Minutes of the Winter 2006 Meeting of the
Major Excursions Committee
The meeting was opened at 8:40 AM by Erika Bloom in the absence of Stacia. It
was part of the Club Annual Meeting held on January 28 at the Westin Hotel in Waltham.
Andrew was introduced as the reviser of the MEC website and a ME leader. It was noted
that #0627 to the Wind River Range has backup plans if a permit for the area is not
obtained. The minutes of the Fall meeting were corrected and accepted.
Bob Bentley reported that all trip reports for 2005 had been filed. There were 26
trips with 394 participants. These returned over $44,000 in overhead fees from a total
expenditure of $636 thousand. Of the trips 89% cost less than budgeted. He noted that
there were more lower cost trips.
Andrew Shearer showed the updated website as developed. He has used HTML
which is a typical language for such documents and has constructed a form similar to
those of like organizations. He will transfer the finished website to Bob Goeke in the
future. His e-mail address is andrew@ashearer.com for those who wish to comment. It
was noted that the trip listings are up and working. Having the new homepage should
help make the MEC more visible. Pam noted that having the trip listings posted means
she has had more e-mail and fewer phone calls which is the way she likes things.
After a break questions about trip registration were considered. It was noted that
there have been cases of trips filling before publication; this violates Committee policy.
Participants should not be accepted until the trip is published. The question of how to
deal with the fact that the delivery of “Outdoors” varies by as much or more than a week
depending on one’s location was asked. It was also asked if publication should be
waived if a second section is filled from the wait list of the first section. Clarification of
when trips are released to the website was also sought.
The report on leaders was three coleaders becoming leaders and 10 new
coleaders. Many trips are filled. It was suggested that the website might include a table
with the unfilled trips.
It was reported that SOLO has a new opportunity for Wilderness First Aid which
will be given April 29 and July1. It will include information for foreign travel. A
handout on it was circulated. There was also a handout from Eagle Creek, a purveyor or
clothing and supplies. Heidi noted that purchases from Eagle Creek must be made
through her.
A slightly revised copy of the Standing Rules for the Committee was submitted.
T.Walley moved that this be accepted; the motion was seconded and passed. It is given
at the conclusion of this report.
Heidi discussed the accident on Mt. Kilimanjaro. It occurred on the President’s
Society trip. The MEC trip of Erika was a week later. Both used the same guide service
which has been used in past years. The route up the mountain for Erika’s trip was
changed and they had no difficulty. The accident was handled well by the guides and the
emergency contacts worked. The guide service did a good amount of work with the
families of those killed and injured in the accident. The Colorado Mountain Club was
also involved with the accident. Currently each trip leader is given an emergency card
with three phone numbers: Heidi who is 24 hours, Stacia and Pinkham. Heidi said that
MEC Winter ’06
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of the time of the meeting it was not known if the accident would affect the Club’s
insurance.
Erika’s route up the mountain was slightly longer. Of those on her trip 15 of the
16 reached the summit. It was noted that because of the airline security policy it isn’t
possible to check on the status of a traveler without his/her confirmation code.
The approval of trips was the next order of business. Because Erika’s Glacier trip
(#0624) had an extensive waiting list, Stacia was proposing a second section with
Wyatt Biel as coleader for August 13 to21. It will use the same vans as Erika’s trip. This
was approved as #0631.
John Lisker proposed a trip to New Zealand for February 3 to 19 which is a hut to
hut backpack for 10 to 12 participants. It will travel on three of the established Tracks.
The coleader is the leader’s future son-in-law, Spencer Meyer. In cities the group will
stay in hotels and use public transportation. While on the tracks the group cooks for
itself. The cost is $2900 which includes air fare from Los Angelos. Pam stated that she
is planning a guided backpack for 2007 to New Zealand. It was noted that Spencer needs
a 3 day evaluated trip to be qualified as a coleader. This trip was approved as #0703 on
the condition that the deficiencies apparent at the meeting are corrected. (The proposal
on the web now covers some of the problems).
Carson Tang proposed a cultural exploration trip to China with Erik Madsen as
coleader for October 4 to 19, 2007. It is for 12 to 20 participants. The group will stay in
hotels and purchase meals. Chartered buses will be used for transportation. It was noted
that Carson speaks Cantonese and the area where the trip is to go speaks Mandarin. The
trip apparently didn’t have ground support (someone in China to expedite arrangements).
Jan Taylor had conveyed concern because of the trip to China that she is planning for the
same time period. The Committee felt that two trips to China would be difficult to fill. It
was moved and passed to table the proposal until the meeting in April with the
expectation that it will be revised.
A discussion of the listing of trips being planned followed. It was agreed that the
current system wasn’t operating properly. An improved system will be formulated and
the subject was tabled until April.
The meeting was adjourned at 12 PM.
In the months following the meeting three trips have been approved. Stacia found
that the Glacier Institute could not accommodate the second section of the Glacier trip.
