If you are interested in joining the Brisbane Bushwalkers Club, then you need to complete the following steps:

1. Register online before attending your first meeting

• Follow the link to the registration page and complete the online registration process.  You will need a working, valid email address to complete the online registration process.
• Once completed, print the application form and bring it along to a Club meeting.
• Note - your online registration will not be activated until you have attended a Club meeting with your registration form.

2. Attend a Club Meeting

• It is a Club requirement that you attend a Club meeting to join the Club and it is not possible to join / pay your joining fees online. You will need to receive the New Members briefing in person at a meeting.
• The briefing session is about bushwalking and the Club. It starts at 7:30pm and is provided by the new members officer. At this meeting, you can have your questions answered.
• If you wish to join, the new members officer will sign your application form after the briefing.
• After this meeting, you are welcome to attend the presentation from a guest speaker. This is followed by supper.
• Club meeting dates, time, location and joining fee
   

3. Nominate for walks

• Within a couple of days of paying your fees, your website access will be updated to enable you to nominate online for Club activities.
• Ideally, your first walk should be a New Members Walk, which BBW refers to as MinIMaxS walks (Minimal Impact Maximum Safety). This is an induction day, generally an easy walk, designed to be an introduction to bushwalking and BBW. Topics covered in this walk include
  • safety
  • what to take
  • the BBW grading system
  • bushwalking ethics
  • dealing with emergencies and more

Experienced bushwalkers/hikers are asked to share their experience and knowledge with brand new walkers. 

• It is important to choose walks within your fitness, skill and experience level.
• Nomination for walks may be online, by emailing the leader or by phone. It is the leader's decision as to whether a nomination is accepted. Leaders plan and manage their walks for the enjoyment of all participants and in some cases may need to verify a person's fitness/ability by checking a person's walk history and/or talking to other leaders. Note that Leaders are volunteers, and run activities on behalf of the Club because they enjoy sharing their bushwalking experiences with other like-minded people.

4. Go walking

• Meeting places and starting times for walks are listed on the website.
• Equipment to be taken and suggestions for suitable clothing for bushwalking can be found at the Equipment page FIX LINK
• The Club has a designated Contact Officer. If there is a problem or a delay returning to Brisbane the leader will endeavour to make contact with the Contact Officer. Walk participants should ensure any relatives or friends who would be awaiting their return have the phone number of the Contact Officer. If concerned they can call the Contact Officer for information or to report that the person has not returned.

5. Full Membership (Ordinary Membership)

• After completing a MinIMaxS walk and four (4) other walks, you may apply for full membership. Most new members achieve this within six (6) months of joining. The Club does not impose a time limit - the probationary membership may be renewed as many times as necessary.
• The New Members introduction/induction walks - i.e. MinIMaxS walks are held regularly.
• Ordinary members pay a yearly subscription. They are entitled to vote, to stand for committee positions, and to put themselves forward as walk leaders.
• For more information, see the next section, Ordinary Membership.

Ordinary members pay a yearly subscription. They are entitled to vote, to stand for committee positions and to put themselves forward as walk leaders. For more information on membership fees for ordinary members, see the next section, Membership Renewal.

Apply for ordinary membership

Probationary members who have completed a MinIMaxS and four (4) walks can apply for Ordinary membership.

If you are interested in applying for ordinary membership, then you need to complete the following steps:

1. Check your list of walks on the website to determine if you have completed one (1) x MinIMaxS and four (4) x other walks.
2. Complete the Application for Ordinary Membership form and email it to the Club Registrar (registrar@brisbanebushwalkers.org.au) or bring it to a Club meeting. We need your signature on the form.

The Registrar will update your membership record. You can check this when you log on to the website. (Please allow 2 weeks for this to be done. The Registrar is a volunteer and does not work on Club business every night.)

Fee

There is no fee to be paid with the application for ordinary membership. However, if your membership is due for renewal in the next few months, you could extend your membership until the end of February.

Nominations  are payable on a quaterly basis

Information about how to pay your membership fee online can be found below in the Membership Renewal section

Note that you could also renew your probationary membership as many times as you like. See the Membership Renewal section below for more information.

Ordinary Membership

Should be renewed each year, after the AGM and before the 28th Feb. 

* registrar@brisbanebushwalkers.org.au

Probationary Membership

May be renewed as many times as necessary for periods of six (6) months. The Club does not impose a time limit.

Re-Nomination

A former member/s who would like to re-activate their membership pays $10 a quarter to the 29th Feb.

We still require you to provide your contact details for us to find you in the database and keep records of your updated information. Please complete the Membership Renewal form and bring it to a Club meeting or scan and email to the Registrar*. Payment is as per options below.

* registrar@brisbanebushwalkers.org.au

Renew/pay membership fee at a Meeting

Bring your cash or cheque payment to the Treasurer at a Club meeting. (You cannot use your credit card or pay wave.) Be aware that there may be a significant queue in February, so consider renewing in November, December or January instead.

Renew/pay membership fee Online (current members)

You may find it more convenient to renew your membership by paying online. Use your own internet banking to deposit the correct amount into the Club's bank account:

Please, do not expect this to be an instant renewal. The volunteers who process the online renewals will try to do it each fortnight to coincide with the meeting. So it is best you submit your renewal payment early.

When a member develops a desire to lead walks, he or she should have a chat with an experienced leader or committee member and explain a little about his/her experience, and the types of activities that might be led in the first few months. Requirements for becoming a leader of BBW are set out in Schedule 13 of the club's By-Laws. The following process will be used. Note that these do not have to occur in any particular sequence.

• The candidate attends a leader training course, organised by the S&T officer or another experienced leader. This course presents the topics contained in the Guide for Leaders, and allows the training officer to gauge the candidate's comprehension of and respect for those topics. There will be some discussions, role play and hands-on activities to explore the content of the Leaders Guide
• The candidate must be an ordinary or life member.
• The candidate reads the Guide for Leaders, which is available online.
• The candidate must read and understand the club's Risk Management Policy.
• The candidate must understand that a leader has a duty of care to the public and members.
• The candidate should be aware of the Club's Rules and By-Laws
• The candidate must complete the acknowledgement (Schedule 13, Annex C) that they have read and understood the Guide for Leaders.

After those steps are completed satisfactorily, the S&T officer proposes the candidate to the committee for approval as a leader. If the committee approves the application, the following actions will occur.

• The Safety and Training officer adds the new leader's name to the leaders list.
• The new leader is given access to the leaders privileges on the website, and added to the leader's email list. Now the new leader can participate in leaders forum, including requesting co-leading assistance
• The new leader places their first walk on the calendar via the web site.
• The Safety and Training officer announces and welcomes the new leader in the magazine and at a meeting.