Last week, we sent a notice to all clubs about a General Meeting being called on Saturday 17 October 2020 to:

• elect a new Patron; and 
• ratify five rule changes

A résumé of Les Molloy, who has been nominated for patron, and a summary of the proposed rule changes are included in the notice.

The meeting will only proceed if New Zealand is at Covid-19 Alert Level 1 on the above date.

Date: Saturday 17 October 2020

Time: 11.30am

Location: Miramar Links Conference & Function Venue,  Stewart Duff Drive, Miramar, Wellington 

The General Meeting will be followed by refreshments.

A General Meeting Voting and Attendance Form and a Voting Guide were also sent out with the letter.

The attendance of FMC's member clubs is greatly appreciated.

For any queries, please contact our Executive Officer at eo@fmc.org.nz.

D2U is a new, optional service, which is available to current members of an FMC affiliated club.

Those who are eligible can sign up to D2U online, and we will post your Backcountry magazine and Discount Card “direct to you”.

To sign up, visit www.fmc.org.nz/D2U, pay $20 and receive;

• The next 4 issues of Backcountry magazine, posted directly       to you. 
• A temporary electronic FMC Discount Card valid till the           end of June.
• Your normal printed Discount Card with the June issue of         Backcountry.

D2U is an optional service which is only available to current members of FMC affiliated clubs. 

The launch of this new service will not impact the current entitlements to copies of Backcountry and Discount Cards which we deliver to clubs.

Don’t forget that there are over 50 companies which offer discounts to FMC Card holders; www.fmc.org.nz/discount-card/  For anyone who usually gets a DOC Annual Hut Pass, the 30% discount ($36.60 off) alone makes the card worthwhile!

www.fmc.org.nz/D2U has much more information about the service which explains the thinking behind it and answers some frequently asked questions. If you have more questions after reading this information, please feel free to contact dan.clearwater@fmc.org.nz.

Through the "Outdoor Community" campaign, FMC has been steadily building a manual of ideas which work for clubs and groups. It has advice on archiving, liability, membership systems, club safety management, incorporation, banking, gear hire and much more!

For the last three years, there's been a new topic each quarter. The information is published in summary for the Outdoor Community column of Backcountry magazine and in full on the www.wilderlife.nz/outdoor-community website. For suggestions on topics to cover, or offers to assist creating resources, please contact development@fmc.org.nz.

We're delighted that the new Casey Hut is open, just in time for spring and summer adventures.

FMC have been closely involved in the hut replacement project since the ashes of the previous hut were discovered in 2015.

Executive member Tania Seward worked with DOC to look at options, including mobilising the outdoor community to have their say about the future of the hut.

"I thought we might get 50 responses all up," says Seward. "We got 50 in the first day! Nearly 250 groups and individuals told us what the hut meant to them and what a valuable asset it was to the Arthur's Pass National Park."

"Casey Hut is a natural step up from Great Walks or easy tramping tracks. It's the only loop track in the national park not subject to major river crossings or needing a vehicle relocation."

"We're very grateful to Robert and Sharon for their generosity, and for the local DOC team for seeing this project right the way through to the end."

See also the media release on DOC's website, with link to a video that includes interviews with FMC Exec Member Tania Seward, DOC, the donors and the Nature Heritage Fund.

We're delighted to see the Backcountry Trust receive nearly $2 million to expand its hut and track repair programme.

The funding will create over 100 jobs, many of which will be taken up by tourism workers displaced by the economic impact of COVID-19.

“If you look through the hut book, there are so many people that have come through here and have stories to tell about this part of the park, and we are just really keen to keep those opportunities open for the next generation," says Rob Brown, manager of the Backcountry Trust.

FMC, alongside the NZ Deerstalkers Association and TrailFund, established the Backcountry Trust in 2017.

Read more