Constitution

PREAMBLE

The charter members and leaders establish this organization to provide opportunities for the outdoor lover in the college community through enjoyment and fellowship with others, while emphasizing the development of leadership through training of members. The club will also place much emphasis on safety and community service.

ARTICLE I. Name of the Organization

The name of this organization shall be the Messiah College Outdoors Club.

ARTICLE II. Objectives

A. To gain a closer relationship with God by appreciating His creation that He has given to us and through fellowship with our peers.
B. To develop proficiency in outdoor recreational skills, and a strong sense of safety awareness in all areas of outdoor activities and events.
C. To help our environment and community through acts of service.
D. To learn to have a deeper respect for the natural environment that is around us.
E. To bring together people and gain friendships with those who enjoy outdoor activities.

ARTICLE III. Membership

Any student of Messiah College, experienced or non-experienced in outdoor activities, interested in participating in club activities, and willing to abide by this constitution is by their consent of affiliation a member of this club.

ARTICLE IV. Rights and Responsibilities of Members

A. The right to participate in any activity sponsored or made available to the club, providing the maximum number of participants for that activity as not been filled.
B. The responsibility to maintain safety standards and stated regulations during participation of activities.
C. The responsibility to act in accordance with the Messiah College Community Covenant and with the rules and safety regulations placed on them by the club's leaders.
D. The right to give any input on preference of activities and any other suggestions for the betterment of the club.
E. The right to vote in all decisions brought before the club.
F. The right to attend all meetings held by the club, scheduled when needed by the executive board.
G. The club will provide opportunities for members to become leaders in a certain activity. This may include necessary certification, training, and experience in this area or activity.

ARTICLE V. Officers and Elections

Section 1. Officers and Planning Committee
A. The club shall be governed by an elected executive board consisting of president, vice-president, and Secretary/Treasurer.
B. A volunteer planning and in-training committee must exist consisting of a maximum of twenty members.
C. The term of office will start May 1 and run through April 30 of the following year.
D. The officers and committee members shall work together to direct the efforts of the club to meet its objectives.
Section 2. Responsibilities of Officers and Planning Committee
A. The President shall conduct all administrative business affairs, preside over club meetings, and oversee all events sponsored by the club.
B. The vice-president shall support the president in all his/her work and perform the President's duties in their absence. He/She also reserves cars/vans if necessary for club activities. He/She also oversees the planning committee.
C. The Secretary/Treasurer shall carry out basic clerical activities as designated by the President, keep members informed about club activities, and serves as the mediator between the membership and MCSA.
D. It is the responsibility of all three executive officers to train members of the club and planning and in-training committee in ways of safety and leadership.
E. The planning and in-training committee shall assist the executive board in planning activities based on membership input. This committee is to be in a constant state of training by the executive board. This committee will assist during activities and gain knowledge of safety and skills in outdoor activities.

ARTICLE VI. Election of officers

A. Election of executive officers shall be by public election during the last club meeting of the spring semester, which will occur sometime before the second week of April.
B. Nominations for executive officers are limited to members of the planning and in-training committee and returning executive officers, with exceptions made by the current President.
C. Written nominations will be accepted any time during the month preceding the elections by any officer.
D. Elections will be by secret ballot, collected and tallied by the current officers, and checked by a non-nominated member if all current officers are up for re-election.
E. A majority vote will be necessary to elect an officer. If a majority is not reached, a run off will be held immediately.
F. The faculty advisor or advisors will be appointed by the executive board according to need and the faculty members' interest.
G. The members of the planning and in-training committee will be appointed by the officers according to need and interest. The officers will strive to appoint members who demonstrate leadership qualities and skill in outdoor activities.

ARTICLE VII. Vacancies

A. Any officer of the Messiah College Outdoors Club who feels that they can no longer fulfill their duties shall submit a written statement of resignation to the executive board at least two weeks in advance of intended termination of duties.
B. If the office of President becomes vacant, it shall be filled by the vice-president. Similarly, If the office of the vice-president becomes vacant, it shall be filled by the Secretary/Treasurer.
C. If any other unexpired term of office is vacated, a replacement will be appointed by the remaining executive board members as soon as possible. If the person accepts, they will take office immediately.
D. If for any reason an officer must be removed or asked to step down, the president must approach the officer and discuss the problem. At that time, they will be asked to resign and will be replaced by the end of a four-week period.

ARTICLE VIII. Amendments

A. Amendment to this constitution may be made by a 2/3 vote duly established in any club meeting and approval by Senate.
B. Amendments may be submitted by any club member, typed, to the Executive Board a week before the meeting where it will be voted on.

AMENDMENT I.

A President, Vice-President, and Treasurer will be elected each year. The current officers may decide to create additional offices for the following year if there is sufficient need. All officers must be elected following the guidelines in Article VI.

Rationale

PURPOSE

The purpose of this organization is to provide opportunities for the outdoor lover in the college community through enjoyment and fellowship with others, self-fulfillment in developing stronger outdoor skills, providing community service for our environment, and to integrate these three aspects with the appreciation of God’s Creation through outdoor activities.

