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Creche | Away trips | Walking | Social events | Membership fees | Supporters club | Club uniform | Club newsletter | Coaching services | Attendance records | Clubhouse | Club programme Coaching Take advantage of the expertise in the club by contacting people on the coaching page for advice, a training programme, or where to go next. Travel insurance Members of Athletics New Zealand (registered athletes) are reminded that insurance is available for travel abroad for any reason: to compete in the Olympics, the Boston Marathon, or just for a holiday. You can use this at a great savings on coverage and premiums and for a travelling spouse/ partner and children. During the club's Saturday afternoon runs and races, a creche is available for members with children who are not yet able to be left alone. A fee of $4 per child, per afternoon, is charged. At interclub races, other club members will be readily available to look after children while you race. The away trips are occasions not to be missed. The main away trip is usually held to coincide with the New Zealand Road Relay where teams compete with the best in New Zealand. The emphasis, however, is not just on competition. Everyone is welcome and the more people that come away, the more fun everyone has. In the relay, there are plenty of teams submitted, from our A and B squads right down to the most social of teams, and so ability is not important. The trials for some teams are one of the highlights of the social programme.These social teams are not necessarily picked on running ability! In 2002, the club had 16 teams with 104 runners in total going to the New Zealand Road Relay in the backblocks of Feilding (the floods cut back the numbers in the following year). Last year, in Nelson, we had 12 teams and 80 runners. Relays are a way of turning what can sometimes be quite an individual sport into a shared effort. A huge amount of satisfaction is gained when all the mutual support and encouragement are turned into good results in team placings. In 2006, the club will have away trips to Taupo for the Taupo Cross Country races, to the New Zealand Cross Country Championships, to the New Zealand Road Championships, and smaller groupings going to the Buller Gorge half and full marathon and the Rotorua Marathon in late April. Like the trip to the New Zealand Road Relay, everyone is welcome, and our top runners appreciate the valuable backup that a large travelling contingent provides. Regardless of your ability, we want you there on our away trips. Remember, the more the merrier! Usually the club hires vans for use over the weekend and books accommodation wherever we are going. The accommodation tends to be the motel unit style and the costs are very reasonable when split among many people. Depending on where we are going, we may fly, drive or go on the ferry. There is always scope for flexibility here, but we need to know whether you need a flight or a ferry booking or whether you prefer to make your own arrangements. From the time that we arrive at our destination to the time that we leave, the emphasis is on having a good time. Of course, this means different things to different people, but there is always enough time on the away trips so that whether you like imbibing unwise quantities of the brown stuff, or mellowing out over a pleasant meal with some friends, there is the opportunity to do it. The main "good time" usually occurs on the evening after the event. Having too much of a good time the evening before the event can be detrimental to performance. However, for those interested in adding to the body of knowledge in medical science, experimentation is possible. But, be warned, there are some amazing feats that have gone down in the annals of Scottish that may never again be equalled. Returning to Wellington brings the realisation that you've had a great weekend. As the ferry, plane or van disgorges its cargo of washed-out people, bodies are weak, but spirits have been boosted! Come along this year on an away trip and discover the antidote to 9-to-5 drudgery. The walking section of Scottish is as old as the club. The chairman of the founding meeting of the club, Arthur Rowland, was one of New Zealand's three original Olympians who competed for Australasia in the Olympic Games in 1908, finishing 5th in the final of the 3,560m walk. A past club patron and one of Scottish's great characters, Fred Silver, while being a great runner, also won New Zealand walking titles in the 1940s. In the 1970s, Peter Maunder, David Lonsdale and Robert Bennett led the race-walking revival in the Wellington Centre, competing in the finals of the national track competition. Since then, our walking group has produced three internationals with James Hurring and Paul McElwee representing New Zealand at the world walking championships, and with Lyn Murphy representing New Zealand at the world walking championships and the Commonwealth Games. The walking group is a very social and friendly group to belong to. Advice and encouragement is freely given, and a point of contact is David Lonsdale. Scottish is not just about running and walking; it is also about having fun. After each Saturday's run or race, we generally head to a local drinking establishment for a drink or two. Also, you will notice a number of other social events listed on the winter programme including club dinners, away trips, a pancake breakfast and, of course, our end-of-season prizegiving. Various other social activities are arranged during the season. To make sure you get the most out of Scottish, keep an eye on the club newsletter, weekly emails and this website. The club's membership year runs from 1 April to 31 March in the following year. Please assist the club by paying your membership fees promptly. Seniors here include masters and so anyone 20 and over this year. Membership fees for the 2008/09 season are as follows (new senior members get a $15 discount and so their fees are either $115 or $65 for those not wanting to compete interclub):
For juniors, ages are calculated as at 31 December. For example, if you turn 17 on 1 December 2008, then you are 19 and under for the whole harrier season, not 16 and under. A reduced senior fee of $80 is available for members who do not wish to compete in interclub races. Non-active members are encouraged to pay the associate membership fee as this will enable them to receive the club's magazine. Squash players should click on the "grade (select one)" box in the on-line payment facility and choose Squash (All ages) as your "grade." The membership fees include Athletics New Zealand registration fees and entry fees for the interclub races and relays. It also carries on through the summer track and field season. The balance of the membership fee is used to run the clubhouse and hire venues during the season. Membership fees do not cover the cost of running the club, and so members are encouraged to help in our fundraising activities during the season. Membership fees should be paid to the club's registration officer, electronically or posted in. She will then register members paying the full fee with both the Wellington Centre and Athletics New Zealand. You will need to fill out a membership application form to accompany your membership fees. There are three ways of paying your subs in 2008/09:
