This week’s meeting was a little hectic, and we didn’t end up making it to ADVANCE, but nonetheless we had tons of fun and even a couple of kiddo’s got their patches. Next week, we are def making it to the lean-to, so come prepared!

In an effort to get people out quickly, we started with voting for gear early on.

Last week, Nate proposed 300 bucks for some rope, since our old ones are being retired. It PASSED! We are getting Sterling Ropes, which are world famous and local!

Sam also proposed $300 for axes and a few other trail related gear, but as it turns out, we already had/didn’t need what he originally proposed so instead he proposed $300 bucks for an assortment of gear that is needed for trail maintence. It PASSED

Alanna proposed  $300 for Meathead Films to come and premiere their newest flick on Oct. 10^th. The Shred Club is also cosponsoring $100 for the event and it’s going to be SIICK.   It PASSED

The Current budget is about 23,500 which still includes the E-room budget as well.

Maine Appalachian Trail Club is doing a story on the BOC about our contributions to the AT back in 1913, when students did trail work to extend the AT from the whites to Katahdin.

This year’s trip to Katahdin is going to be the weekend of Oct. 12&13.

Acadia trip is NOT happening.

We are NOT  leaving from Merrill at 4:30

DO NOT Bring your rain gear.

DO NOT BOTHER Getting your gear together  DO NOT be ready to go! It’s going to be an amazing weekend!

DO NOT email mbakerwh@bates.edu with any last minute questions (but you can email him anyway, he’s quite friendly). 

THE BIG DEBATE:

Webmaster, do we keep ‘em?

What the position entrails:

Uploading the minutes

Adding pics,

updating info and keeping the website inline.

PROS:

It offers people with different skillsets to be a director in the outing club. It can also be a stepping-stone for newer members to take on responsibility

CONS:

No one really seems to want to do it.

It can be easily absorbed by another director if need be.

FINAL CONSENSUS:

We are leaving the position open, email me at aprince@bates.edu if you want to be nominated. If no one wants it, then it will be absorbed (at least for the semester) by another director.

Gretchen is looking for volunteers to help out with a bike race in Freeport this Saturday. If you show up you get free schwag, buffalo wings and the opportunity to do something really nice. The ride benefits the Susan Curtis Camp, a non-profit organization. Look out for an email soon or email gkaija@bates.edu if you can’t wait.

Hansen’s Safety Minute:

Hansen taught us how to set a fire as red as his beard and it was CAPITIVATING! Apparently, if you are out and it’s a bit damp you can light some tinder by first rubbing it down with some good ol’ Chapstick. It’s petroleum based which means it makes the tinder much more flammable.

Alex says the E-room is closed because we are going to Acadia  reasons, so don’t show up unless you want to wait outside until Monday at 4:15

Katie our friend from Bates Dems brought voter registration cards, so be a responsible citizen and fill it out, unless you’re voting absentee from your own state!

Jake is holding treasure’s office hours in the E-room, he’s giving out free money, but only for those that have receipts! .

Amanda hosted another ladies night on the wall, it already happened and I am sure it was awesome because Amanda can do no wrong. She is probably going to be doing another one soon, so looks out for that email.

Larger shoes with at the climbing wall? Dana CK is coming with a new proposal next week. Get ready…

Bryan L wants 69 dollars for a slack line on the Clymb, Amanda points out that you can make it for cheap, so we are going to come back soon with a better proposal or possibly a new slack line if it ends up being less than $50.

A bunch of kiddo’s told stories, some for patches, some for fame:

Julian did some backwoods camping with his dad and bros. They were making the last of their freeze-dried food they saw a bear behind him. His dad spots the bear, throws the boiling water at it, but it doesn’t back off—instead it steals the food and runs off. Then, all they had was a half a jar of peanut butter and raisins and for an 8-mile hike. Yikes!

Jake went on a two-week camping/kayaking trip in North Carolina sound, they tried to get out early enough to miss the tide, but they ended up hitting it and it took four hours to get across. People were swearing and frustrated it was crazy! But all was good when they got the island and saw wild horses!

Julia S’ birthday always lines up with the first snow, last year it happened again and on a whim her and a friend decided to hike up Sunday River and build a snowman at 1 AM!

Euan was in Snowbird, UT getting the best snow of his life, four feet three days, he skied until the last lift, pushed it an extra run, but had to pee really bad! So when he finally got down he rushed to the bathroom, took his boots off   then realized he was in the ladies room, freaked out, ran off and some woman came after him to give him his glove back, AWKS.

Some nice girl, whose name I missed (Sorry!) was at her childhood camp in WI as a staff member. She led eight year olds on a hike on flat ground with no backpacks or anything, the kids started to complain.  But it was lovely to teach them about LNT, how to put up tents, and all about the wilderness. It was great to see little kids grow up and learn about nature and fall in love with it, just like she did!

Chrissy and her dad wanted to ride on a jet ski from NY to Canada. They went up the Hudson River skied up through the great lakes which was intense, but seems fun.  But then it got stormy, her dad couldn’t figure out the GPS or the Map and after getting soaked, experiencing a breakdown and running out of gas, they made it to a coast guard station and even they thought Chrissy and her dad were all kinds of cray. But they eventually made it, got in the local newspaper and she even wrote her college essay on it. Its probably the reason she’s at Bates right now (JK!)