GOALS

• To enjoy and appreciate God’s Creation that He has given to us.
• To bring together people who enjoy outdoor events and activities.
• To help our environment and community through acts of service.
• To develop proficiency in selected outdoor recreational skills, and an awareness of safety when participating.
• To learn to have a respect for the natural environment that is around us.

Possible activities to meet these ends:

• Backpacking and Hiking
• Kayaking and Canoeing
• Camping
• Rock climbing
• Caving
• Skiing
• Paintball
• Biking

Leadership Beliefs

CHRIST-LIKE LEADERSHIP

What's the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of leadership? Maybe a classroom with a professor leading a class or a conductor leading an orchestra? As Christians, leadership is a whole lot more than just that.

The best example of leadership is Jesus. Jesus exhibited several different styles of leadership. At times he would speak to multitudes of people, teaching them and caring for their needs. We also see him speaking to small groups and individuals, giving them the one-on-one attention they needed.

A. Passion for Others, Selflessness, and Caring for Individual Needs

One thing that runs through the entire account of Jesus' life is that he always took time to deal with individuals and their needs. Of particular interest to me is the feeding of the 5000 as recorded in Matthew 14. Jesus had just been told that John the Baptist had been beheaded, and he wanted to get away. (vs. 12-13) When he landed in his boat a large crowd was waiting for him at the shore. (v. 13) He could have explained what had happened and turned the people away, but instead he healed their sick and cared for them! (v. 14) He didn't just do this quickly so that he could go on his way, either. He spent the whole day with them. Jesus' disciples wanted to send the crowd away because it was getting dark and they hadn't eaten yet. (v. 15) But Jesus took the time to feed them before dismissing them. (vs. 16-21) He didn't have to do this. They could have left a few minutes earlier and got themselves something to eat, but Jesus showed so much compassion that he wanted to take care of their every need before sending them home. It was only after they had been cared for that Jesus left to spend some time alone. (v. 23) This account demonstrates the amazing passion for others and the selflessness of Christ. It also shows that he was serving individual needs even though he was dealing with a large group. This exemplifies the value of the individual even in a group setting.

We need to remember these characteristics as we attempt to mirror Christ in our leadership. Even though we may have desires for ourselves or even goals for the group, the individuals in the group are more important. Focus on serving people and caring for their needs, not just the group as a whole. Seek to get to know each person in the group and identify where they are struggling. The only way the group makes it to the end if each member of the group makes it to the end. Never sacrifice the needs of one individual "for the good of the group."

B. Don't Try to do it all Yourself

Even with all the power Jesus had he didn't try to do everything himself. In Matthew 10 the Bible records Jesus empowering his disciples to do his work. This was not at the end of his ministry. This was at the very beginning. As soon as he had gathered together all twelve he gave them the power to heal the sick and perform miracles in his name. This also taught the disciples how to carry on once Jesus had left them.

If the Son of God needed to give twelve people the authority to help him, we certainly need to ask for help! Assigning other people duties on a trip not only lightens your load, but gives them a part in the trip ands gives them a greater experience to carry home. People should leave an event with the feeling that they learned something and maybe even gained or sharpened a skill that may be useful to them later. It also allows them to try out a small role in leadership while there is a safety net under them if they mess up.

C. Priorities

Jesus knew exactly what his priorities should be, and was not afraid to make people mad at him if their priorities weren't the same. In Mark 5, we see where a man possessed by many demons approached Jesus. (v. 2) Jesus cast the demons out into a herd of 2000 pigs. (v. 13) To us it would seem like that was well worth it: 2000 pigs die to save one man. But, I'm sure the owner of the pigs wasn't very impressed. His whole livelihood just ran down the hill and drown to save some crazy man that he could care less about. The people living in that town asked him to leave because of what he did. I'm sure Jesus knew that this would probably happen, but a man's life is much more important than another man's pigs.

Another example of Jesus' priorities is in Matthew 21. Jesus enters the temple to find it full of people trying to make money off of the people worshipping there. He overturns their tables and throws them out! (v. 12) He certainly wasn't concerned with making friends with everyone while quietly working on a compromise with the venders. He has his priorities set on God's standards, goes in and takes action to enforce those priorities.

We need to have this same sense of priorities. Even if everyone in the group disagrees with your decision, it is imperative that your priorities are correct. Hopefully none of us will face a situation like Jesus did where we have to choose between one man's job and another's future. You are likely to have to enforce priorities of safety over the group's desire for comfort. Don't be afraid to make people upset at you for doing what is right. This may be a surprising style of leadership to many people.

D. Servant's Heart

Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve. (Mark 10:45) He was the perfect example of how to lead others by serving. He didn't hesitate to crawl on the floor to wash his disciples' feet, including Judas'. (John 13:5) He humbly became a servant to those he led, not putting himself on a pedestal better than them.

