Genesee Valley Chapter
Adirondack Mountain Club

Volunteer of the Month

Rich Sensenbach, Chapter Chair

Spring, 2006

A number of people have asked me what happened to the volunteer of the month. I realize that this has been on our website for quite awhile but in all honesty it has bothered me. Not because I don't think we should be honoring our volunteers, but because these are so many volunteers. I remember talking to Mary about the Volunteer of the Year award that is the last official act of the chapter chair. She had a list of volunteers she thought should be recognized who were all equally deserving of the award. It was quite a dilemma!

I myself find it very difficult most days to pick out the most valuable volunteer of the moment. For example; it could be Jackson, who has been running the bookstore forever; Dave, who has spent countless hours following conservation issues both in our area as well as the state; Dick and Dan for all the Sunday hikes; Larry, to whom we owe the discounts we get from retailers to; Jean, who for years greeted us at our meetings with coffee, tea and cookies; Don, who for years did our website before passing it on to Steve; Joanne, without whom there would be no Geneseean; Susan and Judy, who provide us with programs without which you'd have to just listen to me talk with no sign of reprieve. I don't even know all the volunteers; there are folks all over the club doing things that I'm barely aware of like sorting and labeling the Geneseean. So I guess what I'm trying to say is that our whole chapter exists because of volunteers and without them we would have to give up one or more of the many activities that make our chapter such a great group.

If you are not part of this great group, think about it. I know lots of people are concerned about time these days but try looking at it this way; say you been going on the Saturday hikes for the last 10 weeks and decide to lead one. Look at how much you are getting out of that, for a few hours scouting and leading you get all the rest of the time as payback! Or look at it this way, you spent one day a year volunteering for your chapter and it works out to less than 15 minutes a week over the year. Can't you spare that much time for your club?

I would like to thank all the volunteers that have made this chapter the great chapter that it is. So the next club event you come to, please be sure to thank those volunteers that made it possible. Feel free to ask them if you could help sometime as well; you'll be glad you did!

Thank you volunteers for your time, skills and dedication!

Rich