Monthly General Meeting
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CANBERRA BUSHWALKING. CLUB INC NEWSLETTER t GPO Box 160, Canberra ACT 2601 VOLUME 34 OCTOBER 1998 NUMBER 10 MONTHLY GENERAL MEETING Speaker: Scott Porteous, on Recreational Activities with Outward Bound Australia 8pm Wednesday 21 October Dickson Library Community Room (entrance at rear of library) Make the most of the evening and join other members at 600pm for a convivial (BYO) meal at the Pho Phu Quoc Restaurant in Cape Street, Dickson. Try to be early to ensure there will be ample time to finish and still get to the meeting in comfortable time Walks to Rob Horsfield 11 Studley St, Kambah Ph: 6231 4535 or by e-mail to Paul Edstein (pedstein©pcug.org.au ) Articles etc. for publication to Paul Edstein Ph: 6271 4514(w) 6286 1398 (h) Fax: 6271 4560 (w) E-mail: [email protected] 19 Gamor St Waramanga ACT 2611 PRESIDENT'S PRATTLE Another Club year dawns. As seems usual at ultimately it must be up to the other 290 or so AGMs in recent years, the returning officer's members. Some points: achievement was in finding a full complement of • You have paid your annual subscription. Get people to volunteer. It would be much better if we had maximum value for money by going on lots of keenly fought elections! walks. A anyone who knows me is well aware, I • If you have a suggestion on how the program could believe the Objects of the Club, starting with be improved, contact the Walks Secretary, or "... 1. promote bushwalking and allied outdoor another Committee member - each is an ex-officio activities", but including most of the others, are best "assistant walks secretary?' '[Committee please met by maintaining a comprehensive and well note!]. attended walks program. Social and other activities • If you are interested in going on a particular walk, are aids to help increase walks participation. encourage other people by promoting it among The Committee will be working on strategies both club members and your friends elsewhere. to encourage maximum participation in activities, but • Better still, volunteer to lead the walk you want. attracted 40 new members. This continued decline is The program is dominated year after year by the despite the Club maintaining a healthy activity same small group of leaders. We can't do without program, a site on the Internet and the continued them, but some must be getting jaded - I know at distribution of the Club's newsletter and leaflet to least one is. Old "hands" fjèet?} are always outdoor/adventure equipment shops in Canberra. The willing to help, particularly with the easy things Committee has not been able to determine any like navigation. specific reason for this decline. • Support new leaders. They have usually put in Walks Activity Program much more time and effort into preparing their walk, and are likely to have interesting new ideas. The Club's activity program once again featured the popular areas including Namadgi, • Book early on walks, so the leader knows early Morton, Budawangs, Kosciuszko and Blue Mountains that the trip will be going, and can reassure others. National Parks and the rarely visited Wollemi • Come to social events, including meetings and IT National Park. Field trips to threatened NSW State Collation. This greatly increases your scope for forests were organised by Roger Beddis with the developing interest in particular trips - I and many Forest Campaign Group of the Australian other leaders have frequently programmed walks Conservation Foundation. Other activities included in response to discussions at meetings. In addition canoeing, rock climbing, abseiling, canyoning and you can verify that other walkers are not 2 metres skiing sometimes organised jointly with the Family tall and muscle bound. Bushwalkers, ANUMC, National Parks Association and Canberra Cross-country Ski Club. Alan Vidler, President P There were 207 programmed walks but many 37th ANNUAL REPORT were cancelled due to the hot, dry conditions of the I I summer and others due to lack of interest and other It is with pleasure that I present the Canberra reasons. The major contributors to the program were Bushwalking Club's 37th annual report. A number of Allan Mikkelsen, Terence Uren, George Carter, Jeff notable issues kept the Conservation Officer, Terence Bennetts, Richard Bain, Murray Dow, Paul Rustomji, Uren very busy this year including submissions to: Stan Marks and Roger Edwards. Forty other members • Perisher Skifield EIS and Inquiry led walks and other activities who, along with the • Snowy Water Inquiry above leaders, deserve the grateful thanks of all participating members. Seventeen of these leaders led • Eden Regional Forest Agreement just one activity so I hope they will try and at least • Tinderry Nature Reserve Draft Plan of double their contribution next year. Management • NSW National Parks Draft Access Strategy Extended trips on offer included the full • NSW National Parks Draft Tourism Strategy length or sections of the Australian Alps Walking • Redevelopment