For the time-being, the proposed requirement of Wilderness First Aid certification for volunteer leaders is on hold. A more extensive redesign of leader requirements and qualifications is beginning (once again) on November 4, 2026. If you’d like to zoom into the meeting to assess whether you’d like to volunteer as part of the Activity Standards Design Collaborative, send me an email and I’ll forward you the link.
Results of a survey of Fire Island Cabin participants were nearly unanimous that AMC staff deserves a grade of A with respect how they managed the facility this past year. Some of the comments included:
Members and participants are reminded that pursuant to the chapter bylaws and the AMC Code of Conduct, incidents (complaints) involving participants on an AMC activity or on an event should be addressed to the activity or event leader per the “informal negotiations” policy. See Article VI – Grievance Procedures, of the chapter bylaws. If the complaint involves the leader, or if the matter wasn’t resolved, the chair of the activity committee is the next person to whom the complaint should be brought. If the matter still isn’t settled, or it’s not clear to whom the matter should be addressed, then contact the chapter Vice Chair. The names and email addresses and positions of all members who volunteer in an administrative capacity with the New York-No. Jersey chapter are on this page of the chapter website. If the incident or complaint on a volunteer-led activity or event is not by that time resolved, the matter will be addressed formally by the Executive Committee. If the activity or event was led by or involves a staff member, email AMC Director of Conservation Policy Engagement Mark Zakutansky for guidance. Regardless of these procedures, members are entitled pursuant to the AMC Code of Conduct to direct complaints involving misconduct (defined in paragraph 4 of the Code of Conduct) directly to the club via this form and are not obligated to go through chapter procedures. Save a copy of the form, and send that to Mel Mac Innis, AMC Director of Volunteer Engagement, and to the email address CodeofConduct@Outdoors.org.
Regrettably, the club has canceled the wonderful Annual Summit weekend held in coordination with the AMC Annual Business Meeting at the Sheraton Four Seasons in Norwood, MA each January. Instead, Fall Gathering has been re-booted and recast as “Summit 2027” and will be held the 1st weekend in November, 2027 at the AMC Highland Center in Bretton Woods, New Hampshire. Not only was Annual Summit a way for volunteers from all chapters across the organization to connect annually from one year to the next, for decades, but it gave volunteers and members the opportunity to meet with and speak face to face with members of the AMC Board of Directors and club senior staff employees to discuss issues in a way which can’t be addressed via email or video meeting. Further widening the disconnect between staff and volunteers was a bad decision. In any event, the Highland Center sits at the entrance to Crawford Notch, NH, and is one of the most wonderful places in the Northeast, so folks who can get to New Hampshire will surely have a wonderful time.
