NARRAGANSETT CHAPTER SUMMARY of 2017 ANNUAL REPORT
We are pleased to provide the following summary of the activities for 2017 of the Narragansett Chapter. The year has been busy and we are excited and appreciative by depth and breadth of activities, training, trail maintenance our volunteers lead and participant in.
Treasurers Report - Matt Putnam
As of November 6th, the chapter has about $65,000 in cash and investments and remains on fiscally sound. Year to date, the chapter has taken in slightly more than it has spent. By year end it is estimated that there will be slightly more annual expenses than revenues due to continued investment in the membership. The Narragansett Chapter strongly believes in its leaders and in recent years has introduced many leader recognition programs. These programs include heavily subsidized Wilderness First Aid, scholarships to the AMC's highly regarded Mountain Leadership School, leadership training, and membership reimbursement for leaders leading at least 6 activities in a calendar year. Although these programs do create expenses they are absolutely in line with the Club and Chapter's mission and we are grateful for the efforts of all our leaders and the Board feels they are a prudent use of our financial resources.
Other notable financial changes this year have been investments in the Trails committee in support of their various projects such as the refurbishing of a pavilion in the Arcadia Management Area as well as trail maintenance and the upkeep of their equipment. Many Trails expenditures are offset by Grants awarded by the Rhode Island Trails Advisory Committee so these investments are frequently cost neutral.
Over the summer, after reviewing the Board reviewed the Chapter's annual operating expenses and elected to move $5,000 from our cash reserves into Invested Reserves. Invested Reserves are pools of money owned by each chapter that are invested by the Club with the goal of long term appreciation. The total amounts of cash and Invested Reserve are noted in the following Treasurer's Report.
I am happy to report that the chapter remains on sound financial footing, spends prudently and with restraint, and has the resources to invest in its members and programs in continued support of Chapter and clubwide goals.
2017 Annual Meeting Treasurer's Report | |||
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Beginning cash and investment balance (1/1/17) | $61,835.49 | ||
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Activity | Revenue | Expense | Net |
Exec Committee | $- | $(1,522.07) | $(1,522.07) |
Membership | $100.00 | $(342.04) | $(242.04) |
Sea kayaking | $- | $- | $- |
Communications | $- | $- | $- |
Family Outings | $- | $- | $- |
Biking | $- | $- | $- |
Young Members | $- | $- | $- |
Ski | $- | $- | $- |
Conservation | $- | $(60.00) | $(60.00) |
Activities | $13,715.50 | $(12,380.48) | $1,335.02 |
Local Hikes | $- | $- | $- |
N. Hikes | $- | $(286.61) | $(286.61) |
Leadership | $3,540.00 | $(7,146.40) | $(3,606.40) |
Tech Climbing | $- | $- | $- |
Trails | $5,287.51 | $(2,032.78) | $3,254.73 |
Returned Advances/Grants | $- | $- | $- |
Dues Allocation | $6,643.00 | $- | $6,643.00 |
Subtotal Operations | $29,286.01 | $(23,770.38) | $5,515.63 |
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Transfer to Invested Reserve | $- | $(5,000.00) | $(5,000.00) |
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Net as of 11/6/17 | $29,286.01 | $(28,770.38) | $515.63 |
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Current cash and investment balance (11/6/17) | $65,293.12 |
Committee Reports:
Backpacking & Northern Hikes: Chair Ed Poyer
The Backpacking & Northern Hikes group offers day hikes, weekend trips based in lodges, hut trips and backpacks in the mountainous and / or northern regions of the North East. We lead trips north of the Mass Pike and west of the Connecticut River. We lead backpacks for the chapter anywhere in the region.
We’ve enjoyed another enjoyable and safe year of hiking and backpacking. This year our group sponsored 25 activities run by 18 individual leaders and co-leaders. Our leaders provided activities ranging from the popular day hikes in the Holyoke range to winter trips above tree line in the White Mountains. Hikes were run in Massachusetts Vermont and New Hampshire.
