Welcome to the Xmas edition of OME. Let me commence by reviewing actions taken. The club has accepted the constitutional changes as amended at the September SGM to allow for Junior Members. This may not satisfy all but is, I believe, a good compromise to allow minors with proven walking ability to join their parents. The club has now also changed the travel arrangements increasing the agreed contribution to petrol sharing.

Probably the most significant event affecting EBC is the agreement to take the 2005 Federation Walk on 16^th October. This is an opportunity for EBC to put something back into the Federation. I would like to make a couple of comments. Firstly it is a truism that any organisation is only as good as its members. This is as true of the Federation as it is of the EBC. EBC can only take this event on now because of the increase in active leaders; a previous invitation could not be accepted because there were insufficient leaders. Secondly it was extremely pleasing to see the enthusiasm of the volunteers, all of whom have many other work and family commitments, who put themselves forward to take on the task of managing such an event. I would like to thank these on behalf of all members. May I also encourage other members to volunteer for the many tasks, which are certain to be required, to organise and manage the forthcoming Federation Walk.

Now is the time to remind members of the forthcoming leadership training activity scheduled for the weekend 2-3 April 2005. I would like to also make the observation of the significant under representation in our complement of leaders, and the committee for that matter, of our female membership. I would strongly encourage our female members to correct this. Those, for example, who like shorter walks, are most welcome to lead them. The reality is our existing hard core of active and committed members, are generally harder walkers. Navigation to ‘Melways’ standard is all that is required. EBC is only as good as its members, and without leaders there is no club. EBC is fortunate indeed to have the skills of John Atkinson to lead the training, and given we can only resource the training every 2-3 years, now is the time to sign up.

I would like to inform members of certain administrative changes that are to be introduced to the committee. As part of the process of improving the administration and easing the workload for individual office bearers, the secretary function is to be split. EBC will now have both club and membership secretary positions. This will involve changes in communication, and will as well reduce significantly the treasurer’s workload. The changes will be ‘run-in’ for a while and if value is seen in purchasing software this will be done. Any required constitutional changes to make the membership secretary an elective position will come later. I am pleased to announce the Bryan Folie has agreed to take on the role of membership secretary, and on behalf of the committee I would like to thank him for this.

The finances of EBC, given the recent increase in fees, are very sound. This gives us the resources to fund leadership training, pay for administration changes, and so on. It would appear that membership has declined slightly to the 172 level. The committee expects it to increase back towards 190+, which was our budget estimate, and the level used for insurance purposes. One item that is never addressed is, "How big should the club be?" It can be argued that the number of members is not necessarily the best indicator of success. Indeed one of the main reasons for a membership secretary position is the number of new members, a large proportion of whom do not stay beyond the first year. EBC needs to welcome new members to capture the 10-20% who will become long term members, and those who last beyond a year or two, tend to stay a long time. These are the future, and for example new members have helped strengthen pack walking. Perhaps a better indicator of club health is the ratio of leaders to total members. If currently there are say 25 active leaders out of 175 this is a ratio of 1:7, would not a ratio of 1:4 be better?

I make these comments to stimulate debate. I observe that some larger clubs of up to 500 members are becoming dysfunctional. Walks are effectively rationed because of an insufficient number of leaders. Nobody wants to be on the committee because the task is too time-consuming. EBC is indeed fortunate in the dedication of the core of its leaders and members. But this should not be taken for granted.

Let me conclude by wishing you a happy Christmas and prosperous New Year. There is a lot of great walking to be done, so please enjoy it.

P.O. Box 32, Moonee Ponds, 3032

Please allow me the luxury of a little whinge. One of the functions of this newsletter is to give leaders the opportunity to advertise their events to people who do not attend meetings (~60%). The walks previews are dominated by a few putting in a lot, a few putting in a little, and a large few not putting in anything. It’s your choice, but the non-writers should consider the benefit of advertising their pet events. Lets see if, in future editions, we can get more leaders contributing something.

