President's Logbook
By Jim Fetig
The Crapper Crew is the elite PATC group that shovels compost out of the nearly 100 privies that the club maintains. Its membership is diverse, but at the core are current and former senior leaders, yours truly included. Saying that we are willing to get our hands dirty is an understatement. That’s a leadership trait.
Before we mention leadership, here’s some insight into the Crapper Crew.
Like ancient alchemists, the Crapper Crew always hopes that the dross that went in transforms into gold ready to come out. Yet, each time the moldering bin is opened, there’s always a shadow of a doubt. Did it work this time?
Composting is like magic. Maybe the original material didn’t get the message? Were the conditions right? Is it done yet?
With the utmost of hope we bury the shovel in the brown pile of whatever it is. When the scoop reveals potting soil, like miners striking gold, we shout “Eurika!” and dig to bare earth. Then, the outhouse scoots over and the alchemy begins anew.
Each crew member plays a role. First, there’s the digger who shovels the compost out of the bin. Toward the end, they get into the bin to reach the last bits at the bottom.
After the digger enters the picker and the bagger. The picker plucks out the wipes, food containers, underwear, and other stuff that folks are supposed to know doesn’t go into the privy. The picker deposits these items into a trash bag.
Last come the spreaders. The digger fills 5-gallon buckets with clean compost that the spreaders carry off to dump in the woods. They operate like a conveyer belt until there is no more.
Not all leaders need to be on the Crapper Crew and not all crew members are leaders. The club needs all kinds of enthusiastic volunteers, especially leaders willing to donate their time and talent to a good cause.
Many people I encounter in PATC want to contribute, but they are either done with the frustrations of work or they are frustrated with work and ready to be done. Most everyone just wants to have fun like the Hoodlums crew that spent the hottest week of the year splashing in Jeremey’s Run while dragging steppingstones in place for stream crossings.
Yet, someone planned and organized the Hoodlums’ water adventure, just as other volunteers manage our cabins, lands, training, financial investments, communications, marketing, legal representation, and all the rest.
If you can contribute, contact Jayne Mayne, VP Volunteerism (jmayne@patc.net) and we will find the right fit for you. Generations are changing, and we want YOU!
In other news, we have new boots to welcome.
Nora Wittmann joins us from the Kennedy Center as our new accounting coordinator replacing Jenny Keehan who did yeoman service at a critical time. Welcome Nora.
Abbie Fine is joining as our fundraiser. Fundraising is the one critical area where we could not find expertise internal to the club. Abbie is a fractional fundraiser with an outstanding track record. We have contracted for a portion of her time to help build our capacity. We put Abbie to work on our crew clearing blowdowns and pruning mountain laurel on the Hoodlums June work trip. She needs to understand what she’s selling.
Most of us are here to preserve and protect our public lands. As of this writing, the sale of millions of acres of public land has been removed from the large spending bill moving through congress. If the protection of those lands holds up, for one, I am thankful.
