Christina Buckman
The Foothills Branch is seeking a Backpacking Committee Chair! We urgently need to fill this role by March, otherwise the Backpacking committee will not continue operating.
This is a meaningful opportunity to help shape the future of Foothills backpacking by communicating org-wide expectations and new initiatives, and leading with the mission and vision of the Foothills Backpacking committee and The Mountaineers as a whole. Through actions and communications, the Chair fosters a culture of belonging, community, and education, while also ensuring a positive experience for both leaders and participants.
What does the Foothills Backpacking Chair do?
The time commitment for this role ebbs and flows. Some months may require only a couple of hours, while others may require closer to 10 hours. Incoming Chairs should expect additional time during the transition and when launching new initiatives.
Responsibilities include:
- Coordinating new leaders with mentors. Match aspiring leaders with mentors and guide mentees through the process of becoming a Foothills leader and/or a B3 Backpacking course leader.
- Attending required meetings, including:
- The Foothills Executive Committee meeting every other month with tri-activity Chairs to discuss timely topics, budget, and initiatives. This meeting lasts two hours and is held via Zoom.
- Six Foothills Branch Council meetings per year with other activity Chairs to discuss timely topics, budget, initiatives, and relevant issues. This meeting lasts two hours and is held via Zoom. If you cannot attend, you must find a proxy.
- The Annual Summit, an in-person, full-day Saturday meeting in January at the Mountaineers Program Center with backpacking Chairs from other branches.
- Administering Backpacking Equivalency badges. Evaluate applications for the Backpacking Equivalency badge and determine whether applicants meet requirements (typically ~15 applications per year).
- Maintaining the committee webpage, updating content and key documents.
- Fielding leader feedback and complaints as needed.
- Establishing a regular cadence of communication with leaders that may include:
- Current course statuses
- Upcoming events and timely reminders
- Updates from the Executive Committee and Summit meetings
- Leader resources
- New Chair-led initiatives
- Charter updates as needed
- Optional topics like sharing tips, articles, or trail information to the Foothills Backpacking Facebook group
About you
You don’t need to be an expert! We're looking for someone who believes in The Mountaineers mission and is ready to grow into the role with support. The current Chair will provide training and mentorship during the transition.
Qualities that would help someone succeed in this role include:
- A strong sense of community, belonging, and engagement
- Compassionate, supportive leadership and advocacy for volunteer leaders
- Strong organizational and communication skills
- Comfortability collaborating and making shared decisions with people from other committees
- A team-player mindset and ability to work smoothly within the Branch Council
- Empathy for the individual stories in our community and a desire to foster leader success
Benefits
This is a meaningful leadership opportunity with exciting perks, which include:
- 40-50% off Black Diamond (and more pro deals on the way)
- After one year, a branded swag item from a partner like Black Diamond
- Your choice of either 30% off a course or one free adult membership
- A single-use 50% discount code for Mountaineers Books
Whether you’ve led for years or are exploring leadership for the first time, we’d love to hear from you. If you’re interested, or know someone who might be a great fit, please email the current Foothills Backpacking Chair, Christina Buckman at christina.buckman.2011@gmail.com.
