Outdoor Leadership

Outdoor Leadership

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Summit Proposes Fresh Navigation Content & Line Up

Navigation and other committee leaders from Everett, Foothills, Seattle and Tacoma proposed development of a coherent “navigation curriculum ladder” across all branches. The 21 navigators, climbers, scramblers, hiker/backpackers, authors, and back country ski and snowshoe  instructor/leaders met June 19/20 at Meany Lodge to chart a course for 2016 and beyond. Read more…

A Primer on Course Instruction

The art of teaching and instruction is a skill honed over a lifetime, and we all have a lot to learn ... about learning . Here are a few resources to start you off: Read more…

FYI: REI Job Positions

REI was hoping to spread the word about some full-time opportunities with their Outdoor Programs in Portland and Seattle. There are Senior Instructor positions open in each city. The role is a bit unique in the industry because it is full-time with great benefits, allows someone to come home every night and has a good balance of field and office time.  Read more…

What does it mean to be a Mountaineers leader?

The Mountaineers puts a large emphasis on the importance of leadership, and we encourage our members to become an activity leader and join our vibrant volunteer community. But what does it really mean to be a leader for The Mountaineers, and what is expected of these individuals? Read more…

Graphic Design Intern Wanted

We are looking for a talented graphic design intern proficient in Adobe Illustrator and InDesign. We have a creative illustration project that will add value and variety to any design portfolio. Read more…

2015 Updates to the Sea Kayaking Minimum Standards

These changes now apply to all Sea Kayaking activities at every branch.  Read more…

Sharing Course Curriculum

The Mountaineers depends on a steady stream of new volunteers to bring fresh energy, ideas, and innovation to what we do. Therefore it's critical we remember to help these new volunteers be successful and feel rewarded by their roles.  Read more…

February 2015 Volunteer Survey

We emailed all of the volunteers that we could identify with our rosters and available information. This included people who volunteer with us as leaders, course instructors, committee members/branch administration, event support, help for our youth programs, the lodges, stewardship volunteers, Mountaineers Players and on the Board or Advisory Council. We received feedback from 482 people.  Read more…

How To: Giving and Receiving Feedback

Giving and receiving feedback is an integral part of our organizational culture at The Mountaineers. From staff, to volunteers, to members, we strive to create a healthy loop of feedback that allows us the opportunity to continually evaluate, assess, and improve our programs! Read more…

Supporting Volunteers: Job Design and Posting

Sometimes this works - we have amazing volunteers - but it can be a recipe for increased burnout. For us to be effective in the long run, everyone must create the change they would like to see and not pressure others to do things they may not have time for. Read more…

Mountaineers Course Calendar

The Mountaineers offers a wide range of outdoor experiences through our courses and activities. Our outdoor experiences are organized and led by volunteers across seven branches. Our volunteer structure, and the fact that some of our activities can only be done seasonally, means our courses generally happen on a seasonal basis as well. Read more…

Volunteers Wanted: Help Us Plan the 2015 Leadership Conference

On December 5, 2015, The Mountaineers will offer another one-day conference to provide professional development for our current and future activity leaders. Last year's event was a tremendous success, with leaders and committee's revitalizing efforts to coordinate their efforts across the organization (you can watch last year's speaker's here). We are looking for people who can help us make this year's program just as rewarding. Read more…

Managing Your Mountaineers Email Preferences

You've probably noticed a few changes for The Mountaineers lately. This year we brought on additional staff and launched a new website, enabling us to get more people outside than ever before. We've also updated our email service provider, and defined the frequency and types of emails we're going to send you. Read more…

2014 Volunteer Awards

Everything accomplished by The Mountaineers as an organization can be credited to the efforts of our volunteers. Our courses, trips, youth programs, and advocacy efforts are fueled by the passion of people who are engaged because they want to be, not because they receive financial motivation. Each year we host a Volunteer Appreciation Dinner to recognize these tireless individuals. Find out which volunteers were honored this year with the Branch Service awards and the organization-wide Leader of the Year and Mountaineers Service Award (there are other awards at the branch level that are not highlighted here but which show how our community can embrace those that contribute to it - at the bottom of this blog, we'd love to hear how different committees and branches choose to thank and recognize their other volunteers).  Read more…

Activity Leader Recognition Badges

With our new technology investments, we are able to better identify two of our most common types of volunteerism* and wanted to give credit to our most active trip leaders and course instructors. Thank you all!  Read more…

Be a part of the Friction Slabs Project

fric·tion
/'frikSH(e)n/
The resistance that one surface or object encounters when moving over another

slab
/slab/
A large, thick, flat piece of stone, concrete, or wood Read more…

Website Workshop for Activity and Course Leaders - Jan 15

This free evening workshop offers participants individualized hands-on learning for activity leaders about how to use the Mountaineers website to list activities and courses, manage rosters, and communicate with activity/course participants, and any other website skills that participants wish to learn about. Bring your laptop or tablet if you have one (you can also share someone else's or follow along with demonstrations on the screen). Read more…

Tech Update 2.1 - Website Enhancement Launch

We know you asked Santa for this in May, but our elves just finished working, and we’re happy to deliver this to you a few days early and drop it down your chimney before the holidays. Read more…

Amazon Smile for the Outdoors

We're teaming up with AmazonSmile to support the mission of The Mountaineers - to get more people outside enjoying the lands and waters of our beautiful Pacific Northwest. Read more…

New Technology Support System

It's been several months since we launched our new website, and we remain incredibly energized by the community's support of our new home and the positive impact this is having on our organization. Read more…

10 Essential Questions: Isabel Suhr

For our member profile this month we spoke with Isabel Suhr, a graduate of our MAC (Mountaineers Adventure Club), about who inspires her and why she volunteers.  Read more…

Incident Reporting

Ever wonder what happens when you report an incident? What happens to the information supplied, when should you report an incident, and what information is needed?  Read more…

2014 Fostering Leadership Conference Presentations

On September 13, 2014 The Mountaineers held a one-day conference to provide professional development for its activity leaders. With tremendous volunteer assistance, we were able to record most of the sessions, which are presented here. Many thanks to the speakers who volunteered their time to speak, and to the volunteers who gave their time to record.  We intend to update this site as videos are edited and uploaded. But for now, enjoy these presentations: Read more…

How To: Screening Participants for Safety

Our leaders often ask about the “best” ways to screen participants in advance of their trips. We want to be inclusive of our whole community - half the fun of a Mountaineers trip is the opportunity to meet new people! - but as leaders, we also have an obligation to keep the group safe. Not every member is suited for every trip!  Read more…

The 3 P's on our New Website: Private, Pending & Published

Our website was designed both as a tool for the public to find information about The Mountaineers and as a place for our volunteer leaders and administrators to store and share information specific to courses, activities, and committees. Read more…

That time you were missing one of the Ten Essentials

The need for the Ten Essentials is not apparent until something goes wrong. Maybe you're surprised by darkness, weather, or a slow partner, or an injury slows or prevents travel. Whatever happens, the lack of an Essential can result in death.  Read more…

Website Triage, Fixes, and Enhancements

It's been nearly a month since we launched our new website, and we remain incredibly energized by the community's support of our new home and the positive impact this will have on our organization. Read more…

Volunteers Join Peak Society through Employer Matching Gifts

The Mountaineers has hundreds of volunteers who make our programs possible, and thanks to super volunteers like Chris Chapin and Deling Ren, who both work for Microsoft, their volunteerism is going even further in the form of  cash donations to The Mountaineers from Microsoft's matching gift program. Read more…