Leader Resources Blog

Leader Resources Blog

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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…

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…

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…

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: Sharing Trip Reports

Sharing your travel adventures with others in a Trip Report is helpful in many ways. Trip reports can be a useful tool to share current trail conditions or noteworthy changes to a route/place, and they're a fun and creative way to share your unique experiences in the wilderness!  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…

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…

Native American Sacred Sites Audit

We wanted to make sure that our Native American neighbors know we respect and care about potential concerns  with our members' outdoor activities on culturally-important locations. We reached out every tribe in our state and learned of no such conflicts.  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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

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…

What is Leader's Permission?

Mountaineers activities are led by volunteers giving their time to get other people into the outdoors safely. Due to the potentially hazardous nature of our activities, some of our leaders choose to require their permission - Leader’s Permission - to register. The process to obtain leader’s permission is not prescribed, and is up to the leader to manage on a trip-by-trip basis. Leader's Permission can be a critical tool for ensuring a successful trip, but good communication is key to avoiding frustration. We hope the guidance below will help set expectations and illustrate best practices for both leaders and participants. Read more…

What Are The Ten Essentials?

The Mountaineers Ten Essentials™ dates back to our climbing courses of the 1930s. This widely respected safety and packing system was formalized in the third edition of Mountaineering: The Freedom of the Hills, released in 1974. Each of the nine editions of Freedom, as it is affectionately known, was written entirely by volunteers and reflects the collective wisdom of hundreds of outdoor skills instructors. The list has always sought to answer two basic questions: Read more…