From: Morgan
Sommerville [mailto:msommerville@atconf.org]
Sent: Thursday, July 14, 2005 12:24
PM
To: SMHCroyer;
Cc: atc-gntroJulieJudkins;
atc-gntroMatthewDavis; ATCmariOmland; ATPOdonOwen;
Subject: SMHC/ATPO/ATC meeting
7/2/05
Hi, all. I did not take
minutes of our meeting at the Biennial meeting, but did take a few notes.
This is to share those notes as a spring board for some positive
movement.
- SMHC vols. said they want to know
more about recruiting new volunteers.
- Is it possible for ATC to loan its
membership database for the E.TN area to the SMHC to explore recruiting possible
new members/maintainers?
- SMHC would like to involve younger
volunteers than at present.
- Business cards might be made
available to hand out to interested parties encountered along the trail, or
elsewhere.
- Privy maintenance is a BIG
issue. Perhaps the NPS should take this over, or provide more resources to
make it work.
- Improvement should be sought in
communication of maintenance needs to SMHC members and
maintainers.
- There should be a list of work
items.
- A better job of involving UT
students and faculty needs to be done.
- Leadership training should be
considered for SMHC volunteers.
I think these are all useful
suggestions. Some are already in place, but apparently not widely
known.
I want to reiterate what I have said
at earlier meetings. Our first priority needs to be to reach a consensus
on trail standards. I don’t believe we have that yet. It makes it
very difficult to gauge our progress if we all have different ideas on this
subject. This can be a vision statement.
Secondly, I suggest we determine
(again) a timeline for addressing the deficiencies we identify in the A.T. and
its facilities. Some of the work must be done quickly, but the rest is
going to take a very long time, unless our resources increase
significantly. We need to prioritize the work, and agree on the
priorities. Then we need to be patient as we address the
list.
Thirdly, leadership development,
that is, encouraging and recruiting new people to help lead SMHC and its
programs, should be, I believe, a very high priority (probably the
highest). This is the fundamental point that Ed Clarke, our volunteer
development consultant, tries to drive home at each of his
workshops.
And finally, I suggest we agree that
whatever we plan can be accomplished in a way that allows the participants to
HAVE FUN! Work on the A.T. should be fun, not something hanging over your
head like a black cloud. Let’s figure out how to make this happen for the
SMHC again!
ATC is, of course, already helping
SMHC. However, we are ready to continue to look for the best ways to
accomplish A.T. goals on SMHC’s section. We will remain positive,
open-minded and constructive. And we envision success for this
effort!
I look forward to working with you! When would you like to meet again? Morgan
August 17, 2005
Dear SMHC members,
Thank you for taking time during the recent ATC Biennial Conference to meet and discuss some of the issues facing the Smoky Mountains Hiking Club as they seek to define and carry out their responsibilities for maintenance of the Appalachian Trail through the Smokies. I certainly came away with a much better sense of some of the challenges that the club faces and a better appreciation for why some of the club members feel overwhelmed. You've got a big job!
Please know that the staff here in the A.T. Park Office and I continue to be committed to working with the SMHC, ATC, and Great Smoky Mountains National Park to find solutions. We will continue to seek funding to support A.T. projects in the Smokies, and we are committed to working with all the partners to find ways to pull in increased numbers of volunteers to help with A.T. work in the Park. I thought the recent SMHC recruitment email was well done. Rita Hennessy of my staff has suggested another local resource that could help with volunteer recruitment and training in volunteer management, and that is the Haywood County Volunteer Center. Volunteer Centers across the country are associated with the Points of Light Foundation and match volunteers to opportunities. They also provide workshops and training for volunteer organizations. The Haywood County Volunteer Center is located at 2143 Ashville Road, Waynesville, NC 28786. Elaine Kuhl is the contact, and the phone number is (828) 456-9187.
We're also ready and willing to help in any other ways that you think might be helpful. Others on my staff or I are available to speak to club members at the club's annual dinner, work with club members to find new methods to reach out to new audiences, and support the club in any other initiatives focused on bringing new members into the club and new maintainers out on the Trail. If the SMHC is willing to serve as the focus of a special joint effort to recruit, manage and train volunteers for the A.T., the NPS AT Park Office will help provide technical assistance for this special project.
In addition, Don Owen of my staff, Morgan Sommerville of ATC, Roger Moore of the ATC Board of Directors, and George Minnigh of Great Smoky Mountains National Park will be hiking through the Smokies from August 25th to 30th. They will be looking at different maintenance and management issues along the way, and would be delighted to have club members meet them or hike with them for portions of their hike.
Despite the current challenges, I am optimistic that working together we can meet them. And, even though there are challenges at the moment, I remain impressed with and grateful for all that SMHC volunteers do to protect and maintain the A.T. in the Smokies. You all are awesome! Please let us know what we can do to help.
I look forward to our continued dialogue and shared work.
With gratitude,
Pamela Underhill
National Park Service
Manager for the
Appalachian National Scenic Trail