She formulated a hiking trip in the Canadian Rockies for the same time period (August 5
to 13) and it was approved by e-mail as #0632. It consists of day hikes and will stay in
hostels. The cost is $1250 with about $600 for airfare with a $25 nonrefundable portion
of the deposit. It was planned for 8 to 10 people but now has 13. Reij Joseph and Susan
Lach are the backup leaders.
Erika proposed a trip to Tanzania which was approved by e-mail as #0705. It is a
safari with the outfitters used for Kilimanjaro (a single leader trip). The time is January
26 to February 10 and the cost $5000 to 5300 with airfare of $1500. It is planned for 10
to 13 participants and stays in safari camps.
Jan proposed a hiking trip to Sedona, Arizona with Kevin McAllister as coleader
for October 21 to 29. It is for 10 to 14 participants. It will stay in chalets with
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kitchenettes except when visiting the Grand Canyon where a hotel will be the
accommodation. This was approved by e-mail as #0633.
Respectfully submitted,
Elizabeth C. Goeke
Those present: Erika Bloom
Bob Bentley
Pam Madigan
Heidi Reilly (staff)
Guests:
Art Paradice
Bernie Hickey
Michael Wood
Craig Smith
Betsy Goeke
T. Walley Williams
Tricia Niece
Pat Lambert
Tim Bradbury
Andrew Shearer
Kevin McAllister
Simon Alimondr
John Lisker
Upcoming Trips
#
0603
0619
0615
0618
0604
0622
0620
0625
0624
0632
0626
0627
0631
0628
0617
0623
0629
0633
0605
0630
0621
Leader
Madsen
Zukroff
Rosenthal
Schempp
Peters
Rosenthal
Deaton
Fowler
Bloom
Zukroff
Mihalek
Davis
Zukroff
Rosenthal
Zimmerman
Mecagni
Williams
Taylor
Didier
Fox
Deaton
Destination
Utah hiking
Alaska backpack
Alaska hiking
Canadian Rockies hiking
Austria hiking & sightseeing
Colorado peaks
Colorado backpack
Canadian Rockies backpack
Glacier hiking
Canadian Rockies hiking
Sierras hiking
Wind River backpack
Glacier hiking
Peru hiking & trekking
Swiss hiking
Tuscany biking
China hiking & trekking
Arizona hiking
Nicaragua exploring
Belize hiking
African safari and climb
Dates
Apr 28- May 8
June 9-23
June 10-24
July 8-16
July 14-29
July 22-30
Aug 5-14
Aug 5-16
Aug 5-13
Aug 5-13
Aug 5-19
Aug 12-20
Aug 13 cancelled
Sept 1-24
Sept 14-23
Sept 29-Oct 7
Oct 7-28
Oct 21-29
Oct 28- Nov 12
Nov 2-12
Dec 29-Jan 13
0701
0705
0703
0704
0702
Didier
Bloom
Lisker
Fox
Didier
Thailand
Tanzania safari
New Zealand backpack
California desert hiking
Mexican field study
Jan 19- Feb 4
Jan 26- Feb 10
Feb 6-19
Mar 3-11
Mar 17-29
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STANDING RULES OF THE MAJOR EXCURSIONS COMMITTEE
of the Appalachian Mountain Club
1.0 Name of the Committee: The Committee shall be known as the “Major Excursions
Committee, Appalachian Mountain Club” (short title: MEC and AMC), hereinafter
referred to as the Committee.
1.1. Responsibilities of the Committee: The Committee shall be responsible for:
1.1.1 Coordination of Activities: Coordination and approval of AMC Club-wide
volunteer-led excursions that are farther than 500 miles from an existing
AMC chapter or longer than 10 days. Said Trips must fulfill the AMC’s
mission of education, conservation and recreation;
1,1,2 Training of Leaders: Training and/or approval of all major excursions Trip
Leaders who engage in Trips officially sanctioned by this Committee; and
1.1.3 Instructional Programs: Conducting instructional Programs relating to
major excursions.
1.1.4 The Handbook: The Committee Handbook shall contain the procedures
for planning and executing trips
2.0 Composition of Committee
2.1 Officers: The Committee officers shall consist of a Chairperson, ViceChairperson, Secretary, Treasurer, Web Master/trip Coordinator and a Leadership
Chair. The AMC’s Travel Programs Coordinator will also provide staff
representation on the Committee in ex-officio capacity. The officers shall be
elected by the Committee during the AMC Annual Meeting with the following
exceptions:
2.1.1 Nominations: Nominations for chairperson will be submitted to the AMC
Board of Directors for approval.
2.1.2 Vacancies: Vacancies shall be filled as they occur by the chair with the
agreement of two other officers.
2.2 Tenure of Officers: The tenure of office shall be three years, or until the next
election of officers. No officer shall serve more than two consecutive terms.
2.3 Members: Membership on the Committee shall be by written or oral application
to the Committee Chairperson. The Chair shall submit the applicant’s request to
the Committee for approval. The committee shall consist of not less than 8 nor
more than 15 members. Members of the Committee must also be members of the
AMC. No member shall be the spouse or significant other of another member of
the Committee.