Note from President Ken Howell calling for feedback on a proposal to raise the annual club fee, posted 5 January 2008 Your yearly subscription
($115 for seniors) to the club covers things that you may not be aware of. First, you become a registered member of Athletics New
Zealand (ANZ). You should receive an email called Athletics in Action that is the electronic magazine of ANZ that has
articles about events and activities. ANZ has a head office and those activities have to be funded by those registered in the
sport. ANZ does receive some other funding from bodies like SPARC but the amount of outside funding is decreasing. ANZ is made up of 11 centres
and each centre is billed each year based on the number of registered athletes from the centre for the previous year. It is up to each centre to
decide how they will pay the bill they are levied. Recently the Wellington Centre (“Athletics Wellington” or AW,
for short) has set the
adult levy at $51, with under 16s paying 20% of this and under 20s 40% of this. So last year $51 of your senior subscription was
paid directly to AW. Wellington Scottish and
other clubs with a large adult membership were concerned with a proposed large increase in the levy from ANZ for 2008. The
indicative rate for a senior was going to increase to $68 next year. AW’s clubs are made up of clubs like our own (predominantly
harriers, but some track and field) but also junior summer clubs with track and field events. The majority of AW's membership are
the children who belong to these clubs. Any increase in a monetary amount to the under 20s' fee would have a much greater
reduction in the adult fee increase. Another part of the
subscription that we pay for is everyone's entries in the inter-club events that are conducted by AW. These are events like the
Dorne Cup, the Vosseler, and the Cross Country Championships. The clubs that organise these events charge a registration fee for
each entrant (generally $7 pre person per event). These fees have been slowly increasing over the years and we haven’t
increased our fees. Your subs also pay for all
the things that we do to run a successful club. The accounts will be presented at the Annual General Meeting on Wednesday 5 March
(7:30pm at the Clubrooms) and are open to scrutiny and questions. One thing, unfortunately, is certain. An increase in our subscriptions this year is inevitable. The Management Committee is proposing to increase the senior fee by $15 to $130. Ken Howell As a member of the Supporters Club, the member will receive a regular newsletter detailing assistance provided to Scottish members and reports from recent races. Please contact Charles Broad, if you wish to know more about the Supporters Club or to become a supporter.
Club newsletter/ weekly emails The club's newsletter is produced regularly during the year and is sent to all members, including associates. Called "On the Run," the newsletter is an important communication tool and permanent record within the club (electronic and hard copy versions coexist). Please keep an eye out for it and ensure the club is aware of any change of address you may have.Our temporary editor, Michele Allison, is keen to receive newsletter contributions. So feel free to express your views in a letter to the editor or recount your wonderful memories of a recent race you have run. (If you'd like to learn how to put together the newsletter and take over the job, please contact a grateful Michele via the Contacts page) Api Williams looks after a weekly email going to club members. Forward any items to him for inclusion. Paul Rodway keeps the database of members' physical and email addresses and phone numbers, and so please let him know if your address has changed. You'll find that you no longer get the weekly emails or occasional newletter if you forget to pass the change on to us. This year we will continue to email the newsletter as well as have it available to those who prefer hardcopy. During the winter season the club has an attendance register. The register is important for two reasons:
Therefore, keep an eye out for the attendance register and be sure to mark you name off for each run/race you participated in. Coaching plays a major role in Scottish. In general, members of all ages and abilities have a desire to complete a race as quickly as possible, or achieve a personal victory over fellow members.Scottish recognises that people usually join the club to move their running performance up to another level. To assist members meet their goals, Scottish offers a range of coaching services. (See the Coaching page) Scottish has a designated coaching coordinator whose aim is to service the coaching needs of club members. Most importantly, the coordinator is there to ensure that coaching advice and information is available to all members. Look out for regular coaching items in upcoming club newsletters. Over the years, the club has built up an extensive library. Increasingly, for those with access to the Internet, the world-wide web also provides a wealth of running information (for a few sites, check out the Resources page). Both these sources provide an excellent starting point for members wanting to understand more about running and training. The club also makes available to members, at no charge, training diaries. Pick your diary up at a Saturday club run and record your training. Then, when you run a good race, you will be able to refer back to the training you did prior to that race and implement that winning formula again. The club also intends to run several coaching seminars during the season. Look out for news of these in the club newsletter, in the home page. The club's coaches are available to provide advice to individual members. If you wish, a training programme can be tailored by a club coach to suit your ability and goals. The Scottish clubhouse is located at Prince of Wales Park, Mt Cook, Wellington, which is near the old Wellington Show and Sports Centre (now Te Whaea National Dance School). Vehicular access is gained from Salisbury Terrace. Parking becomes tricky at the height of the rugby season.Built in 1970, the clubhouse is used for a number of the club runs and social activities during the season. However, because of the need for a variety of run locations, the clubhouse does not get the use it deserves. Club members are able to use the clubhouse at any time for training, with Sunday mornings being the most popular time. Access to the clubhouse is by a combination lock. Just remember to turn off the lights when you leave. The club also hires out the clubhouse to other groups and for parties. Therefore, if you are looking for a venue for your "birthday bash," contact David Lonsdale to make a booking.