Dan went on a five day canoeing trip at Moosehhead lake and on the way back they stopped at Bates to use the bathroom in Chase! It turns out, his trip leaders were Bates Alum. WORD.

Guen  was leading a trip of 6^th grade girls when a curious one had to use the throne late at night. She thought it would be a good idea to take a peep inside and ended up losing her headlamp. She fished it out, and because of their dedication to LNT, the packed it up and brought it all the way home.  Both yucky and responsible.

And now, for the moment you’ve all been waiting for.

THE NEW E-ROOM WORKERS ARE:

REBECCA R

DANA CK

EUAN HS

So be ready at the E-room Monday at 4:15 pm with your sweatbands and game faces on.

Congrats Guys!

Peace, love and peaks,

BOC

Get ready for meathead!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OhgidHFeSOs

ANNOUNCEMENTS:

The Maine Appalachian Trail Club (MATC) contacted Ellie because  in 1913 Bates students did tons of work on the AT, and is the very reason it ends at Katahdin not Mt. Washington. So to celebrate its 100th bday, they want to do a story on the BOC, so submit your pictures by going on the BOC fb page. And like MATC on fb while you are at it!

In other news the Bowdoin OC totaled three vans during their freshman outdoors orientation…

The E-room needs a new budget. It is a bunch of money that the E-room would use responsibly to help stock up the E-room. Last year it was $3000 and it was used on skiis and computer things. The budget comes from the total budget of the BOC.

 Current Outing Club Budget is $25,000,

Matt called a vote to vote, got a second and we voted on voting  for the budget:

 0 nays

Unanimous yays

With that, we actually voted:

 0 nays

Unanimous yays

and the E-Room  has  has $3000 dollah dollah bills.

We need new E-room workers. It may seem like a low level job, but its how all the BOC legends got their start and it’s a sick place to work— you get to master stump before the E-room festivities.

Usually falls are chill, but this semester we are moving to chase, and doing a few other things, so get ready to work!

So nominate yourself, your friend or whoever looks excited.

The current nominees are:

MIA T.

DANA C

JAKE H

BRETT R

EUAN H

OWEN H

GWEN F

SARAH  M

JULIA Savage

JULIA Raebac

HANNAH G

email aprince@bates.edu if you want to be added to the list

Snaps to Grace for being the only one who actually stuck to her guns and kept the job

We took a vote for Cabins and trails:

Sean spoke Sam’s behalf:  He spent his summer doing trail work, teaching kids to do trail work and has a dope-ass saw in his room.

Running unopposed, Sam is the new Cabins and Trails Director

Next van cert is on the website, and you need a van cert to lead trips

Erin G. has  got a lot to say about Peaks Weekend:

 If you wanna sign up, but didn’t originally sign up send an email to Erin or Blake to get the google doc sign up sheet they can fit you in.

Erin needs 3 people to shuttle vans so email her if you can (egilchri@bates.edu)

All trips are pretty gnarly , only one is below 4000 feet, but if you are ready and willing you can crush it no problemo.

Add yourself quickly, Blake is getting food and transport together and he needs your info.

We are trying to get 40 out of 48 peaks to make the biggest Peaks Weekend EVER

Grace wants you to know that its going to be real wintery so plan accordingly

Also an alum is sending people up Mt. Si in Seattle. Coast to coast baby, the BOC is takin’ ova.

Hansen’s Two -Minute Safety Speal:

Satellite Personal Trackers

Has presets that helps you say if you are okay, help, 911

Hansen sharing his own, and they seem really cool!

Perhaps the outing club needs there own…

Ellie proposed an amendment to the constitution to remove the webmaster position and incorporate the responsibility into the presidential duties.  This will be voted on the week after advance.

Real Rock Festival is coming to Portland and they will be showing so awesome films. Sean is excited, real excited, and if you are too email him at smurphy4@bates.edu to get in on it. 

Its on October 6th (parents weekend)

Alex has a work trip in the E-room, you need it to be a council member if you want to come to advance and get a patch. You’ll be moving Aesop stuff back to the E-room. email him at aweissma@bates.edu for the deets.

TRIPS:

Chris has the weekly bike ride this Friday 4:30 at 10 frye. copie@bates.edu and he has extra bikes.

Erin has mad trips(you’ve probably seen the email), but tomorrow she has one spot for white cap, and like she said, its probably of the best mountain in Maine.

Katahdin is happening October 13^th leaving campus at 4pm on a Friday, returning Saturday Eve.

Acadia is ON—kayakin’, canoein’ , rock climbin’, surfin’, hikin’ etc-in’…

 (trip passed with $1750 dollar budget, $1500 from outing club, $250 from the first year fund)

GEAR:

Nate wants $400 for new ropes

Sterling 60-70m

our other ropes need to be retired.

