Monday, 7 December 2009
In the last six months or so I've participated in a couple of sea kayaking courses organised by Liquid Logistics who are based at Butler's Hard in the New Forest. The tuition received, and equipment provided, was first class and Charles Taylor and I even managed to kayak to the Isle Of Wight [by the shortest route!]. I am really interested in developing my sea kayaking and would like to organise a Westel group activity with Liquid Logistics in March/April with a view to an "adventure" of some kind in the future. Do you think that developing a group interest in sea kayaking is comptible with the aims of Westel and if so is anyone interested in joining Charles and I, subject to details of pricing, at Butler's Hard for a day or weekend?
Sunday, 9 August 2009
Interesting Questions from Andrew
The past couple of weeks Val and Clive have been on holiday, so Roy and I, and Paul and Liz, have been organising Westel's sessions.
They have had a theme:
# a group of competent adults take themselves off, paddling between the weirs or up to Walton Bridge, for example. Most of these are much the same people each time.
# one or two lone adults go off and individually do their own thing
# a few individuals show up for coaching (adults or juniors). But they rarely re-appear - sometimes they've been before, but maybe weeks or months ago.
All of this is fine and pleasant, and brings in boat money. But two questions come to my mind:
# why do adults with club keys like to come paddling at the time of club sessions? They clearly don't need the coaches. Is it the chance to bump into other paddlers and form a spontaneous group that is the attraction? If so, maybe we should announce a couple of other times - a summer evening, and a time on Sundays - when people could come down and see if there's someone to accompany them paddling?
# Some kids, and some novices, are using Westel much as they might use, for example, a coffee shop, a leisure centre or a cinema - i.e. a place to drop into from time to time to undertake a specific activity. Is this what Westel is for? We do achieve a high level of 'customer satisfaction', which has its own rewards. But are coaches going to stay happy to give their time, freely and without charge, to support this endlessly?
Andrew Wallace
They have had a theme:
# a group of competent adults take themselves off, paddling between the weirs or up to Walton Bridge, for example. Most of these are much the same people each time.
# one or two lone adults go off and individually do their own thing
# a few individuals show up for coaching (adults or juniors). But they rarely re-appear - sometimes they've been before, but maybe weeks or months ago.
All of this is fine and pleasant, and brings in boat money. But two questions come to my mind:
# why do adults with club keys like to come paddling at the time of club sessions? They clearly don't need the coaches. Is it the chance to bump into other paddlers and form a spontaneous group that is the attraction? If so, maybe we should announce a couple of other times - a summer evening, and a time on Sundays - when people could come down and see if there's someone to accompany them paddling?
# Some kids, and some novices, are using Westel much as they might use, for example, a coffee shop, a leisure centre or a cinema - i.e. a place to drop into from time to time to undertake a specific activity. Is this what Westel is for? We do achieve a high level of 'customer satisfaction', which has its own rewards. But are coaches going to stay happy to give their time, freely and without charge, to support this endlessly?
Andrew Wallace
Friday, 17 July 2009
Introductory
Well - everyone has a Blog these days! So the Westel Canoe Club Committee thought we would have a trial run with the Westel Canoe Club Blog.
The objective is to provide the Committee, the Coaches and the Members with a Forum in which we can publicise our activities, share ideas and generally promote the Club.
Initially only Committee Members and Coaches will have the ability to write posts for the Blog, but others will be able to add comments.
If you have any ideas for ways to use this facility please add them as comments to this post.
The objective is to provide the Committee, the Coaches and the Members with a Forum in which we can publicise our activities, share ideas and generally promote the Club.
Initially only Committee Members and Coaches will have the ability to write posts for the Blog, but others will be able to add comments.
If you have any ideas for ways to use this facility please add them as comments to this post.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)