ACC National Board Meeting - May 2002 - Vancouver, BC.
The ACC is governed by a Board composed of representatives from each of the ACC Sections across Canada. Until this meeting, there were 17 Sections. There is also an Executive which is made up of a President, Secretary, Treasurer and a number of Vice-Presidents who oversee various aspects of the Club's activities.
There are 2 Board meetings each year. The most recent meeting was held in Vancouver at the Graduate Students' Society Building on the UBC campus. This report will attempt to present the highlights of the meeting.
Many Section reps arranged their travel plans so that they could spend a day or so prior to the meeting taking part in a number of hikes, ski traverses, kayak trips, social events and climbs that were arranged by the Section members in the area. Perhaps uncharacteristically, the weather on the "wet coast" was quite beautiful, with sunny skies and warm temperatures. The grass was green and the flowers were out in force. Thanks to the Vancouver Section for all the work my many volunteers who made the weekend enjoyable and productive.
Until this meeting, there were 17 Sections in the ACC, from Vancouver Island in the west, to Montreal in the East. Part of each meeting is devoted to a discussion of the activities, problems and successes of each Section.
Most of the Sections are doing very well, both financially and on an activities level. For most Sections, there is a move towards electronic newsletters, e-mail lists, and so on. For some, it is a struggle. Our Section has had some success with this project and our process was described. Your Section rep also modeled the new Section clothing and outlined our various activities.
There is an increased emphasis on leadership training programs in most Sections. For a small Section, we are doing very well.
An application for Section status was received from the Club Vertige from the province of Quebec. Pierre Gravel, the representative from Club Vertige, attended the meeting to speak on behalf of the club. Following some discussion, all members of the Board approved the application. The Section Outaouais will become the ACC's 18th Section, bringing about 175 members to the ACC.
As many members will know, there have been many changes and renovations to the Clubhouse in Canmore. These continue, with new office space now available and in use, more space for drying of equipment, high-speed Internet access and so on. The National Office is now looking at on-line bookings for facilities, secure on-line transactions, etc. These may be some time in coming, but they are being investigated.
Bruce Keith, the Executive Director, has noted a decline in Corporate support, newsletter advertising, etc., in the wake of last fall's economic troubles. Office organization is returning to normal following some staff turnover and changes of responsibilities.
Membership in the ACC has grown past the 6000 mark. There are continuing discussions about membership benefits and costs. A Membership Commission has been formed to examine these issues. As an example, it has been suggested that the CAJ (Canadian Alpine Journal) be made a non-optional part of membership. It is estimated that this would cost an extra $12 per member per year.
Members will be interested in knowing that there are about 300-350 clients served during the summer camps, employing 50 guides and bringing in $300,000 in revenue each year. These activities always manage to make money each year.
All camps that were advertised earlier in the year will be running this summer. The GMC is once again fully booked.
The ACC is investigating Associate Hostel status for the Clubhouse in an attempt to increase its use. At present, the clubhouse is operating at about 55% occupancy. The other big item is renovations to alpine huts. New systems have been set up with project managers and the use of high-quality materials, in the belief that this will save money in the long run.
The Facilities committee is involved in possible plans for a "Centennial Hut". The ACC continues to examine possibilities for expanding its hut system.
A new huts brochure has been produced and was available at the meeting. It is very attractive.
Director of External Relations
The past-president, Mike Mortimer, now acts as the Director of External Relations. In his business, Mike has the opportunity to visit many parts of the world and he uses each opportunity to establish more contacts with other mountaineering organizations. Part of Mike's mandate is to attract members from other Mountaineering organizations to visit the Rockies and experience our mountain environment and hut system.
Mike Mortimer heads up this committee. As members know, the year 2006 will mark the ACC's Centennial year. There are a number of initiatives being planned for this event. Sections are asked to submit ideas.
Miscellaneous Items
The ACC is examining the possibility of initiating a Museum of Canadian Mountaineering. It appears as though there will be facilities available for such a use in Canmore in the next year or two. Honorary President, Peter Fuhrmann, spoke to the importance of developing such a facility, especially as more and more mountaineering pioneers and their contributions are passing away or being forgotten each year.
Upcoming Meetings
The next ACC Board meeting will be October 26-27 at Lake Louise. That weekend will also be the date for the Annual Mountain Guide's Ball which will be held at the Chateau Lake Louise.
For more information, contact the Saskatchewan Section Board Representative, Dave McCormick, at davemcc@shaw.ca