President’s Report
Settled weather and the growing enthusiasm to join our activities have resulted in a bumper few months. It has been wonderful to see such good turnouts for our walks, paddles and rides, and as is always the case, our trips away have been fully subscribed. The number of activities and the participation rates are a good measure of how we are travelling. We normally report the annual figures at the AGM but have decided to include a snapshot of the last few months in the Newsletter. We’d be interested to hear your comments, and whether you’d like to see these graphs in future issues.
Earlier this year, Julie McDonald joined our committee as the Publicity Officer. She has been spreading the word about our club in a number of ways, focusing primarily on the Shellharbour and Kiama areas. Some of you may have seen the recent display at the Kiama Library or read the article about the Ramblers in a recent issue of the The Bugle which is a Kiama-based publication.
The last quarter has been somewhat taken up with the issue of insurance for our e-bike riders. As has recently been announced, after much negotiation and discussion, the committee has unanimously decided that the best way forward is to require that e-bike riders take out their own insurance with Bicycle NSW.
We always welcome new leaders – Mel Marriott and Steve Mitchell have led their first bike rides, and Anne Marie will be leading her first walk in the coming week and has another interesting one planned for early September. On behalf of all our members – thank you for stepping up. Anyone else interested in taking on a leader role, but needing some guidance – please don’t hesitate to speak to a leader you know, or contact a committee member. There is also lots of information on the website under the Activities tab.
We had sad news a few weeks ago. Ron Carvell, a long time member of the Illawarra Ramblers passed away on Monday 7th August. Ron and Marge were active in the club for many years. In more recent times, well into their eighties, they continued to be avid cyclists and were among the first to have e-bikes. They were considered as role models by many other cyclists in the club.
The end of the year is looming – we are already thinking about the AGM and Christmas Party which will be held at the Rhododendron Gardens in 2nd December. So put the date in your diary now – more details follow in the newsletter.
Enjoy the warmer weather in the coming months – and keep an eye on the activities program, it is updated regularly, and you don’t want to miss out.
Penny Howes