I had the rewarding job for 1998 and this little piece of work is to tell all you budding Trog Editors about the job and encourage you to take it on.

When I joined the tramping club, I had been on tramps before with my family, I had gone on school trips and generally enjoyed the outdoors. Little did I know what a great source of experience and knowledge the Canterbury University Tramping Club is. Before long I was wandering around on hilltops and running down scree slopes, learning to cross rivers and doing a bit of abseiling and rock climbing.

Then I had a fit of conscience and decided to put something back into the club by being the Trog Editor. I found that although I was doing a very useful job from the club’s perspective, I was also learning a lot for myself. I learned a lot more about computers than I knew when I started. I now know how much persuasion people need to do things they don’t really have to do. I had excellent experience in selling advertising and dealing with the managers of the city’s tramping supply shops and I got an insight into the workings of the printing industry.

For those interested in this job it really consists of five stages:

1 Collection – bribes are really effective (chocolate)

2 Collation – get a good publishing programme and don’t be afraid to ask for help if things get tough. You also have to know the in’s and out’s of scanning pictures and photographs – but this is easily learned.

3 Advertising – Write letters, follow up with phone calls and be positive and active. The tramping club now has a substantial list of contacts which makes things easier.

4 Printing – Hunt around for good deals.

5 Distributing – just put ‘em in envelopes and send ‘em away to members.

If you want to get involved just let one of the committee members know. It is really a two person job but it would work best if you find someone you know you could work with. The election of trog editors happens at the half AGM.

Jeanie Hobbs