The following is the text of a letter to the Committee from Life Member, John Bartlett recommending Mark Proctor for Honorary Life Membership.

Mark Proctor on top of Precipitous Bluff, Tasmania 2010

I can recall getting to know Mark on a walk during the May 2003 long weekend in the Mt Falkland/ Aroona Valley area of the Flinders Ranges. I believe this walk was in the early stages of his membership of ABW.

Since then, Mark has contributed to ABW in many ways, and I list some of these contributions that I can recall:

• committee positions; Secretary, Treasurer, President, Vice President, all more than once, with President’s position being taken four times
• organiser of ABW’s involvement in the Warren Bonython Memorial Walk of the Heysen Trail in 2013
• considerable involvement in the general overhaul and upgrading to the electronic age of the administration and running of ABW, i.e. the Member Activity and Registration System (MARS)
• currently, Secretary of the Sub-Committee organising the Flinders Ranges Water Tanks Project
• Mark is an endorsed multi-day walk leader and has led many walks.
• assisted other Committee members, e.g. proofreading Tandanya
• the club has developed a number of policies during the last few years; e.g. the recent Members Protection Policy, and Mark has had an active input to these
• helped organise the bus trips to the Flinders Ranges and Grampians on many occasions

Mark has been able to use his professionalism, administration and leadership skills as well as his computer technology skills to good effect in his obvious devotion to ABW.

Therefore, I am submitting this for the committee to consider approving the nomination of Mark for honorary life membership in order for it to be presented to the general meeting in July for ratification by the members.

Highlights of Mark’s Time in ABW

• Nov 2001 – joined ABW and did his first walk lead by John Bartlett to Deep Creek
• Mar 2002 – finished his third qualifying walk to become a full member (led by John Golding) to the Devil’s Peak on his 50th birthday
• May 2003 – joined the committee as Secretary
• June 2003 – led his first walk (Dutchmans Stern)
• Feb 2005 – first walk in Tasmania (South Coast Track) led by Trevor May
• May 2007 – Treasurer – moved the club to online banking
• May 2008-10 – club President
• 2008-15 – organised the bi-annual bus trips
• Feb 2009 – led his first Tasmanian walk (Frenchmans Cap)
• Feb 2011 – led Tasmanian walk (South Coast Track) with his daughter
• Mar 2012 – Federation Peak (did not summit due to injury)
• Mar 2013 – wrote functional requirement for MARS
• Feb 2014 – first walk in NZ (Mt Aspiring)
• May 2014-16 – club President
• Sep 2015 – first walk in WA (Bibbulmun Track led by Andrew Cope)
• Aug 2016 – life member