Aside from the imbalance in preview contributions, thanks to all who contributed. Without your writings the pages would be harder to fill.

Go for it!

Editor

Submitting Articles

Articles can be sent to Chris Jarvis, E-mail: cjjarvis@labyrinth.net.au

To be held at 19.30 hrs February 9, 2005, (prior to the February General Meeting) at Hall 3, St. Thomas, Mt. Alexander Road, Moonee Ponds.

Rationale: On the presentation of the recent Constitutional changes to the Department of Justice, (Consumer Affairs), as required by the Associations Incorporations Act, the changes were disallowed. The reasoning being that they found fault with the Constitution as it stood before the proposed changes. They said

"Rule 3(4) must be drafted in accordance with The Act Section 22 of the Associations Incorporations Act 1981, which requires that alterations of purpose or the rules be made by special resolution. A special resolution requires a minimum 21 days notice to members: Refer rule 12 of the Model Rules"

Even though this requirement was met with all the recent Constitutional changes and this can be proved, Section 3(4) of EBC Constitution does not actually state this. The feedback from the Department is that we need to hold a SGM to pass a resolution to include this wording before all our other Constitutional changes are accepted.

EBC current Constitution: Rule 3(4) states: No alteration or deletion of, or addition to this Constitution or Statement of Purposes of the club shall be made except by a 3/4 majority of the members present at an Annual General meeting or a Special General meeting called for that purpose.

The proposed change by special resolution to Rule 3(4) to read: No alteration or deletion of, or addition to this Constitution or Statement of Purposes of the club shall be made except by a 3/4 majority of the members present at an Annual General Meeting or a Special General Meeting called with no less than 21 days notice given to the members, for that purpose.

Blackwood, named after Captain Blackwood, is situated 95km north west of Melbourne, via the Western Highway, beyond Bacchus Marsh. It lies high above the Lerderderg River on the Great Dividing Range, north of Greendale and south of Trentham. It borders the Lerderderg State Park and the Wombat State Forest.

Various books quote the current population between 100-300. Quite a decline from 13,000 at the end of 1855 when Edward Hill discovered gold near Golden Point, on the Lerderderg River. Initially alluvial mining took place in the river and nearby creeks. The excavation of "The Tunnel" which diverted the river flow under a spur to allow riverbed access is testament to this. Later the banks and hillsides were sluiced. 200 km of water races were cut and contoured into the surrounding hills and gullies to carry the water for these purposes. A French woman, Madame Bonford, was apparently contracted to cut these races. Her grave can be seen in the Blackwood Cemetery, likewise the graves of Chinese miners who arrived here in 1857. The Chinese persisted after the major rush petered, working the streambeds. They were credited with discovering the mineral springs at the Lerderderg River that later became the Mineral Springs Reserve in 1888. Shaw’s Lake, on the opposite side of the River was hand made by the Shaw family for their gold mining activities.

Quartz mining started when James Simmons discovered Simmons Reef. Eleven companies extracted gold from Simmons Reef from 1869 to 1900. Nearly 15,000 oz of gold worth $60,000 was recovered. The Sultan group of mines, north of Simmons Reef, were very rich. The Great Sultan at its peak employed 700 men. Other mines included The Red White and Blue, The British Lion and The Easter Monday.

During the gold rush, timber was a critical resource necessary to support the mineshafts, fuel the furnaces and provide shelter and warmth for the miners and their families. Numerous waterwheel and steam powered sawmills were established within the Wombat Forest. The timber industry flourished. The forest was denuded of trees and dotted with mills and tramways. Today the forest has returned.

The vegetation surrounding Blackwood is dependant on elevation and aspect. The gold bearing soil is typically poor and dry, giving rise to sparse, stunted eucalyptus, wattles and hakeas, with heath and a good splash of wild flowers on the hill tops and northern aspects. Lower down in the moist gullies and by the river, Blackwoods, ferns, Hazel Pomederis, Blanket Leaf, lush tall eucalyptus and even fungi survive in the more fertile and cooler, moister environment.

