My third and final year as Chairman. How time flies when you are enjoying yourself! I plan to focus on the theme of “Active Participation” which RB particularly referenced in her talk at our 50th Anniversary Party in June. But really, our Group thrives so successfully because so many of you do willingly take on volunteer roles, some big and many not so big which, collectively, contribute enormously to our overall success.
We have had many demonstrations of this over the past year and without going into too much detail here I will just summarise some key walks, events and social activities that so many of you have helped to organise and run. Some special walks for example took us to London (two separate trips), Portsmouth Harbour, Woolbeding Gardens and an evening walk plus dinner. We hosted the London Blind Walkers in July. Then the coach walks, which were based around Eastbourne, then Penshurst Place in Kent and finally Oxford. Then the Spring Holiday walks around Weymouth and finally the overseas walking trip to Lake Garda in Northern Italy. BB’s report must be read to appreciate the efforts made by so many to make these trips so successful.
The core of our activities is, of course, the local walk programme. You have hopefully read Colin’s report. 269 walks during the year with an average attendance of 14, one up from last year but still lagging the 17 we had pre-Covid. We do have a wide range of attendance on walks with the Wednesday slower paced walks and Thursday walks becoming increasingly popular. Thanks must go to Edwina and Damian for initiating these some years ago. EG is now floating the idea of a shorter amble paced walk of 3 to 4 miles. The Committee is very sympathetic to the idea and I think we shall plan to introduce the occasional one in the next walk programme.
As always, we encourage members who have not yet led a walk to give it a try. There are some Ramblers online training modules to complete but help and assistance will always be available. So please let CV know if you are interested. We also need some more volunteer compilers. These are the volunteers who assemble the walks of a particular type to go in the walk programme. For example the Wednesday long walks, the Wednesday slower paced walks, the Thursday walks, the Friday evening walks and the weekend walks. Five compliers for each walk programme and we need a larger pool to draw from. Many hands make light work as they say. A reminder here: don’t forget the Winter Walks Programme! Come along with friends and family if you wish.
I should also add that JC continues to work tirelessly with the integration of our Walks Programme into the national Ramblers Walks Manager. This has been a mighty task, and to some extent still ongoing.
On the Social front we have been very busy. Our New Year Lunch in January at Milford Golf Club (and don't forget the next New Year Lunch at the same venue on 12th January, several places are still available.) We hosted the Ramblers Surrey Area AGM in February, we had our Travel Show in March and our Godalming 50th Anniversary Tea Party in June. Huge thanks go to our Social Committee for managing these events, and particularly their leader FM who, it must be said, endured rather too many stressful moments. Thank you so much FM.
Outside the Social Committee remit we also had the Annual Quiz Evening in February organised by DW, with our challenging question master JC. And our first foray into a Bowls Evening on a June Summer’s evening at Godalming and Farncombe Bowls Club, organised by CB and AD.
I hope you all find time to read the newsletters every four months. A lot of effort goes into them particularly by the editor, FM again, the proof readers, CC and HD, the mailing by CW and of course all the contributors.
Rights of Way
You have hopefully read the reports by our Local Footpath Secretaries, IW and MF, and our Work Party Leader, JF. A lot of unsung work goes on here. As I have said before, we have a wonderful network of rights of way on our doorstep (footpaths, bridleways etc) but it doesn’t look after itself and we have about 20 or so members volunteering in various roles. We have successfully expanded our team of path wardens. Thank you RT, and DH, for adding further assistance to IW in his parishes. A couple more path wardens will be very welcome. We have an excellent team of volunteers on the monthly Work Parties as you can tell from JF’s report and the achievements that have been made this past year. JF will always welcome new members on the basis that all and any help is welcome. Just a couple of hours is fine. The work is always sociable and rewarding.
Membership
Our membership total has dropped slightly again this year and now stands at 443. Heather’s report has the details. Interestingly we gain around 60 new members each year but lose about 70. Logically, we should actually have an increase of active members. Many of those leaving are inactive and we like to assume that most joiners would like to become active. But in reality we don’t see many of them. So, despite making significant effort, we try to find new ways of encouraging them to participate. Retention of new members is a problem and this is shared by pretty well all of the Surrey Groups.
Now on a very positive note, we sometimes lament the increasing average age of our Group but I wish to salute an elite section of our membership, i.e. our active octogenarians. No names because I don’t know them all, but I know there are many. Living proof that walking is good for your health and longevity. We even have at least three nonagenarians in our membership, socially active even if they are not walking so much. And two of them are with us this evening. Anyway, I would just like to point out that over the next few months the last of the war babies are hoping to join them and I say that pointedly because there are quite few of us. So I shall just raise my glass as it were to all our existing octogenarians and those who plan to join them over the next few months.
Finance
Financially, we are sound. JB does a great job as Treasurer. Her report has been presented to you. AH continues to examine the accounts before they are presented to the Ramblers and our thanks go to her for her ongoing commitment. We are still carrying some excess funds but they are designated for Work Party materials and we have an expenditure plan.
Surrey Area
We stay involved with Surrey Area Council meetings. Main discussion issues have revolved around the new Walks Manager software, Walk Leader training, and First Aid courses. The Kingston Group are hosting the Area AGM on Saturday 1st February at East Horsley village hall and all members are invited. The Area is still looking for a Chairman if anyone is interested.
The Future
What of this coming year? Undoubtedly quite busy. It would be lovely to see a boost in our average attendance on walks. Fundamentally we achieve a busy schedule of walks and activities because we have the continuing commitment of so many of our members to take on various roles. But, to paraphrase John F Kennedy do not ask what G&H Ramblers can do for you, ask what you can do for G&H Ramblers. It all helps to spread the load and if you feel like lending a hand please talk to any member of this Committee or whoever you think appropriate. I am sure we shall continue to be a very successful and friendly Group, and enjoy our tasks, walks and social activities.
Finally, I should not only thank the Committee for their various valuable efforts over the past year but also reiterate some key members such as BB and JE for their outstanding commitment to the coach walks and holidays. CC for continuing her thorough proof-reading activities on the Newsletter and Walks Programme, IW and MF as Footpath Secretaries, and JF for the Work Party. And the entire Social Committee. What would we do without you?! Also, very importantly my wife Gill who has tolerated a big increase in my computer keyboard activity. Finally my sincere thanks to all of you here, because you contribute so much to the friendly and co-operative spirit of our Group.
Andy Piercey 16 November 2024