2018 annual report maine chapter appalachian …2018 annual report maine chapter appalachian...

2018 ANNUAL REPORT MAINE CHAPTER

APPALACHIAN MOUNTAIN CLUB

November 10, 2018

Photo by Kristen Grant.

2018 AMC Maine Chapter Annual Report

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TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................ 1

1.0 INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................... 1

1.1 AMC and the Maine Chapter’s Mission .............................................................................. 1

1.1.1 AMC Maine Chapter Membership ......................................................................... 1

1.1.2 2018 AMC Maine Chapter Committees and Leadership ....................................... 2

2.0 RECOGNITION OF 50- AND 25-YEAR AMC MAINE CHAPTER MEMBERS ...... 3

2.1 Maine Chapter Distinguished 50-Year and 25-Year Maine Chapter Members .................. 3

3.0 AMC’S NORTHERN REGIONAL DIRECTOR’S REPORT................................... 4

4.0 2018 MAINE CHAPTER CHAIR’S REPORT .................................................... 5

5.0 2018 TREASURER’S REPORT ...................................................................... 6

5.1 Maine Chapter Assets and Income, Period Ending October 2018 ...................................... 6

5.2 Maine Chapter Expenses, Period Ending October 2018 ..................................................... 6

6.0 MAINE CHAPTER 2018 COMMITTEE REPORTS ........................................... 7

6.1 Outings Committee Report, Bill Brooke Chair .................................................................... 7

6.1.1 Leaders Recognized for Leading Three or More Maine Chapter Trips in 2018 ..... 9

6.1.2 Leaders Recognized for Leading Maine Chapter Trips for Five Consecutive Years 9

6.1.3 Maine Chapter 2018 Trip Activity Summary .......................................................... 9

6.2 Maine Woods Initiative Committee Report, Paul Hahn Chair .......................................... 10

6.3 E-Communications, Tim Flight Chair ................................................................................. 10

6.4 Meetings and Education Committee Report, Nancy Jacobson Chair ............................... 11

6.5 Membership Committee Report, Kristen Grant Chair ...................................................... 11

6.6 Newsletter Communications, Cary Kish Chair .................................................................. 11

6.7 Trails Committee Report, Jeff Pengel Chair ...................................................................... 11

6.8 Young Members Committee Report, Sarah Keats and Nick Montecalvo Co-Chairs ........ 12

7.0 AMC MAINE POLICY OFFICE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETINGS ............. 13


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TABLES Table 1: 2018 Maine Chapter Executive Committee .................................................................................... 2 Table 2: Retiring Maine Chapter Executive Committee Members ............................................................... 3 Table 3: Maine Chapter Members Recognized for 50- and 25-Year Memberships ..................................... 3 Table 4: Maine Chapter Assets Period Ending October 2018 ....................................................................... 6

FIGURES Figure 1: AMC Chapter 5-Year Membership Trends ..................................................................................... 1 Figure 2: AMC Maine Chapter 2018 Income Sources ................................................................................... 6 Figure 3: AMC Maine Chapter 2018 Expense Summary ............................................................................... 7 Figure 4: AMC Maine Chapter Activities by Type 2015 to 2018 ................................................................. 10

ACRONYM LIST

AMC Appalachian Mountain Club ATC Appalachian Trail Conservancy BOD Board of Directors (AMC) ExCom Executive Committee (Maine Chapter) GDPR General Data Protection Regulation HTTPS hypertext transfer protocol secure KWWNM Katahdin Woods and Waters National Monument LRG Leader Requirements and Guidelines M&E Meetings & Education MWI Maine Woods Initiative PRTWA Peter Roderick Trail Work Award SSL secure sockets layer WFA Wilderness First Aid YM Young Members


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Executive Summary 2018 marks the 142nd anniversary of the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) and 62nd anniversary of the Maine Chapter (originally founded in 1956 as the Portland Chapter). This year the Club exceeded 100,000 members and the Maine Chapter is now more than 6,500 members strong, making it the sixth largest of the 12 AMC Chapters. That’s a lot of people unified by a shared love of the Outdoors.

