Well, on reflection term one turned out to be pretty damn good. Many people within the club got away on plenty of arse-kicking trips and a few brave souls even set out with the ‘…….’ for a week of instruction. Who’s the ‘…….’ you ask? Lets just say their aint just one no more - but four - good instruction apparently! ($5 guys!! - standing joke - you just had to be there!) Also I got to hear that heaps of women have been going on the trips, good on you girls - it’s good to have a healthy mix and I’m sure those new ladies back-packs will come in handy as they did on my trip over Easter. [Note: comments such as ‘good on you girls’ and ‘new ladies back-packs’ are intended to be encouraging. René means well but he is a commerce and marketing student. – Ed.] The River-crossing was an exceptional day, the first in a long time apparently (often it’s testis killing - this time we couldn’t wait to get in the river!). The instruction of John and Phil was exceptional and thanks also to Hamish and the other leaders. A big ‘Rock My Universe’ to Rene Boorsboom for the smooth organisation of this important event - yeah baby!

We’ve got a new web site! It aint got the latest from Stephanie Swift (if you know that name you ought to be embarrassed - apparently) but it’s sure to be a tease anyway! Check out this pup on www.cutc.canterbury.ac.nz for all the tasty pics and stories from the social police. It also contains current trip information amongst other things - cheers Stew! Our Social officers are out on a tour-de-force this term and we’ve got an awesome line-up of some not-so-tramping social weekends in the heart of some beautiful bush! Uh Hubah! Oh, we’ve also got some ‘yeah baby’ Wednesday night outings and a ‘bring-a-cake-and-get-drunk-on-the-club-night’ - be there with tags on and bells ringing!

The terms are set pups - we’re going to give you big, extra wide, tasty, King Size bars of chocolate! Yeah that’s right - chocolate girls! and other goodies on top guys?!! such as term prizes of Geothermals, Oasis Drinking System and Maglite. The question is burning I know, for what do you have to do to get this awesome stuff? Well not much really - just turn up with your article of the trip you did on the weekend - give it to Bridget or Anna and they’ll reward you big time!!! I’ll get them to talk about it at every meeting so you’ll know who these funky gals are!

Down to the serious stuff - I know about now you’re a shiverin in ya shus! - but it has to be said - Big Daddy is angry! - and this is it. Any gear you pups borrow from the gear locker must be dried, cleaned and promptly returned - and that means before the next weekend! Many people get totally pissed when important gear for group use remains outstanding for weeks on end, which means we can’t use it. So this is what we’re going to do. If gear ain’t returned within the week you will lose your deposit - unless you ring one of our gear locker officers and have a very good excuse. If it ain’t returned by the second week I’ll call the Jehovahs Witness - by the third week I’ll have the lads knocking on your door - by the fourth you’ll be converted to knocking on my door - when you knock on my door I’ll take the gear off you and tell you to f%&k off - comprehendo! Very civil.

With the thorn out of my left cheek?! I can now talk about all the exciting stuff - like our new ‘Hat off Award’. Uh huh - sounds way too cool eh! and you pups are itching to know right! Well here it is. To begin, if you win this most esteemed and highly prized tramping club award you get to become something of a legend in 1999. Want to find out how - here it is.

First you get out of the city and live life as it should be i.e. swinging in the trees - be sure to take some-one along (it’s better to do it with two or more?). Go tramping and wait for it to happen - it always does! When this thing happens - and you’ll know when it’s happening - remember it - Come along to a Wednesday night meeting and someone in your group will speak - they’ll talk about the trip and this special person including why they think s/he deserves it - that person will then be nominated to go in for a special mystery prize drawn at the end of term. So what is the happening thing? Well it’s anything from a good deed to a shifty deed to anything thrown out of context! Get my drift!

Weather permitting the club will visit an extensive area through-out term two - like the pub. Aside from the often breath-taking views to be enjoyed in here we will also get to experience some beautiful valleys, some dizzying heights, and many peaks - during term two we will also go tramping! Areas visited will range from Le Bons beach on the Banks Peninsula for festivities and bonfires to a beautiful secret mystery location 700Km on a bus away from Christchurch for more festivities! Around the festivities there will be rip-snorter trips up Waimak Col (if you can make it this year!) - the Oteheke hot pools (in the wop-wops within Arthurs Pass) - Cass Logoon (a must do - this trip is in the top 5!) - and many other exciting, challenging, and simply easy-going trips - along with plenty of day trips on Sundays like the infamous Mt Binser (now this rocks!). Other events on the calendar will be a First Aid course over two weekends, a Bushcraft course, Rockclimbing course out at Castle Hill and a Leadership course - all you need to do is take your pick and come along.

This year we’ve got the highest membership of all time apparently to Rene’s little book of bullshit - and it’s great to see so many of you turn up to the Wednesday night meetings and the trips away - for those of you who may be joining us this term we meet in the Upper Common Room in the UCSA building on a Wednesday night at 7:30pm. With all the members so active in the first term I’m sure the second is going to ROCK! Why - because I said so Jimmy! I will be looking forward to seeing you all as soon as the next term kicks in - we will tramp the beautiful Alps in snow together and drink the wine till we can’t drink no more - what a toss?! and by the way since the scene is set - Daz is a single man - so go get him girls!