AMC Trails & Waves, Spring 2018
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Trails &Waves News from the Appalachian Mountain Club Volume 40, Issue 1 • Spring 2018 New York – North Jersey Chapter FOR SALE: Fire Island Cabin Trails &Waves Appalachian Mountain Club NY-NoJ Chapter 5 West 63rd Street, Suite 220 FEATURES New York, NY 10023 20 Mountain Leadership School Editor 27 AMC Photo Contest Ron Gonzalez 29 Springtime Misadventures Executive for Communications 25 Memorial to Dick Wolf Lee Hoffman CHAPTER UPDATES Layout & Format 3 Fire Island Sale Marty Plante 10 History of Fire Island Trails & Waves is published by the 13 Chapter Volunteer Awards New York–North Jersey Chapter of the Appalachian Mountain Club. 19 Eileen Yin Opinions expressed do not 25 Chapter Party necessarily reflect the views and policies of the AMC. We reserve 26 Congrats to Master Leaders the right to decline any submission Membership Update judged to be inconsistent with 33 AMC’s purpose or not in keeping with the sensitivities of its membership. Contributions of articles and photos are welcome. Articles may be edited for style, clarity, and length. The newsletter assumes no responsibility for lost material. Please send photographs in the original (uncompressed) size; contact the editor if you need assistance. Email all submissions to: [email protected] Read Trails & Waves on the Chapter’s website © 2017 Appalachian Mountain Club, Boston, MA 02108 Fire Island Cabin Sale NY-NoJ Chapter Members Convince AMC Board Not to Sell Beloved Facility This Year BY EILEEN YIN fter two weeks of sometimes contentious conversations over a proposal to sell the AMC’s beloved Fire Island Cabin, a new alliance emerged between AMC Executives and membership. After watching the live stream of the March 14th New York-North Jersey Chapter Executive Meeting, the AMC Board of Directors (the “Board”) decided to postpone a scheduled vote on selling its Fire Island property. AMC President John Judge recom- mended that the vote be delayed by one year. AMC Board Chair Rol Fessenden concurred, informing NY-NoJ Chapter Chair Nathan Baker of the decision that afternoon. 3 Trails & Waves ║ Spring 2018 Fire Island Cabin supporters reacted does not fit or does not deliver with cautious relief. Nathan said, “I substantial mission impact.” A staff want to thank Rol, John and the Save report followed in October 2017, Fire Island Cabin movement. Our concerning activities to be considered debate over the disposition of the for elimination. On November 13, cabin, while not handled through 2017, the AMC Facilities Asset traditional channels, has been a Management (FAM) Committee wonderful opportunity to improve assessed all volunteer- and staff-led Club-Chapter relations. What started AMC facilities for their “alignment as a heated disagreement has ended with and support of the AMC with a pleasant meeting of the minds.” mission.” The Board expressed concerns about Fire Island Cabin including “the residential character of the sur- WHAT HAPPENED, rounding neighborhood, limited flexibility in lodging options and AND WHEN: access, and its proximity to rising seas.” Citing declining guest usage, AMC Board Investigates FAM recommended “investigating Viability of Fire Island Cabin divestiture of the Fire Island Camp due to lack of alignment with mission The Board initiated a review of and operations.” With no input AMC facilities and activities after sought from the Fire Island Cabin October 2016 conversations with Bill Committee, FAM’s recommendation Huyett, a McKinsey & Company was approved by the Board’s partner, on the possibility of Executive Committee on November “shedding what we do or own that 16, 2017. 4 Trails & Waves ║ Spring 2018 The Board then moved its vote on The Fire Island Cabin Committee the matter from its normal May date (FICC) held an emergency meeting on up to March, declaring that “spring is Tuesday, March 6, resolving to launch an opportune time to list such a a petition on Change.org, a direct property, and the Fire Island letter writing campaign, a social Committee has not started the media drive, and attend the Board significant work of opening for a 2018 meeting in person. The FICC season.” published a press release explaining their opposition to the proposal, in which they expressed that the sale, AMC Informs Fire Island presumably to developers, would be a Cabin Committee “departure from AMC’s core values of stewardship and conservation, On Friday, March 2, John Judge which stands in contradiction to its and Board member Yvette Austin mission statement” which is to Smith informed Fire Island Cabin “protect the places we love, ensuring Committee Chair Diane Serlin that the ongoing access to the Northeast’s AMC planned to sell the Cabin, and most precious natural resources for that the 2018 season was cancelled, recreation and education.” “effective immediately.” The next Within a week, the FICC’s petition evening, Diane Serlin informed volun- on Change.org had gathered more teers attending the Annual Fire Island than 3,500 signatures. Cabin Volunteer Thank You Party. 