Weekly Meetings
The Outing Club has a long-standing tradition of holding weekly meetings throughout the year (including periods when Memorial Union is closed; if it's not Christmas or New Year's, the Club will be meeting somewhere). Meetings have been held at their traditional time, 7:00pm on Tuesday night, for as long as anyone can remember. Meetings are not only a time to find out about the club and what trips are happening, but also to meet friends and share stories. Most meetings are followed by a group going out for bood (beverage and food), but are entirely optional of course. It's almost a shame to call them 'meetings'. They're the heart and soul of the Outing Club experience: meeting new people, talking about the outdoors, and planning all the fun activities that will keep you busy. Frequently people ask if they have to come to meetings to be an Outing Club member. The answer is definitely 'no'; members participate in any Club activities as much, or as little, as they wish. To many of us though, meetings are a fun and unique experience that we've not seen anywhere else.
Each meeting is lead by the club President or Vice President. At the meeting, you can signup for a membership or renew your membership (but you don't need to be a member to attend meetings). There are no rules for who can announce things at meetings. If you think something is worth mentioning or a question is worth asking, it probably is.
- Standing agenda for weekly meetings
- Opening announcements
This is a chance to make announcements that aren't related to trips you're leading. Frequently, members use this time to highlight events in the area, interesting non-profit organizations, or gear they're trying to part with. - Trip reports
Members like to share details about trips they went on and, frequently, the humorous encounters that wilderness (or bad planning) throws at us. Trip reports are usually given by the trip leader, but if the leader of a trip you went on isn't at the meeting, you should pipe up to let everyone know how the trip went. Anecdotes, lessons learned, and embellishment are generally encouraged (though by no means required). - Trip announcements
Here's where you can announce a trip you'd like to lead and tell people the details and how to sign up. Anyone in the Club can lead trips; only certain activities (e.g., boating, caving, and climbing) require prior experience or explicit permission. The Club is entirely member run and all members are encouraged to lead trips or teach lessons. Many of us can still remember the first time we stood up at a meeting and announced a trip we were leading. That said, give leaders a break if they forget any details or take too long! - Closing announcements
These are identical in scope to the opening announcements but meant for all those stragglers who show up late to the meeting and weren't able to make the announcement then! This can be a good opportunity to remind people about the work party you're coordinating or if there are activities directly following the meeting, they're usually mentioned here. Frequently, bood trips, presentations, or trip planning meetings follow the regular meeting.