The legacy of these goldmining tracks, water races and timber tramways have left the easy means to explore the history, interest and natural beauty of the forests surrounding Blackwood. So this is an invitation to come along, explore the previews on the summer program (then you won’t miss any good walks on the big day). Give the planning committee your comments. Give the leaders a hand, and volunteer to do anything, get involved and have a wonderful social time. We as individuals are the Essendon Bushwalking Club.

This article contains information sourced from: -

HELP

WANTED

As at November 18, many walks submissions have been received. HOWEVER, we are still short of our target in numbers and variety. The target number of walks is around twenty, which will include some "Reserve" walks in case of leader illness, high river levels, etc.

The committee is seeking assistance from ALL club leaders, active and inactive, to propose trips and to offer their support as co-leaders and reserve leaders.

We are also seeking assistance from other club members to help with running the event at Blackwood. We will be able to find work for all volunteers at some stage in the day.

Leaders, please contact Michael Howes. General helpers please contact Sylvia McLean.

The annual Great Divide Marathon was held on Saturday November 13, starting from Lake Weeroona in Bendigo, and finishing at the northern foot of Mt Alexander, near Sutton Grange.

Total distance walked was 44km, the elapsed time including stops being eleven hours.

The usual format was repeated with a bus picking up the walkers at the finish point at 7-30am and delivering us to the start.

The walk got under way at 8-25 with 36 starters. Throughout the day, six of the seven support personnel walked some later stages, so that the total number of walkers was 42.

Of this total 34 did all stages, which is the equal second highest number for a marathon. The only time this was bettered was on the infamous 2003 event when 39 completed the walk in freezing wet conditions. Eight of the 2004 "completers" were taking part for the first time.

This year’s weather was quite mild with just a few showers causing minor inconvenience.

The only real downside of the day was the breakdown of Lucy and Italo’s Kingswood station wagon, a veteran of more marathons than I can remember. They assure us that it will be in service again for the 2005 marathon.

At the traditional post-marathon dinner, six walkers received their awards for having completed 5 marathons – Laurie Charleson, Michelle Creighton, Henry Laskowski, Geoff May, Hilary May and John Pluchino. Both Barry Creighton and Sylvia McLean will be eligible for their 10-year certificates if they complete the 2005 event.

As always, the support crew did a magnificent job. During the planning stage, Mary Atkins, Beth Elkins, Ray Scilley, Des Sunderland and Gina Casalbuono devoted so much of their time to getting things ready, and on the walk day, Lucy and Italo Padovani, Elaine Palmer, Ron Bell and Helen Kearney joined with Beth, Ray and Des to make sure we were well looked after. A big thanks from the walkers to all of you!

One innovation by Des Sunderland of the support crew was navigation of the support car route by GPS. The route had been recorded some weeks earlier by driving the route and saving the track in the GPS. On walk day it was simply a matter of setting up the instrument, placing it on the dash board and following the pointer.

Tuesday December 28

10 km Easy

Ian & Sylvia McLean

Meeting at 6.30pm in Greenwich Reserve car park (corner of the Strand and North Street, Williamstown), Melways ref 56 B5. Tea will be either BYO or buy en route, to be enjoyed in Commonwealth Reserve along the way.

Sunday January 2

16km Easy

Neil Campbell

Just the sort of walk to start off the year of 2005, and the chance to shake off those hangovers after celebrating the passing of another year, and to start off 2005 with a nice easy walk along the Barwon River near Geelong.

We will start the walk from the Buckley Falls car park and have a look at the falls from the lookout before proceeding down near the Queens Park Golf Course. From here we will walk along the shady walking path along the Barwon River and through some beautiful parklands along the way, as we head into the centre of Geelong where we will find a shady spot for lunch.

