or those new to Grand Canyon River Guides, the Guides Training Seminar is our single largest yearly activity. With one of our largest attendances ever, this year’s land session was a huge success, thanks to the wonderful presentations. They ran the gamut from natural history to human history, from displays of cultural heritage to explanations of new park policies, and from goings-on in resource planning and conservation to descriptions of programs involving the public and young Canyon explorers. Many thanks to all the outstanding speakers, especially Superintendent Joe Alston and Linda Jalbert from the Park who helped explain policies going forward with the new management plan. We also would like to thank the Grand Canyon Association which has joined with us in presenting the gts for the second year, and Teva, who continues to help support our activities.
I had the opportunity to be on the water for the upper half of the water session and was very happy to have helped several folks with a new experience: running a motorboat in the Grand Canyon. I consider myself very fortunate in being able work in the Canyon as a motor guide and in being able to show others how the big boats are run. An immense thanks to Arizona River Runners for outfitting the trip with the motor rig and camp gear.

During my tenure as President there have been only a few times within the organization when the issue of “motor versus oar” has surfaced, and in some unexpected ways. For example, the logo that ended up on our tee shirts this year was actually our second attempt. The first, a beautiful piece of artwork that would have, no doubt, made a stellar shirt, was passed over because it lacked motor guide representation. While it is not a rule of gcrg to make tee shirts that are inclusive of all guides, it is a rule that the organization is inclusive of all guides on decisions of policy and matters that require Board of Directors or member oversight.
I wanted to stress this fact about our group for a variety of reasons, but primarily because we are interested in gaining new members (or former members back). A balanced membership is able to speak to all Grand Canyon guides’ concerns (or, just as importantly, to know when there aren’t any concerns so we can call it a day and have a refreshing beverage). If you have ever benefited directly from gcrg’s seminars, publications or organized trainings, think about becoming a member or getting a fellow guide to join. We like to think that our endeavors benefit the entirety of the guiding community, directly or indirectly, and that includes all guides.
I hope your season is going wonderfully and I’ll see you on the water.

Joe Pollock