The Maine Chapter continues to be financially strong in 2018 and contributed funds to assist with the remodeling of the bunkhouse at Little Lyford Lodge in Maine’s 100 Mile Wilderness as well as $1,000 each to the Maine Woods Community Youth and Environment Project and Teen Wilderness Adventure Trips. We also purchased a comprehensive set of field guides (handpicked by Jeff Pengel, Trails Committee Chair and Maine Master Naturalist) and copies of the new 11th Edition of the AMC’s Maine Mountain Guide (edited by the Maine Chapter’s Carey Kish) for free use by quests at all three AMC Maine lodges (Little Lyford, Gorman Chairback, Medawisla). If you’re up at the Maine lodges, please check them out and enjoy!

On the activities and outings front, the Maine Chapter currently has 32 Certified Trip Leaders and has been a Club leader in developing outdoor leader guidelines, publishing in 2017 new Maine Chapter Leader Requirements and Guidelines (LRG) that can be found here on the Maine Chapter’s website: https://www.amcmaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AMC-Maine-Chapter-Leader-Requirements-and-Guidelines-Nov-8-final.pdf. Similar leader requirements and guidelines are being updated at the Club level this year with Bill Brooke, Maine Chapter Outings Committee Chair, being an active participant in the process. These leader requirements and guidelines, which require certification in wilderness first aid (WFA) for many activities, and mentoring by trained leaders in the subject activity, is one of the many things that sets the AMC apart from other outdoor organizations. This year, 27 Maine Chapter Leaders led more than 450 participants on 98 trips and provided 7 instructional/training sessions. This represents more than an estimated 1,000 hours in volunteer time under the leadership of Bill Brooke and the Outings Committee trip leaders, who are among the most dedicated volunteers in the Maine Chapter and to whom we are infinitely grateful for their service.

On the Meetings and Education front, Nancy Jacobson and Michelle Moody organized and hosted an outstanding lineup of speakers and presentations held at libraries in Bangor and Brunswick. Presentations were given on a wide array of relevant outdoor and conservation topics during 2018. Thanks very much to Nancy and Michelle for all they do for the Maine Chapter.

Looking forward, the AMC is currently working on its “AMC 150” initiative to identify the right path forward for the Club through 2026, the AMC’s 150th anniversary. John Mullens, Northern Regional Director, has been actively involved in this process and we encourage all AMC members to get involved and have a voice in this process. If you’re interested, please join us at AMC’s 143rd Annual Summit, January 26, 2019, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Norwood, MA to hear the latest updates and to personally contribute to the process.

Last but not certainly not least, the Maine Chapter extends a sincere thanks to Kaitlyn Bernard and the AMC Maine policy office for graciously hosting our Executive Committee meetings throughout the year and for all they do in support of Maine’s great Outdoors.

Respectfully submitted,

Kathleen Redmond-Miller Maine Chapter Executive Committee Chair

https://www.amcmaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AMC-Maine-Chapter-Leader-Requirements-and-Guidelines-Nov-8-final.pdf

https://www.amcmaine.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/12/AMC-Maine-Chapter-Leader-Requirements-and-Guidelines-Nov-8-final.pdf


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1.0 Introduction Founded in 1876, the Appalachian Mountain Club (AMC) is proud to be the oldest conservation and recreation organization in the United States. The Maine Chapter is the northern-most, and sixth largest, of the AMC’s 12 Chapters, founded in 1956 as the Portland Chapter. In addition to providing leadership in outdoor recreation and conservation, AMC volunteers care for more than 1,800 miles of trails in the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Regions of the United States, including nearly 350 miles of the Appalachian Trail in five states.

1.1 AMC and the Maine Chapter’s Mission

The Maine Chapter continues to thrive and to carry out the AMC’s Mission to promote the protection, enjoyment, and stewardship of the mountains, forests, waters, and trails of America’s Northeast and Mid-Atlantic regions. In support of that, the AMC Maine Chapter’s Mission continues to resonate with our members:

We believe that mountains, forests, and waters have intrinsic worth and also provide recreational opportunities, spiritual renewal, and ecological and economic health for the region. Because successful conservation depends on active engagement with the outdoors, we encourage people to experience, learn about, appreciate, and understand the natural world.

1.1.1 AMC Maine Chapter Membership

The Maine Chapter is proud to report over 6,500 active members as of September 2018. Figure 1 presents a summary of the Five-Year Membership trends for the 12 AMC Chapters.

Source: AMC membership reporting from AMC’s Director of Membership and Community Giving through period ending September 2018.

