President’s Report – CAWA Committee Meeting, 23 March 2016

Hi everyone and welcome to the new 2016 CAWA committee.

For those who don’t know me, my name is Mark Edele and I’ve just been elected as the President for CAWA in 2016. My climbing background is fairly varied. Growing up in Bavaria, my father trained me as an alpinist, with heavy boots and tying directly into the rope. We were climbing according to the “three-points-fixed” and “the-leader-does-not-fall” rules. In my teens I got interested in bouldering and sports climbing, until a 7c in Ceuse dislocated my shoulder. This injury in my early 20s ended my first climbing career. After shoulder reconstruction and two decades of marathon running, triathlon, and bike racing I returned to the rocks in 2011. I joined CAWA in the same year and served as treasurer in 2015. These days I climb up to the low 20s (on a good day) and prefer trad climbing to sport routes, but do both. I boulder if I have no other option, but I’m scared of breaking an ankle! I am married and have a daughter, Anna, a seven year old crusher and CAWA member. You can usually find us Monday afternoons at Rockface or the Boulder Hub and me Wednesdays at Rockface and on the weekends at local crags.If you see me around the gyms or crags please come and say hello, I’d love to chat to you about all things climbing or any questions or concerns you may have.

We had our first meeting as the new CAWA committee on 23 March 2016 at Rosie O’Grady’s. We are fortunate to have a diverse range of experienced climbers on the committee, and for the first time in years it’s full! You can check out the new committee here. This also provides you with contact details if you need to get in touch with anyone.

One of the tasks we have set for ourselves this year is to improve communication between the committee and ordinary members. As part of this effort, I will write a blog entry after each committee meeting summarizing what we discussed. This does not replace your right, as a member of CAWA to read the minutes of the meetings, rather, I hope it will help keep you informed so you will know when to exercise this right.

The first meeting was largely an organizational one, but you’ll be happy to know we decided to plan the full year of CAWA trips for you in advance. More information at https://www.climberswa.asn.au/events/ and don’t worry, we will also send out reminders closer to the date in case you forget! There is the now a rack full of trips to Kalbarri, Eaglestone, Margaret River, and Albany; we will also continue to run gym crashes every other month. Given we have a number of experienced boulderers on the committee we are excited to include a day bouldering trip this year. If you haven’t bouldered before, come along and try out a new style of climbing, you might get hooked! We are still discussing what other events (including training) we will be able to offer in addition to those on the current list for the year. I will keep you posted and in the meantime please feel free to get in touch with any requests.

In order to handle access issues, we formed an Access Subcommittee, chaired by Vice President Dan Binks. Dirk Klicker, Gareth Wood, Remi Vignals, Nathan Cole, and Peter Thomas. The Access Subcommittee will handle access issues as directed by the CAWA committee. If you become aware of any access issues, want to work toward re-opening climbing at Wallcliffe, are looking to develop an area or need more information, please get in touch with Dan.

In order to encourage committee members to not forget that they are a governing committee of a climbers’ association, we also formed the “Subcommittee on Sending.” The following rules apply:

1. All Committee members are automatically members of the Subcommittee on Sending.
2. Sends are to be reported at each Committee meeting and acclaimed by the rest of the Committee
3. Only outdoor sends count. No plastic.
4. Any member who fails to send anything for more than one month, will be excluded from the subcommittee. S/he will be the subject of generalized pity.
5. An excluded subcommittee member will be readmitted upon sending at least two climbs between two committee meetings.
6. Any sends count – no matter the grade or height (boulder problems count).

We’ll see how many of us will survive as members of the subcommittee. I am glad to report that the President has his send for the month in the bag (Slash and Burn, 19, Churchmans) and will hence remain on the subcommittee for the time being.

Finally, we discussed issues for the year ahead. They include:

• ongoing management of access issues
• focus on communication and a more presence in social media
• legal changes for associations requiring some action on our part
• the revision of our somewhat archaic constitution
• further improvements to the western climber

We are also looking at things we could do better, some of these include:

• improving the website and blog
• plastic membership cards
• once-off insurance options for non-members to join trips
• member feedback

The next committee meeting is scheduled for 27 April. If there are any issues you would like to bring to the attention of the Committee, please do not hesitate to contact me (marke@climberswa.asn.au).

Meanwhile, have fun climbing and check your knot.

Mark Edele

CAWA President