CMC has three main categories of volunteer jobs for which there are openings most or all of the time:
• Hike Leaders
• Trail Workers
• Committee Members
Hike Leaders
CMC leads well over 200 hikes per year. This requires many hike leaders. Each needs some hiking experience and leadership training, and needs to commit to leading at least one hike per year.
Leading a hike takes a little more time than just hiking, because the hike needs to be scouted ahead of time, and there is some preparation and paperwork required. But leading a hike can be fun, and is a great way to really learn the trails you lead hikes on, and the routes to the trails. You can find your own strengths and build on them as you develop your own style and hike preferences as a leader.
Go to Hike Leader Guidelines for more details.
Trail Workers
Trail building and maintenance is part of our long tradition. Figuring out how to approach a trail job, sweating and getting tired and dirty, then standing back and admiring your results can be very rewarding, as can the camaraderie of working with others.
We have trail work opportunities for folks who already have the skills, as well as folks who are ready to jump in and learn something new. We have opportunities for those who can work weekly, and others for folks who can only come out a couple times a month or a few times a year. There are options for people who prefer groups, and for those who prefer to work in pairs on their own time, for those who are strong as an ox and for the rest of us.
Go to Trail Work and associated links, especially Trail Work Schedule, for details.
Committee Members
CMC has a group of committees that represent the gamut of our activities, and they present opportunities for folks with a very wide array of skills and interests. You can contribute your current skills and learn new ones. You can put to use skills that you've developed within CMC or elsewhere, as fresh viewpoints can be as useful as experienced ones.
Committees are how we get our current organizational work done. Just as important, they are part of how we train folks to be ready for other jobs that may come open sometime. They all require an ability to work with others, some organizational and follow-through skills, and the willingness to carry part of the work load. Here are links to our standing committee pages , a brief summary of their activities, and some skills or interests that would be useful to each group:
Challenge: Administers hiking challenges and gives awards to completers. Occasionally designs new challenge programs. Useful interests: challenge hike experience and familiarity, assisting members, hike log evaluation
Communications: Responsible for our Enews and Let’s Go, the website, and other communications within the club and with the public. Useful interests: writing and speaking, practical computer skills, curiosity
Conservation: Stays in communication with members about issues that affect our hiking areas. Helps formulate club positions and advocates for those adopted by Council. Useful interests: research, issue evaluation, writing, participating in meetings, networking
Education: Develops and administers training and education programs needed by the club. Useful interests: event planning, teaching, writing
Hiking: Develops and maintains the hiking schedule and database, finds and trains hike leaders, and otherwise administers the club’s hiking program. Useful interests: hiking skills and experience, group leadership, GPS usage, scheduling, computer programming, vision for improvement
Membership: Keeps CMC membership records, solicits new members and helps integrate them into club activities, promotes participation of all members. Useful interests: writing, oral communication, broad knowledge of CMC activities, practical computer skills
Trail Work: Does the club’s trail building and maintenance work including skill and safety training. Oversees crews, section maintainers, the maintenance database, and major trail projects. Useful interests: working with tools, hiking, creative problem solving, sweating, teamwork