Executive News
MCofS Annual Gathering
REMINDER
Glenmore Lodge, Aviemore
Friday June 18th & Saturday June 19th 2004
Friday Event: 8.30pm
Debate: Ben Nevis Way marking Cairns
Introduced and Chaired by John Mackenzie (President)
Speakers: Alan Kimber (in favour) and Nick Halls (Against)
Saturday Events: 9am-3pm
- Looking After Your Feet 1/2 day session
- Come-and-try-it Climbing 1/2 day session
- Coaching in Rock Climbing 1/2 day session
- Coaching in Winter Climbing 1/2 day session
- Belaying and Stance Management 1/2 day session
- Holding a Fall 1/2 day session
- An Introduction to Classic Scrambling All Day Session
- Loch an Eilean Safari All Day Session
- Abernethy Walk All Day Session
- GPS use & misuse All Day Session
- Micro Navigation with compasses 1/2 day session
- Climb and Abseil for Kids All Day Session
- Hill Walking and the outdoor environment for Kids All Day Session
Saturday Event: 6pm
Discussion: WIND FARMS
See the “Talking Point” article in this issue.
Introduced and Chaired by John Mackenzie (President)
Speakers will be Keith Miller (MCofS); Dave Bruce (Views of Scotland); Mike Scott (SNH Board Chair & ex Link Chair)
BUFFET MEAL & CEILIDH
Please book your meal and accommodation places at Glenmore Lodge by application form.
Annual Gathering:
BOOK NOW TO AVOID DISAPOINTMENT
2004 Mountain Article Competition
Enter Now - Deadline Extended
In order to cater for late entries up to the AGM we have decided to extend the deadline to the End of July (when the National Officer returns from his summer holidays in France!). So there is still time to get your story entered to the competition.
There are two categories:
PROSE - 1st Prize : £100; 2nd Prize : £50.
POETRY - Prize : £50
Prose entries should be a maximum of 2,000 words long. Poetry entries can be as long or as short as you like. All should be preferably typed (or supplied as a word or rtf document on disc), but otherwise clearly written on single-sided paper.. Send your entries to the National Officer at the MCofS Office (or email to: kev@mountaineering-scotland.org.uk). Members should quote their club name or individual membership number. Enclose an SAE if you wish the article to be returned and the winners will be announced in the September edition of Scottish Mountaineer. The MCofS reserves the right to publish the prize-winning entries. Past winners have been published either in the MCofS newsletter, Annual Report or in magazines or Journals. The closing date is the 31st of July 2004.
Scottish Executive increase funding for mountain safety
Starting in April this year our Mountain Safety Adviser post has been increased to full time. The extra funding was announced by the First Minister, Jack McConnell, in November and the details finalised between MCofS and sportscotland with the completion of our new 3year Corporate Plan and grant aid application. The funding from the Executive is in recognition of the wide ranging mountain safety work that MCofS undertake, including giving advice to visiting tourist walkers, those that work in the mountains as well as mountaineers. The current post holder, Mountain Guide Roger Wild, will now have time to tackle other initiatives, all of which are outlined in the new Corporate Plan (see the website).
The offer of the extra grant also indicated that part of the extra work to be undertaken is an investigation into the weather forecasting services specific to mountaineers and hill walkers in Scotland. This follows the pilot of a scheme in Wales by the Met Office to offer mountain forecasts free for the Snowdonia area. Questions were recently asked in the Scottish Parliament about the possibilities for a similar service in Scotland and the First Minister answered that this item was being investigated by the MCofS.