In addition to day hikes, we offered hut trips in New Hampshire. We once again enjoyed an overnighter to the Lakes of the Clouds Hut, where we enjoyed the Alpine Flowers and the hardy food.
All of our leaders continue with their Wilderness First Aid / CPR training and some have maintained their Wilderness First Responder certification. Four of our leaders are instructors at AMC’s Mountain Leadership School, and a fifth has been invited to instruct at next year’s school. One of our leaders has now served for seven years as the School Director.
Some of our leaders offer club-wide events, and one of our leaders has led hikes at “August Camp” for several seasons. Our leaders also serve as resources to the Leadership Development Committee for workshops and trips.
The committee again offered workshops backpacking, winter hiking equipment and winter mountain safety, which were well attended and very well received.
Our Step by Step hiking series, which trains new hikers to mountain hiking skills and conditions, continued to attract interest, thanks to the commitment of our leaders.
In 2018, we hope to expand the number of leaders, especially younger leaders, and to offer at least 26 trips.
Many thanks to our northern hikes leaders and co-leaders who offered us so many fun, challenging, well run and reasonably priced activities this year.
Leadership Development Committee: Chair Ed Poyer
The Leadership Development Committee supports the Chapter’s activities committees’ leader development by producing leadership training and wilderness first aid workshops. We work with other committee chairs and sub-chairs, and are substantially helped by the general membership. We rely on the AMC Education Department for help with leadership training workshops. We hire the professional trainers from Stonehearth Open Learning Opportunities for wilderness first aid. The committee offers map and compass training for anyone interested. The committee also manages chapter scholarships for leaders to attend Mountain Leadership School.
The annual Wilderness First Aid Workshop was held once again in April at the South Kingston Land Trust Barn.. This workshop is essential for ensuring safe opportunities for your membership, and to enable leaders to fulfill their WFA requirement for leading for some chapter committees. This training was attended by 50 chapter members, leaders and members of the public. This course was again coordinated by Charlie Killam with extensive help from registrar Elise Hedglen.
In May, the committee ran the annual Map and Compass Workshop and Field Practice, instructed by Ed Poyer, Bob Janus, Charlie Killam, Sean Buckley, Jim Swanberg, Beth Sutton, Denise Poyer and Ed Medeiros.
Three of our chapter leaders instructed at both the June Mountain Leadership Schools. One of our chapter leaders is the School Director.
In 2018, we plan to offer the WFA and Map & Compass workshops, and to produce a one day leadership workshop. We plan to once again encourage leaders to attend Mountain Leadership School, through our chapter scholarship program.
Membership – Chair Gregg O’Brien
The AMC Narragansett Chapter has reached a membership high of 2,780 members as of September 2017.
Membership ran two successful activities this spring. One was a leaders brainstorming workshop and the second was the Annual Spring Picnic.
We continue to look for ways to reach out to our new members as well as our devoted regulars. Suggestions are always welcome.
The AMC fondly remembers the following members who passed in 2017:
Gerald Helfrich
Dog Hikes – Chair Bonnie Dune
the dog hike group has little to report for the 2016/17 year but here is all I can provide to you
Less than five dog hikes were actually held because of cancellations secondary to bad weather, low registration, and health/injury issues in the Hike Leader group
The Leaders agreed to not schedule any hikes through the summer and early autumn.
The Leaders plan to meet in October to discuss the viability/need/ for this program to continue.
Climbing – Chair Ken Hamel
The climbing group has a busy year. Our event schedule included the following:
January & February were our two annual ice trips, to Lincoln, NH, and Smuggler's Notch in VT.
April & May we held our Spring classes. A beginner's class, and an intermediate class a few weeks after.
May was our annual Self-rescue class.
The Summer Rock climbing schedule was: June, the Gunks; July, Cannon Mtn.; August in Rumney; September was Cathedral/Whitehorse in NH; October saw us back at the Gunks again.
