UCDCC BoaterX Attempt II

[Karen]

Still in college simon, sorry.

Also, how old does that make you feel? 

[Eoghan]

Yo Karen people were getting on to me about being their oldie?

How old does that make YOU  feel? 

[Maryanne]

Dave O'Reilly is on a team as an oldie.
We're all old...

I've been thinking about this, the old "over 25, graduated, with a job and a year of freshers don't know you" qualification is too small a pool nowadays, there aren't enough people who fulfill those conditions who still kayak and turn up around the club.

If we want to be able to say we have oldies we need to redefine what they are to get a new generation of them, or else no one will think they're an oldie and the role will be lost. 

Now I'd say an oldie is anyone
- past their 5th/6th year in the club (ie that's the same gap as between a secondary school first year and a 6th year)
- old enough to have memories from the year today's freshers were born (1993 and 1994)
- was in the club more before 5 years ago (2007-08, before any of the freshers, 2nd years, 3rd years or committee joined)

Other signs
...the people who were oldies when you started are married with kids/have sensible careers/cars/other traits of full blown adulthood
...you don't get the club bus anymore (rivertrips/weekends away)
...are shocked by the fact that this year's freshers did their Leaving Cert in 2012

Contributing/detracting factors
...being around the club in an instructing role can accelerate the track to perceived oldiehood (eg Dave O'R)
...being on committee (except as senior treasurer) can mask oldiehood (temporarily) since you're around so much

[kmck]

Sorry Maryanne only Oldies decide who oldies are! I was made an Oldie by Brendino, in the traditional ceremony, after I got my Degree, I was still in college but was now recognised as an oldie by other oldies. Some people were oldies the moment they joined the club.

Oldies were never a big pool of people and every few years the numbers of Oldies directly involved in the club peak then drop. My particular fresher year had a large number of oldies who've since stopped paddling with the club. For a number of reasons: One of the biggest being emigration. Second on the list is they don't have time to give up an entire day to a club trip and thirdly they took up other sports which aren't so water level related, the number of former UCD oldies on mountain bikes!

On that note, Eoghan I see you as an Oldie, as a former Captain you've pretty much been one since last year.

Med students are always difficult I will consult with my fellow oldies and produce a ruling from the sacred scroll of IJMIU

[Simon R.]

while not bothering to read anyones post in any detail above... it appears i've stirred the hornets nest.

I always used the term oldie as someone who has been through fresher and then a year or 2 of the club. I for instance am still in college but am definitely an oldie!

I've never considered that oldie refers to someones age (no insult intended above karen)! else we'd have to coin terms like geriatric for some of the people who are still about.

my suggestion for including some more senior club members as oldies was simply because there are less of us then there are freshers and second/3rd year club members.

This is a fun boaterX and I'll be on 10 teams if people need me. I'd be hopeful that people would join teams with people they don't know or as a suggestion I can generate teams so that everyone might get to know everyone else a bit better for the night of the ball.

Discuss...

[Simon R.]

hold on! some of the freshers did their leaving in 2012........good god!

[Maryanne]

Sorry Maryanne only Oldies decide who oldies are!

Nah, I think an 18 year old fresher is a better judge of who's old than any oldie! Or else the college age aspect of the club will go out the window.
I mean, we've to remember that an oldie in the club doesn't have to be old in real life, just by the standards of college.

while not bothering to read anyones post in any detail above... it appears i've stirred the hornets nest.

Lol

my suggestion for including some more senior club members as oldies was simply because there are less of us then there are freshers and second/3rd year club members.

Yeah, that's what I was getting at too, to support the amount of 1st and 2nd years we have we need more people to be oldies in general.

This is a fun boaterX and I'll be on 10 teams if people need me. I'd be hopeful that people would join teams with people they don't know or as a suggestion I can generate teams so that everyone might get to know everyone else a bit better for the night of the ball.

Discuss...