After lunch we will walk near the public golf course and down near the railway line near Breakwater Road. We will then walk past the Geelong Racecourse and into East Geelong where we will eventually finish at the Geelong Botanical Gardens and Eastern Beach, where we will have a coffee at The Gardens.

There will be a car shuffle as it is a one-way walk, so we will leave the Moonee Ponds Car Park at 8am.

Saturday January 8

10km Easy

Ian & Sylvia McLean

Meeting at the Western side car park at Fairfield Park (boathouse vicinity, Heidelberg Road) at 6.00pm for BYO picnic tea prior to the walk, which proceeds at 6.30pm. Melways ref 30 J12

W/E 15-16 Jan

28km Medium / Hard

Darren McClelland

Mt Clear is in the vicinity of Sheepyard Flat near Mansfield. Day 1 involves an ascent of 800m over a distance of between 14 - 18km as we take an undulating route over or around features including The Nobs, High Cone, Square Top and Mt Clear. After a good night’s sleep we can enjoy a downhill 7-11km walk to the cars. The length of the walk is variable depending on the condition of the access track. This will make the walk total between 21km and 28km. Some pack walking experience is preferred. 4WD drivers with their cars would be made very welcome.

Sunday January 16

10km Easy

Neil Campbell

We will be starting this walk from the Batman Memorial on the Esplanade at Indented Heads. We intend to walk along the beach past all the camping grounds of St Leonard’s and towards the Nature/Faunal Reserve of Edwards Point. Part of the walk will be along a boardwalk near the wetlands where we may possibly see plenty of bird life.

We plan to have our lunch at Edwards Point, where we will see magnificent views across Swan Bay to Swan Island and Queenscliff. After lunch we will walk along the beach back to St Leonard’s and the cars at Indented Heads.

It will be an 8am start from Moonee Ponds Bowling Club Car Park.

W/E January 22–23

Bryan Folie

After being absent from the EBWC program for nearly ten years the Formal Dinner makes a long awaited return.

This will be held at the Clear Hills (Craig’s Hut), the film site for The Man From Snowy River. This has spectacular views of the high country and surrounding mountains. This is situated approximately 160km from Melbourne on the Mt Stirling Circuit Rd. The road is suitable for two-wheel drive vehicles. It is a short walk from the road to Craig’s Hut or access can be gained easily by a four-wheel drive.

The dress is ‘Formal’. Your meal must be gourmand i.e. no noodles or dehydrated food. Bring plenty of chardonnay and Grange!

The trip is open to all EBWC members and visitors.

Saturday January 29

11 km Easy

Sylvia & Ian McLean

Parking outside the locked entrance gates at Somerton Road (Melways ref 178 C6) at 6.00pm for a BYO BBQ / Picnic tea preceding the walk which commences at 7pm. No BBQ if total fire ban in force. If this is the case walk will still meet at the same location but will proceed from Westmeadows along the Moonee Ponds Creek.

Saturday February 5

Medium Hard

Bryan Folie

Eildon State Park consists of three separate blocks of steep, timbered country separated by some of the more southerly arms of Lake Eildon. This walk is in the largest block flanked by Jerusalem Inlet and the Big River Arm. It takes you to the highest point in the Park, Rocky Peak (984m) and affords fine views of several peaks, most of them snow-capped in winter. The tracks followed vehicles track for much of its route. The elevation gain is about 700m. The total height climbed would, however, be more than 750m allowing for the sharp undulating profiles of the tracks. This is a challenge to fitness and stamina and is not suitable for beginners. It is probably the hardest walks put on the program in last few years. The route includes a section of about 2km along an almost trackless spur where use of compass (not GPS) for route finding is essential. The climb to Rocky Peak on the walk is also off-track. This walk offers the reward of magnificent views.

An early start (7am) start from Moonee Ponds will be made. Overnight stop over in Eildon is optional as the distance to Melbourne is approximately 180km.

