Another month and another newsletter column! They seem to come around quickly. Probably partly because Committee is beavering away on a number of things at the moment. This issue we include our formal proposal for changes to membership categories, refined in response to your feedback. We will hold an EGM as part of club night on Wednesday 26 November. This means all members present will vote on the proposal outlined below. I encourage you to come along and cast your vote.
Also in this newsletter we outline some options around joining requirements. We’ve been thinking about these in tandem with the membership categories, because both represent different kinds of potential barriers to membership. After seeking (and getting) lots of feedback, we’ve developed a series of options that present the various ways forward (Membership Options attachment). Obviously one of these is the status quo, while others present varying degrees of change. It’s been interesting for Committee to see other tramping clubs farther down this road who are very positive about the changes they have made. We’re at the point where we want to hear your views. Please make them known – whether as comments on the online piece, emails to me or conversations with Committee members at club night.
I’m pleased to report that the journal is well in train, thanks to Ian Harrison’s hard work, and will be in our hot little hands by Christmas. And last week, another mighty WTMC publication hit the streets – Tony Gazley and Megan Sety’s update of the SK book. This new version includes more stories and photos. Last month four WTMCers completed SKs (huge congrats to Sharron, Tim, Marie and Allen!) and their stories are in the new book. We’ll be officially launching the new version at club night on 3 December – if you can’t wait til then, you can pick up a copy at Bivouac.
One thing the club is looking into at the moment is adopting a Blue Duck pest-trapping line in the Ruahines. This would mean we take responsibility for checking and resetting the traps on a regular basis. It’s an exciting opportunity to do something really tangible for our back country. If you’re keen to join the list of people who want to be involved, please email me and I’ll pass your details to Illona Keenan, who’s spearheading this initiative. DOC’s new approach to partnerships also means opportunities to get involved in hut maintenance and care (yes, it’s kind of back to the future for those with longer memories!). Again we are considering the best way to involve WTMC. Please get in touch with me if you are keen to help out.