Green Mountain Club’s 110th Annual Meeting
Friday – Sunday, June 12-14, 2020
Sterling College, Craftsbury Common, VT
The 110th Annual Meeting, hosted by the Laraway, Northern Frontier, and Sterling Sections, will take place at Sterling College in Craftsbury Common. According to its mission statement, Sterling College uses affordable education to address ecological problems caused by unlimited growth and consumption, and to advance ecological thinking and action through experiential learning, preparing students for knowledgeable and responsible leadership.
Load the car with your boots, pack, tent, bike, kayak, camp chair, and favorite campfire clothes (but please leave pets at home), and plan to spend a fun-filled summer weekend with friends. It’s a wonderful opportunity for GMC members to share stories and club news, and to celebrate our year’s accomplishments. Make sure to prepare yourself for Sterling’s delicious, local, seasonal food as well.
Registration begins at 4:30 p.m. on Friday. Please do not arrive before that time.
MARCH 16 NOTE – There are a lot of events being canceled right now, and although GMC has canceled March and April events, we are still hopeful that we can hold the annual meeting in June. Please do register if you plan to come. You will receive a full refund if the meeting has to be canceled later.
Please register no later than Friday, May 29.
Contact Kristin McLane with any questions.
Schedule of Events
Friday, June 12
10:00 a.m. Work hike at a location TBD (check website for details). Bring lunch, liquids, work gloves, and bug repellent, and dress for the weather; tools will be provided, or bring your own favorites. Contact [email protected] by June 5 to sign up.
4:30 – 8:30 p.m. Registration.
6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Dinner. By reservation only.
8:30 – 9:30 p.m. Campfire and storytelling.
Saturday, June 13
6:15 – 7:30 a.m. Birding walk.
7:00 – 8:00 a.m. Gravel run. Join GMC staff for a 3-5 mile run.
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Registration and breakfast (by reservation only). Sign up for afternoon activities.
9:00 – 11:45 a.m. Annual Meeting.
12:00 – 1:00 p.m. Board of Directors meeting.
9:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Kids’ activities. Arts and crafts and games will be provided all day for children. There are also outdoor play spaces. Supervision is not provided.
11:45 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Bag lunch buffet. Courtesy of the Laraway, Northern Frontier, and Sterling Sections.
11:45 a.m. Silent auction to benefit GMC begins.
1:00 p.m. Afternoon outings begin (some longer hikes may start earlier – check the schedule). A film may be shown for those not hiking.
4:30 p.m. – 5:30 p.m. Yoga. Please bring your own mat.
6:00 – 7:00 p.m. Dinner. By reservation only.
6:45 p.m. Silent auction ends.
7:00 – 8:30 p.m. Speaker presentation. “What Does Access Mean for the Outdoors?” with Pedro Altagracia. (See below.)
9:00 – 10:00 p.m. Campfire and social.
Sunday, June 14
8:00 – 9:00 a.m. Breakfast. By reservation only.
8:30 – 11:00 a.m. Trail Maintenance workshop. We’ll cover topics such as pruning and clipping, blazing, and erosion control. No prior experience is necessary. Tools provided. This is valuable for new trail adopters. Location TBD.
9:30 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Section workshop. DEI and GMC: Actionable steps to be a more engaged and inclusive outdoor recreationist. Facilitated by Saturday night speaker, Pedro Altagracia.
The schedule is subject to change.
Saturday Night Speaker
What Does Access Mean for the Outdoors?
Pedro Altagracia grew up in New York City in a Dominican family. Coming from a lush and agricultural environment, appreciation for the outdoors was always a part of his life, although it lay dormant while he resided in the Bronx. After moving to New Hampshire, he went to great lengths to find nature, personally experiencing exclusion in the management of outdoor recreational and associated spaces. Pedro will share how he fought for his access to the outdoors, the value and impact of nature on him personally, and why diversity, equity, and inclusion matter for the outdoors and organizations like GMC.
Pedro Altagracia
Pedro Altagracia works as a community engagement coordinator for New Futures in New Hampshire and is responsible for recruiting and training advocates to participate in the legislative process. He received his BA in Sociology with a minor in Environmental Studies from Colby-Sawyer College in May 2014. His post-collegiate extracurricular activities focused on social justice, education, and racial equity. A graduate of the Equity Leadership Fellowship program, Pedro has participated and supported efforts to address persistent opportunity gaps faced by people of color, the LGBTQA+ community, and groups of diverse cultural, religious and spiritual backgrounds. Pedro grew up in New York City and has been a New Hampshire resident since 2010. He currently lives in Concord and enjoys hiking, rugby, and fishing.
Outings Overview
Sign up for an outing near the registration tables. All outings leave at 1:00 p.m. unless otherwise noted. Look for your outing leader in the parking lot. Distances noted are roundtrip.
- Barr Hill Natural Area. Hike. .8 mile. Easy.
- Ritterbush Pond Lookout. Hike. 3.4 miles. Easy to moderate.
- Craftsbury Outdoor Center Trails. Hike. 3-5 miles. Easy to moderate.
- Elmore Mountain. Hike. 4.5 miles. Moderate to difficult.
- LT/Babcock Loop to Devil’s Gulch. Hike. 4.9 miles. Moderate to difficult. Leaves at noon.
- Mount Norris. Hike. 3.6 miles. Difficult.
- Belvidere Mountain. Hike. 5.6 miles. Difficult. Leaves at noon.
- Great Hosmer Pond. Paddle. Bring canoe or kayak. PFD required. Easy.
- Lamoille Valley Rail Trail. Gravel bike. 30 miles. Bring bike. Helmet required. Moderate.
- Craftsbury Outdoor Center Trails. Mountain bike. 3-5 miles. Moderate.
Pricing
Meeting registration is free. All below prices are per person.
Lodging options include tent space ($21/night), shared double dorm rooms ($34/night), or single dorm rooms ($56/night). Linens are not provided.
Meals can be registered for a la carte:
- Friday dinner: $16, BYOB
- Saturday breakfast: $10
- Saturday lunch: Courtesy of the Laraway, Northern Frontier, and Sterling Sections
- Saturday dinner: $21, bar included
- Sunday breakfast: $10
Please let us know if you need special meals, wheelchair accessibility, or any other special considerations.