Sam wants 2 axes handles for $150-200

For trailwork (already taking the position seriously, I like the initiative)

STORIES:

Anne walked in on a guy taking a flagrant bowel movement in franconia’s notch

Dana went on a family vacay with his whiny little bro in the Whites, but still got to hike up a waterfall, it was all fun until he got lost… his parents never found him, but then he was adopted by a pack of moose. Dana is moose for ‘young human adventurer’.

Kyle went to go see a meteor shower in Warner, NH but the gate was closed so he had to walk a four mile paved road only to find that the sky was too cloudy and that there were two nalgenes for four people. Regardless, it was AWESOME.

and because you never thought your heart would melt while watching a grizzly bear fight:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vL8x7LcA-Y4&feature=related

peace, love and peaks,

the BOC 

Hey everyone,

Thanks for coming out to the meeting last night it was great to see so many new faces and old friends.

There was a lot of stuff announced last night, and it looks like its going to be a great year.

Let’s start by giving shoutouts to the new directors:

Ellie V.G — President
Matt BW — Vice President
Bryan L & Alex  W — E-Room Directors
Alanna P — Secretary
Hansen J — Safety Director
Blake S & Erin G– Hikes and Trips
Amanda G & Nate T– Climbing
K.C. C & Caroline C — Watersports
Joseph M — Cabins and Trails
Sam P & Dan B– Surfing
Jess N & Doug W– Publicity
Sean M  John B — Hickories
John B — Webmaster
A bunch of hooligans — E-Room staff

and Sam W could use your vote to be the second cabins and trails director…

so snaps and praise for these guys for holding it down all semester long!

Ellie and Matt announced a few big trips this fall starting with Clambake at Popham beach on 9/16 (this sunday),  Acadia 9/28-9/30,  Katahdin in October.

Ellie also gave a little preview of big things next semester like Winter Carnival and Sky Diving.

From the attendance sheet its clear that you guys all had fun on AESOP, but if you still have gear or knows anyone that has gear  hit up Mackie (mstelle@bates.edu) so she can get it back. Otherwise next year AESOP is canceled, don’t make the class of 2017 hate you all ready… just kidding but bring your stuff back.

Bryan has a E-Room work trip next week, look out for emails.

Peaks Weekend is next weekend and Blake (bshafer@bates.edu) wants to know who’s interested. Peaks Weekend is when we try and get as many peeps on the peaks as possible. So grab some friends and crush a mountain. Hes coordinating lunch and transport too, so be sure to give him your info.

TRIPS:

Amanda  is hosting ladies night on the rock wall in Merrill gym, beginners welcome!  9/13 from 7-9 (NOW!)

Sams got a surf trip, a BIG surf trip, in mind and he wants to know who’s interested email sprawer@bates.edu

Amanda has another trip but its only for the more advanced ladies and gents– shes doing the Prezie Traverse with the man, the myth, the legend and the alum Mike Dorfman. Its a 26 mile day and its going to be fast paced.  She’s got three spots, email her and let her know if your down (agoss@bates.edu).

Collin is getting together a weekly bike trip, beginners/chill trip at 4 more intense ride at 5. Both trips leave from 10 frye. There is a few extra bikes and helmets avaliable if you need them. cventlin@bates.edu.

Erin is doing 1 hike per day next week and all trips are 10-30 minutes away. Get to know your local mtns.egichri@bates.edu

GEAR:

Matt wants $1500 for the acadia trip, so council members get ready to vote on it next week.

If you want to be a council member all you need to do is come to three meetings, do a work trip and then tell a story. That gets you a patch and you become a council member and that comes with sweet perks.

And now for the real reason you read these emails:

http://youtu.be/6jgvNqNKJ5Q

with love,
BOC

Announcements:
-Rob had an announcement.  IT WASN’T ABOUT POWERSHIFT!  The people rejoiced.  Instead, it was about CLAMBAKE!  Or crambake, as I like to call it, because I’m really, really funny.  ANYWAYZ, it’s next Sunday, May 8, at Popham Beach.  Watch for an email from Rob about tabling/volunteering.  If you table and/or volunteer, you get free lobster (or burgers if you’re a seafood-fearing weenie).  We’re gonna start tabling monday.
-We talked about Friends of the BOC, which is something we’re going to create to facilitate networking and forge connections (sweet vocab, Hallie!!) between BOC alums and current students and ll that fun stuff.  Look for more emails about that later.

-The climbing wall in Merrill is almost finished!  Hurrah!  We will have an inauguration (that was in no way how I thought that word was spelled) of the wall pretty soon.  Rob asked permission to form a committee to inaugurate (UGH THAT WORD GOT ME AGAIN) the wall, and Ben the Almighty and Powerful granted it.
-We also are forming a committee for CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM.  I think someone should check the constitution to see if committee-forming is a real thing.  And if it’s not, let’s all PUNCH BEN IN THE FACE!  Just kidding, that would be really mean, violent, and unnecessary.  DON’T EVER DO THAT.  Give him a hug instead.  Always.  Hugs, not drugs.  HUGS, NOT VIOLENCE!  (THAT’S ENOUGH, HALLIE!)
-URSULA WANTS YOUR RECEIPTS.  SHE WANTS MINE, TOO.  SORRY URSULA!
-WFA is going to be on the 21st and 22nd of May, and it will either be $147 or $152, depending on how many people sign up.  Email Mike, msagan@bates.edu, if you’re interested.