For next year (2018), we'll look to keep our schedule intact, and to possibly add a few things we've been working on. Our attendance has been great, and we've been adding new members each Spring, and throughout the year.
Young Members – Chair Chris Josephson
The Young Members organized 10 local hikes in 2017 as of 11.2.17 and plan on hosting a few more before the end of the year. We recruited one new local hikes leader and now have a total of 5 local hikes leaders. We created a guide to planning local hikes and posting them online. In 2018 we hope to recruit more local hikes leaders and start offering bike rides.
2.5.17 Parker Audubon Hike: Leader: Chris Josephson, Co-Leader: Corey Mott
3.4.17 Tillinghast Preserve Hike: Leader: Chris Josephson
4.2.17 Narragansett Trail Hike: Leader: Corey Mott
4.8.17 Lincoln Woods Hike: Leader: Chris Josephson, Co-Leader: Catherine Livolsi
5.6.17 King Preserve Hike: Leader: Chris Josephson, Co-Leader: Catherine Livolsi
7.6.17 Narragansett and Canonchet Trail Hike: Leader: Corey Mott
7.22.17: Wells State Park Inter-chapter hike with Worcester Young Members: Leader: Rebecca Swagger
9.17.17 Parker Audubon Hike: Leader: Chris Josephson
9.25.17 Carter Preserve Hike: Leader: Catherine Livolsi, Co-Leader: Scott Disnard
10.28.17 Tillinghast Preserve Hike: Leader: Chris Josephson, Co-Leader: Jack Beggs
Flatwater and Sea Kayaking Report – Chair Mike Kraback and Linda Pease
This past year we offered a variety of events between the flatwater and sea kayaking committees. Most of the paddles were annual events based on the popularity and leader’s choice. Some paddles last year were not attended well and will not be offered in 2018. We offered new paddles such as the Dedham Water Trail. Next year most of these paddles will be offered and hopefully some others at new locations.
The following paddles were offered in 2017:
Big River Conservation Flatwater paddle
Spring Picnic flat and Sea Kayaking paddle
Carve your own Greenland paddle
Twisty, Scenic Great Swamp paddle
Dedham Water Trail
Kayak Fishing or Lounging
Sunset Flatwater Kayak paddle
Sunset/Moonrise paddle
Ninigret Pond sea kayaking
Kayak rescue practice (offered twice)
Flatwater paddle on the Seekonk River
Wickford paddle
Sizzling Summer Paddle on the lower Wood River with BBQ,
Flatwater paddle to Conimicut lighthouse
Five Island paddle
Annual Roger Williams paddle
Full Moon paddle around Old Orchard Cove in Portsmouth
Palmer River paddle
Battleship Cove sea kayaking trip
Scenic Bluff Point Park paddle in groton
Camp Winaukee labor day weekend flat and sea kayaking
Full moon paddle - 100 acre cove
Boston Harbor - advanced sea kayak trip
Flatwater paddle on the west branch of the Westport River
Wickford paddle
Pawtucket Fall Foliage paddle
Local Hikes Report: Chair Jean Marie Josephson
'Local hikes' for the coming year will be trying to add to the wonderful Wednesday eve hike/socials that are so well received. I want to offer local, 4-7 mile hikes, during the day, over gentle terrain, at a comfortable pace. We have started with a 6 miler on the Cliff Walk, will be at Sachuest Point, and are exploring Destruction Brook. My goal is to offer hikes between hike/socials and 'brisk' and/or Northern ventures.
Trails Committee Report: Chair Dav Cramer
The Trails Committee of the Narragansett Chapter is tasked with trail maintenance. This involves routine maintenance, such as brushing, blazing, providing dry passage across wet and muddy areas, removing blowdowns, and erosion prevention. The Committee also lays out new trails, as requested, and reroutes already existing trails, as needed. Additionally, the committee takes on major projects such as building the bridge on the Mt Tom Trail over the Wood River and rehabilitating the CCC-built picnic pavilion at Stepstone Falls.
