Notes from the Chair – November/December 2007
By the time you are reading this, with your support,
I will have been elected your new Chapter Chair. I write these comments in eager
anticipation of that event. I want to express my appreciation for your having entrusted
me with this office. Other anticipated changes in the Executive Committee will also
have occurred. Eric Savage will have moved from Co-Chair of Young Members to Chapter
Vice Chair. Karen Klawiter will have replaced John Jenkins as Co-Chair of Paddling.
Mary Schmidt will have taken Eric’s place as Co-Chair of Young Members. Dean Tuininga
will have replaced Sue Breault as Webmaster. Sam Jamke will have moved to Past Chair.
On behalf of the chapter membership, I wish to thank all outgoing members of the
EXCOM for their service and to welcome the new and returning members.
For this newsletter, I would like to introduce
myself and share a bit of my history with New Hampshire AMC. I have been an active
member of the AMC NH Paddlers since 1984. I’ve been the Paddling Co-Chair for 3
different non-consecutive 2 year terms: once in the 1980’s, then in the 1990’s and
again in 2000’s. That also means that I was on the NH EXCOM during those terms.
When I have not been Paddling Co-Chair, I have had other elected positions within
NH Paddling (Paddling has a lot of positions). In addition to attending AMC meetings,
I was paddling, leading paddling trips, and teaching paddling workshops with the
NH AMC Paddlers. From the 1980s to 2005 my AMC activities were solely related to
NH AMC Paddlers.
During my last year as Paddling Co-Chair, Sam
was looking for someone to become Vice Chair for the Chapter and I volunteered.
I do not know if anyone from paddling has been Chapter Chair; if so, it has not
been for a long time. To prepare myself for Chapter leadership, I decided that I
should learn more about the world of NH AMC outside of paddling. I started going
to other meetings (lots of other meetings) and participated in other NH AMC activities.
I have always been interested in outdoor activities and I have some experience in
a number of areas other than paddling.
The first hike I ever remember was with my parents
in the late 1950s up to Zealand Falls (I think we stayed at the hut). When I went
to college in the 1960’s I was involved with the Outing Club doing paddling and
some hiking. I became Vice President of the Outing club my senior year. During the
summer breaks I would usually head to the Whites for a week of camping and vacationing
with friends. We hiked Mount Washington several times. One time we went up Tuckermans
and down Huntington (I should have bought an AMC guide book first!). I continued
to hike on and off with my family through the years.
My first hike with AMC was 2 summers ago on a
trip lead by Pete Mason and Roger Scholl up Mount Monadnock. We had a great time.
Last year I took the Winter Hiking Workshop Series lead by Bob Humphrey (I decided
I had more time to hike in the winter than in the summer). The Series was excellent!
Later in the winter I went on a NH AMC Snowshoe trip and also took a NH AMC Cardigan
workshop on Tele-Skiing. The workshop was fantastic! Their instructors were excellent
and the food was great.
Upon concluding my comments to you, I am having
a moment of reflection. I wonder, “Why did I wait so long to start doing other things
with the AMC?” One of my goals as your Chapter Chair is not to have you say “Why
did I wait so long to start doing things with the NH AMC?”
Paul Berry