I'll be on any team that needs a college person, I'm pretty sure I know all the freshers, but I'm up for being assigned on to a random team, maybe I'll get to meet an exotic oldie!

[Maryanne]

hold on! some of the freshers did their leaving in 2012........good god!

Bahaha! Yup!
And not some, nearly all!

[Tiny Tim]

This is a fun boaterX and I'll be on 10 teams if people need me. I'd be hopeful that people would join teams with people they don't know or as a suggestion I can generate teams so that everyone might get to know everyone else a bit better for the night of the ball.

Discuss...

I'll be on any team that needs a college person, I'm pretty sure I know all the freshers, but I'm up for being assigned on to a random team, maybe I'll get to meet an exotic oldie!
[/quote]

Dibs Simon, Maryanne and victory.... 

[kmck]

Oldies always decided who was an Oldie can't go changing the rules just because we've become a rare breed of awesome 

If I was a fresher I'd get onto the ball site on facebook and ask anyone you don't recognise to be your senior paddler <Hint Dave Hannon and Carl Dempsey would be good choices if Tom Bannon or Benny are going also good people to ask, don't know if Dave, Dave or Dave is going but all good choices, Jenny might be around as well if ask her>


In the last boatercross it was fresher(easy to define) 2nd or third year type(also easy to define) and Oldie(obscure just the way we like it!) basically anyone who didn't fit in the first two categories.

[Towelyey]

There are oldies and there are SUPER OLDIES!!

We invented the concept of the SUPER OLDIE when we realised that our oldies had their own oldies then we couldnt distinguish which set of oldies were being talked about! This concept was decided and agreed upon in the Secret garden over a tiple or two, a SUPER OLDIE is an oldie that you only ever hear about they are a mysterious crowd that you will not know until you reach the ever coveted mentality of an oldie.

What you need is an inbetween ground, a new title for a special new breed of oldie, the not around so much cos they're busy people but goliy when they come to visit is it a hoot and a half!! These oldies judge the freshers based on the half your age plus 7 rule then sigh as they are are too old then return to drinking some more, fresh meat just isn't what it used to be, are there any local's about they say!! These 'oldies' can be spotted in the 'professional' world often SUITED UP for a day's work. The best way to spot a oldie is to strike up a conversation about the terrible damage that buckfast has on the world, IT IS NOW THAT THE UCDCC OLDIE WILL SHOW THEIR TRUE COLOURS - BLINK AND YOU WILL MISS IT!!!!!  they will look wistfully, lovingly into the distance whilst reminiscing aobut the glory days - oh buckfast how i miss you, they will whisper as they return to sipping their gin and tonic!!

A NEW TITLE IS REQUIRED - HAVE AT IT - im a busy lady!!

I think there should be extra points for people who get a 'word yet to be decided' oldie or a super oldie on their boaterX team, just remember that oldies, especially super oldies have whats called a 'disposable income' - you dont need to know what that is just that they can buy you drink with it!!

[Asho87]

I think last time it was more beginner ("fresher" someone with little/no experience, could be second year if they're only starting to get the hang of it now, or if a first year was a paddler before they came to college they could be moved to the middle category), intermediate (someone who could get themselves down a river and maybe help rescue a bit but still could mess up and swim on Jacksons) and solid boater ("oldie" someone who's been paddling a while, rescue, someone who will definitely not be swimming and can probably help the "fresher type" if they mess up on the way).

For example, I would be a huge disadvantage if you had me as your "oldie" despite my oldie status. And Oisin (isnt't it?) would likely be a huge advantage as a "fresher" since he paddled before college (this opinion is purely from the grapevine, you could be a terrible paddler for all I know hahaha).

[kmck]

I support the Boobs officer emeritus

[Karen]

Coolio, I am now looking for a fresher and a college type please! Be warned, I do like winning things!

[Diarmuid]

I also require a fresher and oldie

Coolio, I am now looking for a fresher and a college type please! Be warned, I do like winning things!