Club Committee

2011-2012 Manifestos

Penelope Jenkins – Coxing Captain

I noviced with First and Third in Michaelmas and have adored coxing ever since. Coxing NM1, I went on to cox M2 for Lents and now Mays, and intend to take part in the Lightweights Dev Squad camp this summer, which will, I hope, allow me to come back next term with much enhanced coxing skills.

I feel I have gained a lot from First and Third: more self-confidence, a greater ability to make decisions quickly, and last but not least an outlet for my excitement. I would like to allow more people the opportunity to experience such change, and this is why I would take the office of Coxing Captain very much to heart. I get great pleasure out of searching for solutions to problems and delegating tasks to people, and finding suitable coxes for crews in consultation with Captains and LBCs would come under this heading.

Being a novice cox is the most daunting experience I’ve had so far. As coxing captain I will encourage novices to cycle along senior crews during outings so as to gain an idea of what they can aspire to, as well as assign a coach to each novice cox. These coaches will accompany them on at least one outing a week and know exactly how experienced the novice is. The latter plan will enable any potential bad habits to be picked up upon as soon as they develop, but also means that novices will improve at a faster rate. A steep learning curve might be a terrifying concept, but it is preferable for this to happen in Michaelmas rather than Lent Term for a couple of reasons: our novice crews would enjoy much greater success at Clare Novice Regatta and Novice Fairbairns, which would provide an incentive to carry on rowing/coxing. It would moreover provide us with a significantly stronger basis on which to work in Lent term, allowing the club to increase its overall potential for Lent and May Bumps.

Acknowledging the potential emotional strain of such a steep learning curve, I view the office of Coxing Captain not only as one of leadership, organisation and encouragement, but also as one of welfare officer. I shall endeavour to hold regular coxing meetings during which tears may flow, tempers may be lost and friendships may be nurtured. This would have a positive effect on crew morale as nothing is more disheartening than an anxious voice sounding down the microphone. Coxes would be able to face their crews with a restored sense of confidence, especially after a series of bad outings as coxes often blame themselves for the lack of success.

Such meetings would play a central role in integrating novice coxes into the club. Together with the LBCs and Captains I would organise regular crew formals and drinks in Michaelmas in particular, as well as “swaps” with other crews within the club since there seems to be a significant divide between the upper and the lower boats.

As a Linguist (read “too friendly and excitable for my own good”), I will approach Freshers with great enthusiasm at Chaplain’s Squash. I would also like to make a video with a number of current FaT coxes explaining why they became coxes and what they have thought of it, and to post this on the Facebook group.

I will, of course, carry on Swords’ brilliant work and lead by example, happily subbing into outings at the last minute and taking up residence at the boathouse.

Proposed by Gonzalo Garcia
Seconded by Richard Sworder