Overview of club programme Wellington Scottish operates an athletics programme throughout the year. In the summer, the club competes in the New Zealand National Track Competition. This provides members with a great opportunity to test their skills in field events and, of course, to compete on the track (some of the results are listed on the Results page). The 1999/2000 season was the first time that children were able to enter the children's meets as members of Wellington Scottish. Besides the NTC, members can join the other Scottish members who compete on Saturday afternoons at Newtown Park. Keep an eye out for the Athletics Wellington summer programme which is produced around October each year. The winter programme which the club has put together is designed to provide a balance between club runs, races, social activities, cross-country and road running. Generally, all events are held on Saturday afternoon. The age rules of Athletics New Zealand apply to harrier events. You become a master (veteran) on your 35th birthday. For the junior grades, M16 or W16 in 2006, for example, means that you are still 16 on 31 December of this year (hence 16 and under). Club runs (which are discussed in the next section) are more frequent at the beginning of the winter programme so that members can improve their fitness prior to launching into interclub races. The races in the first half of the winter season generally involve cross-country running with distances starting at about 5k (for seniors) and increasing to 12k for the senior men at the Wellington Cross Country Championships. Distances for juniors, masters men and women are usually much less than 10k. The road races in the second half of the season are generally held over flat and measured courses and are a good opportunity for personal best times. The club also has a number of combined club runs with other Wellington harrier clubs. These runs always create an enjoyable and friendly atmosphere in which to run. Club runs are an opportunity to run all over Wellington with groups of similar ability to you. Club runs are noncompetitive; you simply select the group which fits your desired pace and distance. When you arrive at a club run venue, refer to the listing of packs displayed for the types of runs available. If you have any questions, speak to a senior club member and she or he will be able to help you. However, if in doubt, choose a lower pack. It is better to move up through the packs, not down. Also, the leader of each pack has a responsibility to look after each runner and so you won't be left behind! Club runs are held at a variety of venues throughout the Wellington region. You will get an opportunity to see places you would never otherwise get to see. If transport to out-of-town runs is a problem, talk to your team leader and she or he will usually find someone to give you a ride. Handicap races are structured so that each competitor, of whatever ability, has a chance of winning the race. In the normal open handicapping, the slowest runners start off at scratch (or when the gun goes) and faster runners may start up to 20 minutes later. If the handicapping is spot on and everyone performes to the handicapper's expectations, we should all finish together in a tight bunch at the end of the race. The following notes briefly describe the club's handicap races. Le
Gaye Cup (Island Bay)
Novice Cup,
Galashiels Trophy (Eastbourne)
Baudinet Cup
(Titahi Bay)
The under 20s have a sealed handicap 4k race down Te Pene Avenue and up Main Road, starting on Toms and then going to Tiriti Road. J-Teamers have their own race of about 2k. A 6k handicap road walking race is also held in this area (competing for the Cole Land Cup).
Ballantyne Cup
(Lower Hutt)
Tanadees
Cup (Evans Bay)
Shaw Baton Relay
(Battle Hill Reserve, Pauatahanui)
University
Relays (QEII Park, McKays Crossing)
Vosseler
Shield (Mt Victoria)
Dorne
Cup (Trentham)
Wellington Cross-Country Championships
(Waikanae)
Bays Relay (Southern and Eastern Bays)
Carterton
Relay (Wairarapa)
Wellington Road Championships (Upper
Hutt)
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In
2006, the club introduced a new design for the singlet, replacing the 1996 "thunderbolt" uniform. The standard tops cost
$25. Members competing in interclub events are required to wear the
club singlet and
all members are encouraged to wear the singlet on Saturday club runs and races.
Given the quality of the singlets and crop tops, members do not require much prompting to put
them on.
Plain black shorts are the usual accompaniment to the tops. Some
women wear Scottish crop tops and bikini bottoms in the milder
weather. Various other items of club clothing are available, including a
club tracksuit and a smart black T-shirt.
If you require an item of club uniform, please contact Adrian Shields.
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Wellington Scottish Athletics Club, PO Box 6239, Te Aro, Wellington. Clubhouse, Prince of Wales Park (map), Salisbury Terrace, Mt Cook |
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