Communities, Not Committees

One of the possible ways the volunteer corps may be realigned over the next year is to group members according to their interests, not according to which chapter they belong to.  How the communities are formed may depend on how far people are willing to travel to participate in any particular activity.  For example, members who enjoy backpacking typically are willing to travel greater distances for their adventures.  Potomac, Delaware Valley, New York-North Jersey, and the Mid-Hudson Valley chapter of the Adirondack Mountain Club routinely join together for backpacking trips, notwithstanding members are in different chapters.  Similarly, New York-North Jersey and Western Massachusetts chapter volunteer leaders post hikes to Bear Mountain and the Hudson Highlands.  Bicycle leaders from the southern-most area of the Connecticut chapter routinely lead bicycle rides in New York.  Boston chapter hike leaders actually lead more hikes in the White Mountains than does the New Hampshire chapter.  The artificial groupings of members into committees based on their chapter affiliation may be replaced by a communities of members with like interests.