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3.0
Committee Rules
3.1 Meetings: The Committee shall meet three times per year, normally at the AMC
Annual Meeting, the Spring Gathering, and the Fall Gathering. If necessary, a
fourth meeting will take place in June in the Boston area. Extraordinary sessions
may be convened at the discretion of the Chair. The Leader Subcommittee will
meet at least twice a year but conduct much of its business electronically.
3.2 Attendance: Members are expected to attend all meetings, but at a minimum
two out of the three regularly scheduled meetings per year. Anyone absent for
two consecutive meetings, as determined by the Secretary’s records, shall be
contacted by the Chair to determine continuing interest in Committee
membership.
3.3 Voting: All Matters of policy, approval of Trip Leaders or Co-Leaders, approval
of trips, election of officers and expenditure of moneys shall be considered and
voted in open scheduled meetings or well-publicized extraordinary meetings. In
all cases, a simple majority vote shall prevail, although consensus is always
preferred. A list of the current Committee membership shall be kept by the
Secretary and all votes shall require one-third of the Committee to be present and
voting in order to be valid. Each member of the Committee shall be permitted
one vote except for the presiding officer who shall vote only to break a tie. The
Committee is authorized to hold executive sessions only for those matters it
deems would create unnecessary embarrassment to persons involved. However,
all voting must be in open session and recorded in the Committee minutes.
3.4 Standing Rules: These standing rules shall be ratified by a simple majority vote
at one of the Committee meetings, and may be amended by the same procedure.
3.5 Major Excursions Handbook: The Committee shall maintain a Handbook
which shall include procedures for planning and running Committee trips. It
shall also describe qualifications for Leaders and Co-Leaders.
4.0
Duties of the Officers
4.1 Duties of the Chairperson: The duties of the Chairperson shall be:
4.1.1 to preside over the four and any extraordinary meetings
4.1.2 to create and appoint sub- committees, as deemed necessary
4.1.3 to represent or cause to be represented, the Committee at AMC required
meetings, and on other occasions as required
4.1.4 to appoint a representative of the Committee to the Outdoor Leadership
Development Committee
4.1.5 to appoint members to specific responsibilities as required by the
Committee
4.2 Duties of the Vice-Chairperson: The duties of the Vice-Chairperson shall be to
act for, represent, and assist the Chairperson in the performance of those duties
outlined by these standing rules.
4.3 Duties of the Treasurer: The Duties of the Treasurer shall be:
4.3.1 to monitor the financial reports submitted by Trip Leaders
4.3.2 to receive overhead checks and forward them to with the financial reports t
o the AMC’s Travel Programs Coordinator
4.3.3 to receive all other monies and forward them to the AMC
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4.3.4
4.3.5
to write the year-end report for submission to the AMC
to render financial reports to the Committee or as directed by the
Committee
4.4 Duties of the Secretary: The duties of the Secretary shall be:
4.4.1 To take the official minutes during Committee meetings and publish those
minutes to a distribution list as specified by the Committee
4.4.2 To maintain the official Committee and Trip Leader rosters in conjunction
with the AMC Travel Programs Coordinator
4.4.3 To maintain the non-financial records of the Committee
4.5 Duties of the Webmaster/Trip Coordinator: The duties of the Webmaster/Trip
Coordinator shall be:
4.5.1 Maintain the Committee Leader website
4.5.2 Screen and maintain the Trip postings in the AMC database for
publication
4.6 Duties of the Leadership Chair: The duties of the Leadership Chair shall be:
4.6.1 Serve as Chair of the Leadership Subcommittee
4.6.2 Approve Leader and Co-leader applications in conjunction with the
Leadership Subcommittee
4.6.3 Facilitate the investigation of any Leader or Co-Leader complaints and
poor Leader or Co-Leader evaluations
4.7 Trip Leaders: AMC members shall become Trip Leaders or Co-Leaders upon
application to the Committee as follows:
4.7.1 The criteria for becoming a Trip Leader or Co-Leader shall be established
by the Committee
4.7.2 The application materials shall be sent to the Travel Programs Coordinator
at the Club headquarters.
4.7.3 Once all materials are in order, the Travel Programs Coordinator will
circulate the application to members of the Leader Subcommittee
4.7.4 Approved applications will be presented at the subsequent Committee
meeting for confirmation A simple majority vote by the Committee
confirms the applicant whose approval shall be included in the official
Committee minutes
4.8 Travel Programs Coordinator: The AMC Travel Programs Coordinator is a
Club staff member with the following Committee duties:
4.8.1 Act as a liaison between the AMC staff and the Committee
4.8.2 Maintain the Trip, Committee and Leader rosters in conjunction with the
Secretary
4.8.3 Collect the application materials from prospective Trip Leaders and CoLeaders and present them to the Leader Subcommittee
4.8.4 Work with Trip Leaders to ensure proper documentation for trips is
submitted and recorded
4.8.5 Maintain Trip insurance and risk management practices consistent with
the AMC policies
4.8.6 Oversee the Leader electronic listserv
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