President's Logbook
By Jim Fetig
Outdoor folks, this is our time of year. It’s the time when the sun sparkles on forest floors dappled with shadows of red, yellow, and orange leaves twisting, turning and quaking in nature’s cool breath. She’s whispering to come out and play in the sunny dry air. Dark season is on the way, so make the most of autumn.
It’s time to get outside before el Niño does whatever bratty winter antics are in the cards for us after the trees go to bed. The forecasts are all over the place – warm, cold, wet, snowy, whatever! Just do it before all hell breaks loose. The trails and cabins are calling.
The work PATC does and the way the AT is managed is of interest around the world. The scope and scale of our National Trails System is unparalleled elsewhere on the planet. Delegations often come to learn from us and take away best practices.
In addition to the Chinese hiking club leader Jayne Mayne and I talked to this summer, last year I was asked to work with a group of Korean forestry officials interested in how we recruited, trained, and equipped volunteers to maintain the trail. They were building a national hiking trail system but would not have enough money to maintain it.
Having been stationed in Korea, I knew that volunteerism is, for them, a foreign concept. We discussed among other things forming maintaining groups from the hiking clubs that are employee groups within the giant global Korean companies such as Samsung, LG, and Hyundai. For hikers, maintaining their trails is self-interest.
In October, a group of 12 Israelis visited, representing the NGOs associated with their 30-year-old national hiking trail. We hiked to Weverton Cliffs. Along the way I discussed how the AT maintaining clubs are organized, how we find volunteers and manage them, how we train people in critical skills, how we are funded, governed, and sustained.
The next day, they hiked to Annapolis Rocks with a group of ATC leaders who discussed trail and visitor management, camping, trash, fires, etc.
On the weekends, Israelis customarily swarm their trails. We have a lot to offer within the context of our culture, climate, and resources. These were like-minded people whose interests parallel those of us dedicated to the protection and preservation of public lands. It was joy to be with them.
If you looked at the ballot for club elected officers, you noticed that we still need two more folks to step up for Supervisor of Trails and Marketing. We are still recruiting for these jobs. When there is a vacancy, the president can nominate a member to fill it with ExCom approval.
Supervisor of Trails is arguably the most important leadership role in the club. Theymanage the lion’s share of our volunteer force through our District Managers and are the direct contact between our land managers and partners.
The Supervisor of Marketing is responsible for our online store, works with the publications committee, and coordinates integrated communications with the Supervisors of Communications, Outreach, and Membership, plus the VP of Volunteerism.
If you want to give back, stepping up for one of these jobs is an excellent way to do it.
This is my penultimate Log Book. Here’s a cliff hanger. What will he say in his last one? Will he name names? Will he kiss and tell? To find out, tune in again next month, same time and station. Before then, Take a Hike!