Annual Club Dinner – Jan 27/28
To avoid disappointment it might be wise to book pretty soon as spaces are filling very fast. The guest speaker this year is David Hamilton of High Adventure. David is a great character and a very accomplished Himalayan climber. Contact Chris for details and booking form.
Merthyr Mountain Rescue Post – 7.30pm Dec 14 – GR075080
This Thursday we’re at the mountain rescue post (nr MacDonalds on the A4102). A map was attached with the last newsletter, but if you need further details contact Hugh. This night is the team’s usual training night so we will hopefully meet quite a few of their members. Not only that, there’s even a pub nearby!!
Navigation on Mynydd Llangynidr – Jan 7
The experienced Peter Jackson has kindly volunteered to run a navigation day for the benefit of novices and those with a little more experience who might wish to brush up on their skills. It’s been a while since I have tested myself on a specific exercise and there’s a very good chance I’ll be somewhat rusty. But here’s a chance to put that right. So make a date in your diary and test yourself out. And don’t forget to wrap up warm!
Kirkby Stephen YH in North Yorkshire – March 3/4
£14 for the 2 nights. Linda is taking money now.
Subscriptions
Our treasurer, Ian Tucker, has asked me to mention the new subscription rates for the 2000/2001 year as decided at the AGM. Not surprisingly the new rate will not be universally known as yet! The normal rate is £13 and the reduced rate (for partners at the same address, students, unemployed, 16-17yr olds) is £6.50. Please spread the news around if you can. An increase was felt prudent, as there may be an increase in BMC insurance and the fee for using the Commodore Hotel in the next year. Subscriptions are due and Ian is collecting monies now.
Programme Secretaries
To clarify the situation for the benefit of those not at the AGM, Ted Bumford will be compiling the Thursday half of the programme and Hugh will be doing the Sundays and Weekends. I’m sure we all wish Ted, Hugh and all of the committee a successful year.
What should prospective members do?
I have been asked this a number of times over the last year or so by new members. The answer is that there is no obligation to join straight away, people are simply invited to try out a few activities first to see if they like them and like the club. Although there is (in theory) no time limit on this, a very small number of people in the past have taken the "Michael" by coming along for the series of summer evening walks, not joined us and then we might not see them until the next summer. A membership form and club constitution can be obtained from the treasurer, Ian Tucker (if another member has a spare one that's fine). A proposer and seconder are required, as is an agreement to the club's constitution. Monies should then be passed to Ian, payable to the Gwent Mountaineering Club (not Ian !!). Please note the half-rates stated above. Please pass this information on to prospective members should they wish to join. Thank you.
Club Website
The site has now received over 1000 hits and many thanks are due to our webmaster, Trefor Beese. There is a slow but steady stream of new faces that have reached us through the site. (see address above). One or two have seen the address on the poster at the Bargoed climbing wall and others have found us using internet searches for ‘mountaineering’ etc.
Special edition of the Pinnacle for the 25th Anniversary of the club
During 2001 we will reach the 25th Anniversary of the club. To mark this occasion Chris wishes to publish a special edition of the club’s journal, The Pinnacle. All types of articles, however large or small, are welcome, but in particular Chris would like to receive any anecdotes of club activities members can remember over the club’s lifetime. Maybe someone sliding down a snow gully on Snowdon, for instance! (and being OK, of course).
It has come to light that a few people have not seen the following note regarding BMC insurance and so it is replicated here for your records. The note was placed in with the winter programme but for whatever reason some people are not aware of the following:
From April 1999 the Woolf Civil Justice Reforms introduced strict timescales for the handling of all third party insurance claims. This directly affects the club's third party liability insurance, and it is now essential that members report any accident or incident to the BMC Insurance Brokers immediately. This is particularly important when any personal injury is involved.
The BMC Insurance Brokers are :
Perkins Slade Limited Tel. 0121 698 8000
Elizabeth House Fax 0121 643 1360
22 Suffolk Street Queensway
Birmingham E-mail l.knight@perkins-slade.com
B1 1LS
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P.S. the next newsletter will be around Friday Jan 12, so if there is anything you wish mentioned please give me a call