Chapter Identification Key:

AA – Unaffiliated Members DV – Delaware Valley NH – New Hampshire WR – Worchester Massachusetts BK – Berkshire ME – Maine NYNJ – New York, North Jersey BN – Boston MH – Mohawk Hudson PC – Potomac CT – Connecticut NA – Narragansett SE – Southeast Massachusetts

Figure 1: AMC Chapter 5-Year Membership Trends


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The Maine Chapter has increased its membership by over 1,300 members in the five-year period since 20141. If you are not currently a Maine Chapter member, please consider joining through the Maine Chapter’s website: https://www.outdoors.org/join-today?chapter=ME&campaign=70150000001EMs3AAG When members join through the Maine Chapter’s website, a portion of your membership dues is allocated to the Maine Chapter for use locally for Maine Chapter activities, meetings and education, and other worthy causes. If you are an AMC member of another chapter, you can switch your affiliation to the Maine Chapter by updating your AMC information.

1.1.2 2018 AMC Maine Chapter Committees and Leadership

The Maine Chapter elected the current 2018 Executive Committee during its 2017 Annual Meeting November 17th in Portland, Maine. The 2018 Executive Committee has worked tirelessly over the past year serving the Maine Chapter’s membership and working to carry out the AMC’s Mission. The following Executive Committee members were voted in by the membership on November 17, 2017, or were Nominated by the Nominating Committee (Paul Hahn, Chair) and voted in by the Executive Committee to serve until the 2018 annual meeting vote.

Table 1: 2018 Maine Chapter Executive Committee

Chair Kathleen Redmond-Miller Past Chair Doug Chamberlin Vice Chair Cindy Caverly Treasurer Cindy Caverly* Secretary Jeanine Libby Maine Woods Initiative and Nominating Paul Hahn Meetings and Education Nancy Jacobson* Membership Kristen Grant* Outings Bill Brooke Trails Jeff Pengel* Young Members Sarah Keats* and Nick Montecalvo* Conservation Peter Carney E-Communications Tim Flight* At-Large Dave McCarthy* At-Large Chris Franklin *Indicates Executive Committee members who are retiring from their positions at the end of 2018. Kristen Grant will move from Membership Committee Chair to Treasurer, and Cindy Caverly will move from Treasurer to her second year as Vice Chair.

1 As of March 2018, the AMC changed the calculation for counting family memberships to more closely align with broadly accepted standard family size, from 2 members per family membership to 2.5 members.

https://www.outdoors.org/join-today?chapter=ME&campaign=70150000001EMs3AAG


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Table 2: Retiring Maine Chapter Executive Committee Members

Treasurer Cindy Caverly* Meetings and Education Nancy Jacobson Membership Kristen Grant* Trails Jeff Pengel* Young Members Sarah Keats and Nick Montecalvo E-Communications Tim Flight* At-Large Dave McCarthy

*Indicates retiring ExCom members who are transitioning to new roles supporting the Maine Chapter.

Special thanks go to Cindy Caverly, Tim Flight, Jeff Pengel, and Kristen Grant for their long-term service to the Maine Chapter and for continuing their service on the ExCom. Cindy will serve in her second year as Vice Chair, Kristen will take on responsibilities of Treasurer, as well as continue on as Membership Chair until a new volunteer steps into that position. Tim Flight has accepted the position as our website consultant and Jeff Pengel has agreed to move into the position as web master for the Maine Chapter.

2.0 Recognition of 50- and 25-Year AMC Maine Chapter Members The Maine Chapter recognizes the following 50- and 25-year members with sincere thanks for their dedication and loyalty to the Maine Chapter and the AMC.

2.1 Maine Chapter Distinguished 50-Year and 25-Year Maine Chapter Members

The Maine Chapter recognizes and extends a sincere thanks to the following members who have been Maine Chapter members for more than 50 and 25- Years.

Table 3: Maine Chapter Members Recognized for 50- and 25-Year Memberships

Maine Chapter Members for More than 50-Years Maine Chapter Members for More than 25-Years Mary Lord Brown Falmouth, Maine Richard Spencer Portland, Maine Edward Swift Freeport, Maine Warren Alpern North Yarmouth, Maine Warren MacFawn Peru, Maine Douglas Chamberlin Belfast, Maine Warren Baldwin Falmouth, Maine Steven Crosman Bath, Maine Wallace Whitney South Bristol, Maine Alice Spencer Portland, Maine Michael Jacubouis Brunswick, Maine Ronald Rivard Shapleigh, Maine Timothy Agnew Portland, Maine Carr Ross Woolwich, Maine Sandra Hodge Brunswick, Maine Janvier Smith Topsham, Maine Tony Marple Whitefield, Maine Rowena Strout North Waterboro, Maine Joe Edwards Readfield, Maine Harvey Rohde Kennebunk, Maine Eugenia O’Brien Portland, Maine Charles O’Brien Portland, Maine David Theoharides Sanford, Maine Bruce Lockwood Cape Elizabeth, Maine JamesTierney Brunswick, Maine JoAnne Diller North Bridgton, Maine Annette Lepkowsk Skowhegan, Maine Nancy Houlihan Falmouth, Maine David Brackett Newry, Maine


