Club Committee
2008-2009 Manifestos
Mark McKelvie for Coxing Captain
I am a first year medic and I noviced with 1st & 3rd as a cox in Michaelmas 2007, coxing the 3rd novice women, as well as coxing the 2nd women’s IV at Fairbairns and the 2nd women’s VIII for the Lent Bumps.
Whilst I cannot promise to bring anything ‘new’ to the role of Coxing Captain, I will do my best to ensure that the brilliant work my predecessor achieved this year will be maintained under me. I am continually building up my coxing experience and I have gained a great amount of advice from Boaties and Bufties alike, particularly Emma Leadbetter and Jenny Lee, and I will work hard to make sure 1st & 3rd coxes feel appropriately supported throughout the year.
Particular roles would include:
- Assisting the LBCs in recruiting a decent number of coxes during Michaelmas 2008 and, crucially, ensuring that there is the support for the coxes, readily available from myself, the LBCs and coaches to encourage cox retention.
- Arranging outings in the first 2/3 weeks for novice coxes to cox senior boats for at least part of the outing as soon as tubbing sessions are completed.
- Ensuring LBCs have a supply of senior coxes for outings with novice boats when necessary.
- Channelling senior coxes towards the appropriate senior boats by liaising with the Captains and coaches.
- Encouraging LBCs and coaches to provide feedback for the cox and not just the rowers at the post-outing crew talk.
- Checking that coxing equipment is in working order each term.
It can be difficult for a cox, especially a novice cox, to feel like an integral part of the boat club; every crew has their bad outings, but the cox can feel particularly upset due to the large responsibility that they have for their crew, since the crew put a lot of trust into the judgement of their cox. I will therefore emphasise the supporting role of the Coxing Captain by having meetings with the coxes, particularly the novices, to discuss basic coxing techniques, ideas for race plans and to check on their general feelings, helping to sort out problems early on before they become significant. I will also make myself available as often as possible should they need to get in touch.
Overall I aim to continue the work that my predecessors have done to ensure that 1st & 3rd continues to produce not only great rowers, but also great coxes.
Proposed by: Harriet Booker
Seconded by: Emma Leadbetter