The Enjoyment of Glaciers Group is dedicated to
the intellectual and aesthetic enjoyment of Glaciers by all means. It aims
to provide stimulation and relaxation of a glaciological nature for its
members.
The group is open to anyone with a love of Glaciers
or Glacial Environments, subject only to the requirement that they think
it's more important to be nice than to be right, and more important to
be right than to be famous. An appreciation of cake, beer, chocolate, good
malt whiskey and pretty pictures of landscapes is also an advantage. Membership
is free.
The Enjoyment of Glaciers Group is the independent,
international and informal wing of its sister group, SIMPLE.
MEETINGS AND ACTIVITIES
The Group is based in Newcastle-under-Lyme,
Staffordshire, UK, and holds meetings at venues in that area. Folk from
far away who don't anticipate being able to join us for meetings may nevertheless
join the group as "far away" members, and keep in touch through our e-mailing
list and web-page. Members who are not far away can come along to group
meetings to natter about glaciers, look at pictures, and indulge in glaciological
pursuits of a diverse nature. We may one day organise field trips and
"discussion-evenings", and we will certainly sit around a lot eating and
drinking, looking at pictures, and talking about glaciers. Members
will hear about meetings through the e-mail circulation list. Non-members,
of course, won't.
ORGANISATION OF THE GROUP
The group is not organised. It has a laughable
figurehead with the official title "Laughable Figurehead of the Group".
At present that role is held by me, the Laughable Figurehead
(see contact details below).
HOW TO JOIN THE GROUP
To join the group, just tell the Laughable
Figurehead that you want to be a member.
CONTACTING THE GROUP
The Laughable Figurehead is: Dr. Peter G. Knight.
e-mail:
GRANTS of FINANCIAL SUPPORT
The group offers grants of financial support to
appropriate projects. Appropriate projects are likely to involve enjoyment,
glaciers, and members of the group. To apply for a grant, contact the Laughable
Figurehead. Grants are funded by the sale of Enjoyment of Glaciers merchandise
and by funds raised at Enjoyment of Glaciers fundraising events. The
Grant fund currently stands at £0.00 Donations may be made directly
to the Laughable Figurehead.
ENJOYMENT OF GLACIERS MERCHANDISE
T-shirts and other memorabilia are available at
a price.
Actually that's not really quite true, but we can
arrange some if people would like.
Some of the "Entry Statements" made by new members
as they joined the group:
Tad Pfeffer
Institute of Arctic and Alpine Research, University
of Colorado
" I like your philosophy re: nice/right/famous
(is this a mission statement?), and the laughable structure as well. This
fits in well with my contention that there's something intrinsically funny
about the fact that we get paid to do the kind of work we do.... Somehow
I don't get to England especially often in my professional travel, but
perhaps I can offer local accomodations and activities of the kind you
mention for people who make it to Boulder. Photography, hiking, climbing,
skiing, music - plus some science to keep it all legitimate!"
Clare Wallett
Liverpool Hope University:
I would like to join the enjoyment of glaciers
Group. I am really interested in Glaciers, and saw my first one last summer
while in the alps - which was awe inspiring.
PS. I think your website is rather funny.
John W. Hall
Professor Emeritus, Shreveport, Louisiana, USA
.
Halloa, Laughable Figurehead: Whilst searching
hither and yon for images of glaciers and glacial landforms, I happened
upon your site. I had not known of social glaciologists before.
As a geologist/geographer/anthropologist, I know that when the sun is past
the yardarm, those folk are known to cluster for a time of "attitude adjustment."
Like the late Groucho Marx, I am not sure that I want to be part of an
organization that would have the likes of me as a member, but you sound
like a jolly group. I like jolly groups. All right, I hereby
apply for membership (full) in the Enjoyment of Glaciers Group. My
interest is not only historic, but prehistoric, as I have traced my family
line back to the Mid-Pleistocene. I even know that that ancestor
was named Neander T. Hall, and that he established a research center (location
as yet unknown) somewhere in Europe (or whatever it was called in those
bygone days). It is known as The Centre for Research and Studies
Into the Obscure, Weird, and Bizarre, and has branches (not always active)
in London, Paris, Washington, DC and Shreveport, Louisiana. I would be
pleased to communicate about divers things, including glaciers, with any
and all members-- assuming that I will be elected to membership.
Gabriel Wilkinson
"I am a professional glacier guide on the Franz
Josef glacier in New Zealand . I believe we have a unique guiding style
as we have to our knowledge the only tour in the world that will get you
"into" the ice fall . We have developed ways of reading the cravasses and
cutting our way into the bottoms of them and creating tight blue ice tracks
with 30-40 ft of ice wall above you.Of course this takes alot of monitoring
to negate flakes and block hazards , which we do daily .I believe glaciers
are simply awsome and love my job alot ..we do 6-8 hour full day hikes
from the valley floor , terminal face , defiance icefall and pinnicles
icefall on the Franz Josef glacier. I have many pics to share and i am
on this glacier daily and would love to converse with others that
spend their lives on the living ice .
Kellie Shin
(from Keele and Canada!)