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3.0 AMC’S Northern Regional Director’s Report Since my last report for the 2017 Maine Chapter Annual Meeting, the AMC Board of Directors has undertaken two significant efforts that affect all chapters including the Maine Chapter. The first is the development, adoption, and implementation of a Chapter Finance Policy. Over the course of the last couple of years a club-wide committee, with representatives from chapter leadership, the Board of Directors (BOD), and AMC financial staff and volunteer relations staff, worked diligently to develop a policy and procedures that would fulfill the club’s responsibility for financial oversight, maintain chapters’ access to their funds, and proactively guard against increased levels of cyber threats already being experienced. I was a member of that committee and, as the process ensued, consulted with the leadership of the Maine and New Hampshire chapters to be sure the developing policy would work for them without additional burden. The resulting policy, with encouragement to spend down chapter reserves, new limits on the amount of cash kept locally, and a new process for accessing chapter funds held at the Club-level, was approved by the Chapters Committee and the BOD’s Executive Committee and is in its first year of implementation. Chapter treasurers and AMC finance staff are working closely to monitor this first year and will assess its effect on chapter transactions and address any needed changes as we get additional experience during this first year.

The Club is also working now to refine its long-range vision and to develop organizational objectives for the six-year period beginning January 2020. The effort is dubbed “AMC150” to acknowledge that this strategic planning will take the Club through its 150th anniversary in 2026! As a Board and chapter representative on that committee, I’m helping to gather information through discussion groups, interviews, and surveys. In fact, one of our first data collections took place at this year’s Fall Gathering in October with the leaders of every chapter and individual AMC members attending this event. We’ll have similar conversations at the Annual Summit, January 26, 2019, at the Four Seasons Hotel in Norwood, MA. Please look for additional information on registering for that event so you can contribute to our data collection (and enjoy the other workshops, presentations, and camaraderie). As we continue to collect and then consolidate the information, we’ll prepare a draft vision and seek feedback from representative groups. Final analyses and a proposal to the BOD are scheduled for the fall of 2019 with a launch date of January 2020.

As this Maine Chapter year comes to a close, I’d like to acknowledge the dedicated efforts of the Chapter’s Executive Committee to plan the many chapter activities, to involve AMC members, and to achieve Chapter goals. Kathleen Miller and Cindy Caverly, in their first year as Chair and Vice-Chair, have boldly taken the reins of the Chapter, guiding it forward. Also, I send a special thanks and farewell to the retiring committee chairs for their many years of service to AMC. The Chapter has been extremely fortunate to have such dedicated volunteers ready when vacancies occur. As in any volunteer-run organization like the AMC, a major strength of the organization is determined by the quality of those who step up to volunteer. There are so many different ways to volunteer with the Chapter that if you have even so much as an inkling you’d like to be part of it, email or talk with Kathleen or Cindy. They’ll come up with an opportunity that matches your skills and interests with the Chapter’s needs to the benefit of all. Try it; you’ll like it!

Respectfully submitted,

John Mullens AMC Northern Regional Director [email protected]

mailto:[email protected]


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4.0 2018 Maine Chapter Chair’s Report It’s been my pleasure to work with the Maine Chapter’s Executive Committee (ExCom) and to serve as Chair in 2018. I’m pleased to report that the Maine Chapter continues to grow with a healthy increase of over 800 members in 2018, and 1,400 members over the past five years1. We continue to be financially strong and, thanks to Treasurer Cindy Caverly, we successfully navigated the requirements for compliance with the Club’s new Chapter’s Reserves Policy Implementation in 2018. We also donated to rebuilding the Little Lyford bunkhouse, to the Maine Teen Wilderness Scholarship Fund, and to the Maine Woods Community Youth and Environment Program in 2018.

