My term of office did not start at the AGM last Easter term, because that was a failed AGM. About the start of September, Earl sent out an e-mail suggesting we make sure we get squashes booked, novice meets planned and just to check that we have a stall for Fresher's Fair booked. Then, on October 5th, Steve sent an e-mail that read:

Subject: Elementary anatomy, or, to be more precise, telling the difference between your arse and your elbow. Which the organisation of this club can't do. Result: I went to CUSU just now to book a Fresher's Fair stall and there are none available. What a bonus for recruitment.

An e-mail later that day, from Earl in response to one from Wookey, summed up the situation:

On Mon. 5 Oct 1998, Wookey wrote:
> Do you need any emergency help for
> fresher's fair?

We have no stall, no entry in the fresher's handbook, nothing actually printed, no candidate for Tackle Master, few students, less time...

Yep, that first week was a bit exciting. On the Tuesday I checked my e-mail to find a message along the lines of "Get yourself down to Kelsey Kerridge now - we have a stall!" so I jumped on my bike, took a few wrong turns and finally pushed past the crowds to find... it had been a false alarm. I spent a little time handing out flyers with a helmet on my head, but it was boring and getting nowhere, so I left (but don't tell Steve, who was in his oversuit having a more successful time signing people up). On Wednesday we had a stall, so we set up Jeremy's display and had a fairly successful day, with quite a few people signing up. That evening we had the EGM, which was finally quorate, and was rushed to allow part of the quorum to get off to their curry.

Following that was the two squashes in Pembroke cellars. The first one (Thursday evening?) was not well attended, but the second (Tuesday 13th?) was, and quite a few signed up for the P8 meet. I then faced the challenge of trying to get everyone to the Peak district. No minibus yet booked, and shortage of old lags. Julian deserted home for the third weekend in a row, and a minibus had to be booked for the whole weekend, so in the end we all went caving. Even Wadders turned up to assist! Erin Lynch was knackered by the trip (and asthma) - little did we know that she was going to keep coming back for more. Earl managed to offend Julian Haines by suggesting he would have heard 60's music the first time round, and we all got back late and had to leave a steaming pile of gear in my room. Things were starting to settle down.

But not for long. The next issue to hit the fan was that of Old lags and the Tuesday pub meet (then still in the Panton Arms). Do we ban all but active caving old lags from the presence of novices? Permanently? For a few weeks? To another pub? To another room? A soc-cucc-admin list was set up to allow the committee to rant without filling the in-boxes of over one hundred students -- and has been filling committee in-boxes ever since. Insurance, accessibility of club gear, social secretaries, the annual dinner, location of lunches; all these topics in one week, ably helped along by Earl's amazing e-mails that gave alternative arguments, tables of times/costs/whatever, raised yet more issues, and took forever to read.

Yorks I came and went, and so did my last dose of term-time caving. Ever since then, Paul's common refrain in my direction is "You're such a slacker". Perhaps I am (though I know I have caved more than Julian Haines did when he was President -- which cheers me up). Six weeks through Michaelmas term I became one of the two leaders of the Trinity College Christian Union, which has been taking up some time. Throw in a dose of the work thing, several unmissable weekends and there you have it. I should use this article to say what a great committee the Club has, and if they had all worked as little as I have, the Club would not be in as healthy a position as it is now. Cheers guys, you're all great!

Apart from the somewhat chaotic start to last term, I think the year is going well, and CUCC is in a much better shape than it was this time last year. Lots of very keen new members, with at least 15 people turning up to The Castle on Tuesday evenings, well attended trips, lots of caving over the Christmas holidays, it all looks pretty good. Here's to the future of CUCC!