Class of 2006 – CT Chapter Leadership Training School.
Photo courtesy of Dale Geslien

Too Many Cooks in the Kitchen…an imperfect recipe?

THINK AGAIN! CONNECTICUT GROUP LEADERSHIP TRAINING…A WORTHY MEAL!
At a friend’s suggestion, I enrolled in Connecticut Group Leadership Training in order to eventually co-lead and lead day and longer AMC bike rides, hikes, etc.

Well, let me say that the intense Friday evening through Sunday afternoon sessions and events led by five CT leaders and two AMC ‘full-timers’ left us with a broad and sensitive approach and awareness of leading a group whether it be one day or longer.
This is an opportunity to give the CT Chapter and the larger AMC family a new and always needed cadre of leaders to help serve the 9000+ CT members as well as the thousands more beyond our state lines.

This was a great eye-opening opportunity for 1st class training as well as an opportunity to meet new friends. Consider putting the November 2007 training session on your calendar! This is a recipe you may want to try…you will not be disappointed.
--by Dick Cable

Here’s other commentary on the LTS…
Thanks to the creative ingenuity of Dale Geslien, Education Head of the CT-AMC, the three-day learning series was both informative and interactive. Part classroom-style, part outdoors, we learned the ropes of good, effective leadership. Some of the key points were effectively listing your hike, thorough trip planning, screening participants, leadership styles, safety, basic emergency care, and a cute “What Not To Wear: AMC” skit led by none other than Leo Kelly. Even though I may have had some of these skills, it was a refreshing enhancement to my current (hiking) bag of tricks, so to speak, and gave me the confidence to be able to know when to say “no”. 
--by Heather, Berkshire Chapter

White Memorial was teeming with people with a common passion - playing outside. Whether it was biking, paddling, or hiking in the woods, all of the folks in the AMC leadership class shared a desire to build new skills and learn how to introduce others to new outdoor adventures. From orienteering fundamentals, to team building, to first aid and crisis management, the range of exercises for AMC’s newest trail leaders provided insight into the many challenges hike leaders must be prepared to tackle. Of the twenty two participants, each brought different levels of experience and expertise in outdoor skills. Throughout the weekend, we learned from each other and a team of expert instructors, how to plan and prepare to guide larger groups of folks on various outdoor adventures - from hiking, to backpacking, biking, to flatwater excursions. The course materials came alive in role play exercises throughout the weekend and the instructors were each superbly qualified with extensive experience to draw upon.
--by Diane Johnson

The 2007 Leadership Training School is November 16-18, White Memorial Conservation Center, Litchfield, CT. For application form and more information, visit: www.ct-amc.org/education or Email.

Caption 2: Instructors John Crist and Leo Kelly demonstrate how to make sure participants are prepared for a hike.