Newsletter, August 2008

Welcome to new members: Marie Greeks and Lyneke Onderwater

UPCOMING CLUBNIGHT: Monday 6 October 2008 (Put it in your diary!)

Show & Tell Club Night

If you missed out on making a presentation in June 2007 at our entertaining evening of “Show and Tell”, or have some more recent activities to share, then the October club night will be an opportunity for you to bring along a few slides or DVD photos of trips you’ve done which you think may be of interest to others. We’ve all been to the evenings devoted to exotic overseas destinations but lots of members have really good photographic records of amazing trips at home. Generally the presentations will be of about five minutes each covering, say, ten slides. This may vary depending on the interest but if you snooze you lose. There will be a chance for questions and comments during the time it takes the next presenter to set up their slides.

Contact Lawrie (Ph 5444096 or email thehalketts@xtra.co.nz ) by 26 September to book your slot.

Nelson Intermediate School, Tipahi Street, 7.30 pm, gold coin admission. Pat Holland Ph 5391340

Preliminary Notice

December is our annual photo competition so start searching for those pictorial records you have generated this year. Full rules and guidelines in our next newsletter
From President Mark

Farewell our Friend .

It is with sadness that I comment on the death of our friend and fellow tramper, Grahame Harris. He will not be forgotten by the Nelson Tramping Club. Three words spring to mind when I think of Grahame:
Time; He gave his time unstintingly as he served on the committee as programme coordinator for a number of years.
Energy; Grahame lead trips, took instructional courses and was always ready to give of his experiences, with suggestions and ideas to help others out.
Enthusiasm; He was always looking for ways to encourage club members to be involved, and it was he who set up the programme and database process that we use now, provided details of upcoming trips to The Leader, and placed programme details at the Library.

Grahame will be missed. I will miss his quick wit, his joke telling skills and his endless store of stories, but most of all I will miss Grahame for just being himself.

From all of us at the Nelson Tramping Club, farewell our friend.

Annual General Meeting : The new committee is as follows:-

President Mark Stevens (Gear Officer)

Vice President Lawrie Halkett

Correspondence Secretary Pat Holland

Minutes Secretary Jo Kay

Treasurer Gillian Arbuthnott

Programme Co-ordinator Ruth Hesselyn

Member Bob Janssen

Member Dion Pont

Member Mike Drake

Member Hec Arbuthnott (Newsletter Editor)

There were 31 members present and 3 visitors for this 75 th Annual General Meeting of the Nelson Tramping Club where Mark Stevens, as Acting President, presented his report which covered all of the various things and people that make up the Club: assets, items for loan, websites, newsletter, tramps. He thanked the outgoing committee members Uta Purcell, for her ten years service, and Mike Marren, then those committee members continuing, including, Gillian Arbuthnott for her work as Treasurer, Hec Arbuthnott for editing the Newsletter, Ruth Hesselyn for programme co-ordination, and also all members who have been willing to lead trips. Auditor, Roger Jackson, was thanked for his review of the Club’s Financial Statement.

In a special tribute Mark honoured the memory of Grahame Harris, who had passed away the previous week and whose funeral many members attended that day. We would have liked to acknowledge Grahame’s contributions to the Club by awarding him life membership last year. He found out and would not accept it, stating others would be more worthy. Grahame will be very sadly missed for his active role in the Club, and certainly for his quite amazing fund of jokes!

Lawrie Halkett, assisted with expert technological skill by Mike Marren, gave us a slideshow and PowerPoint presentation about reafforestation in Nepal in the 1970s, when he and his wife worked there for VSA. There were some comparisons between then and now, the pictures of local characters, young and old, could only have been taken by someone who lived among them. Lawrie’s commentary was lively, informative and entertaining.

This was followed by supper and a good social time.
Annual Subscription

The Treasurer thanks all those who have paid their subscriptions to date. If you have not yet paid your subscription you should to do so immediately as these were due as at 1 July 2008, and become overdue as at 1 September, as per our Constitution.

Annual subscriptions for the year 2008/9 Annual membership: Adult - $28.00 Couple - $45.00

These all include FMC Affiliation levy of $10.00 per person. Clubs which belong to the FMC receive a number of benefits for their members, including the FMC card with its discounts, the FMC bulletin, and the benefit of a coordinating body to represent club interests in local and national issues. The cost of that membership is levied against clubs at the rate of $10.00 per club member, without exception.

NB. Subscriptions can be paid online to: Nelson Tramping Club Inc. at Westpac Nelson,

Account 03 0703 0028827 00. If using this option you must identify yourself by name.

Otherwise post your cheque to Nelson Tramping Club, C/- Treasurer, Gillian Arbuthnott, 10 Wiltshire Place, Stoke or hand in at Basecamp, 295 Trafalgar Street, NELSON.
The “ SALE” table will return for the October meeting.

NOTICES
A request from the Programme Co-ordinator

I need a volunteer with some spare time and computer skills to take over Grahame’s ‘behind the scene’ programme tasks. Being a numbers man, Grahame developed a really good data base of trips, (which needs regular updating) and various other systems so he could work out transport and scale calculations. Something that I have neither the time nor inclination to do. I am happy to continue with the programme for the next year, but if no one steps forward for the above ‘position’, it will be produced in a simplified version. Looking forward to a positive response. Ruth Hesselyn
Hints on Safety

You should always take a Personal Locator Beacon with you on your trip . The Club now has four GPS EPLBs which are for use on club trips, with club members entitled to take one, free of charge, on private trips, subject to availability. As these new beacons cost over $700 each this is a major benefit to club members in belonging to The Nelson Tramping Club. NB. Club trips have priority.

The beacons are held at Basecamp, 295 Trafalgar Street, Nelson.
Contributions from Club Members

A Footloose Boot!

I have inadvertently acquired a woman’s Randonee leather tramping boot (left foot). If you have found you have one missing please give me a call on 548 6826. David Blunt.

Wild Rivers Action Project (WRAP)

For those people interested in seeing our wild rivers remain dam-free, visit www.wrap.org.nz.Meridian Energy's proposal for a dam on the Mokihinui River motivated me to do something; a submission perhaps? The solution to my dilemma was a call from Tony Haddon asking if I would help set up a website to capture signatures for a petition. Along with a few others the website was developed and the petition launched. Basically, the petition is requesting the government take a systems approach to the nation's energy generation and consumption, and not just launch into energy generation frenzy; take a more lateral approach, place significant emphasis on energy reduction, and treat energy as a precious resource.

So, please read the petition, and if you agree, sign it. Any feedback, both good, and bad, will be most welcomed. Mike Drake Ph 03 522 4458 email mike@foodmanagement.co.nz

Editor’s Comment

Uta Purcell has been a positive and generous giver of her time and experience over several years with the Club, and especially as an active, interested committee member and her knowledge and considered input will be missed as she steps down after ten years on the committee. While Mike Marren has only had one year as a committee member he has in that time made us more critically aware at times as we pondered various decisions. Thank you both for your past efforts and we look forward to your continued contributions as club members. Welcome Jo Kay and Bob Janssen to the club executive, and we know that you will each bring your own experiences and approach to our club, from which we can all benefit. Thank you for accepting nomination.

REMINDER: Club members receive a 10% discount from Basecamp and Rollo’s