| Founded | 1961 |
|---|---|
| Location | Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom |
| Area served | Kingston upon Hull, United Kingdom |
| Mission | Fellowship, benevolence, charity |
| Method | Entertainment |
| Website | http://beehive.thisishull.co.uk/default.asp?WCI=SiteHome&ID=4803 |
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".
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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 February 13, 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 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:-
There are other positions within the society, including the CONCERT MOUSE, who organises the concerts.
The following:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
| Year | King Mouse | Prince Mouse | King's Special Project |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1961 | Al Gillyon | Jack Wilkie | |
| 1962 | Harry Hemingway | Billy Wilkie | |
| 1963 | Alf Harriman | Norman Smith | |
| 1964 | Clive Hunter | Cliff Northage | |
| 1965 | Pat Cornell | Dave Ford | |
| 1966 | Terry Matsell | Barry Walden | |
| 1967 | Ray Blythe | Gary Anders | |
| 1968 | Brian Winchester | Normal Bell | |
| 1969 | Dave Ford | Ted Robinson | |
| 1970 | Tommy Render | David Pinchon | |
| 1971 | Derek Wilson | Eric Whitworth | |
| 1972 | Barry Walden | Stan Thompson | |
| 1973 | Eric Whitworth | Peter Gatens | |
| 1974 | Roger Nettleton | Doug Batty | |
| 1975 | Arthur Mortimer | Paul Julian | |
| 1976 | Stan Chapman | Jack Ferry | |
| 1977 | Stan Thompson | David Spelman | |
| 1978 | David Pinchon | Harry Clark | |
| 1979 | Jack Ferry | Mike Leadham | |
| 1980 | Peter Gatens | Brian Winchester | |
| 1981 | Harry Clark | Reg Stone | |
| 1982 | Colin Tovey | Brian Denman | |
| 1983 | Terry Loftus | Les Hewitt | |
| 1984 | David Spelman | Charlie Dunne | |
| 1985 | Les Hewitt | Garry Gillyett | |
| 1986 | Paul Julian | Fred Phillips | |
| 1987 | Brian Denman | Harry Gillyett | |
| 1988 | Fred Phillips | Richard Winchester | |
| 1989 | Harry Gillyett | Derek Flowers | |
| 1990 | David Pinchon | Arthur Mortimer | |
| 1991 | Bob McArthur | Terry Matsell | |
| 1992 | Terry Loftus | Roger Nettleton | |
| 1993 | Terry Matsell | Les Hewitt | Spirometer for Kingston General Hospital, Hull |
| 1994 | George Lazenby | Colin Hughes | |
| 1995 | David Spelman | Colin Tovey | |
| 1996 | Barry Walden | Craig Leach | Oncology ward at Hull Royal Infirmary |
| 1997 | Arthur Mortimer | Albert Ellerington | |
| 1998 | Derek Wilson | James Booth | |
| 1999 | Roger Nettleton | Ian Moor | Frederick Holmes & Ganton special schools |
| 2000 | Stan Flowers | Peter Gatens | |
| 2001 | Craig Leach | Dean Mortimer | |
| 2002 | Dean Mortimer | Dennis Ruston | |
| 2003 | Peter Gatens | Barry Walden | |
| 2004 | Steve Jackson | John Maxwell | Strokewatch |
| 2005 | Albert Ellerington | Brian Hill | Dove House Hospice |
| 2006 | Brian Hill | Trevor Davies | DEBRA & HERIB |
| 2007 | Trevor Davies | Tony Lazenby | Frederick Holmes special school & Cystic Fibrosis |
| 2008 | Barry Walden | Mike Medd |