations from the Chairman for his success in the examinations for 2006, which has led to Membership of the Institute.

During the formal part of the evening members heard Tony Dixon, Chairman of the Education and Training Committee, emphasise the importance of professionalism through education within the Institute; the Branch Chairman, Mr Mark Harrison then reminded members of the value of membership and asked for a greater level of commitment from all concerned in terms of their involvement in local affairs. The evening was then rounded off in entertaining fashion by Kevin Connelly, one of the current stars of the BBC's 'Dead Ringers'.