The Board

   A few have asked just what it is the board, your board, does. You elect us and you get the Newsletter, but what do we do? Lots. Most of it’s invisible. Some of it’s pretty tedious. Some of it’s a lot of fun.

   Board meetings:
   We try to have these twice a month in the off season, and occasionally during the summer. They last about 2-6 hours. We analyze issues, decide on appropriate action, eat pizza, tell stories, assign each other to head up committees and projects, and tip an occasional beer. Lately we’ve been working with Dan Davis on improving Guide Park relations, struggling with the First Aid issue, preparing the GTS, recruiting material for the next newsletter, and so on. Big fun. Some of the most energetic folks are often not even on the board- it’s an open group. You should come.

   Other meetings:
   We go to a lot of meetings with the NPS, the outfitters, the Constituency panel, The GCEIS folks and more. They often seem tedious, but more often than not we end up providing a perspective that wouldn’t have been there without us. Want to go to one?

   Projects:
   The newsletter, the GTS, First Aid, Oral History, Recycling, Archives, Adopt-A-Highway, and so on. All need someone to spearhead them. All require a tremendous commitment to keep them going. So next time you think of something those guys at GCRG ought to do, think about heading up the committee to do it. We need your energy– there’s so much to do.

   Retreat:
   In March we held a Board Retreat at Shane Murphy’s, way out in the cinder hills near Roden Crater. We started from scratch on what we want to stand for and came up with the three things that have stood as our goals for several years:

   Protecting the Grand Canyon
   Setting the highest standards for the river profession
   Providing the best possible river experience

   and we identified two more:
   Maintaining a unified voice for the guiding community
   Fostering and savoring the unique spirit of the guiding community.

   The long and short of it is that we still really believe in what we are doing. We are working to make thinks simpler and delegate out more of the burden of responsibilities.

   How can you help?
   Well, in takes a while to get up to speed. The best thing is to start coming to board meetings, getting involved with projects, and taking an active part in GCRG’s direction. Before you know it you’ll have a full time job!

   We don’t meet much during the summer for obvious reasons, but if you want to get involved call, write or collar one of us on the river. We’ll talk. See you there!