Monday and Thursday nights, 7 - 9ish pm, followed by drinks at a local pub.
Auckland University Recreation Centre, 17 Symonds St, Auckland Central (MAP). We have an arrangement with the Rec Centre that club members can enter for free during club sessions.
Club fees have been set for 2008 at $100 for students (unwaged) and $120 for non-students (waged). If you pay for the beginners' course, then there is a discount on this yearly club fee.
The club is suitable for anyone, as is the sport of fencing. We have a membership that ranges in age from 16 (still at school) to mid-forties (never mind specifics). (I've known an octagenarian who was still an accomplished fencer.) Men and women are able to compete equally together. We also have a good mix of university student/staff and non-university members.
Joining AUF is very easy - just turn up and join in. If you're a beginner, you should probably consider doing one of our beginners' courses first, since this is the time when the whole club is devoted to teaching you the basics. If you keep turning up to the club (which you will because it's so great), then we will ask you to pay club fees. It would also really help us if every member filled out a membership form so that we can keep track of everything.
Parking IS often a problem. The most likely spots are Princes St or the parking under the new Business School. It is good to note that most of Symonds Street is now a 'clearway', and you are likely to get a parking ticket if you park there.
The best clothes allow easy movement, but are not so loose that blade tips will catch easily. Usually this means trackpants and a t-shirt. Shorts are also common but not really recommended as longs do protect legs. Sports shoes are also important: those that will have a good grip and offer reasonable support and shock cushioning are best. Running shoes and squash shoes are good candidates.
For beginners' the club has more than 20 sets of the essentials for fencing - jackets, masks and visual foils. For everyone else (and beginners' too after a few weeks experience) we have a collection of electric gear for foil and epee and four scoring boxes. Club policy is that priority for the gear goes to first year fencers, although typically there's enough for our intermediates too. Use of the gear comes as part of the club fee - no additional hire is needed. When the time comes when people want to buy their own gear, the club can help with that too.
If you can think of other important questions that need answering, email them to someone on the executive, with a suggestion to put them here.