Ipswich (6 October 2009): Dr. Frank W. Bennett, Chairman of the Standing Committee from 1990 to 1995, died today at the age of 81 years.
Dr. Bennett, who was Deputy Warden at the Assay Office London, first attended a Standing Committee meeting in October 1982 and served for 14 years as Member of the Standing Committee. During all these years, he greatly contributed to both hallmarking and the expansion of the Convention. He was instrumental in bringing the Czech Republic into the Convention in 1994 – only a few years after the Velvet Revolution and the collapse of the communist regime. All other Eastern European and Baltic countries (except Estonia) have since then joined the Convention.
The Chairman of the Standing Committee, Ronald Le Bas, attended the memorial service at Ipswich Crematorium on 23 October and represented the Convention.