QUODCUMQUE FACIENDUM : NIMIS FACIEMUS
Editorial
A.G.M.
Hopefully, by the time this B.B. comes out,
nominations for the 1974-5 committee election will be in, and will provide
enough candidates for an election to be held. It goes without saying that all members should vote and as many as
possible turn up to the A.G.M. itself. It is only by doing so that we can be sure that the B.E.C. reflects the
wishes of its members.
Caving For Beginners
Some readers may by now have seen the booklet
which represents the Southern Council's official policy on the subject of
novice training - or at any rate have heard of its existence. Since the B.E.C. is one of the clubs
endorsing this booklet, it may be of interest to quote one or two of the items
affecting the general philosophy behind the scheme. For example, 'It is certainly very dangerous,
and probably incorrect, to present caving as a sport or game; times taken,
points reached, numbers of obstacles overcome and, above all, any aspects of
competition either imagined or contrived are wholly irrelevant. The level of personal satisfaction obtained
by the successful exploration of part of a cave system must be the only
criterion. There are no summits to be
conquered or records to beat in a cave. Thus, the sole raison d'etre of caving is the exploration of an alien
and unknown environment. It may better
be described as a hobby.' In this
connection, schemes for the severity grading of caves, an example of which
formed the subject of a recent article in the B.B. ,are acceptable provided
that they are used for information rather then for any competitive reason.
Prize Crossword
To mark the 50th appearance of the B.B. crossword,
this month's crossword carries a prize of a bottle of wine which, if bought at
the dinner, will be paid for in the case of the first person to present the
editor with a correct solution. If, by
any chance, this B.B. arrives too late for the dinner, the prize will be paid
out retrospectively to the winner. Naturally, the clues are a trifle harder than normal.
Alfie