NHGC Meeting 30/3/2022
Bar Beach Bowlo Start: 7:45pm
Attendees: Jamie Oorschot, Craig Hand, JOD, Ian Ladyman, Brad Patfield, John Dingle, Ken Harris, Andreas, Harry Daniels
Zoom Attendees: John Harriot, Gary Herman, Alan McMillan, Royce Allenson
Apologies: Adrian Mulder, Billo, Selmsy
Last meeting minutes: 1st: Craig 2nded: Ken
Flying
Today - Jamie had an awesome time flying with a flock of seagulls at Newcastle beach.
Some very nice coastal flying during the month has been had by JOD, Craig and others.
Sites
Patto update - Hooley Dooley’s weatherstation went down at the same time as Singleton flooding. It was up and running a few days later. Suspect problem was network infrastructure and not the weather station. Jamie to inspect in next dry spell. Patto has managed to get approval from SAFA and the RAAF to fly there. Reduced ceiling height over launch of 3000ft and then steps up to 5000ft when you fly over the back. We expect to actually be able to start flying there in about 3 weeks.
Delivery of Lake St Claire weatherstation from Alistair Dickie has been delayed until Easter. Hope to have that weatherstation up and running shortly after.
Royce would like to push on with weatherstations at Hunter and NE Heaton. Has requested tilt pole drawings from Jamie so he can start the conversation with Forestry.
Carmels and Hooley Dooleys need large windsocks in the LZ – Jamie happy to make. Has ~13 hang gliders to dismantle. Can make windsocks from the old sails.
A planned working bee the weekend after Easter for both Hickson st and Bombala in collaboration with NPGC.
Business from Last Minutes
Alan McMillan asked if Powered HG Pilots could join the club and if they should be a ‘Sub-group” of NHGC (ie have separate meetings etc) or be combined with all other pilots? General feeling of the committee is we would love to include powered HG pilots in the club, include them at the club meeting and we would prefer not to have a ‘Sub-group’.
Comps
2022 NSW State Titles Comp Report by Karl Kindle
This year we only had 2 flying days and five Fun days at the comp. There were 28 pilots in the comp and 4 free flyers. The rest of the week had light thermal activity and light winds. The rest of the week was raining. The results for the comp were
NSW State Champion: Troy Horton
Open Class: 1st Johny Durand; 2nd Tim Osborn;
A big thankyou to Hairy Karl Kindle for running the comp. It was a really big effort on his part considering his new lifestyle and a big comeback from the last BBT which was extremely stressful for him as many things did not go well. While Karl did struggle a bit in the evenings when drugs made his brain a bit hazy it was good to see everybody was very understanding and appreciative. Running the comp did cost him $8500 from his NDIS allocation! A big thanks to his carer’s Lorry and Tysen who were amazing. Thankyou Billo for scoring his last time at Manilla. Thankyou to Alan McMillan who did the weather and was extremely accurate.
Barraba Big Tow – Karl is keen to run it in 2022. He has been designing buildings to add to the existing hangers that would have extra toilets, showers, camp kitchen and a briefing room. This would help facilitate all comp needs onsite. NSWHPA has graciously offered to help with funding. Hopefully if all goes well we can host a pre-comp working bee / fly in 😊. Anybody handy with tools and keen for a fly before BBT please let Karl know. Karl needs these facilities to attend BBT. If they don’t get built in time then we will need another club member/s to run the comp.
Hopefully once the La-nina subsides we will be back into the epic inland flying like the first BBT comp.
New Business
John Harriot plans to organise a Training weekend for motivated club members to help them gain access to grant money for projects that benefit our sport. Two members from our club will be eligible. More information is likely to be available at the next club meeting.
An early call out for a new club President and Secretary, Craig has a cruisy job as Treasurer and is ok to do at least one more year. The AGM is only a few months away and Adrian and Jamie will be resigning at that AGM. Some words from Adrian who unfortunately could not make it tonight because he has been rostered on driving buses:
Hi Fellow Flying Nuts!!!
