Hey guys!
I hate to have to post this up, as at this stage I'd hope it would be a general given, but unfortunately the committee is being faced with it every weekend and it's proving a huge issue in terms of us loosing money and having awkward moments where we have to turn people away from trips. (I swear we don't enjoy it! We want everyone to be able to join in but we set deadlines and such for a reason...). This year the club is under particular financial pressure due to inordinate price increases across the board and so we can't afford to be losing money where it is easily avoidable.
The deadline for Saturday trips is 12 noon on the Thursday before the trip. This is to allow the Safety Officer and Secretary and Treasurer to ensure that sufficient instructors have been booked, the bus is booked, the required funds set aside and a suitable location has been picked to suit all those signed up.
IF after the deadline, someone looks to sign up it is at the committes descision as to whether there is sufficient room for that particular person to come. This includes instructor ratios, bus seats and the suitability of the river. As such, a level 3(or higher paddler) will be more likely accepted over a fresher who has not paddled a river before. It makes sense that way to everyone I hope!
Saying that, we still ask ALL PADDLERS to sign up before the deadline as it allows the committee to accurately book buses/organise cars for trips. This is proving a major issue for us this year and from now on we will flat out tell you there's no space if you sign up late rather than spending Friday night trying to organise buses and such.
If you do sign up and realise that you can't come please tell a committee member ASAP! Yet again this relates back to the need for buses/instructors and the earlier we know the easier it is for us to avoid losing money.
It also allows us to open the space to someone who might want it.
From now on, if someone doesn't turn up to a trip without telling us the day before they will be charged €5. This is to cover the price of the bus.
(If you wake up Saturday morning dying, that's obviously ok! Just give us a shout so we know not to wait for you! )