Thanks to the leadership and countless volunteer hours contributed by Bill Brooke, Outings Committee Chair, the Maine Chapter offered nearly 100 outdoor activities to more than 450 participants, Maine Chapter members and non-members alike, in a wide array of outdoor pursuits including four-season hiking, biking, padding, mountain climbing, outdoors skills workshops, leader training, and wilderness first aid training. Many thanks to Jeff Pengel, Trails Committee Chair, for his commitment to the Maine Chapter and for organizing and implementing trail maintenance trips covering many miles of Maine trails, and for performing trail maintenance himself, when weather or other external factors required that a trip be cancelled. Thanks to Sarah Keats and Nick Montecalvo, Young Members Co-Chairs, and Kristen Grant, Membership Chair, for transitioning the Maine Chapter into the era of electronic communications and for getting the word out and establishing a Maine Chapter presence via social media. I also want to thank Tim Flight, the Maine Chapter’s webmaster, and Laura Flight for all they do in support of the Maine Chapter. Thanks also to Jeanine Libby, Secretary, for her excellent record keeping and for her contagiously cheery disposition.

In addition to outdoor activities and pursuits, Michelle Moody and Nancy Jacobson organized and hosted an outstanding lineup of speakers and presentations on relevant outdoor and conservation topics, many of them with a pot luck supper at the Brunswick Library. Please take the time to thank Michelle and Nancy for all they do for the Maine Chapter.

In 2018, the Maine Chapter partnered with the Maine Beer Company and Orono Brewing Company to offer outdoor activities and social events promoting networking of Maine’s outdoor community. Many thanks to the Maine Beer Company for making the Chapter one of its partners in their “1% for the Planet” (donating a percent of event proceeds to the AMC) and to the Kittery Trading Post for making the Chapter a beneficiary of its “Round Up for Conservation” Fund for several years.

On the Maine Woods Initiative (MWI) front, the Maine Chapter continues to contribute many hours in trail building and maintenance. We also donated $25,000 toward remodeling the bunkhouse at Little Lyford Lodge, and purchased a fine set of field guides (handpicked by Jeff Pengel, Maine Master Naturalist), and copies of the new 11th Edition of the AMC’s Maine Mountain Guide for free use by quests at all three AMC Maine lodges. It was a busy year for the Maine Chapter and one we can all be proud of. I would also like to personally invite anyone with the time and interest in getting involved with the AMC, to reach out to me at [email protected] or join us at an ExCom meeting.

Respectfully Submitted,

Kathleen Redmond-Miller 2018 Maine Chapter Chair [email protected]




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5.0 2018 Treasurer’s Report 5.1 Maine Chapter Assets and Income, Period Ending October 2018

The following Treasurer’s Report is for the period starting November 1, 2017 and ending October 31, 2018.

Table 4: Maine Chapter Assets Period Ending October 2018

Cash $32,635

Cash Reserves Held by the Club $5,400

Invested Reserves $16,635

Sue Blood – Endowment $13,144

Total Assets $67,814

Figure 2 summarizes where the Chapter received its income during the reporting period. Normally, the Chapter receives most of its income from membership dues. This year the Chapter received a donation of $24,360 from the Appalachian Trail Conservancy (ATC) as its share of the proceeds from sponsoring the 2017 ATC Biennial at Colby College.

Figure 2: AMC Maine Chapter 2018 Income Sources

5.2 Maine Chapter Expenses, Period Ending October 2018

Figure 3 summarizes the Chapter’s expenses for the period. Participant costs are largely offset by Program income. Whatever is not offset is the Chapter’s contribution to keeping the cost of the Annual Meeting low and paying for leaders’ Wilderness First Aid (WFA) training. Committee expenses include facilities charges and other expenses associated with workshops and meetings as well as trail tools and leader incentives. This year the Chapter made several donations to AMC projects and outside organizations. Of note, the Chapter donated $25,000 of its reserves to the MWI to help with the renovation of the Little Lyford Bunkhouse. The Chapter also contributed $1,000 each to the Maine Woods Community Youth and Environment Project and Teen Wilderness Adventure Trips.

Donations47%

Membership35%

Program Income

17%

Miscellaneous Income

1%

Income

Donations $27,181

Membership $20,699

Program Income $ 9,876

Miscellaneous $ 598


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Figure 3: AMC Maine Chapter 2018 Expense Summary

Respectfully Submitted,

Cindy Caverly 2018 Maine Chapter Treasurer and Vice Chair

[email protected]

6.0 Maine Chapter 2018 Committee Reports 6.1 Outings Committee Report, Bill Brooke Chair

Twenty-seven Maine Chapter Leaders led 450 participants on 98 trips and provided seven (7) instruction/training sessions in 2018. This represents an estimated 1000+ hours in volunteer time by the Outings trip leaders, who are among the most dedicated volunteers in the chapter.