W/E February 5-6

Bill Casey

Our accommodation for these walks is at Cape Otway Ocean Lodge, the same establishment in which we stayed back in May for B2B 13 & 14.

Cost is again $30 for Friday and Saturday nights. Beds are bunkhouse style, there are full indoors cooking facilities as well as under cover BBQ, and the dining/lounge is a large room with an enormous table which seats about forty, providing a great group feeling at meals, and afterwards for sitting around to discuss the day’s walk.

The drive from Melbourne takes about three hours via Colac, and details on how to get there will be distributed later.

The walk is from Johanna Beach to Moonlight Head over the two days. The coastal scenery is superb, probably the best so far for the B2B walks. Gaiters are recommended as the area does contain some of the slithering-type wildlife.

Walk sheet will be out at the December meeting and a $10 deposit is required at that time.

Sunday February 6

24km Medium

Bryan Folie

One of the pleasures of walking is the feeling of achievement after finishing an energetic walk in an attractive area. For some people, covering a long distance at speed is satisfying and worthwhile but this practice seems to miss some of the best rewards from going walking in the bush i.e. savouring the contrast between the urbanized surroundings and experiencing natural sights, sounds and smells at first hand.

This walk offers a physical challenge and a sample of the various landscapes in Kinglake National Park. Although the walk is not suitable for people new to bushwalking, regular walkers should have no difficulty in completing. The distance of the walk is approximately 24km with about 300m of climbing.

Distance from Essendon is approximately 75km.

Tuesday February 8

6.30 pm at Brimbank Park

Ian & Sylvia McLean

Enter the Park from Keilor Park Drive and follow the ‘O’ signs (Melways 15 B10). BBQ after the event. Come along. Have some fun. Check out your basic map reading skills. No compass necessary. Anyone can do it. You can go as fast or slow as you like or be as competitive as you like. But beware it is addictive. Instructions are freely available. Everyone is most helpful and you will feel most welcome.

Saturday February 12

10 km Easy

Sylvia & Ian McLean

Meeting at the Zoo front entrance car park at 6pm for BYO tea BEFORE the walk proceeds at 6.30pm. Melways ref 29 E12.

Saturday February 19

18 km, Medium

Neil Campbell

Today we will be starting our walk from the Distillery Creek Picnic Ground in the Angahook State Park in the beautiful Otway Ranges. We will start off by doing a short loop walk around Ironbark Gorge before heading back to the Distillery Creek Car Park. From here we will walk along the Moggs Creek Track stopping briefly at Painkalac Dam, which is the main water supply to Fairhaven and Airies Inlet. We will then head across Painkalac Creek and will encounter a steady climb around the crest of the Otway Ranges where we will start to take some spectacular views along the way. From here we meet Gentle Annie Track and then we will start to decend down to our lunch break at the Moggs Creek Picnic Ground.

After lunch we will have another steady climb around the lower part of the range as we head around towards Eastern View, as we will get magnificent views down to Lorne and looking back to the lighthouse at Airies Inlet and along the beautiful coastline. From Eastern View we will decend down towards the beach and finally along the beach passing Fairhaven and finishing the walk at the lighthouse at Airies Inlet.

If you like the bush and with spectacular views of the coastline and a beach walk and gentle coast breeze at this time of the year, then this walk is for you (all rolled into one!!).

We will be leaving the Moonee Ponds Car Park at 7.30 am

W/E February19-20

93km

Darren McClelland

This ride offers a gentle introduction to overnight bike touring. We take our bikes by train to Traralgon on a Friday evening. Saturday we ride through the township of Gormandale and through a number of small hamlets. Our overnight stay is in Rosedale. Sunday we return to Traralgon on a route North of the Princes Hwy via Cowwarr, Toongabbie and Glengarry. In order to book cabin accommodation in each town, your early bookings (no later than January) are highly recommended.

