Summer Offensive

Battle of the bulge
Precise figures are hard to give for our Summer Offensive total this week. What I can say is that the last week has certainly seen our total rise by over £2,000 - possibly considerably more - and it is now well over the £20,000 mark.

By the time of our celebration meal to mark the end of this year’s campaign on August 2, we will have had time to collate all the information that has been (and still is) coming in from comrades around the country and give an accurate final figure for the conclusion of this year’s campaign. Plus, we are pretty confident that there is a ‘bulge’ of contributions from readers and sympathisers out there making its way towards us through the mail.

Lenin wryly observed that the greatest force in history is inertia and annually we have a battle to ensure that comrades who sincerely intend to contribute to the campaign do so in time. Remember, comrades - the SO is a two-month campaign. I can’t make any entries for good intentions. If you are making an SO contribution this year and have not yet done so, rush it in today! (In fact, it would be a great help to let us know if you have sent a donation in the last few days - it will enable us to give more accurate figures for the end of the campaign).

So, our next paper on August 21 will contain our final total. In the meantime, let me just reiterate that this year’s SO has been a good one, with a solid performance from our veterans, new comrades showing real commitment to the campaign and some pleasing donations from comrades on our periphery. We all should be proud of our organisation and its achievements.

Comrades and friends of our organisation are cordially invited to join us at the celebration meal to mark the end of this year’s SO on August 2, in the evening of the first day of Communist University. At this, we will mark the collective success of our organisation, plus single out some comrades who have performed outstandingly well this year.

Lastly, let me congratulate every comrade who has taken part in this year’s campaign, at whatever level. I think we would all concur that the SO has not stretched us as much as it could - but even so, as it draws to a close for another year, we have a real sense of what is possible with a little more militancy, application and guts.

So, £25,000 in 2003 - twice as much next year, comrades?

Tina Becker

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