WOW, is it the end of term already, and with Wednesday’s midnight paddle and last nights summer meal still fresh in our minds, I’d thought we’d write a post on how we celebrated another successful year in the Canoe & Kayak Team!
Well first of all I can’t talk about the past year without a mention of our special anniversary. In the academic year of 2004/2005 a keen paddler by the name of Shaun Hazell sought to find other kayakers within the then still young University of Lincoln, and created the University of Lincoln Canoe & Kayak Club. Now 10 years down the line, LUCK is one of the biggest sports teams on campus and has had countless of memories, of which when we came together at the end of April to celebrate in our special event. So a huge thanks to Shaun who has helped the club over the 10 years!
So how can we talk about 2014/15, well, we can mention Tyne Tour and our array of hats on show, and how we even managed to get into The Linc (the proper printed version as well!), or to our first Canoe Trip to the River Wye and getting ‘re-educated’ into proper canoe sitting position, to our Pub Golf social in which.. well we won’t mention that!
We can talk for hours about those times we swam down rapids, cruised in and out of eddies, began life long relationships with rocks, surfing the tides at fistral beach and being too cool for NSR! But what we’ve come to really enjoy and remember about this club is not just the sport, but the people we meet and become friends with.
And that is how we can talk about 2014/15, this year for many of our team will of been there last year. From those finishing 3 year long courses, to completing masters. Many on the team will be leaving this summer, and for all who’ve been around for the past year or 2 years it’s something we can’t imagine seeing that generation gone.
There are so many people to mention, Charlie King, our current treasurer (who is much nicer to you when you don’t ask for money), has managed to become friends with almost everyone! Ever the one to provide kayaks on the wednesday sessions we’ll miss her colourful array of Kayaking gear, and DIY gear, and headwear, and all of the colours!
Tom Candy, former Social Sec, Former Vice President and always a friend, while he might of missed the mark on the amount of pool sessions he managed to organise. He was always better at making sure everyone was okay and having a good time, be it on a river in the middle of Wales, to the dance floor in Skint! And without Candy, there would be no Joe Brightmore, a friend who while might of been missing on the water, was everywhere else at the time! We’ll miss his increasing complicated football organization skills and worried about who’ll fill those shoes next year!
Our Vice President, Joshua Williamson has been a regular face on our socials, from his ever increasing ability to drink far more than the average human being (and even kayaker) to his ever well organised Crawl of Duty helmet challenge! He’ll be missed, not just by the bars he manages to keep open, but by all who has come to meet his cheeky charm and humor, you’d be surprised (and slightly terrified) to know he’ll be working soon of creating cars to be sold to the public! And of course not to forget his drinking partner and former treasurer Oliver Barrow who will be leaving also!
And while there is many more people we could of mentioned, (and sorry for not!) We could not talk about this leaving generation without the mention of our President.
Our President who has served 2 years in her role has done an outstanding job, and has provided a honest and approachable face for many in the team. Kind, Caring, hard-working and just friendly, it’s with great sadness to say Rachel Turner will be leaving this summer as she has finished her 3 years study. For the past 2 years Rachel as overseen a massive expansion in club numbers and overseen and helped 2 committee worth of problems, from getting kicked out of our storage shed, to being the chair on all of those committee meetings! We can say it’s been a pleasure having her as our president for the last 2 years!
So while it might of not yet sunk in, that in September we won’t be seeing these people coming down on Wednesdays, we’ll still be sure to remember that we can’t spend the rest of the time wishing for their return, as a new committee takes its role from July and a new set of freshers will appear, we’ll begin a new generation of kayakers at the University of Lincoln and hopefully be as great as the last committee & generation.
So to everyone leaving and those yet to join, we wish you the best of LUCK!
