CT AMC

| CT AMC Home | Back to Articles |

Leadership School held at White Memorial

By Tony Fitzherbert

What would you do when someone on the hike you are leading does not return from a “separation?” What is a “sweep?” How does a hike leader effectively resolve discord breeding in a group of unhappy hikers? What do you do when your charges must cross a swirling brook on wet rocks, and one timid soul freezes at the prospect of toppling into the raging torrent? What first aid essentials should a hike leader carry on a trip? A group of aspiring Connecticut Chapter hike leaders, a guest from the Delaware Valley Chapter, and two Worcester Chapter members considered these subjects and a myriad of other topics at the annual Connecticut Chapter Leadership School.

At the school, held on the weekend of November 21 – 23 at the White Memorial Conservation Center in Litchfield, eighteen students applied classroom learning on afternoon and night hikes in the crisp late autumn air on the miles of trails crisscrossing the beautiful reservation. The two impromptu evening sojourns gave the enthusiastic hikers opportunities to bond as a group, practice wilderness safety principles (primarily keeping a group together!), and experience the pitfalls of night hiking, such as unanticipated water, and surprise rocks and roots, over which one can readily sprawl.

Classroom training began on Friday night prior to the evening hike, in the Carriage House when the participants took the opportunity to get acquainted. Dale Geslien, Connecticut Chapter Chair, welcomed the group and led a workshop on compass use and map reading. Two other evening features included a mile long hike to Bantam Lake and, perhaps most challenging of all, staking out a comfortable bunk in one of the two gender–divided community barracks rooms. As the success of the weekend depended upon everyone’s contribution, participants signed up for the essential meal preparation (or KP) duty.

The hike leaders enjoyed a fun and full Saturday. After breakfast, they participated in several seminars covering such topics as Day Hike Planning and Management, Leadership Styles, Group Dynamics, AMC Leadership Liability, and Screening Hike Participants. The new hike leaders quickly realized that directing others on a walk in the woods involves far more than just being a wilderness tour guide. Much planning, the acceptance of responsibility, and the use of good judgment and common sense go into all phases of hike leadership. The responsibility begins with correctly describing the hike in the write-up for AMC Outdoors, and continues to greeting hikers at the meeting point, and screening and diplomatically advising folks who either cannot physically complete the hike or are ill prepared for the elements. Examples of the latter are showing up in a tee shirt in December or bringing an inadequate water supply on a humid day in August. The students worked with these challenges and other hike management issues such as keeping a group together (which involves a “sweep”), treating minor aches and bruises, leaving no signs along the trail that the hike ever took place, and resolving infrequent but possible conflicts. A critical session covered managing unexpected problems such as a serious injury to a hiker or unpredicted severe weather, using the resources within the group, keeping everyone calm, and confidently taking charge of the situation. Katherine Byers, AMC Outdoors Leadership Coordinator journeyed from the Joy Street Office in Boston to address the vital concerns of leadership and AMC liabilities. A social hour, lasagna dinner and nighttime hike over the boardwalks surrounding Little Lake completed the activity – laden day.

After breakfast on Sunday, Jeff Hogan, and EMS captain and Director of the AMC Mountain Leadership School presented an excellent workshop on accident scene management, working with a situation no hike leader ever wants to face – a severely injured hiker. Jeff’s experience with trail and mountain climbing emergencies emphasized that the unfortunate incident can occur. He and the group demonstrated steps to calm other group members by assigning duties, comfort and protect the injured person, and generally get the situation under control. Leo Kelly, Connecticut Chapter Education Chair lead a discussion on the ethics of “Leave no Trace” – leaving minimal or no impact upon the terrain covered on a hike.

Sunday afternoon highlighted the weekend’s learning events. The participants took turns leading “hikes” and other group members were assigned roles that were realistically and colorfully played. The hike leaders were challenged by lost hikers, apprehensive hikers (“I am scared – I cannot cross this icy stream!”), know it all hikers (“I think that even though it is raining, we should go to the top!”), unhappy hikers (“This was listed as an easy hike and this is not a hill – it is Mount Everest!”), and the ultimate challenge – hikers who have just met and are immediately amorously involved! Each leader received constructively honest feedback from the group on how well each situation was handled.

The role-plays ended a wonderful weekend. The participants, now fast friends, evaluated the weekend, which was universally rated a great learning experience, swapped e-mail addresses, and headed home, eagerly looking forward to co-leading their first hike – the next step to becoming a hike leader in Connecticut, and a group reunion.

The success of this Leadership Training School involved the efforts of many people who dedicated hours of planning, course material preparation, and completing many other tasks, which contribute to a memorable, meaningful weekend. The students and the Chapter are deeply indebted to the members of the Education Committee, chaired by Leo Kelly who prepared the school, and are grateful to other people who used their entire weekend to contribute to the classes. Along with Dale Geslien, Jeff Hogan, and Katherine Byers, they are Eric Stones-former Connecticut Chapter Chair, and Betty Robinson-East of River Committee, Bill Russell-AMC Member-at-Large, and Merri Fox-Education Committee. To these AMC people, the class members are very grateful. The Chapter must thank them so much for so willingly sharing their experience, insight, and enthusiasm. They made the weekend an all around great experience.