Sunday March 13

22km Medium Hard

Bryan Folie

In summer and when Lake Eildon is at its normal level, the park is very popular with boating and water-skiing enthusiasts. In all other seasons it surely deserves to be a mecca for walkers. The partly cleared ridges afford views of the first order; a network of vehicular tracks (open to walkers only) and the lakeshore foot track ensure comfortable walking; the great variety of trees, shrubs and wildflowers and abundant native fauna provide colour and interest. Grey Kangaroos and Black-tailed Wallabies graze the open areas in small groups and the birds of Fraser include.

The walk is not suitable for people new to bushwalking. Regular walkers should have no difficulty in completing it. The distance of the walk is approximately 22km with about 425m of climbing.

An early start (7am) from Moonee Ponds will be made. Overnight stop over in Alexander is optional as the distance to Melbourne is approximately 150km.

Sunday March 20 (Day practical)

Chris Jarvis

Have you ever wondered how your leaders skilfully lead you across tracts of seemingly uniform terrain, and then bring you out within metres of the objective? J Well, here is your chance not only to find out how they do it, but to learn the basic elements of their craft as well.

This course is in two parts. First, an evening session mid week, at the Polo Club Hotel, Ascot Vale, in which we will go over the basics of map reading, the various connotations of north, compass use, navigating techniques, etc. Then, the following weekend, we will spend a day at Bill and Des’s navigation practice area putting the theory into practice, and picking up a few extra bits as well.

For members intending to do the Leadership Training in April and who have not yet acquired basic navigation skills, this course is highly recommended, as navigation will not be taught in the Leadership Training. Other members are welcome. Visitors will not be taken as the priority is to skill-up current members.

W/E April 2-3

John Atkinson

The Club will be running leadership training from Friday evening to the Sunday afternoon at Linbogol Girl Guide Camp (near Creswick).

The course has at least eight interested people so far but there is always room for anyone else, I will also need one or two volunteers to assist and some experienced leaders to teach various subjects, so if you are interested then let me know.

The training hasn’t been run since 2001 when twelve people were trained, most of whom have led at least one walk with the club since the training. There is no pressure on you to commence leading after you have done the training until you feel you are ready (if at all), so if you think you are not quite ready now but are interested then please consider that it may be another two or three years till the training is run again.

This year the training may be run differently in that I am not thinking of running any navigation training on the course, rather I would like the participants without previous map and compass skills to do the basic navigation training that is being run by Chris Jarvis the previous weekend. For those who can navigate it would be desirable for you to attend a navigation revision session that Bill Casey puts on regularly.

What I will be concentrating on is the planning and conduct of the walk, problem solving and emergency procedures, the paper work that is required by the club for leaders to deal with. There will a small group bush walk for you to test your skills to conclude the weekend. There will also be a short first aid revision session, and a talk about the weather patterns in Victoria that has proved very valuable for me since I commenced leading bushwalks.

Could I also call on all club leaders to mentor any leadership applicant when they turn up on your walks as the more experience the students have the easier the training will be for them and the quicker they may decide that they can lead bushwalks.

For any further information or details please call John Atkinson.

Saturday April 2

Neil Campbell

The Great Dividing Trail Association and Essendon Bushwalking Club will be doing track maintenance (somewhere) on the Great Dividing Trail. Departure from the Bowling Club car park at 8.00am. BYO equipment such as secateurs, garden gloves etc. Rakehoes, shovels, brush cutters and line trimmers will be provided by the GDTA. Please take this opportunity to put something back very seriously, and not just take our walking tracks for granted. It is a good social day, and there will be a visit to a pub or coffee shop afterwards.

Saturday April 16

22km Medium

Neil Campbell

Today we will start the walk from the Blackwood Hotel and walk near the caravan park, where we cross the Lerderderg River and walk around to Shaw’s Lake. From here we will then walk towards Tunnel Point Track and along this track, then a short decent down to the Tunnel for lunch.

