Taieri Recreational Tramping Club

President’s Report

It is my pleasure to present to you the 17th annual report of the Taieri Recreational Tramping Club.

Throughout the 2003/2004 year we have continued to enjoy our Wednesday tramps with very fewcancellations due to bad weather. Over the last year Trampers & Hikers each averaged 9 turning out per Wednesday, with the Ramblers averaging 2.

Our end of year lunch at  Harwood saw 34 attending and our midwinter lunch at Wobblies with 55 present again provided popular ways to mark the occasions.

I again acknowledge the  work of the track committee who meet for a long afternoon twice a year to allocate 100 tramps for our two major walking groups, assigning leaders, indicating degree of difficulty and anticipating seasonal and lambing conditions.

Thanks also to tramp leaders who dutifully accepted their role, faithfully carried out the recces, considerately sought permission from land owners and courteously phoned the club’s thanks to them after tramp.

Financial membership. 82? including  5 Life Members. (Nelson yet to supply these figures)

We sadly accepted the resignations of Ria Hakkaart, Win Harrex., Pam McDonald and Sandra Perkins.

We welcomed a record 12 new members: Vic Gill, Lesley Gowan, Annie Grant, Judy Grant, Bob & Nadia Madill, Evelyn Miller, Glenice Phelan, David Reid, Bruce Spittle, and Tom & Dorothy Stratton.

CAMPS

Our November camp at Fairlie had Claude & Lesley again leading us as they had the previous November at Timaru.

The Cromwell camp in February left us dissatisfied with the Chalets’ new administration’s reduction in kitchen facilities but was otherwise very successful. Brenda Hayes provided able leadership to Mt Difficulty and over the  Cardrona – Lowburn track.

The April camps divided us between Lorneville for 23 Hikers and Mavora for 7 trampers, the former washed out by the weather, the latter a wonderful time for the few who went. This division possibly indicates  further developments in the club’s history as the gap between the wishes of ambitious trampers and sedate hikers widens.

BUS TRIPS

43 went on the Gabriels Gully trip and 47 the Blue Mountains one. About the latter I’ll just say there were several bad calls exacerbated by a chilling wet storm. A lesson to us all.

To conclude: thanks to the Committee who have shared in the responsibility of guiding the club through yet another year with special mention of Nelson whose continuation of the Secretaryship stretched out to a further year beyond his preferred resignation date.

And of course, thanks to all members. Your enthusiasm and good company make belonging to this club the enjoyable experience it is. – Ian Fleming