of Pretty Beach Caravan Park Track led by Rob Horsfield and the South Coast • Various other information was provided to Track in Tasmania led by Allan Mikkelsen. members on campaigns, events and issues There were only 3 new walks leaders this through the It and Club General Meetings. year, Henry Satrapa, Jenny Horsfield and Darryl • Club members also participated in other forums Alexander. This is still a disappointing number but including: the Activity Program provided a good range of walks • NSW National Parks Visions for the New and other activities including weekend lodge trips to Millennium the Snowy Mountains and car camps. • NSW National Parks Draft Access Strategy This year the Greg Buckley Award goes to • Australian Alps Walking Track Strategy Jeff Bennetts. Not only one of the most active leaders Working Group again this year but this award (for which his next Membership annual membership is waived) also recognises his The latest figures on Club membership are as contribution of 181 walks in less than II years. Jeff follows: has provided a range of walks to suit everyone from Ordinary members 208 the short/easy, sometimes taking his young son along, Household members 77 to challenging weekend walks. Life members 7 A number of members continued to take Total membership 292 advantage of the "Wild Card Walks" facility this year, Once again the Club has experienced a enabling members to combine with other members for decrease in membership during the past year but still unlisted walks, and sufficient for the service to be Canberra Bushwalking Club IT October 1998 page 2 continued by Rob llorsfield. This allowed members to Conservation Council of the South-East Region and walk with other members when they were not able to Canberra. join listed walks or wanted something different from what was on the program. The annual October Spanish Broom clearing in the Cotter Hut area of Namadgi was organised once Rob Horsfield has continued to revise the again by John Thwaite with the ACT Parks and Bus hwalking near Canberra book previously Conservation Service. The occasion received good produced by this Club in 1974 but enhanced with support this time so thank you to all members who unusual 3-D type maps to clearly indicate the route participated. and clearly showing the ascents and descents. Search and Rescue General Meetings and Social Program The Club was unable to respond to the one Members were provided with a variety of search and rescue call-out this year - which resulted in subjects at the general meetings including talks and the lost person being found long before our team slide presentations, of trips and bush related subjects, would have reached the search area. by both members and non-members. The Committee is very grateful to those members who provided some Club members were involved in training entertaining evenings. weekends run by the Confederation Wilderness Rescue during the year. These involved the The Club newsletter: It wilderness self-rescue weekend early in the year and Although the It's primary function is to the annual wilderness-rogaine. The Club had a team in provide the Activity Program it also allows members the one day rogaine event with another party of to share activity experiences and opinions on members helping to monitor the event. bushwalking related subjects. During this year there 1997-98 Committee and Office Holders have been a number of trip reports and special articles Thank you to all members who served on the from members which provided information and Committee this year. The Committee was comprised entertainment to other members. of the following: Chris Roper (President), Gary The Club has continued to promote the Trevean and later Michelle Weston (Vice- Activity Program on the Internet, with thanks again to President/Treasurer), Allan Mikkelsen (Walks Allan Mikkelsen who maintains the home page. Secretary), Paul Edstein (Editor), Roger Edwards The It Collation continues to be a very social (Membership Secretary), Terence Uren (Conservation event with volunteer members contributing time and Officer), Barry Munns (Publisher), John Dean venues. The Committee is very grateful to both the (Assistant Walks Secretary), Eddie Cheetham (Social volunteers and hosts. Secretary), Jenny Florsfield (Minute Secretary) and Stan Marks (Correspondence Secretary). Confederation of NSW Bushwalking Clubs Others who provided valuable support and This Club has continued its membership of deserve thanks are Stan Marks and John Dean the Confederation which provides greater access to (Check-in Officers), Rene Davies and John Thwaite issues of interest to bushwalking clubs in NSW. Much (Club Conservation Associates), Rob Horsfield (Wild of this information is provided through the quarterly Card Walks Coordinator), Mike Pedvin (Equipment newsletter The Bushwalker made available at General Officer), David Campbell (Search and Rescue) with Meetings (on a first come first served basis) and on Pat Miethke and Doug Wright (Search and Rescue some bushwalks.