After lunch we will investigate an old hut on the opposite side of the Lerderderg River to the Tunnel. From here we will walk along a water race, and then a steep decent down towards a crossing of the Lerderderg River and then a steady climb up Amblers Lane and Trout Track.

After 2kms along Trout Track we will take Short Cut Track down to O’Brien’s Crossing. After stopping for a break at O’Brien’s Crossing, it’s a steady climb up along the Byers Back Track, as we take in the views along the way above the Tunnel. From here it is relatively easy walking all the way along the water race and walking through Golden Point and to the finish at the Blackwood Hotel.

It will be an 8am start from the Moonee Ponds Bowling Club Car Park.

W/E April 16-17

10km Medium

Chris Jarvis

Q: When is a Base Camp a Semi Base Camp?

A: When you have to carry your pack 1km in the dark to reach it on the Friday night, and then stay there on Saturday night as well.

Billywing Gorge is on the Western side of the Victoria Range in the Grampians, nouth west of The Fortress. The best time to explore this compact and rugged area is in Autumn, when water levels are down and all parts (nearly) are accessible. We will be camping at the entrance to the gorge and exploring the area on Saturday, with lots of rock hopping and some mild scrub bashing. It’s worth the visit! Sunday will be more moderate, with some track walking around The Fortress area or wherever takes our fancy.

Saturday April 30

22km Hard

Neil Campbell

We will be starting the walk from Donnelly Weir head along Condon’s Track towards Echo Tunnel. From here it will be a steady climb along Condon’s Track and along Monda Track, which will take us up towards Tanglefoot and up to the summit of Mt St Leonard, which has an elevation of (1027m) with magnificent views from the Lookout Tower.

From here it is a steep decent down Track Eleven taking in the views over the Yarra Valley, as we head down to Bingley View and back to the cars at Donnelly Weir.

Leaving the Moonee Ponds Car Park at 7.30am.

Queen’s Birthday LW/E June 11 –13

Bryan Folie

On the Queen’s Birthday a base camp is being held at the picturesque Port Fairy, which is approximately 290 km south-west of Melbourne.

Port Fairy was originally a whaling station and now has over fifty buildings classified by the National Trust. Walks will include the world famous Mahogany Trail, Tower Hill Game Reserve, The Crags, Griffith Island and Yamuk Lake and historical walk around the over fifty National Trust Buildings.

Excellent dinners are available at the Celtic style hotels that are famous for their great fresh seafood cuisine. Also you may enjoy the music and the performing artist at the "RHAPSODY FESTIVAL" at the various locations around Port Fairy.

Accommodation will be in cabins at the Port Fairy Caravan Park, situated on the Moyne River a short walk from the city centre. The cost will be approximately $20/per night (depending on numbers). The March EBWC Meeting will require a deposit. So get in early to reserve your place, as positions are limited.

For 2004 - 2005 is:

President: Keith Hart

Vice President: **Ian Tovey

Secretary: **Sylvia McLean

Treasurer: John Atkinson

Committee: Ron Bell, Bryan Folie, **Darren McClelland, Rob Hughes & **Neil Campbell

** Denotes Delegates to VicWalk

Don’t forget that members can obtain a discount at Bogong Equipment, 374 Little Bourke Street. They offer a 10% discount on all non-sale items.

(Snail) Mail: The Secretary, Essendon Bushwalking Club Inc., P.O. Box 32, Moonee Ponds, 3039

Are released three times each year, at the April, August and December club meetings.

One copy of the program is included within the hard-copy version of the club newsletter, Old Man Emu.

Additional copies are available from the Secretary or Treasurer for 20¢ each.

Are held on the second Wednesday of each month, at Hall 3, St. Thomas Church (behind the church), Mt. Alexander Road, Moonee Ponds Junction (corner of Mt. Alexander and Pascoe Vale Roads). Meetings start at 7.30 pm.