GEAR!
-Andrew Skurka is going to cost $1750, but we abstained from voting till next week.  Apparently he qualifies as gear.  duH?
-I bought new tires for the trailer.  IT WAS A NECESSITY.  Don’t ask questions.  Or do, because I’d actually love to talk about it (I mostly like to talk about it, whatever “it” is).
-Tanner wants to buy a power kite (is that like a power animal?  Or a spirit animal?  Does anybody know what my spirit animal would be?  I’ve been having trouble figuring it out.  Please reply to this email with any suggestions).  That would be a training kite for kiteboarding.  A training kite is smaller than a full-sized kiteboarding kite; Tanner said that if we were to get a full 10m kite, “one of us would die.”  Thank Gosh this kite is so much smaller (if it’s 1/3 of the size, does that mean that someone will get a significant bodily injury, because that’s about 1/3 of death?  Or something?  That’s why I abstained from voting.  1/3 of death is a little scary and confusing.)  It passed.
-Tanner is also donating 6 pairs of snowblades.  COOL!
-MBW proposed (through Ursula) that 2 people get chainsaw certified for $70 (a-level certification).

TRIPZ:
-Rob may have gone to North COnway yesterday, but also might be going tomorrow.  THIS IS WHY I SHOULDN’T SEND THE MINUTES OUT SO LATE.  GAH.
-I was planning on going paddling in Bangor tomorrow, but now I kind of want to go Monday.  Email me back if you’re interested in either.
-HMMmmm Ellie is going skiing at Sugarloaf today.  Just keepin ya posted.
-Ellie is also getting her pilot’s license over short term.  (ELLIE IS SO COOL).  Talk to her if you’re interested in doing the same. evangeme@bates.edu.  She’s getting her license is because she wants to go sea plane camping like she did with her family when she was a young lass (I REPEAT, ELLIE IS SO COOL.   Why didn’t my family do cool stuff like this?  I would be so much cooler if we had.  THANKS MOM AND DAD.).
-Mandorf is going to Tucks on Sunday mdorfma2@bates.edu
-Sam is doing a teaching surf trip once a week during short term, email him or watch for an email from him if you’re interested, sprawer@bates.edu
-Skydiving is happening May 14th, sign up by May 1st if you wanna go!  Email Will, wstrathm@bates.edu (that’s not very much of your last name at all, Will!  You should get a short and sweet last name like me and then you can have all of it in your email.  Everyone should be more like me!) if you’re interested.  You have to put down a deposit of $75 and then it’s $114 the day you do it.  Mackie and I might go to cheer people on.  If others are, like us, too poor/too cheap to skydive but still wanna be involved (I always wanna be involved.  SHOOT, I’m revealing so many of my neuroses today!), you should join us.
-Mackie is going hiking on Sunday.  Her car is full but if you wanna go and can drive, send her an email.
-Mike Sagan is/was climbing at Shag.  When?  I don’t know.  GOOD JOB ME.  Hmm msagan@bates.edu

STORIES
-I told the tale of the epic adventures that occurred on the canoe trip over April break.  It’s long and full of woe and excitement; some highlights are a wrapped boat (looks like this:  http://eggscc.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/img_0551.jpg?w=480&h=360 .  But here are some other fun things I found when I googled “wrapped canoe:”  http://humpdaygazette.files.wordpress.com/2011/04/canoe-canoodle-sp2_md.jpg and http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3161/3056686910_6142300d74.jpg (that guy scares me)). It also snowed on us, we went skiing in the rain, the trailer tire also exploded, and my dad’s truck broke down in South Paris (great town), and we all had A GREAT TIME.  RIGHT????!!! Right.
-Rob told a story about how one time, at POWERSHIFT (DUHHHHHHHH), a kid stepped on his head when Rob was sleeping and then that same kid peed in the church basement where everyone was sleeping and talked about his neuro exam.  (I think he might have been drunk…shhhhh!  Not Rob, the kid.  DUH).

OKAY THAT’S IT.  I gotta go return the library books I never returned after I finished my thesis; Bates wants to charge me around $438 or something; if I can’t go skydiving I DEFINITELY can’t pay those fines.

Coooool, happy weekend, happy short term, happy Saturday, happy spring, HAPPY EVERYTHING!

xoxo,
Hallie

So this meeting sure was fun!  We talked about lots of things and then we voted on positions for next year (although I’m convinced that BOC won’t exist next year, or really Bates at all, because I won’t be here.  RIGHT?  RIGHT???!).  We started out with ice cream, which got everyone all riled up, except me because I’m a wiener kid and can’t eat dairy.  Yep, that’s embarrassing.  And Ben couldn’t find any non-dairy ice cream at 7-11.  COME ON 7-11.  GET IT TOGETHER.  Then Mike showed us how to make a bowl out of a plate, which was very exciting until Colin made a plate disappear behind his back and turned it into a stack of bowls!  Way to steal Mike’s thunder.