5 Trails & Waves ║ Spring 2018 AMC Board Explains Its Decision On March 8, AMC posted a statement on outdoors.org that the Board will “determine the extent to which each location contributes to organizational goals and mission… The Board is weighing Fire Island against the likelihood that increased investments elsewhere would allow us to engage more constituents.” It will “consider a proposal to sell the Fire Island cabin and deploy funds elsewhere in greater New York” or where it could have “greater mission impact.” Fire Island Cabin Committee and Member Reaction On March 9, the Fire Island Cabin Committee (FICC) issued a formal press release about the proposed sale. The story was picked up by media outlets including Fire Island Patch, Long Island Business News, Newsday, and the New York Times. Individual members sent letters directly to Rol Fessenden and John Judge, and posted appeals on social media with the hashtag #StopAMCSellOut. Members from outside NY-NoJ and Volunteer Managed Facilities wrote to AMC expressing their concerns. Responding to the outcry from local members, the 6 Trails & Waves ║ Spring 2018 NY-NoJ Chapter Executive Com- gateway drug to the AMC at large.” mittee devoted their regular meeting Diane Serlin described the pipeline of on March 13 to the future of Fire chapter leaders mentored at Fire Island Cabin. In a first for this Island Cabin. chapter, the meeting was live- Others spoke of how Fire Island streamed on Facebook. Cabin enhances the AMC’s conser- An unprecedented 80 people vation, education, and recreation crowded into the Westside mission. John Maier asked, YMCA meeting room, with an “What better lab is there to teach additional 20 participants global warming?” Marie Tanner watching online. John talked about her Judge and Board annual coastal members were invited cleanup trips while to attend or view the Many new another hike leader feed. Local Board talked about the members Ann Lesk members initially connection between and Yvette Austin the Cabin and Fire Smith joined in join AMC to take Island National person. Over the advantage of the Seashore Park. Jake course of the two-hour Lewis, a Sailing meeting, members cabin’s Instructor, described spoke passionately the cabin’s location about their love for affordable and on the Great South the cabin, the convenient access Bay as the only safe camaraderie it fosters, place in the area to its alignment to the to the seashore. teach open water AMC mission, and sailing. their dedication to Some attendees keeping the cabin were alarmed by the open. possible loss of access to Many attendees described their affordable outdoor learning and experiences at Fire Island Cabin. recreational opportunities accessible Frank Bamberger reminded the by mass transit from New York City, audience that many new members especially as the club strives to foster initially join AMC to take advantage Diversity, Equity & Inclusion. Others of the cabin’s affordable and pointed out the irony of a conser- convenient access to the seashore. vation organization selling their Wylie Goodman, a new member, property to private developers likely dubbed Fire Island Cabin “the to build homes for affluent buyers. 7 Trails & Waves ║ Spring 2018 Some speakers expressed concern outdoors conservation organization. about the commercial nature of a [If you do not sell] you will win our report prepared by McKinsey & loyalty. You will win if you listen to Company, a management consultancy us. Please listen to our voices so we firm, pointing to its focus on bed- can work together to make a Win- nights and other data points more Win so everybody will be happy.” appropriate to a hotel chain than a Rob Holbrook, Secretary to the conservation organization. Patricia Chapter’s Executive Committee, Ensworth asked the Board to be more wrapped up the meeting by reading a aware of the AMC brand, which she draft report to AMC Board summa- cautioned is often perceived as “that rizing the chapter’s concerns. It organization that runs those lodges, as asked for clarification of the phrase if the AMC’s prime mission is “misalignment to the mission of the hospitality.” AMC,” and why there was no time The sole voice of dissent was set aside for a commentary period, or Henry Schreiber, former Chapter any details of the club’s long term Chair and former Regional Director, plan for the Greater New York Area. who suggested Fire Island Cabin is Neil Burns, Chair of the Volunteer too exposed to environmental ravages Cabins and Camps Committee, such as rising water levels and major expressed his concerns in an email to storms. “Get the money for it now AMC Executives. “[T]he Process while we can,” he said. undermines the value of volunteers Misako Yamagishi gave perhaps not only at Fire Island, but also at the the most well-received and impas- other volunteer-led facilities.