I am delighted to be able to announce the Laker-Russell bursary. This is an exciting new award to be made at Senior Camp and our thanks go to Hannah Roddis for promoting it and arranging the funding.
Here is her announcement:
Southdown Hunt East Branch of the Pony Club is pleased to announce
the launch of the Laker-Russell Bursary
As many of you may know, the Laker Cup has been awarded annually at the main Branch camp since it was presented to the Branch by Freddie Laker in the 1970s. The Cup is awarded to a child approaching the end of their time at camp, who has accrued enough knowledge and ability during his/her time participating at camp to successfully act as a Yard Leader, guiding a group of children through the week. To win the Laker Cup a yard leader has to be able to go beyond their own role as a ‘camper’ to have a positive impact on the experience of the other, often younger, children on their yard.
Leadership at Camp is often the first time in a child’s life that they will be asked to consider how they can have a positive impact on a team of people. Developing leadership skills is a key part of camp and of the wider Pony Club experience and younger campers are encouraged to aspire to become yard leaders in the future. Yard leaders themselves are encouraged to give something back to camp by helping to ‘train up’ the next generation and should themselves aspire to win the Laker Cup.
In the past, yard leaders were often keen to come back to camp for several years so that they could have another chance to win the Laker Cup and this should be encouraged. The longer older members of the branch can be encouraged to come to camp the more they gain from their experience and the better it is for the standard of the branch as a whole.
With this in mind, we have looked at ways to safeguard the status of the Laker Cup and are pleased to announce that in 2011 we will be launching the Laker-Russell Bursary which will link the presentation of the Laker Cup with a new £200 bursary, presented in memory of former DC, Toni Russell.
The bursary will be awarded to the recipient of the Laker Cup and the funds will be available to further the Equestrian Education of the child.
Suitable uses for the bursary include tuition fees, clinic fees, camp fees (Branch camp or Associates camp) & equestrian training courses. The recipient will be asked to submit a proposal on how they plan to use the bursary which will then be subject to approval by the DC. Once approved, the recipient will pay for any tuition etc. directly and should seek a receipt which they can submit for reimbursement. The Branch treasurer will manage the fund which will total £200 for each bursary and will be valid for 12 months from the date of the award. Funds not claimed during the 12 month period will remain with the Branch.
The recipient will be asked to submit a short report on how they have benefited from the Bursary which will be published in the Branch newsletter, enabling other members to see how the recipient has benefitted from the award. It is hoped that by reinvigorating the Laker Cup in this way we can inspire our older members, and in doing so, further improve standards across both camp and the Branch as a whole.
The Laker-Russell Bursary will be awarded annually to a yard leader who cares enough to ‘go the extra’ mile, to make the effort when others do not and to whom all others within the Branch can aspire across all aspects of riding, horsemanship and personal endeavour. If a worthy recipient is not identified in a particular year, then the Laker Cup and the Laker-Russell Bursary will not be awarded.
As with everything we do within the Branch, it is worth reflecting on the purpose of the Pony Club:
• To encourage young people to ride and to learn to enjoy all kinds of sport connected with ponies and riding
• To give instruction in riding and horsemanship and to educate Members to look after and to take proper care of their animals
• To promote the highest levels of sportsmanship, citizenship and loyalty to create strength of character and self-discipline
It is hoped that the introduction of the Laker-Russell Bursary will further assist the Branch in achieving these aims.
The recipient will be selected on merit by an agreed process involving camp staff. The award will be approved by the DC and presented by the DC at the end of the camp prize giving.