FMC is keen to be more closely connected with our member clubs. As part of this, we are starting up a quarterly online 'club kōrero' where clubs can dial in for an hour to get an update on FMC happenings, and ask questions of the Executive.

Join us for our first kōrero on Tuesday, 8 August 2023 at 7.30pm. If you would like to attend, please RSVP to eo@fmc.org.nz.

Similarly, if there are items you would like to see on the agenda for discussion, please let us know so we can ensure we have the right information in front of us to answer your questions.

FMC is proud to offer Youth Expedition Scholarships for the 13th year running, and the Simon Bell Memorial Scholarship for the eighth consecutive year.

For information on how to apply, and to check your eligibility criteria, see www.fmc.org.nz/scholarship/

A poster to promote the scholarships can also be downloaded from our website.

We are also offering Training Grants for the fourth year running, to support FMC clubs by making training opportunities more accessible.

https://fmc.org.nz/members-area/fmc-training-grant/

Applications for both Expedition Scholarships and Training Grants close at the end of the day on Friday 15 September 2023.

For any queries, e-mail our executive officer at eo@fmc.org.nz.

FMC believes young people are the future kaitiaki of our wild places. Backcountry missions with friends can also foster feelings of belonging and adventure while contributing to the overall wellbeing of our young people / rangatahi. 

That’s why FMC is focusing on Youth Tramping as a celebrated activity of the year. 

We would like to celebrate good practices, share examples of successful projects or hear about the needs or obstacles young people are facing when venturing into the backcountry.

To learn more about what our plans are and how you can get involved, please visit the Outdoor Community page on our website.

If you have stories, ideas or experiences to share, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch: communications@fmc.org.nz

There is still plenty of time to run your club photo competition this year - it is a perfect thing to do on a club night during the long cold winter evenings.

The winning images of a club's competition are eligible to be entered by the club into the FMC competition.  FMC individual supporters can also enter and are pre-judged by FMC with the top shots gaining entry to the overall competition.

Information on how to enter is on our website and we have put together resources for clubs running a competition. This page also includes tips on how to run a photo competition for your club, both in person and online.

Entries close on 1 September 2023 for individual supporters and 15 September 2023 for clubs.  If you have any questions, please contact photocomp@fmc.org.nz.

Located halfway up the east shore of Lake Ōhau on the access road to the Dobson Valley, Greta Lodge was originally built as a cook house for road workers.

Mackenzie District Council is interested in establishing a long-term pepper-corn lease with a club or community group to manage and maintain the hut.

The age of the hut means there is a historical significance, however, the site is not listed as a heritage building. The hut has a bunk bed and a queen bed, but historically used to have space to sleep six people. The hut is in some disrepair and needs work to become more watertight and to prevent damage.

Clubs interested in applying for a lease to manage the hut, read more on the Mackenzie District Council website.

Members of FMC affiliated clubs can utilise the optional D2U service to get the next four issues of the magazine, plus the FMC discount card, delivered directly to your home address.

More info is available online:  

www.fmc.org.nz/D2U

The print date of the August issue of Backcountry is fast approaching. The 25th of July is the cut-off date for those wanting to start D2U to receive the August issue.  Sign-ups after this date will start with the November issue. 

If you’ve enjoyed a great read, but don’t want to hang on to the issue, please give the messages and stories a chance to reach others. 

Take it to a hut, or give it to a friend and encourage them to support FMC if they like it.  

www.fmc.org.nz/join

We also encourage clubs that end up with spare copies to consider making an arrangement with the local outdoors shop to donate their spare copies for customers to take away. Maybe you could even put your club's details on a sticker on the front cover to encourage new members to join.