In addition, five new leaders were certified this year in our leadership training program and three aspiring leader candidates are working to become certified. Seventeen of the 27 Maine Chapter Leaders led three or more trips in 2018 and two leaders joined the ranks of 14 Leaders who have led trips for five or more consecutive years.

Instruction programs were offered in kayak self-rescue, bike maintenance, winter hiking, backpacking, map & compass navigation, and WFA. More than 60 participants attended Maine Chapter workshops and courses in 2018. The AMC Leader training program was offered this year for the 3rd consecutive year. We currently have three Maine Chapter members who have been certified in AMCs Leadership Train the Trainer (T3) program for Leadership training.

Participant Costs21%

AMC Meetings6%

Committee Expenses

16%

Newsletter8%

Contributions to AMC and

Other Organizations

48%

Administrative1%

Expenses

Participant Costs $ 12,737

AMC Meetings $ 3,746

Committee Expenses $ 10,012

Newsletter $ 4,686

Contributions to AMC $ 29,745and Other Organizations

Administrative $ 623



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This year the wilderness first aid certificate course provider was changed to Wilderness Medical Associates who offer a three-year certification in WFA vs the two from the previous provider.

The Katahdin Woods & Waters National Monument (KWWNM) was a focus for trips in 2018 in support of AMC’s work to raise awareness for the new monument. Five trips were led in KWWNM including two for leaders to introduce them to KWWNM. There was also an increase in multiday Maine Chapter trips in 2018, with two biking, four backpacking, one sea kayaking, and one multisport multiday trips. Current Maine Chapter Leaders by Activity

The Maine Chapter currently has 32 leaders certified in five (5) committees/activities: (leaders can be certified in more than one committee) Outings – 32

Bicycling – 14 Paddling – 9 Skiing – 7 Young Members – 8

27 Leaders led trips in 2018 * Average trips per leader – 3.6

Actual trips per leader -minimum 1, maximum 12

Photo by Bill Brooke, Outings Committee Chair. New Maine Chapter Leaders Certified in 2018: Steve Brezinski - Backpacking, Hiking Kelly Corbin - Hiking Alicia Heyburn - Paddling Sarah Hunter - Biking, Hiking Natalie Skovran – Hiking

Maine Chapter New Leader Candidates Kenyon Grant – Hiking/Winter Hiking Robin Kerber – Hiking Elizabeth Seabury – Hiking

2018 Maine Chapter Instruction & Workshops The following workshops and trainings were offered by the Maine Chapter in 2018: Beginner Backpacking Bike Maintenance Kayak Self-Rescue AMC Outdoor Leadership Training Wilderness First Aid Winter hiking Map & Compass


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6.1.1 Leaders Recognized for Leading Three or More Maine Chapter Trips in 2018

The following Maine Chapter Leaders posted (to the AMC’s activities database at outdoors.org) and led three or more trips in the last 12 months:

Tony Barrett Stephen Brezinski Debby Kantor Cindy Caverly Jeanne Christie Denise Fredette Emily Davis Jeanine Libby Kim Sanders Lorraine Hussey Michelle Moody Stan Moody Nick Montecalvo Peter Roderick Sarah Keats Susan Surabian Carolyn Welch

Photo by Bill Brooke, Outings Committee Chair.

6.1.2 Leaders Recognized for Leading Maine Chapter Trips for Five Consecutive Years

The following Maine Chapter Leaders join the ranks of 14 other leaders who have led trips during for five consecutive years. Denise Fredette Jeanine Libby

6.1.3 Maine Chapter 2018 Trip Activity Summary

The following summarizes the number of each type of activity offered by the Maine Chapter in 2018: * Hiking – 38 Snowshoeing – 18 Paddling – 11 Bicycling -9 Instruction- 6 Skiing – 6 Walks - 5 Backpacking – 4 Camping – 1

*Note: 2018 data includes actual trips taken in 2018 thru Oct 31st and trips currently posted in the AMC activities database outdoors.org for November and December 2018. Figure 4 provides a summary of Maine Chapter activities offered by the Outings Committee by type between 2015 and 2018*.