Times are a changing, after 3 years at the presidency I am going to step down. It is time for our enthusiastic younger generation to step up and take the helm.
In the last three years we have experienced a few challenges and have successfully navigated them I would say.
The committee team, Myself, Jamie and Craig have worked together harmoniously and have enjoyed most of this work
To start off with our attendance was falling and we managed to get our members enthused to attend meetings to give us the all-important feedback a club needs to go forward.
- We communicated with NPWS on the future of Bombala and Merewether and put in to place procedures and signs for these sites.
- We negotiated multiple sites for the Wattagans with NSW Forestry.
- We organized working bees for the coastal sites and the wattagans.
- We facilitated Karls running of the last Corryong cup and the first and second Barraba Big Toe as well as the NSW state Titles.
- Our websites, nhgc.asn.au and wow.asn.au were close to nonfunctional. They have been brought back to operational status.
- Our financial structure depended on Committee members using their own credit cards has now been made functional through a club paypal account.
- Communication with members as been streamlined and is now manageable through a Google Account
- Membership renewal and recruitment has been streamlined
- The business of running the club is available on a bullet style instruction sheet.
I could probably go on and bore you all with the details however it is time for a change.
I will remain on board as a committee member if you wish, not as the president though. My role in the future will be of IT and admin support. I am now working 6 days a week and can no longer commit to doing a good job for the club. In support I can do what is needed and will do so as long as I am required to do so.
A new younger president with social platform and Video editing skills could grow our sport substantially and I would like to nominate Cameron Evans for the presidency and offer him my full support.
Jamie has been instrumental in many of our activities, the creation of weather stations that can be serviced without the need for a ladder, hosting of Christmas parties, buying of supplies for our parties and working bees, transport of the BBQ to the various occasions, installation of fence steps at various sites inland and in general being there for any and all wanting to learn hang gliding by offering his own equipment as training craft. He deserves a great big thankyou from all of us.
Jamie now wishes to step down as secretary so we will need someone to step up and fill this spot as well.
Craig is willing to stay on as treasurer and will be supported by both Jamie and myself.
I sincerely hope that new candidates will step up, the alternative is amalgamation with the paragliding club!!
Please consider carefully.
Kind Regards
Adriaan
Jamie is willing to keep doing work on our sites, weather stations and helping with comps, learn comps scorer role - but not running the comps!
As hang glider pilots we generally are getting older, fatter and lazier! As a result it is getting harder to fill in the roles of President, Secretary and Treasurer. Rather than have a crisis at the next AGM we are going to list the club’s options in order of most preferable to least desirable!
- Some young guns take up the roles of President and Secretary and hopefully breath some life into the club. Alternatively, some old farts will do!
- NHGC amalgamates with NPGC. Jamie went to their club meeting tuesday night to suggest the idea. Patto pre-warned Peter and thankfully he asked around senior members what they thought about the idea. The result was positive, no negatives. Micky Warmsley’s name did come up and we assured him he is no longer a relevant person in our club! There was no objections from any members at the meeting. Peter said NPGC is open to discuss it further and if NHGC wish to do so then the club committees should get together and discuss.
- Last option – club folds, NHGC ceases to exist.
We will be making an early call out for any club members who may wish to fill the role of president and secretary. If nobody is willing then we will start the conversation of amalgamation with NPGC.
Treasurers Report
Westpac main account: $20,781.59
Westpac secondary account: $3.45
Paypal $1,212.11
Total $21,997.15
Manilla State Titles 22 Financial Statement
Income Outgoings
28 x $200 Meet head $1500
$5600 Scorer $ 700
T Shirts $1230
Pres Dinner $489.60
Trophies $569
Donation to town raffle $50
Out of state refund $40
Paypal costs 11 x $5.50 $60.50
Total income $5600
Total Outgoings $4639.10
Profit $960.90
Karl Kindl nhgc comp organiser
Close Meeting 8:30pm
