Hello everyone,

General:
I hope that you’ve all had a good summer. I can tell from the emails circulating that you are all getting interested by the challenge of starting again.

I note that some of you haven’t enjoyed the weather. No, I admit that it has at times been damp, but here the last 10 days have been beautiful with lots of warm sunshine – but for those of you in the Home Counties, well, hard luck! I thought I’d get that in, because the South West is such a good area for weather! – and it may make those who have suffered in Hull and Gloucester feel a bit better.

Membership:
I thought I’d start by saying that I hope all members from last year will be able to join us again for this season. I am afraid that we’ve lost Catherine – she’s not been answering my emails since January. If members’ circumstances change and they wish to withdraw, it is so much more helpful if they can say.

Ann, we know, has had a very significant problem to deal with, and I hope things are easier for you now, Ann. If you are able to join us again, we’d love to have you.

We have two new members this year: Tara, and Rosemary, so please add them to your membership address lists. There may yet be others before we start the season.

If anyone has changed an email address, please let us all know.

Alpha Days:
Although I have circulated the Alpha Day list last year, I’ll put them down again.

They are all Thursdays will be Sept 13, Oct 4, Oct 25, Nov 15, Dec 6, Dec 27, Jan 17, Feb 7, Feb 28, March 20, April 10, May 1, May 22.

We’ll treat them in the same way as before, always circulating challenges on those dates, with the circulation of entries and assessments following in the two following Alpha Days.

Challenges:
This year, I want members to take some of the responsibility for the challenges away from me. I’d like a member to set out and circulate a challenge on Alpha Day X, then be responsible for receiving the entries, putting them in a file, and circulating them at Alpha Day X+1. Finally, I’d like the member to collect the assessments, and summarize the marks and circulate the result on Alpha Day X+2.

I want members to take a turn, but I will exempt Christine (who is maintaining the Log) and Sally (who is looking after the website). I’ll give a list of suggested dates when you might take charge in the opening circular Alpha Day 4.1, but if you want me to avoid any particular dates for any of you, then let me know. I’ll look after the first Challenge. Clearly, we’ll have to accept that there may be late changes to the rota, as none of us can see forward with total certainty, and I’m sure we can cope with a re-arrangement.

I will also produce a list of topics from which you can choose to set a challenge, although each topic can be tailored by the relevant member, but he/she may set his/her own challenge not in my list.

Judging:
I want everyone to judge the entries which will be circulated in one file.

This year we will work to the idea that you will allocate 6 marks to the best entries, but these must always include at least 3 entries. Thus the awarding of marks must be one of the following arrangements:

4,1,1
3,2,1
2,2,2
3,1,1,1
2,2,1,1
2,1,1,1,1,
1,1,1,1,1,1

The winner of any challenge would be the member who gained the most accumulated marks.

As last year, the results of every challenge will count towards determining the overall winner for the year. Marks will not be carried forward, but points for the achievement in the challenges will take the form of 3 points for the winner, 2 points for the next two, and 1 point for each of the next two: this is in addition to a statutory 1 point for each entrant.

The carry forward points are thus as for last year, but if you remember, not everyone voted on the entries. So this year, I am suggesting that you will not get a point for an entry unless you also make a judgement. If you think this sounds like Olaf wielding his stick – well, you suggest a better method!

Anthology
At the end of last season, we suggested that we compiled a set of writing, with as many of us as possible sending a piece to Chris, with a copy to me. I’ve not received any, and I don’t know if Chris has. I will seek enlightenment by the start of the season.

Best wishes to you all

- Olaf