"Hello Laughable Figurehead! I took my first
glacier course this year and became facinated with these glorified ice
cubes! I was randomly doing a search on glaciers (not for last minute essay
research) when I happened upon your site. I became interested in
joining your group and when i read about the possibility of t-shirts, I
was sold. Hope you can include me in your group! Kellie
ps. i think having badges would be a nice idea!"
Doug Clark and Niki Bowerman
(Western Washington University)
We both have reached the profound conclusion that
glaciers are nifty, and well worth enjoying in any form. Given the
distance from the Puget Sound to Staffordshire, we’ll have to remain remote
members for now, although we’d love to join a meeting to “natter about
glaciers” when we next make it to your side of the Atlantic. We’d
also be more than happy to host any folks who’d like to visit our numerous
glaciers out here (including our newest one, growing in the crater at Mt.
St. Helens!). I’ll second Tad P.’s comment that it’s a wonder that
we get paid (in some sense) to goof around on glaciers. The best
science starts from a pure emotional enjoyment of the phenomenon.
Margaret Stewart
(Imperial College, London)
Hello Laughable Figurehead, I would be much
privileged to become a part of your group, as I enjoy glaciers very much,
and am finding that my friends and colleagues do not always share the same
feelings, especially now I have absconded to a geology department....
Alan Parkinson
(geographypages.co.uk)
I would like to apply for membership of the Enjoyment of Glaciers group.
Supporting evidence:
1. At the GA Conference in Derby last week I bought a copy of your
excellent book - the best book for my AS / A2 teaching I've so far seen
in 17 years of teaching 'A' level Physical Geography
2. A colleague of mine, on reading your book popped into my classroom
yesterday and said: "now I finally understand surges..."
3. I have referenced a large number of glacial websites on my personal
website: http://www.geographypages.co.uk - this is a popular website, receiving
2000+ visitors a day (potential converts to the joys of glaciers!), and
there is a dedicated section of the site covering all aspects glacial at
http
://www.geographypages.co.uk/a2cold.htm
4. I live on the North Norfolk coast: an area which was moulded by
glaciers: there is an Esker a few miles from my house, in addition to a
glacial overflow channel and other morainic features. I would need to apply
as a 'Far Away' member.
5. I am never without a bottle of single malt whisky in my cupboard
- currently have a rather fine bottle of Ardbeg
6. A landmark moment in my life occurred in the pro-glacial zone of
the Folgefonn glacier in Norway. We'd hitch-hiked up to the glacier on
a glorious sunny day, and then set off walking back down the valley. The
valley was deserted and I needed to urinate, so I started to urinate on
the road as I wa
lked down... and a car came round the corner and stopped opposite me
as I fumbled with my flies... and offered us a lift down to the paternoster
lakes lower down... You can read more about me at http://www.geographypages.co.uk/misterp.htm
7. I am also a member of the Cloud Appreciation Society: another group
dedicated to the enjoyment of a physical phenomenon.
8. I have just spent 10 minutes writing this rather than marking my
students' essays....
Adrian O'Mahony:
Hello, I am interested in glaciers. They have always fascinated me and
in recent years I have learnt more about them. I am a first year
University student working towards a degree in geosciences. I found
your group while looking glacier research in Iceland, namely some of
your work in fact. I would like to join as a 'far away' member as I
live in surrey. My ambition is to be involved in glacier-related
research one day.
Corinne Williams
I am a postgraduate student studying for a MSc in Risk an Environmental Hazards at Durham University. I would love to join your group and converse with other like minded people. I have been trying to undertake glacial research for the last 3 years and am particularly interested in research on ice steams and sticky spots. I love anything snow or ice related, especially skiing and I recently attended an avalanche avoidance course at Aviemore in Scotland - it wasn't difficult to avoid any avalanches in the Cairngorms, as unfortunately when I arrived they had had very little snow!! Oh well, better luck next year, crampons and ice axes at the ready.
Other Friends of the Group include Doug Benn of Scotland and Svalbard, Carrie
Paterson of Minnesota, Roy Wolf, who has invited us all to visit
him in Cedarville, Illinois, Thaienne van Dijk of The Netherlands,and
of course all the former incumbents of the late lamented SIMPLE Research Group!
Enemy of the group: the factory ship of Evil.
Fatly bloated paranoid evil-doers from nastyland:
we don't like the sailors on that ship.
LATEST NEWS
Welcome on board to Nathaniel B. Dkhar, who joins us from New Delhi, India. Nathaniel is working on Indian Himalayan Glaciers and is a most welcome addition to our group.
Doug Benn has been awarded an Enjoyment of Glaciers Grant of approximately nothing, in fact virtually nothing. Congratulations to Doug, who becomes the first member to receive such an award. We look forward to receiving his report in the fullness of time. Spend the funds wisely, Doug. Nothing can be a very valuable amount.
Welcome on board to
Dr Sally Hayward, University of Southampton, Lecturer in Arctic and Alpine Geomorphology, Dr Mark Hayward A Level Geography teacher, and master Tom Hayward: our first family membership!
Welcome on board to Corinne Williams, postgraduate student studying for a MSc in Risk an Environmental Hazards at Durham University.
NEXT MEETING of the GROUP
ZZZZzzzzzzz.... we're snoozing. Meetings will be announced by e-mail to members
who seem to have any chance of getting here for it. If you are a far-away
member planning to visit, let me know and we'll have a meeting in your
honour!
back to top of page