OH YEAH, THIS IS ABOUT IMPORTANT THINGS.  ANNOUNCEMENTS!  HERE THEY ARE!

-Banquet is gonna be sweet.  RSVP to blatham@bates.edu if you haven’t already.  It’s next Wednesday at 6:30 in the Mays Center (Silo).  Yeeee!  And I bet I’ll be even cRaZiEr by that time!  All current and new directors are required to come.
-We’ll be announcing directorships before the weekend.  Watch for an email!
-On Monday, that film that Ben has been talking about for, like, YEARS now is finally going to be shown in the Filene Room in Pgrew (the big lecture room) at 7:30, and it’s free and open to the public.  I think it’s called “Journey on the Wild Coast.”  But that might be a lie.  Ben said something about “Ground Truth,” but then I looked that up and it was a movie about Iraq.  So then I looked up “Ground Truth Trekking” and this is what I came up with.  Here’s the link to the trailer:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkrJXE9bcZg&feature=player_embedded-I emailed Patagonia and we now have a deal with them where we can get 35% off retail price.  Watch for an email right after this one.  I know how much you love getting emails from me!
-There are 3 spots open for Powershift!  Email Rob, rfriedm2@bates.edu if you’re interested.
-WFR will be happening during Short Term; there are 3 spots left!  Email mbakerwh@gmail.com if you’re itnerested.
-Email Mike if you’re interested in taking WFA (wilderness first aid) during Short Term.  It will either be the weekend of the 21-22 of May or 28-29.  msagan@bates.edu
-Mike Dorfman has gotten in touch with Andrew Skurka, who is A SUPER RAD BALLER PERSON.  He was the National Geographic Adventurer of the Year in 2008, as well as Person of the year by Backpacker.  Check this out:  http://www.nationalgeographic.com/adventure/best-of-adventure-2008/achievements/andrew-skurka-2.html and this:  http://www.andrewskurka.com/info/lightweightlifestyle.php
anywayyy, Skurka is willing to come to Bates next October for 2 days for $1700 to give a lecture and a clinic on lightweight backpacking.  SWEET.  Way to go, Dorfman.
-Clambake is gonna be the 2nd weekend of Short term (tentatively).
-Conor wanted to remind us to take first aid kits on trips.  This kid is safe!  Also, the health center is giving us all the Tylenol and Advil our little hearts desire.
-Ursula wants update the constitution!  This should happen.
-The 1st weekend of Short Term is ecoservice day.  Watch for emails about how you can participate.

TRIPS
-Check out Matt’s email about going climbing on Sunday
-Sunday brunch is happening again!  Although it might be a little snowy…
-Dorfman is going to Acadia early on Saturday.  mdorfma2@bates.edu
-Colin and Tanner might go paddling on Sunday.

GEAR
-We approved $1000 for surf gear and $300 for mountaineering boots.

ALSO, Ben found the e-room scorpion!  GAHHHHHH!  It looked a little like this:  http://www.jaunted.com/files/5957/mn013_abominable_snowman.jpg

Here are some highlights from the election period of the evening:
-KC made a funny joke when she was talking about how she wants to be watersports director about how she got her feet wet with the BOC in the Eroom.  Lolz.
-Brian stayed in the running, humbly, for hikes and trips.  Or something.  He wasn’t especially clear, but he was especially humble.
-Sam said “gnarly;” therefore, he should be surfing director.
-Brian said “conduit.”  I’m not too sure what we can infer from that (I said “infer”), but that’s a nugget of a vocab word.  I bet this kid aced his SATs.
-Also, we talked about Kellen’s suggestion of creating a new position, Director of On-Campus Activities.  Think on it.

AIIIIGHT KIDDIES.  There goes some serious time I could have used to be productive with thesis.  I hope this is enjoyed by someone.

XOXO,
Hallie

Announcements:
-Well, this is late…but if we get 8 members to help set up at gala, we get $500 for the club.  That’s pretty sweet.  Get in touch with Ben, blatham@bates.edu if you’re interested; it counts as a work trip (does it ever!).
-MBW couldn’t be at the meeting because he was busy pleasing judges at Iron Chef, but if you haven’t noticed from his emails, the WFR course is still happening and it needs people!  Seriously, though, it’s a really awesome course.  I would recommend it highly to anyone and everyone.  Do iT!  As Ben said, “it’s a great investment in your human capital.”  He’s so smart!
-Speaking of WFR, I’m going to recert mine over the weekend of May 14-15.  If anyone wants to join me, shoot me an email.  You can just press reply; how convenient!
-Thanks to Ursula, (you should bow down to her next time you see her; she’s kind of like a goddess), the BOC got allotted $27,000 for next year.  That’s $1000 more than last year, and budgets were cut all across the board.  SICK.  Someone knows how to do her job.  Unlike me; I can’t even send out an email on time…
-Zand, former BOC pres, is in Outside Magazine.  Whatever, not a big deal.
JUST KIDDING ARE YOU SERIOUS THAT’S REALLY REALLY AWESOME.  Check it out, http://outsideonline.com/adventure/travel-ga-201104-alexander-martin-sidwcmdev_154897.html
-Don’t forget about our banquet, Wednesday April 6th at 6:30pm in the Silo!

