DAIRYLAND WALKERS BIMONTHLY MEETING
MIDDLETON PUBLIC LIBRARY
SEPTEMBER 28, 2005
Officers Present: Tom and LaVonne McCrill (Co-Presidents); Ron
Moore (Vice President);
Russ Crane (Treasurer); Karen Reger (Secretary); Barb Borde (Member at
Large)
In Attendance: 24
Meeting
The meeting began at 6:35 p.m. Two people were attending a club
meeting for the first time.
Secretary's Report (Karen Reger)
The minutes from the last membership meeting on July 13 were
accepted.
Treasurer's Report (Russ Crane)
The balance at the last Board meeting
on September 14 was $2,730.63. Since that time, there has been
$141.00 in income ($96.00 from year-rounds and seasonals, $20.00 from
the sale of frequent walker coupons, and $25.00 from sales). There
were no expenses in that period of time. The present balance is
$2,871.63.
Membership/Change in Dues Structure
(Tom Doyle)
The present fee structure for
membership is $7.00 for an individual and $10.00 for a family. At the
last Board meeting, it was decided to increase dues and have a
membership fee of $12.00 for each address. The kick-off date is
January 1, 2006, and renewals after that date will be for the amount
of $12.00.
Newsletter (Tom McCrill)
Names of new members were published in
the last newsletter. We are one of the few clubs that are gaining
members.
Calendar Events (Tom McCrill)
Historic Soldiers Home Walk –
Milwaukee
Workers are needed for this event on
October 8. Don Suloff will be there early but has to leave at 10:30.
People from the Soldiers Home Foundation will take care of the
checkpoints. Anyone willing to help at the registration table should
let Tom M. know and he will inform Don.
Historic Mineral Point Walk
For prewalk information, contact Bruce
Dewey. Mary Graber still needs help on the day of the event (October
15).
Walk and Eat Gang - Devil's Lake
Walk
This will be the last Walk and Eat Gang
event for this year, on October 20. Entering by the north entrance,
meet at the main building at 10:15, walk at 10:30.
Governor Nelson State Park Walk
This will be held on October 21. Russ
Crane and Tom McCrill will lead two groups, and Ed Reid volunteered to
lead the fast paced 10K.
Next Membership Meeting (Tom
McCrill.)
We are unable to use the space at
Hilldale Mall that we have used for the past several years. The
meeting will therefore be held at Immanuel Lutheran Church on Spaight
Street on December 4. The East Side walk goes by it. There is an
adjacent parking lot. The entrance is on the side of the building.
As in the past, Board members will
bring chili, drinks, and table service, and everyone else can bring
salads, desserts, etc. The website and a future newsletter will have
more details.
Next Board Meeting (Tom
McCrill)
The next Board meeting will be held on
November 9 at the Middleton Library, and is open to all club members.
Walk a Week (Tom McCrill)
The Tuesday evening walks ended
yesterday for the season. The possibility of having a morning walk
one day a week is being looked into by LaVonne McCrill and Barb
Borde. Anyone interested in helping with this program should contact
them. These walks could include a 5K option.
European Trip (Barb Borde)
The deposit of $400.00 is due by
November 1. Twenty-five people have expressed an interest, and of
those, 13 have signed up so far.
Niagara Falls Bus Trip (Tom
Doyle)
This will be from June 22-29, and the
deposit will be $150.00.
Election of Officers for 2006
(Tom Doyle)
The election is being held earlier than
usual due to not having a membership meeting in June because of the
national convention, and other meetings thereafter being out of
synch. Those running with no opposition and their offices are:
Tom and LaVonne
McCrill – Co-Presidents
Ron Moore – Vice President
Secretary – Karen Reger
Treasurer – Russ Crane. Russ indicated he would perform the duties
one more year but would really like to either share the duties or
break in someone new. He is busy with the website and other things.
Two people ran for Member at Large –
Barb Borde and June Doyle. Barb retained her seat on the Board.
Recognition (Tom Doyle and Tom
McCrill)
Congratulations were given to Ed Reide
on his completion of the 50 state and 51 capitol programs. He is
currently working on five special program books. He recently returned
from Alaska, and will soon be going to Nova Scotia.
Break (at 7:00 p.m.)
To celebrate Ed's achievement, the
McCrills had brought a cake showing the 50 states, which was enjoyed
by all.
Meeting (resuming at 7:08 p.m.)
National Volkssport Month (Russ
Crane)
October is National Volkssport Month,
and Russ indicated that he has 25 AVA patches which he will have
available for $3.00 at the walks in October.
Highway Cleanup (Tom Doyle)
The next highway cleanup will be on
October 30, starting from the usual place, Nora's II.
Program
Tom Doyle introduced Sharon Bloodgood,
the speaker for the evening, who is a member of the Dairyland Walkers
and a past president of the Ice Age Park and Trail Foundation of
Wisconsin. She has done a wealth of walks, including completing the
Appalachian Trail over a period of seven years. The longest
continuous hiking period was 30 days. The longest distance hiked in
one day was 18 miles; the average was 10-11 miles a day. Her pack at
that time weighed 40-45 pounds, but since then she has gone to an
ultra-light backpack, a lighter tent, and lighter gear.
How do we know if people want to walk,
and where? There is not a lot of information about that. She
indicated that people who do silent sports like walking and hiking
tend to be silent politically. Other groups tend to be very organized
and very verbal, with a lot of statistics which show them in a good
light. Quiet recreation enthusiasts should mention to merchants
(restaurants, gas stations) that they are in that area to do walks,
showing that walkers are a benefit to a community.. Make sure that
officials are aware that walking is important – thank them for walking
areas via letters or emails. Encourage your friends and family to
walk.
The program ended at 8:15 p.m.
Submitted by Karen Reger, Secretary
