65 years ago this month, a group of keen outdoors people got together and formed the WTMC. What a good idea that was! On Wed 28 Nov we are having a retro night. People will be showing old school slides from various tramping expeditions. Feel free to come along adorned in your best black singlet and swandri if you have one. Perhaps leave the stubbies shorts at home, bit of a risk of being arrested for indecent exposure wearing those in suburban Wellington these days. This will be a chance to look back at the way things used to be. If you want to contribute to the evening’s entertainment get in touch with Jenny
Back to the future, the material relating to amendments to the club constitution is up on the club website. Notice of the EGM will be sent out with the next FMC Bulletin, hopefully in December. Have a look when you get the chance and we’ll see you at the meeting in January 2013. The 2012 Journal will be out shortly providing us with some great Christmas reading. Big thanks to everyone who has contributed to this project especially Tony Gazley the Journal Editor and Sarah Young the Newsletter Editor.
You may have noticed that the website is displaying a fresh set of pictures – photos from our photo competition held earlier in the year. The web team continues to beaver away behind the scenes fine tuning the website and your feedback is always welcome. If you see Mike Gilbert around give him a pat on the back he has been toiling away night and day on the Sisyphean task of getting all the backdoor bits to work.
It is almost time for us to start preparing the 2012-13 accounts and annual report so we have been thinking about succession planning. A number of key spots on the committee will be up for grabs as people who have worked long and hard for the club either stand down altogether or switch to different roles. We have started talking to a few people about the possibility of joining the committee. If you are interested we would love to talk to you too. Contact anyone on the committee in person or by email to find out more. Role requirements including a comprehensive list of the key performance indicators, accountabilities, qualifications, experience, reporting lines, salary and other benefits are available on the website.
Finally, with the warmer months and the official silly season approaching more of us are getting out into the hills. As the vast majority of us are human and therefore prone to forgetting stuff, (I went on a day walk over Labour weekend and “forgot” to take my lunch), it feels like a good time to remind you of the 3Ds of tramping.
Don’t be ignorant. Be aware of your experience, training and the information you need when you head out on a trip. Do you know where you are going? Have you told someone reliable where you are going? Do you have the skills necessary to get there and back safely? Have you done what you need to do to prepare? Reading and understanding the trip plan is a great place to start.
Don’t be casual. Casualness, complacency and overconfidence may serve you well when executing a pick up line down the pub but sooner or later they will trip you up in the outdoors. Practice self awareness so you are familiar with your limits – fitness wise, skill wise and experience wise. There is a fine line between pushing your limits and getting out of your depth. Try to stay on the right side of the line. You may have no idea what you don’t know. Just because you got away with doing something stupid last weekend doesn’t mean you should make a habit of it. This is where heading out with more experienced people and observing their behaviour and listening to their stories can be really helpful. Everyone has tales of mistakes or near misses – it’s what you learn from them that matters.
Don’t be distracted. Try to keep your focus and stay in the moment. Don’t worry there is no need to take up yoga to achieve this, trust me! What the person beside you can get away with may not apply to you. Sources of distraction are many and varied. Sore feet, feeling the need to hurry, taking pictures instead of watching where you are putting your feet, feeling nervous or tired, blurred vision from staring too long at stripy polypro long johns or fluro- green sleeping bags, fireworks November = Guy Fawkes after all and being so busy talking to the person next to you that you miss the turn off.
Have a great November and stay safe in the hills.