At all our walks we meet and greet, form a circle, number and name off, nominate a whip, announcements, petrol costs and where coffee is. We finish the walk, change our boots, jump in the cars to get back so we can have our coffee and cake.

Did we:

• Thank the leader?
• Thank the whip?
• Remember exactly how much was petrol money?
• Check that all walkers were back?
• Was anyone injured (if so you need two witnesses)?
• Did all cars start and do we remember how to get back to the main road/coffee spot?

Wouldn't it be nice, at the end of a walk, BEFORE we changed boots, got into cars etc to re form our circle and as a group:

• Count off to make sure everyone is back.
• Ask if anyone has an injury or incident that may need medical attention (and two witnesses).
• Thank the leader
• Thank the whip or whips.
• Re-state petrol money,
• Then be told WHERE coffee is,
• Re-arrange passengers if late and a car is now perhaps returning directly to Lilydale etc. Someone may like a ride home if dropped at Lilydale that morning but are embarrassed to ask because they're not sure where you live.
• And leave the parking area as a group (all cars have started and everyone knows how to get to coffee and not get lost!)

As a leader, I feel that if I have led the walk, recce'd it, had assistance from others, I would want to thank them too, I want to know how my walk could be improved, what didn't you like, what did you like? There is a right time and a wrong time to raise any issues but the invitation can be offered at the walk's end.

So next time I lead you on my walks, be prepared to wait those couple of extra minutes before we head off for that prescious, can't be missed coffee!

Len Pearse