The contact for loan of equipment is Ron Bell.

Equipment available for loan:

Tents; Backpacks; Sleeping Bags; Rain Jackets; Stoves; Sleeping Mats.

Annual Membership (from June 1)$ 40

Visitors Fee (per event) $ 5

Annual Membership fees apply from June 1 to May 31. Membership fees not paid two months after the June AGM render the member unfinancial. There are no pro-rata membership fees as the club is required to pay an annual Federation / Insurance premium.

An unfinancial member is required to pay the visitors fee for every event they attend until they have paid their full membership fee. As an unfinancial member, the Club's Personal Accident and Public Liability Insurance on any club activity does not cover you.

Unfinancial members and visitors attending more than three events in a club year are required to pay the full membership fee.

New members must pay the annual membership fee within 28 days of their membership application being approved by the committee.

A warm welcome to Ryan Davies, Sally Fyfe, Karen Armitage, Russell Vivian, Vera Damczyk, Carmel Kozucup and Anne Coleman who joined us between July and November. Congratulations and may you have enjoyable and safe times with us.

Bryan Folie has volunteered to take on this new role to help the Secretary and streamline the process. So could any new enquires please be directed to Bryan, preferably through the PO Box (PO Box 32, Moonee Ponds 3039) or via our Web site, which Russell monitors and will redirect enquiries to the Membership Secretary rather than the Secretary. Ron Bell will still attend to enquiries at our general meetings as currently occurs.

The motion was passed at the September Special General Meeting to add the new category of Junior Membership. The Constitution is freely available on the web site and will be amended when all the formalities have been dealt with.

Post Script: The changes to the constitution cannot be formally implemented until the changes requested by the Registrar of Associations have been passed by the Special General Meeting on February 9 and lodged with the Registrar. Refer to the notice of Special General Meeting on Page 2 of this newsletter.

To Stephen Bocquet on his recent engagement to Kathy.

To Neville Hesketh on his son’s recent rise to stardom at the Aria Awards with his contract to the band Jet.

To Frank and Lina for another baby due in March.

In the interests of safety, it is good practice to leave detailed trip intention information with a responsible person. This information would enable action to be taken in the event of a serious accident or unexpected delay in a party's return from a walk. To facilitate this, the club is establishing an Emergency Contact System for all official club trips.

To achieve this, EBWC is seeking to create a roster of volunteers to act as Club Emergency Contacts, each of whom will be advised of procedures for alerting police when assistance is needed.

Walkers on a club trip will be made aware of the name and phone number of the rostered Emergency Contact and the expected time of return. Each member will then forward this information to their personal contact with the advice to ring the Club Emergency Contact for information if an unexpected delay in their return occurs. The leader will provide the rostered Club Emergency Contact with a trip itinerary and an agreed time period of a phone call advising of their safe return. If no contact is made within the agreed time period, the Club Emergency Contact would try to establish that the call has not simply been forgotten, and then implement the established procedure, which could include alerting police of a possible need for assistance.

Could any members advise me ASAP if they wish to be EBWC Emergency Contact so that a roster may be established.

Just prior to going to the printer, it was discovered that an article in this newsletter contained material that had been lifted from another publication, without the knowledge of the editor, and more importantly, without permission from the publisher of the original material. The article was immediately pulled and new masters produced, at great inconvenience to myself and Ian and Sylvia McLean, who arrange the printing.

If quoting material from another publication, WRITTEN PERMISSION FROM THE PUBLISHER IS REQUIRED.

If using material from another source, and putting it in your own words, FULL ACKNOWLEGMENT OF THE SOURCE IS REQUIRED.

Failure to comply with these two basic tenets of Copyright law could result in legal action against the Club.

As Editor, I compile material presented into the newsletter. It is the responsibility of the contributors to ensure your submissions are not in breach of copyright laws. Please, do the right thing!