Now that the festive season and the peak of summer have wound down, it’s time for the 2015 rogaining season to wind up!
We have our usual smorgasbord of events on offer this year with each of the following durations represented: 3, 4, 5, 6, 12 & 24 hours. And for those of you who use rogaining as an opportunity to see more of our state, you won’t be disappointed. We’ll journey from the water’s edge at Goolwa to the iconic Flinders Ranges, smell the pines in Kuitpo and explore the mid North around Peterborough. And who knows what surprises we’ll have for you in the minigaine… Frankly, I can’t wait to get started! (By the way, we get started on 21 March – book your spot now!).
The South Australian Rogaining Association is going through a great patch at the moment. We have a fantastically dedicated Committee, a healthy group of regular volunteers and a really engaged and growing membership. It’s really something wonderful to be part of, so please encourage your friends to come along to our events, and give some thought to how you might get more involved through volunteering – it’s actually quite rewarding.
We’re really pleased that our participation amongst the family and recreational rogainers is increasing. Another area we’d love to grow is at the competitive end of the spectrum. To encourage the elite amongst you, I can announce the SARA will offer a travel subsidy to the Australian Rogaining Championships to one of the teams that wins a category at our SA State Championships on 2 May 2015! That’s right – win your category at the State Champs, and we could pay for you to travel to NSW to mix it with the nation’s best. (Further details to be provided closer to May).
Financially, we’re still going well. With increasing participant numbers , we’re able to maintain our fees at reasonable levels. At the same time, we’ve invested back into the sport recently with some one off costs – who could miss the new paint job on our trailer last year that served to both maintain a piece of equipment while simultaneously being a wonderful mobile advertising billboard! You’ll get more of an overview of our dollars and cents from the Treasurer at the AGM in March.
On the topic of the AGM, if there’s anything that you’d like to raise then please give me a shout prior to the Twilight event.
I look forward to seeing you all out on course this year!
Mark Porter, President
South Australian Rogaining Association