GEAR
-Ben proposed $1000 for 3-4 new beginner surfboards and new wetsuits.  Then we discussed where to keep surf gear, but Ben decided we should put off that discussion until we get the surf gear.  Planning ahead would just be silly!
-We passed $120 for 3 pairs of neoprene gloves for cold water sports.

TRIPS:
-COlin and I are going to be at the boat barn next Wednesday at 5pm for a work trip!  Come one, come all!  We’re so fun to hang out with!  And so are boats!  ANd so is the boat barn!  Yippeeeee!
-Ursula is taking trips to Lane Hall…oh um…yesterday.  GOSH DARNIT I’M SO SLOW AT WRITING UP THE MINUTES!  But she’s also going next Thursday between 1-2:30.  Bring yo receipts!
-Will and Alanna wanted to see what the interest level is for skydiving over short term.  SKYDIVING OVER SHORT TERM?!  UMMMMMM yes.  Please.  Just don’t tell my mom (really, don’t tell her.  She’ll be here teaching a short term class and you should totally chat with her because she’s da bomb but don’t mention anything about skydiving.  Okay cool, thanks.).  It’s about $170.  I’m not sure where I’ll get the money but I’ll be going.  ENOUGH ABOUT ME.
-Colin and Tanner are going kayaking tomorrow, they’re going to Steep Falls.  Email COlin if you want to go and know how to kayak.  cbarry@bates.edu
-1st weekend of Short Term, we’re going to Ellie’s grandparents’ house in Conway.  Aaaaand we’re going skinny dipping.
-The weekend after finals end, Dorfman is going to Tucks?  I think?  I can’t read my handwriting.
-There are a few canoe races I want to do, one is that same weekend after finals (coincidentally the day after my thesis is due, so that might be a no-go for me…but we’ll see).  That one is the Kenduskeag Stream race in Bangor; the next weekend, I am definitely doing one of three if anyone wants to join.  They are the East Machias River Challenge, the Piscatiquis River Race, and the Machias River Race.  Shoot me an email if you’re interested; they’re all whitewater races.

STORIES:
-Ursula took a crew sledding down Mt. David on Monday.  She locked the sleds in the costume shop (I hear the sledding is great in there!  LOLZ!), so the gang used a kayak Sarah “found” outside the boat barn.
-Hanson went home to take a shotgun certification class with the NRA, and then he joined the Young Republicans Club.
-Just kidding!  The whole story is that he had to take the course because he’s working in Alaska and has to be able to fend off polar bears (no joke).  Hanson knows his way around a gun, or, as he put it, he “knows which end is the business end,” and he was next to an old lady who looked like she was about to keel over, so it was a bit of a surprise when she hit her target dead-on, and the kick of Hanson’s gun hit him in the face.  OUCH.  But apparently the same thing happened to the old lady, too.  It sounds like she drank a lot of milk as a child because she was totally fine (morbid Hallie pictured her cracking a cheekbone or something.  But she didn’t.  Moral of the story:  drink your milk!  No one likes brittle bones!).
-Colin lives in Goochland, Virginia.  That’s the whole story.  Goochland.  No joke.
-Okay, that was a lie.  So, it’s a pretty rural place as you might have guessed from the name (I can’t imagine a city called Goochland because there probably aren’t enough people who would want to live in a place called Goochland to make it a city).  Anyway, many of Colin’s friends, as he put it, are hicks.  One friend invited Colin to his house to go shoot some squirrels.  So they go, and COlin is chattin away and his buddy says, “dude, shut up, we’re hunting!”  So then things get serious and Colin hears something above him in the tree and starts shooting at it, but he wasn’t wearing his glasses (sidenote–Colin should not have been given a gun if he wasn’t wearing his glasses because one time I found him wandering around Commons looking quite lost and he told me he couldn’t find any of his friend because he wasn’t wearing his glasses.  So the fact that his fried felt confident giving Colin a deadly weapon in this handicapped state doesn’t speak highly of Colin’s friend’s decision making skills).  Anyway, moral of the story was that Colin ended up shooting a woodpecker by accident.  That’s no good.
-Josh hiked up Wildcat in NH, and while most of the rest of the crew hiked up with their skis, Josh and John hiked up with Commons trays and shredded down on them until they lost them.
-Amanda went skiing on Sunday at Sugarloaf and Emma skiied her first black diamond and someone else got a bloody nose.
-Will went skydiving with his friends and one of his friends wanted to go naked but they convinced him not to (because, among other reasons, when you go skydiving, you’re strapped to another human being.  Awk.).  Sooo, he went in his boxers and someone filmed it and when they got to the landing area he was being interviewed and his, uhhhmmm, junk was hanging out of his boxers.  That’s also awkward.  And then they watched the film of it in a public area.
-Molly dated a skydiver and he went skydiving on a crazy-windy day and he ended up landing at a dump and had to wait hours for a dumptruck to come to bring him home.  What an adventure!
In other news, my roommate Gina just finished her thesis and we’re all very excited for her.

