BRUNSWICK — Registration is now open for Teens To Trails’ first Association of Maine Outing Clubs Advisor Conference to take place at Sugarloaf Mountain in Carrabassett Valley on Monday, March 17. The event will bring advisers together from all over the state for a day of professional development and networking.
This is the first year of the conference and it will provide the roots upon which the Association of Maine Outing Clubs will grow. Monday’s schedule will begin at 7:30 a.m. with breakfast and time for advisers to make connections before the conference gets under way at 8:30. The conference’s agenda will include discussions and panels on some the most pertinent issues and questions that advisers face such as risk management, student leadership, transportation challenges, best practices and skills development.
Lunch will include some time outdoors followed by a presentation by Paul Johnson from The Thoreau-Wabanaki Trail on opportunities for Outing Clubs along this historic route.
The afternoon will focus on resources available from Teens To Trails and its partners to help run an Outing Club and plan trips with ease. The conference will close with a round-table discussion to craft a more specific, adviser-dictated mission and goals for AMOC. Teens to Trails has created the association as a professional organization to elevate the role of Outing Club advisers in schools. It will give advisers a unified voice and provide them with training opportunities, while connecting their clubs to new discounted and free opportunities.
All interested individuals are encouraged to attend the conference. Those thinking of starting an Outing Club at their school can learn from, ask questions of and be inspired by a group of experienced advisers.
There will be an adviser social at The Rack on Sunday evening prior to the conference and following Outing Club Ski Day, which will take place at Sugarloaf on March 16. For more information about ski day visit www.teenstotrails.org/OutingClubSkiDay.
To register or for more information, visit www.teenstotrails.com/AMOCConference. Admission to conference is $50 or $25 for Association of Maine Outing Clubs members and includes breakfast and lunch. Join AMOC today and enjoy increased accessibility to free trips, discounted gear, reduced admission fee for two advisers to conference and a $50 L.L. Bean gift certificate or Outing Club first aid kit. For questions or further information contact Jane Koopman, outreach coordinator, at jane_koopman@teenstotrails.org.
Send questions/comments to the editors.
