Taieri Recreational Tramping Club

PRESIDENT’S REPORT 2005

It is my pleasure to present to you the 18th Annual Report of the Taieri Recreational Tramping Club.

Over the past year our Club has continued to enjoy a successful tramping programme, with only 3 Wednesdays cancelled due to bad weather. The turn out each day has been very good, with an average of 27 – made up of 14 Trampers, 11 Hikers and 2 Ramblers.

Once again the Christmas Lunch was at Harwood with 25 attending. And the mid-winter lunch at the Hotel Taieri was again very well supported, about 53 enjoying a good meal together.

Camps – There were 2 camps in November which unfortunately overlapped each other slightly. However 11 ent to Borland and 18 to Albertown. All enjoyed good tramping at these camps. In February only 9 went to Pounawe for an enjoyable camp.

The April camp at Gore was very ably led by Dorothy and Tom Stratton, who had made contact with members of the Hokonui Tramping Club to assist with their recces. 16 attended what proved to be a very enjoyable camp.

Bus Trips – In December 35 went to Trotters Gorge, where the problem of trying to accommodate a long tramp for the Trampers and a shorter one for the Hikers was noticeable, as some had a long wait for the last ones to arrive back at the bus. Happily the trip to the Rail Trail up  past Hyde was much better coordinated, 38 enjoying that day away.

Financial Membership for the year was 91 including 5 Life Memberships. Unfortunately we had to accept the resignation of Kerry walker, but on a happier note we welcomed 5 new members: Jacqui O’Donnell, Tash Hurst, Evelyn and Bob Entwistle and Lois Fenton.

I want to acknowledge the good work of the Track Committee who met twice during the year to sort out the Club’s Tramping Programme for the 2 main groups. Thank you also to the weekly tramp leaders for carrying out their duties of seeking land-owners’ permission (and thanking them afterwards); doing the recces and leading on the day, etc. Thank you also to Colleen initially and then Peter for turning up each week at the car park to take the roll call.

I want to say a very special thank you to those who served on the Committee for their contribution over the past year, and in particular I wish to acknowledge the work done by our very able secretary Dorothy.

My final thanks go to those who stood in for myself on various occasions when I was unable to attend due to work commitments.

I finish my report by commenting on the gap that exists between the Hikers and the Trampers because of the different physical ambitions of the two groups. I future I can foresee than on occasion separate camps may be needed to satisfy all, even though it divides the club to some degree. I ask you all to consider this from both sides for the good of the club.

Thank you and Happy Tramping. – Arthur Heenan – August 2005.

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