Club Nights

We are still looking for offers of slide shows for this winter season. If you have a slide show, which you would like to present, then please contact Mark Gilbert.

Budding Artists

We are holding a competition for the best-designed poster, which can be used to advertise what we do throughout the year. A prize will be awarded to the best entry. Please contact the Club Secretary Ian Thurgood for further details.

Newsletter Articles

As the new Newsletter Editor I am writing to you all out there to request articles for forthcoming newsletters. It could be about any subject related to mountaineering, or not, as the case may be, as long as it may be interesting or amusing to other club members.

Once again I would like to reiterate what others have written before me, this newsletter needs your articles to survive. It could be anything from a diary of events from your holiday to a short anecdote.

If you have anything to include in the newsletter it can be emailed to me on:
jo@coddenham.fsworld.co.uk

or if it is handwritten then send it to me in the post and I can type it up. I look forward to hearing from you.

President’s Prattle

Hi folks, I’d like to kick of this article by thanking Steve Culverhouse for all his efforts as club president over the last couple of years, Cheers Steve.

I’m not sure if it’s the enforced lack of climbing earlier in the year, but I certainly sense much more of a buzz in the club at the moment. Not being one to miss an opportunity, I want to encourage you all to think about what you can do to help the club better serve your needs. If something is missing that you’d like to see, then tell me (or one of the committee) and we can try to make it happen, but remember you are likely to get roped in to assist!

‘Volunteers’ to organise events are always welcome. If you are unsure what’s required, or are just a bit nervous, then give me (or one of the other old hands) a call and we can guide you through. We have a good database of suitable accommodation and places to eat (see the club web site). It’s not difficult, and the more individuals that help, the more meets we can organise, and the less burden on any one person.

I am also proposing to act as a contact point for beginners, helping them to identify potential climbing partners and gain more effective access to club meets. What I need from the rest of the club members is an indication as to whether they are prepared to climb with, and assist, beginners. Perhaps we could also indicate whether beginners would find a trip suitable or not, e.g. Portland might be considered a tad difficult for the newcomer.

At the AGM we also agreed to trial a guidebook database, to facilitate the
sharing of guides with other club members. This may be particularly useful for
those hard to find books, but could be applied wider. Obviously loaned guides
will be subject to some wear and tear, but if this scheme is to work I think
there needs to be an understanding that if guide books are severely damage or
lost they will be replaced by the borrower. Also it is not meant as an excuse
for never buying another guidebook, rather to expand everyone’s
‘virtual’ library. I have started to set up a framework but now I
require data. If you are prepared to loan your guides can you fill in the
details attached to your renewal form. I will initially police the process to
ensure that people don’t abuse the system, e.g. if people are continually
borrowing yet offer nothing in return.

I guess I’d better stop, but to summarise the club will only ever serve the members needs if we know what you want and perhaps, more importantly, if sufficient people are willing to put in an effort to make it happen. I’ve put forward some ideas in this section, if you think they are of use then please contribute toward making them work. If they’re not of interest then we’ll drop them and try something different, BUT PLEASE NO APATHY!!

Have a great Christmas and New Year, and fingers crossed for plenty of snow this winter!!

Mark.

Secretary’s Stuff

AGM

The AGM on 15^th November was reasonably well attended with approximately 25% of members present.

The full minutes are available — please contact me if you would like a copy — but here is a summary of the exciting bits!

Elections:

• Mark Gilbert has taken over from Steve Culverhouse as El Pres. Thanks to Steve for all the work during his reign.
• Dave Scott was re-elected as Treasurer.
• Ian Thurgood was re-elected as Secretary.
• Keith Lodge has retired from the post of newsletter editor and webmaster. The mantle has been taken up by Jo Gilbert and Simon Chandler in a joint newsletter/communications role.
• Rupert Holbrook and Christina Ennis were re-elected as Meets Co-ordinators.
• New role of Social Secretary taken on by Lou van Zwanenberg.
• Committee members are Steve Culverhouse, Cathy Tye, Dave Tonks, Keith Lodge, Pete Krug, Martin Hore.

Membership:

• Fees for 2002 will be unchanged from 2001 at £8 individual and £12 couples.

Other:

• Some talk of inviting guests such as Tim Emmett, Neil Gresham to speak or possibly give another Master Class.
• Club may purchase some helmets for use on club trips.
• We will be making a donation of £100 to the BMC Access Fund.
• Possible meets for 2002 to include High Ropes Course; Lundy Island; Skye.
• MG is to set up and co-ordinate a ‘library’ of such useful literature as Guidebooks, Accommodation lists etc that members are willing to lend to other members.

Membership

As you have seen from AGM summary, subscription fees are unchanged.

Please complete the form and return it to me by the end of January 2002.

There will not be any reminders.

It will help the newsletter distributors and keep the impact on funds to a
minimum if as many as possible can receive newsletters by email — please
consider carefully and tick the box on the renewal slip if you are able to do
this. Even better would be to complete the on-line questionnaire

There is also a section for details of any guidebooks or other publications
that you are willing to include in the ‘library’.

Grand IMC Quiz Night, Thursday 17 January, The Brewery Tap

I will be question master for this year’s IMC quiz. Expect questions to tease
the memory on all aspects of mountaineering from hill-walking to sport
climbing and from the Peaks to Patagonia. Categories will include geography,
history, equipment, skills and personalities. A blend of questions is promised
aimed at younger members as well as those whose brains stopped functioning
around 1970. Teams of 2 or 3 (or 4 at a pinch) can be organised in advance or
on the night. To win you’ll need a team with a broad spread of knowledge. To
take part and enjoy the event you’ll just need to turn up.

Martin Hore