On behalf of the AMC Trails Committee, thank you to the 94 volunteers who contributed a total of 1737 hours of trail work, pavilion rehabilitation, bridge building, and administrative duties, from October 2016 through October 2017. There were 4 volunteers who contributed more than 100 hours each:
Jim Dowling 321.5 hours
Kerry Robinson 280.5 hours
Chris Shafer 129.8 hours
Jennie Crooks 103.0 hours
Grants:
The Trails Committee received 4 TAC grants: for the Stepstone Falls bridge extension, for Tools, for Tool Accessories, and for an Escoheag Trail bridge. (See Trail Events below for further details.)
Trail events:
On National Trails Day, June 3, log steps and water bars were installed on the Breakhart Trail in the Arcadia Management Area as well as blazing of the trail.
Negotiations with the South County Gun Club for rerouting the Tippecansett Trail have resulted in the SCGC refusal to allow any trail on their property; fear of people being hit by a stray shot is the reason for this refusal.
A group of volunteers from the Dassault Systémes company installed 25 steps on one water bar on the Mt Tom Trail on June 16.
On September 20 we held a ribbon-cutting ceremony to mark the official opening of the rehabilitated CCC Pavilion at Stepstone Falls, attended by dignitaries, including Janet Coit of DEM.
On National Public Lands Day (September 30) we continued erosion control on the Breakheart Trail, installing steps and water bars; some brushing was also performed.
On October 21 an extension to the foot bridge just below Stepstone Falls was built.
On October 28 we built a foot bridge over a stream on the Escoheag Trail.
Other:
Thanks to the work of Jeff Ulricksen, the Chapter has a Facebook page. Reworked chapter web pages by AMC do not allow for posting of photos. Facebook is now the place where we can post photos of our work; as of the end of October our page had 162 likes, and the photos of the Stepstone Falls bridge extension had been viewed by 3294 people.
There are now 4 Trail-Adopters for trails in the Arcadia Management Area.
Corey Mott has created a GoogleDocs log for recording trail work needs and completions.
Kerry Robinson has been working with AMC headquarters on including RI trails in the next edition of the MA and RI trail guide.
Kerry Robinson has been working to restore the original Narragansett Trail.
Chapter Leadership
Year 2017 Qualifiers for Narragansett Chapter Leader Patch:
Chris Josephson (Young Member Activities)
Corey Mott (Young Member Activities and Trails)
James Swanberg (Northern Hiking)
Prolific Leaders- Led/Co-Led/Administered Multiple Activities:
Nancy Baker (Bicycling)
Sandra Barber (Flatwater Paddling & Conservation hikes)
Ted Bell (Biking)
Sean Buckley (Northern Hiking)
Cindy Benevides (Flatwater Paddling and Local Hiking)
Susan Boland (Local Hiking)
Tom Freeman (Local Hiking)
Kerri Green (Northern Hiking)
Elise Hedglen (Northern Hiking)
Steve Harrington (Local Hiking and Bicycling)
Steve Harrison (Northern Hiking)
Chris Josephson (Local Hiking and Young Member Events)
Jean Marie Josephson (Local Hiking & Flatwater Paddling)
Charlie Killam (Northern Hiking and Leadership Events)
Mike Krabach (Sea Kayaking and Bicycling)
Marcie Madsen (Local Hiking and Skiing)
Cesare Mitrano (Local Hiking)
Corey Mott (Young Member Hikes and Trails)
