The Club continues to be very active with a wide range of activities taking place. One weekend during March, for example, we had five trips taking place (two tramps based from the Lodge on Mt Ruapehu, a navigational exercise, a day trip and a tramp to Mitre Flats). During March we also had a tramp further afield to the Kaimanawa Forest Park. I led an easy tramp to Paua hut (the Club hut) in the Orongorongo valley where we hunted for huts. Over the course of the weekend we found 25 huts, had a swim in the river and talked with various hut owners about the history of their huts.
We are lucky to have such a selection of trips that cater to many different interests and levels of experience and fitness. If you have ideas for future Club trips, please come along on the 26th of April to the Trip Planning session : https://wtmc.org.nz/event/wtmc-trip-planning/
At the recent EGM, the vote was to change the structure of the Club committee. The slimmed down committee will allow the Club to function efficiently while also giving time to consider the bigger picture issues facing the Club (such as the new Societies Act, the impact of climate change on outdoor activities amongst other issues). It will take some time for the new structure to bed-in but I’m confident that the new committee will be able to get the best out of the new structure and continue to move the Club into the future.
Annual General Meeting
The Club AGM will be held on the 5th of April. We are still accepting nominations for all positions on the committee. If you would like to be involved with the running and future direction of the Club, please consider standing for one of the committee positions.
We have nominations for most committee positions already, but it is a sign of a healthy and active Club and membership if we have more than one person nominated per position. There is one committee role without nomination: Lodge convenor.
We are also looking for people for non-committee roles : Transport Coordinator. This role is vital for the running of our Club trips. If you like logistics and planning this is the role for you. Alpine Coordinator. If you have an interest and knowledge of mountaineering you could be involved with the planning and safe running of Club mountaineering activities. We are also looking for people to help with hosting Club nights and in the gear room (there is a roster for these roles, so the workload is not huge). The Lodge is also looking for volunteers for various roles.
For more information about the AGM and positions available please see : https://wtmc.org.nz/president/wtmc-annual-general-meeting-5-april-2023/
Volunteering
Volunteering is a great way to support the Club and to give back to the Club, but also has personal benefits. Over the last year I have been pleased to write references and give verbal references to people serving on the committee. This has helped the people concerned gain a job, gain a flat and be awarded a scholarship. I’m sure the incoming President will also be more than willing to provide references for people contributing to the Club.
Final Comments
This is my last President Column, as I will be standing down at the AGM. It has been a privilege to be the President during our 75th year. It has been hard work, but rewarding, with particular highlights being introducing the Hello Club membership system, getting the investment programme up and running, being an active and visible presence in the Club, helping to create a positive atmosphere in the Club and forging a better working relationship with the Lodge sub-committee. I also got out on at least one Club trip per month during 2022.
The 75th anniversary celebrations we held in November last year gave us the chance to celebrate the achievements of the past and to learn from these achievements and also to realise that the Club has always moved with the times. These factors allow us to look forward with a great sense of positivity for the future of the Club. I am certain that the new committee will be able to focus on the challenges of the future and lead the Club forwards to further successes.
Tony