XOXO,
Hallie

ANNOUNCEMENTS:
-Colin turned 21 this weekend! …and the roll clinic will be happening NEXT weekend.
-Judy is not retiring!  Psych!  She’ll be with us for one more year!  Awwwesome!
-The epic adventure film that Ben has told us about a few times now (the one with the couple backpacking and battling raptors) will be on Monday, April 4th in Olin.  There will be refreshments.  Yee!

-Matt told us about the WFR course, which will be run by WMA over short term.  It will be 3 days a week on weeknights from 5:45-9:30 and then 3 Saturdays from 8-6pm.  It’s $500/person, which is a REALLY good deal (mine was $600.  I’m bitter).  It’s also a really, really cool course.  There needs to be a minimum of 14 people for it to run, and the BOC needs to put down a $3500 deposit for it to run.  So sign yo bootays up.
-If you haven’t paid for Powershift yet, you can pay tonight in Frye St. Union at 7pm (it’s $20).  There’s a waiting list if you want to get on it to try and go.
(I’M BORED OF THESE ANNOUNCEMENTS ALREADY.  Not because they’re boring but because I am)
-Blake said something about an oil light going on in the van last weekend.  Not really important enough for the entire listserve to read, but I just wanted to let you all know that Blake WAS paying attention, not falling asleep at the wheel.
-Lost Valley is still open for another 2 weeks!  Nice.  Today would be a good day to go.  I bet you could go skiing naked and not get cold.  Any takers?  Naked calendar?
-The first annual Mount David Pond Skimming SUMMIT (slash “Championship,” whatever Ben it’s obviously a summit) will hopefully be occurring soon.  Guys, this is Ben’s dream (dreamin big!).  Don’t let it fall by the wayside.  He’s been dreaming about this his whole life.  If you’re interested in helping Ben out, shoot him an email blatham@bates.edu .  if you don’t know what pond skimming is, check out this vid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID9Lrubnvf0 (start at 20 seconds in).  Also, you should probably check this one out.  Mike showed it to me this morning and it’s been stuck in my head ever since.  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0gM5TjSOQ48
-I announced the concert I’m a part of on Friday.  It was totally an Outing Club meeting appropriate announcement.  YOU SHOULD ALL COME, IT’S IN THE SILO AT 6 TOMORROW YEEEEE!  Check out my announce email.  I send so many emails!  Cool!

GEAR
-we passed $300 for 3 pairs of snow blades.  Yep, snow blades.  Ben tried to convince us by saying that we spent a ton of money on another type of ridiculous gear, roller blades, last year and no one ever uses them!  Great logic!  But fo realsies, who would wanna go roller blading when they could go snow blading?  My computer is saying that blading isn’t a word, and the more I look at it, the less like a word it looks.  Hm.
-We had an extended discussion about mountaineering boots.  I tried to lighten the mood by making funny jokes but sometimes this doesn’t help and people just get annoyed at me.  This was one of those times.  We decided to defer making a decision on mountaineering boots until later (and then I made a joke about how we’ll make the mountaineering boots wait and then we’ll reject them regular decision.  This was one of those times were my joke wasn’t received well.  Slash I don’t think anyone was listening to me anymore).
-I proposed 5 pairs of neoprene gloves for paddling, $40 apiece

TRIPZ!
-Lauren wants to take a van to Red River Gorge in Kentucky over April break, check out her email.
-Sarah announced a make-up roll clinic for this Saturday, check out her email.
-Amanda announced a trip to Shortridge that she also emailed about–guyyyyys, if you email about all your trips before I have time to write the minutes, I’ll be out of a job!  Jeez!
-Amanda’s also going to Sugarloaf on Sunday, I think she sent an email about that, too.
-Jeremy wanted to let us all know that if you or any of your friends want to take a NOLS course, you should talk to him and he can give you a referral card that gives you $100 off the course AND priority in registration.  This guy’s legit.

STORYTIME
-Last Tuesday, Jeremy went to the Bald Face Mountains for an afternoon skin (last night I learned the reason Jeremy can do cool things like this during the week is because MATH MAJORS DON’T HAVE TO WRITE THESES. Seriously???!??!!?!!).  Anywayyyy, he got up to the ridgeline around 4 and was ready to go for an icy run down around 5 when he realized that he had a broken binding on his split board.  This is when he texted Ben (WTF, spellcheck, “texted” isn’t a word?  CATCH UP WITH REALITY!) saying something like “hi ben, i’m at the top of bald face and my binding’s broken, come find me if you don’t hear from me by morning.”  GAH.  Thankfully Jeremy made it out around 9 with a combo of strapping down his binding till that broke, skiing on one ski, and post holing. At one point, he met the biggest moose he’s ever seen and they bonded over their post holing techniques.
-Last summer, Emma Timbers was backpacking in the Alps (whatevs, no big deal) and everyone says “Bonjour” when they pass each other.  She ran into a group of like 500 Japanese tourists and every one of them said “Konichiwa!” to her.  Weirdddd.
-Sarah Streat was awoken around 5am one of the nights this weekend by a stranger coming into her room and peeing on her roommate’s laundry.  Apparently this is a Bates rite of passage.  It’s never happened to me; will I be able to graduate?
-Ursula got back to her room late one night last semester and found a stranger sleeping in her bed who had sleepwalked there.  Cool!  These are all great ways to make new friends!