Gregg O’Brien (Membership and Conservation Events, Flatwater Paddling and Local Hiking)
Margaret Parsons (Northern Hiking and Skiing)
Linda Pease (Conservation Events, Flatwater Paddling, Bicycling, Hiking and Skiing)
Ed Poyer (Northern Hiking & Leadership Events)
Carol Richards (Bicycling)
Kerry Robinson (Trails)
Karen Rudio (Local Hiking and Conservation)
Bill Rush (Bicycling & Sea Kayaking)
Chris Shafer (Trails and Northern Hiking)
Mary Alice Smith (Local Hiking)
Herrick Spencer (Local Hiking)
John Stevens (Northern & Local Hiking)
Rebecca Swagger (Local and Northern Hiking and Young Member Events)
James Swanberg (Northern Hiking)
Joe Vaglio (Technical Climbing)
Sid Wax (Bicycling & Local Hiking)
Sue Warthman (Northern Hiking)
Dominic Zachorne (Trails)
Thanks to Other Year 2017 Outdoor Leaders/Co-leaders:
Conservation: Jack Schempp
Dog Hikes: Bonnie England, Mary Hodess, Lesli Kelleter, Russ Miller, Paul Wynn
Local Hiking: Marilyn Chadwick, Patti D'Ambra, Scott Disnard, Barbara Fay, Carolyn and Pat Gilligan, Janet Harris, Debra Huntington, John Ross
Northern Hiking: Pam Hill, Bob Janus, Zenya Molnar, Ann Piascik, Denise Poyer, Matt Putnam, Beth Sutton
Paddling: Jerry Bernardini, Barbara Flagg, Anne Fusco, Bill Hahn, Janet Huntley, Bill Luther, Gary Whitney
Skiing: Mark Dennen, Ann Piascik, Christine Satterwhite
Technical Climbing: Peter Barlow, Pat Bender, Greta Cottrell, Marilyn Grant, Virginia Kramer, Brian Phillips, Dave Schlenz, Tom Sherman, Frank Sokolow, Kevin Sweeney
Trails: Roy Benoit, Tony Chernasky, Jennie Crooks, Henry Cruciani, Rick Degrandpre, Jim Dowling, Maria Earley, Mike Parker, Steve Higgins, Roy Najecki, Jeff Ulricksen
Stewardship Awards –
Based on volunteer hours reported to and logged by the trails committee, the following trail work volunteers qualified for this year’s stewardship society award, which is a stewardship society patch that I will bring to the annual meeting to be available to those qualifiers who request it. The requirements to earn this recognition is to have performed at least 12 hours of stewardship volunteer activities.
Aime Brissette
Tony Chernasky
Dav Cranmer
Jennie Crooks
Jim Dowling
Maria Earley
Fred Griffith
Steve Higgins
Russ Miller
Corey Mott
Roy Najecki
Mike Parker
Kerry Robinson
Bob Sand
Chris Shafer
Joan Taylor
Jeff Ulricksen
Helena Willis
Dominic Zachorne
Rob Luther
Chapter Executive Board:
Position 2017 2018
Chair: Russ Miller Russ Miller
Past Chair: Bob Tessitore Bob Tessitore
Vice Chair: Barbara Flagg Barbara Flagg
Secretary: Debra Huntington Vacant
Treasurer: Matt Putnam Matt Putnam
Membership Chair: Gregg O’Brien Gregg O’Brien
Communications Co-Chair: Mike Krabach Mike Krabach
Activities Chair: Chris Shafer Chris Shafer
Leadership Chair: Ed Poyer Ed Poyer
Conservation Chair: Linda Pease Linda Pease
Trails Chair: Dav Cranmer Dav Cranmer
Nominating Committee Chair: Larry Rollins Bob Tessitore
2018 Chapter Committee Leaders:
Biking Marcie Madsen
Skiing Steve Harrington/Ann Piascik
Backpacking / Northern Hikes Ed Poyer
Leadership Ed Poyer
Technical Climbing Peter Barlow
Sea Kayaking Mike Krabach
Flatwater Paddling Linda Pease
Family Outings Open
Young Members Chris Josephson
Local Hikes Jean Marie Josephson
Webmaster Mike Krabach
Public Relations Liaison Shannon Kelly