[IOCA] Outings Leader Workshop

[info at ioca.org]

The Sierra Club is offering an extraordinarily inexpensive workshop to  
train outings leaders. The Sierra Club is, of course, hoping that you  
will end up leading trips for the Sierra Club but it welcomes new  
participants (that's you) and there is no obligation to then become a  
Sierra Leader. Feel free to contact me if you want any more general  
information.
Don Wade 718-426-8555 <DonWade at donwade.us>

Sierra Club is offering a unique National Training Weekend at Black  
Rock Forest
Lodge in the Hudson Highlands near Cornwall on July 9-11, 2010...the cost of
the entire weekend is $45 including food and lodging at this beautiful LEEDS
certified educational and research facility an hour north of NYC. For details
and to register for the weekend visit
http://www.sierraclub.org/outings/training/brochures/2010-new-york.asp
PLEASE NOTE THAT SIERRA CLUB WILL BE OFFERING A $10 BASIC FIRST AID
CERTIFICATION COURSE THE AFTERNOON AFTER THE SESSION FOR THOSE
PARTICIPATING IN THE TRAINING. This is a wonderful opportunity to take the
first step to becoming a Sierra Club group, chapter or national leader  
on hiking
or backpacking trips. Feel free to contact me with any questions
(mailto:wildplaces at verizon.net )

Look at the full link given above but here's some information:

Workshop Goals:
By the end of this workshop, you should be able to:
* Plan safe and successful multi-day outings.
* Enhance your competence and confidence in leading groups.
* Enhance your competence and confidence in achieving good group behavior.
* Inspire your participants, and further their awareness and  
involvement in the conservation work of the Sierra Club.

Workshop Philosophy:
This workshop is designed to focus more on the interpersonal skills  
associated with outdoor leadership. These "softer" skills are vital to  
being a successful leader. These skills include learning how to manage  
your group, how to create a positive group dynamic, and how to  
practice a safety-based planning and delivery of your outing. Every  
participant should come back "Safe, Happy, and Inspired."
---------------------
For those who don't know about the Sierra Club, It is a nationwide  
organization with over a million members which runs hundreds of trips  
each year. It is primarily based in the West but it has chapters in  
all states. Here's a brief statement from their web page  
http://www.sierraclub.org/welcome/ :
"Since 1892, the Sierra Club has been working to protect communities,  
wild places, and the planet itself. We are the oldest, largest, and  
most influential grassroots environmental organization in the United  
States. And our founder, John Muir, appears on the back of the  
California quarter.