The Chair's Corner, 2011-2012
February 2012Chair’s Corner By Bruce Tehan Looking out my window this late January morning I see a light covering of snow in my neighborhood. This has me looking forward to more snow so that I can break out my snowshoes. Here are a few other things that I am looking forward to in February that are being put on by our chapter of ADK:
You can find out more about these and other February events in this issue of the Geneseean or by visiting our website at www.gvc-adk.org. I hope everyone is having a good winter and I hope to see you in the woods. January 2012January,
2012 Chair Corner
Please check out some of these many means of communications and join us at some of our events and outings. I hope everyone had a Merry Christmas and is having a Happy New Year! December 2011
December, 2011 Bruce Tehan, Chapter Chair Merry Christmas, I hope everyone is getting ready for a fun holiday season. With all the great holidays this time of year (Christmas, Chanukah, Kwanzaa and New Year’s Day) our lives can get crazy busy. A good way to de-stress is to get outdoors. If you are looking for something to do outside please visit gvc-adk.org and take a look at the outings our chapter is offering. If you do not see the right trip for you at our website you might want to visit some of ADK’s other chapter websites and see what they have planned. You can find links to the other chapters at adk.org/chapters/index.aspx. Better still, you might want to think about leading a trip for our chapter. One of the neat things about volunteering to lead a trip is picking and planning the trip you want to do. Speaking of volunteering, I want to take this time to welcome our new Publicity Chairperson, Kristine Thomson. Kristine has some great ideas for the Geneseean and will be a great addition to our executive committee. You can find out more about Kristine in her article in this issue of the Geneseean. Please join me in thanking Kristine for volunteering this important position. Holidays Holidays everyone! November 2011November, 2011
Bruce Tehan, Chapter Chair Fall is a fantastic time of the year to be outside. I love the brisk air and the beautiful autumn colors. Hiking, camping, and paddling are a few of my favorite fall activities. Some of the things I try to do each fall are paddling up Black Creek from Churchville Park, spending a day at Letchworth State Park, and biking the Keuka Lake Outlet Trail. Winter, which is right around the corner, is also a terrific time to be outside. A few of my favorite things to do in the winter are snowshoeing at Bay Park East, cross country skiing at the Genesee County Park and Forest, and hand feeding black capped chickadees on the Birdsong Trail at Mendon Ponds Park. I first learned about the Birdsong Trail by going on a Younger Members hike. The leader of that hike is now my lovely wife Sheri. I first learned about Bay Park East by going on a Sunday hike led by Dick Spade. In addition to being a fine outdoorsman, Dick is also a good friend. I hope everyone is having a nice fall and is looking forward to many outdoor adventures this winter. Make sure to check out the outings sponsored by our club. It is a great way to discover some very cool places and to meet some very nice people. October 2011October 2011 Bruce Tehan, Chapter Chair I have been thinking about volunteerism a lot lately. There are five reasons that this subject has been on my mind. The first reason is that in September we inducted two terrific people, Deni Charpentier and Karen Topfer, into our Chapter’s High Summit Honor Society (HSHS). This society is kind of like our chapter’s very own Hall of Fame. The members of this society have volunteered for our chapter in ways that have gone above and beyond what is typically expected of a volunteer. The second reason I have been thinking about volunteerism is that our outstanding past chair, Dave Harrison, has just picked an exceptional person to be this year’s Volunteer of the Year. Dave will be making this announcement at the October Chapter Meeting. The third reason I have been thinking about volunteerism is that as chairperson I get to pick the volunteer of the month. This is a very easy job because we have some outstanding volunteers. The only tricky part is picking just one per month. The fourth reason I have been thinking about volunteerism is that I could not do my job as chapter chair if it were not for all the help I have been receiving from so many people who are doing so many great things for our club. Volunteerism is what keeps our club going strong. The fifth reason I have been thinking about volunteerism is that three of our chapter’s volunteers have had to recently step down from their committee chair positions. These three volunteers, Grace Fuller, Joanne Mitchell and Nancy Donny have done outstanding work in their roles as Publications Chair, Saturday Hikes Coordinator and Education Chair. When you see these three wonderful ladies please be sure to thank them for their fine efforts. As chapter chair, it is my job to try to find volunteers to fill these and other positions with the club. This is a tough thing for me to do. I am good at writing announcements but I am a bit shy when it comes to asking individuals to volunteer for the club. Unfortunately, our chapter’s volunteers tend to agree to serve in various capacities when they are asked directly. I would really like to see this trend change. I implore any member of the club who might be interested in volunteering to please contact me rather than wait to be asked. There are many opportunities to help keep our club thriving and volunteers tend to find their service to be both challenging and fun. Please remember ADK is a member driven organization that depends on the participation of its constituents. So, please give me a ring or send me an email and help keep our club healthy! September 2011September 2011Bruce Tehan, Chapter Chair September is here and it is a great month to be in the Adirondacks. The weather tends to be nice and the bugs have long since stopped bugging people. One of my all-time favorite September trips to the Adirondacks was a backpack into the Five Ponds Wilderness put on by our chapter of ADK. The trip was well organized by its skilled, enthusiastic, and knowledgeable leaders: Bill Crowe and Mary Warchocki. The weather was gorgeous, the scenery was spectacular, and swimming in Cranberry Lake and in the Oswegatchie River was very refreshing. I could go on and on about how much I like the Five Ponds Wilderness. It is a very remote area with charming campsites, giant trees, and some very impressive engineering done by Beaver Inc. A few of my favorite spots in this area are Janack’s Landing, Cat Mountain, and High Falls. What was best about this particular trip, however, was the friendship and camaraderie I enjoyed with the other participants. Bill, Mary, and the rest of the group, Dave Harrison, Karin Topfer, Deni Charpenteir, Donna Dinse, and Polly Mayne were (and are) wonderful people to hang around with. That trip is a good example of what I love most about the Adirondack Mountain Club: The people I have met and the friendships I have made through this club. ADK has given me much joy, good friends, and many rewarding experiences. I am happy and honored to be starting my role as chairperson of the Genesee Valley Chapter of ADK. With the help of ADK’s many fine volunteers I hope that I can encourage more and more people to become active members of ADK. If you are interested in becoming more active in the club, please contact me or any of our other volunteers so that we can share our love of the outdoors and outdoor recreation with you. |
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The Adirondack Mountain Club (ADK) is dedicated to the protection and responsible recreational use of the New York State Forest Preserve, and other parks, wild lands, and waters vital to our members and chapters. The Club, founded in 1922, is a member-directed organization committed to public service and stewardship. ADK employs a balanced approach to outdoor recreation, advocacy, environmental education, and natural resource conservation.
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