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Figure 4: AMC Maine Chapter Activities by Type 2015 to 2018

6.2 Maine Woods Initiative Committee Report, Paul Hahn Chair

The Maine Woods Initiative (MWI) Committee was again active in 2018. The primary effort in 2018 was maintaining the 130 miles of trails associated with AMC's three Maine lodges (Little Lyford, Gorman Chairback, and Medawisla). That effort was led by several MWI Committee members who are certified trail work trip leaders. The MWI Committee continued the regularly scheduled May, July, and October trail work trips for the MWI properties. In addition, work was accomplished by Trail Adopters from the MWI Committee and ExCom at other times during the course of the year. Several Chapter members who received a Peter Roderick Trail Work Award (PRTWA) scholarship worked on the scheduled trips. Volunteers came from several AMC Chapters. The Chapter’s MWI Committee, through its Chair, is a member of the Club MWI Committee and attended several Club MWI Committee meetings, allowing for input from the Maine Chapter. The MWI Committee held one meeting this year in the Spring and tries to schedule two a year.

Paul Hahn,

MWI Committee Chair

6.3 E-Communications, Tim Flight Chair

This year we again saw an overall increase in the number of online visitors to our Chapter website coming from mobile devices. Three years ago 25 percent of our visitors were viewing on mobile devices. This year it will be closer to 60 percent.

114106 102 98

020406080

100120

2015 2016 2017 2018

Trip Activity 2015 - 2018

Backpacking Bicycling Camping Hiking

Instruction Paddling Skiing Sledding

Snowshoeing Walks Total


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While we should certainly continue to maintain a strong presence on social media, we must avoid training our followers to only find us there. Social media companies continue to show less and less “free” content to users without paying for “boosted” results.

Privacy was the big theme of the year. We enabled SSL (secure sockets layer) i.e., HTTPS (hypertext transfer protocol secure) browsing by default for our website last year and most other chapters followed suit this year. We also took steps to eliminate many external resources loaded by our website. In some cases, like fonts and CSS (cascading style sheets) frameworks we now load these internally, while in other cases we no longer use them (certain analytics packages). While General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) may not have direct application to our Maine and USA based members, it is likely we will see similar legislation move forward in the US. (and some states already are looking at it.)

6.4 Meetings and Education Committee Report, Nancy Jacobson Chair

The Meetings and Education (M&E) Committee hosted a total of ten (10) presentations in 2018; four (4) in southern Maine at the Curtis Memorial Library in Brunswick and six (6) in the Bangor area at the Bangor Library. The Maine Chapter is currently looking for a new M&E Committee Chair in Bangor, as Nancy Jacobson will be stepping down at the end of 2018.

6.5 Membership Committee Report, Kristen Grant Chair

2018 saw AMC Maine sustaining a continued membership growth throughout the year. Updates and posting to Facebook, MeetUp, and Instagram were expanded in 2018 compared to previous years. The AMC Maine Facebook page (like other non-profit Facebook pages) suffered a setback in total reach per post in 2018 as Facebook changed its algorithms in response to outside issues. However, the AMC Maine Instagram page saw significant growth, with over 1,150 followers. Similarly, the AMC Maine Meetup group has grown to 2,200 members. We feel that the growth in these social media outlets is crucial to attracting and engaging our membership.

In addition, we have increased the number and frequency of Email Blasts that are sent to our members advising them about upcoming activities. The creation of the Email Blast requires deep involvement from the Chapter Chair and the E Communication Team as well as the Club to ensure a high-quality product is sent out the door.

To support all of these assorted communication vehicles we engaged our first-ever summer intern through the Southern Maine Conservation Collaborative this year. The purpose of the internship was to supply the Maine Chapter with content (photographic and written) for our various outlets and to provide experience and exposure to the intern. This engagement was an important first step between our Chapter and the Conservation Collaborative and using what we learned this year we hope to continue such engagements in the future.

6.6 Newsletter Communications, Cary Kish Chair

The Maine Chapter would like to extend a sincere thanks to Cary Kish for his long-term dedication to the Maine Chapter and for kindly and consistently requesting content from volunteers and for his expert skills in cat herding and editing and compiling the Maine Chapter’s newsletter, Wilderness Matters, four times each year.

