Social Secretary

1) Summer BBQ/s Would like to have more than one and would like to find a better and safer location. I have had offers for Knockhatch and Tefal has suggested he may be able to negotiate a new location in Firle, also I believe Chris Bere had some locations he may be able to sort for us.

2) Matt Pepper had a suggestion for the Glynde meetings during the summer months involving them being held on the green opposite the social club and with the committees and Glynde's consent I think this would be a great idea and may well improve the turn out. Who wants to be stuck indoors during the best bits of summer?

3) Monthly meetings. Think these could be promoted better and with a little more notice, ideally with the topic of the next meet being promoted at the previous one and a reminder posted say a week before. Also think this could be done by email as most folk do check theirs and pretty much most will be fine with this.

4) Local friendly comps aimed at low air-timers, such as spot landing events and other ideas I hope to coax out of the coaches.

5) Club trips to other sites with a view to hiring a minibus if enough are interested and would hope to get Matt and Neil involved for these.

6) SHGC Branded clothing. Actually I gather a certain member (Paul Deakin?) is already doing this and selling them on Ebay; A little cheeky? This was to be a non-subsidised thing with, if any, profit going back into the club (not sites fund). It is too early to talk about profit/loss as this was just research but the plan was for members interested, to pay up-front and the clothing ordered as required. Same as what Neil is doing with the coaching jacket.

Basically, I want our members to see this club and their membership fee as more than just a license to fly. While some may disagree, I think that this can be a clique club and new members do feel intimidated. If we can turn this club around and make it a club flyers want to join as apposed to have to, hopefully the word will get round that this is a great club to join and is going places.

This what I'd like to see happen and I know I've put at least one of these ideas to the committee since I've been onboard.

For those that forgot, I came onboard pretty much through invitation after the last AGM when Chris Bere put my name forward but having never been on a committee before, was pretty apprehensive and even thought Chris havin' a laugh. It was two members of the committee who invited and suggested I come along and have been here ever since.

I'm passionate about this club and unlike a lot of our members, I have now seen what goes on behind the scenes and they will never understand the efforts we go to to keep our sites. That is why it is important this club becomes more than just a license to fly and I see this as the role of a clubs social secretary. I can't make that change on my own and it needs the full support of the committee.

My proposals listed above are easy, a monkey could do that but changing the clubs image is another thing and this is not going to happen overnight but I do think it has to happen. You only have to look at one individual suggestion to with-hold the 2010 fee and to an extent, he does have I point, hell the idea has even crossed my mind.

Rob Beresford