AMC New York-North Jersey Chapter

Leadership Development and Safety :: Outdoor Leadership Development

Copyright © 1996 - 2008 Appalachian Mountain Club, Boston, MA.
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Visit our AMC Bookstore for great discounts on AMC books and outdoor gear.

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Sandy Hook Adventure

Working with the National Park Service, AMC has secured rental-residency at Fort Hancock’s Education Building 102 for August. The building site accommodates 50 people in 15 rooms.

To learn more, go to the Sandy Hook Adventure page.

2009 Individual Reservations Open September 1

Starting September 1, individual members and the public can book reservations for the coming year at AMC Destinations. Here are some changes you will see in 2009 rates:
  • Consistent 3-night and 5-night discounting during peak periods, simplifying travel planning – 3-night rates are always 10% off the base single night rate, and 5-night rates are 20% off (stay 4 nights, get the 5th free). New this year, discounted pricing has been extended to include all child rates, as well as private and family rooms at the Highland Center, Joe Dodge Lodge, and Cardigan. These rates are available Sunday-Friday at any combination of huts and lodges in New Hampshire and Maine.
  • Entry Level Pricing at Lonesome Lake. To encourage more families with young children to try our family friendly, easy-to-access Lonesome Lake hut, we will discount stays at Lonesome Lake by 10% Sunday-Friday.
  • Cardigan Meal Service on Winter Weekends. Cardigan Lodge will offer meal service (dinner, breakfast, and trail lunch) on Friday and Saturday nights (and Sunday nights on MLK and President's Day weekends) January through March, making it even easier to enjoy the great cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and hospitality at this destination. Whole lodge, self-service rentals will be available for chapter programs and other groups throughout the winter, and groups of 25 or more can still arrange for meal service Sunday-Thursday with advance notice.
To plan your 2009 vacation with the AMC, visit www.outdoors.org/lodging or call 603-466-2727 for more information and reservations.
Leadership Development and Safety

Outdoor Leadership Development Committee

Al Braley, Committee Chair
RD 2, Box 581
Wingdale, NY 12594
914-832-6578

Date: February 5, 1997 (Original Letter)
Subject: AMC Outdoor Leadership Requirements and Guidelines and
AMC Policy on Recreational Activities and Liability Insurance
From: Al Braley, Chair, Outdoor Leadership Development Committee
Reply to: < >
To: AMC Members and Participants in AMC Activities

The AMC Outdoor Leadership Development Committee (OLDC), acting under the athority of the AMC Board of Directors, recently approved and distributed a Leadership Requirements and Guidelines leaflet and a policy statement on Recreational Activities and Liability Insurance to all units of the Club that sponsor outdoor activities. Sponsoring units include the Club's Major and Interchapter Excursions Committees, Chapters and their activity committees, as well as the volunteer managed facilities committees. These documents are being implemented within each Club unit, and are being distributed to volunteer leaders.

The OLDC is also making these documents available to all members and participants in our activities through several means, and this WWW page is one. We are confident that the publication and distribution of these policy statements will help to maintain our present high quality of activity leadership and may help to reduce the likelihood of future unpleasant incidents.

We view the Leadership Requirements and Guidelines as an extension and reinforcement of the several outdoor leadership training programs and courses offered by the AMC and the Chapters. However, these guidelines are not intended as a substitute for the experience and judgement of the leaders. Experienced leaders may well have good reasons for deviating from these guidelines. Each unit of the Club is encouraged to maintain their current high standards of leadership and to require additional training to improve leadership skills.

The statement on Recreational Activities and Liability Insurance has been collected from several sources, many that are not normally available to new leaders or to leaders who lead only Chapter activities. It also includes some new policies regarding the listing of trips in today's computer/communication environment.

We invite any comment or suggestion to improve or supplement both of these documents. Please address these in writing to the Chairs of the OLDC subcommittees responsible for the preparation of each document in order to be considered for inclusion or reflection in future revisions; OLDC intends to review the documents for possible revision annually. Please address comments on the Leadership Requirements and Guidelines to: Joseph A. Kuzneski, 5 Russett Road, Middletown, RI 02842 < >. Submit comments on the Recreational Activities and Liability Insurance policy to: Alex Kosseff, Outdoor Leadership Development Coordinator, AMC, 5 Joy Street, Boston, MA 02108 < >.

We know that nearly all AMC volunteer led activities are excellent, enjoyable events that are conducted safely. We want to make certain that the Club has done all that it can to maintain a wide varity of high level activities and oportunities to enjoy the Great Outdoors.


Sincerely,

Al Braley