6.7 Trails Committee Report, Jeff Pengel Chair

2018 was a light year for the Trails committee marked by unusually low volunteer participation. Fewer than 20 people signed up for trail maintenance trips during 2018. The Chapter continued its maintenance of the Ledges Trail on Pleasant Mountain and our stretch of the Appalachian Trail (AT) near


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the Bigelows. The club also finally completed the long-neglected maintenance on Mount Cutler's main trails - Barnes & Ridge Walk. Now that the land has officially been preserved, the Chapter has committed to maintenance for three years or until a local permanent adopter has been found. The Trails committee also arranged trail maintenance events with Mahoosuc Land Trust, Loon Echo Land Trust, Kennebec Land Trust and Maine Coast Heritage Trust.

Thank you, Jeff Pengel Trails Committee-Chair

6.8 Young Members Committee Report, Sarah Keats and Nick Montecalvo Co-Chairs

I have enjoyed being the Maine Chapter’s Young Members (YM) Co-Chair since 2013 and our group has expanded a lot over that time. I have led some beautiful trips over the years, including backpacking trips, hikes, cross-country ski hut-to-hut trips and day trips, numerous camping trips, and AMC Adventure Travel trips. I love seeing others get excited about getting outdoors especially after they just start hiking or skiing. It is time for me to step down from my Chair position and I look forward to seeing a new Young Members Chair take my place! It has been hard to find a new YM Co-Chair over the years because many people in their 20’s and 30’s are going through many changes. Recently we have had a good number of new leaders, which is great. Sarah Hunter, Natalie Skovran, and Kelly Corbin became new trip leaders. I will continue leading trips but due to a recent change in my life since my engagement, I will not be leading as many trips as I have in the past.

During the past year, Maine YM led and organized over 15 hikes and weekend trips. Over the Winter, the YM committee led several winter hikes at varying levels and had a successful winter hiking workshop at Allagash Brewing Company. We unfortunately had to cancel the Winter Hut trip to Lonesome Lake and the hike for that weekend due to severe windchill in December. Marielle and I hosted a successful Inter-chapter Mizpah Spring Hut weekend in the Spring and had over 20 participants from many different states, including Vermont, NY, and NH. In May, there was a full trip to Burnt Meadow Mountain, and Denise and Sarah Hunter had a great Moats traverse in March.

The YM group had excellent attendance at our summer camping weekends, including a record number of people at our 6th Annual Rangeley camping weekend! We continued our efforts to offer beginner backpacking trips with a weekend trip to the Cutler Coast which had a lot of interest. The group led a number of hikes ranging from beginner to intermediate level over the Summer and Fall, including more local hikes. This Fall Sarah Hunter and I led a beautiful snow-filled hike up to the ridge of Baldface Circle. Recently the YM committee has started planning our winter hiking series. We also have a winter trip planned to the Highland Center and are in the process of listing more hikes and ski trips.

Maine Chapter YM Leadership took part in the Inter-chapter YM leadership training at the Harriman Outdoor Center in NY. Denise Fredette helped with the training and Natalie Skovran attended to fulfill the prerequisite to become a Maine Chapter Leader. We have one other co-leader, Robin Kerber, who attended the YM Training in 2017, and is working on her co-leads and mentor hike.

In 2018, the Young Members hosted nine Social events, mostly weeknight dinner/happy hours, a Potluck BBQ afternoon social in June at Shaw Park in Gorham, and a movie night. Attendance at these events ranged from 4 people to 19 people.

This month I will be stepping down as YM Co-Chair, and Nicholas Montecalvo resigned in September from his Co-Chair position after enthusiastically helping mentor our new leaders and being actively involved in the Executive Committee.


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Thank you, Sarah Keats Young Members Co-Chair

7.0 AMC Maine Policy Office Executive Committee Meetings The Maine Chapter would like to extend a sincere thanks to Kaitlyn Bernard and the AMC’s Maine Policy office located at 14 Maine Street (Suite 126 in the Fort Andross building) in Brunswick, for graciously hosting the Maine Chapter’s Executive Committee meetings in 2018, and for all that she does in support of Maine’s outdoor resources. In 2019 the Maine Chapter’s ExCom meetings will be held on the second Thursday of odd numbered months (January, March, May, July, September, November) at the AMC’s Maine Policy Office. Come check out the custom-made conference table crafted from wood sourced from our very own MWI property. All Maine Chapter members are welcome and encouraged to attend and get involved. Doesn’t this look like fun!

Source: Photo by Doug Chamberlin, Past Chair of the Maine Chapter’s ExCom.

2018 annual report maine chapter appalachian …2018 annual report maine chapter appalachian...

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