THUS CONCLUDES THIS WEEK’S MEETING.  Also, I’m digging this weather.  I’m sitting on my screened porch.  I can totally handle spring!  If thesis doesn’t kill me first.

xoxo,
Hallie

Hokay, ANNOUNCEMENTS!
-We have the newest issue of THE MAINTAINER, which is the newsletter of trail maintenance?  AKA the hottest publication to hit the shelves.  Apparently, there is an annual meeting of trail maintenance stuff that cabins and trails directors are gonna go to.  BUT cabins and trails were absent at the meeting.  AWKWARD.
-Also, over the summer, there are group trail maintenance trips if you ever have a hankering for cutting branches and stuff.
-Ben met with someone in the alumni office about the end of the year banquet.
We’re going to be honoring Judy!  Because she?s actually retiring.  For real, what will we do without Judy?
Also, an alum might speak.  If you have any suggestions, reply to this email.
-Ben?s good friend Cody Newman is going to WWOOF in south America over the summer in June/July?if anyone wants to join him, email him, cnewman@bates.edu
-Check out Ben’s email about Camp Tapawingo-it looks pretty sweet.  Although you have to be over 21 to work there.  BUT DON’T WORRY, EVERYONE!  Colin will be 21 this weekend!  You can breathe a sigh of relief.
-Hey!  It’s another Powershift announcment!  If you want to come to Powershift, everyone can go.  Meeting today G61 at 6:30.
-Colin and Sarah Charley are doing roll clinics this Sunday?watch for emails from Colin.  It’ll be 2 hours, 3-4 people per hour, 10am-12pm.  Although this is the morning after Colin’s 21st birthday party.  You can make your own conclusions about what that might mean.
-A few of us had an idea about BOC flannels!  Stickers and Gretchen will look into it.  RIGHT, RIGHT??!  NO, really, please do.  I want a frannel!
-MBW said that one of the people who responded to his email about WFR was from Northeastern.  Which is weird; I’m not quite sure why someone from Northeastern is on the BATES Outing Club listserve…but anyway, he invited us up to the Northeastern lodge which is 20 minutes from Sunday River and hosts 40 people?!?!  SUrriously?  Matt wants to go tomorrow?  How about tonight?  Now?  Matt then said something about how he’s  ”building bridges.”  Then he told me that that was a good “soundbite.”  Then I said I wouldn’t put it in the minutes.  BUT THEN I DID.

GEAR
-Emma spoke as environmental director:  because so many BOC-ers are a part of Powershift,  she wanted to know if they can use our gas cards and reimburse us after?  Some of us wondered if Rob was pulling the strings here?  I’m not quite sure what the conclusion was, but I heard something about us not having any gas cards right now?
-Molly proposed a saw for Puddle Jump.  Good idea.
(I had to stop everyone here for a second and take two collective deep breaths.  Everyone was really freaking out.  I’m not sure why.  Also, I started yoga last week, and I’m feeling some serious inner peace.)
-Matt wants new mountaineering boots?  $300 for 2 pairs.
-Colin proposed a new throw bag, 70$ for 50ft of throw rope.
-Ben proposed 300$ for three pairs of snow blades (short skis)?David has 1 pair he can sell us.
-Matt?2 pairs of crampons, $350.  PASSED.

TRIPS
-Mike reported for Sarah that on 6am Friday, tough mudder training will begin.  That’s all we know.  The rest is a mystery.
-Mandorf:  The weekend before the weekend before finals (that’s confusing), Mike’s heading up to Baxter around 12 or 1pm on Friday, skinning in late to Chimney pond (10+ miles), skinning out on Sunday.  Apparently you have to be in rull good shape.  Mike doesn?t know if he?s in good enough shape.  Oh man.  I don’t want to discourage anyone, but OHH MAN.  More info soon.
-MBW?on Sunday, if conditions are right, he’ll take an ice climbing trip to wherever the best ice is.  Watch for an email.
-Amanda says there will be more climbing at the wall 7-8pm tonight!
-Hansen wanted to remind us that Blake sent out an email about summiting Wildcat, leaving at 5am on Saturday. Niiiice.
-Sam prawer is going skiing on Friday and surfing this weekend.  Watch for some emailz!

STORIES
I told a story about streaking in a thunderstorm and potentially having a naked interaction with my boss.  Maybe.  Maybe he yelled, “go Hallie, go!”  Maybe he didn’t.

Gretchen told a story about streaking at her high school.  She and her friend painted themselves up as wasps (her school’s mascot) and ran as fast as they could.  They did a sweet naked loop around the school and then returned to class all nice and clean and the principal briefly commented on some wildlife sightings.  Nice.  STREAKING’S DA BEST!

-Stickers went to Russia last semester and saw a ten year old smoking a cigarette.  No, actually.  Yep.  That’s the whole story.  And then the meeting ended.

Sorry, I’m not really feeling these minutes.  I’ll do better next time, I promise.  Much love BOC!

XOXO,
Hallie