As leaders, we are never better than those we serve are. I once heard the saying, "you can't push a string, you can only pull it." This is very relevant to Christian leadership. We set the pace and the standard of the entire group. The rest of the group will look to our example and follow it. You can't stand sit down and tell everyone else what to do. You can show the group what needs to be done and give them encouragement to do it by doing it yourself. Otherwise, you are attempting to push the group not pull it with you. By doing this you not only demonstrate servanthood, but teach yourself humility at the same time.

E. Conclusion

So, what does all this mean? In order to be successful leaders we need to try our hardest to live up to Christ's example. We need to take time to get to know the members of the group we are going with and find out what they like, and what they struggle with. Then we need to give people responsibilities so that they have some ownership of the trip and something to take back with them other than sore muscles. We need to have clearly set priorities that we enforce, but do so with a very humble spirit, never unwilling to listen to others or do more than our share of the work.

Outdoors Proverbs

COOKING

• Don’t waste money on expensive trail food unless someone rich is willing to foot the bill.
• The fewer dishes you use, the less waste wash water you have to try to get rid of.
• Most meals only require a plastic mug and a spoon to eat.
• Don’t cook more than everyone can eat. Extra food is not easy to dispose of.
• Don’t dump wastewater in a stream, on the ground, or down a latrine.
• Fat is NOT bad for you when you are backpacking, and is a necessity when winter camping.
• Carbohydrates!
• There are many types of noodle or rice meals available in the grocery store. Check the ingredients and directions before you buy them, though.
• If a meal calls for a little bit of butter or oil it can usually be left out or a little bit more water or milk can be substituted for it.
• Powdered milk can be substituted for real milk. Measure everything out before you go and seal it in zip-locks. Most meals can be mixed up before hand and stored in one bag.
• Look for meals that don’t require draining. This creates excess waste and uses more fuel.
• Always double bag any powdered mix. Sometimes several smaller zip-locks can be stored in one larger zip-lock.
• Don’t split up the stove, etc. It does no good for one person to have the stove and another the fuel or lighter. If the group gets split up neither part can use the stove.
• Cook on the stove instead of a campfire as much as possible. It is safer, more environmentally friendly, cooks better, and doesn’t make as much of a mess.
• Sand or course dirt makes great scouring powder for getting burnt stuff off a pan, but must be disposed of properly with the wastewater.
• Never eat (or cook) inside a tent.

WATER

• Water is the most important part of hiking or backpacking.
• Every time the group stops everyone should drink a little water.
• Don’t let anyone guzzle all of their water in the first couple stops. If they need that much water there is probably something wrong.
• Always bring more water than you need.
• Plan before you go where you can get water along the trail.
• Always filter or purify. As a last resort, boil water for 10 minutes.
• Snow or ice can be melted in a pinch, but it will use a lot of fuel!
• Check that everyone in the group has brought enough water. Make sure that your idea of two 1-quart bottles of water is the same as theirs.
• Bring many extra bottles of water with you that you can leave in the van if nobody needs them.
• Have everyone drink water on the way to the trail and refill their bottles before leaving the parking lot.
• On cold nights turn all the water bottles upside down so that when ice forms on the surface of the water you can still get a drink.
• On real cold nights put a water bottle in your sleeping bag.
• Soda (pop) is NOT a substitute for water!

CAMP

• Always hang up a bear bag with all the smellables in it. This includes all food items, dishes, clothing that has food splattered on it, deodorant, toothpaste, etc.
• Try to use a dedicated stuff sack for the bear bag. If this isn’t available use a sack from a sleeping bag turned inside out so you don’t get any food on the sleeping bag.
• Bears aren’t attracted to human odors, but may be to any type of fruit scent (gum, fruit soaps or sprays, shampoo, perfume)
• Never approach or allow anyone to approach any dangerous animal, especially a young animal.
• If approached by a bear speak softly to it and back away slowly. That way it knows that you know that it knows that you know it is there.
• Defend your food supply from a black bear if need be. Never get too close to the bear or hit the bear with anything. You can yell at the bear from a little distance and throw things NEAR it. If there is a bear cub anywhere in the area just leave and let the bears have the food. NEVER try to scare off a black bear cub or mother or a grizzly bear.
• If there are any well-defined campsites or fire rings use them.
• Only create your own campsite if you have to.
• Don’t have a campfire unless you are in a well-defined campsite or if it is necessary for warmth.
• Gather your firewood from the ground, not standing trees.
• The dead twigs on the underside of a hemlock tree (called squaw wood) makes great fire starter, as does the thin oily bark pealed from a downed birch tree.
• In wet conditions build your fire then stick a small candle under it to light it.
• Cary a little bit or dry tinder with you in rainy weather.
• A ground cloth or tarp under a tent protects then tent from being damaged by the ground.
• A ground cloth or tarp inside a tent protects the occupants from getting wet.
• Everyone should use a pad under their sleeping bag, but in cold weather this is a necessity, not an option.
• Sleeping in a hammock is never a very good idea.
• Always look around your campsite after everything is picked up for any trash.
• When leaving the trail for a pee break, always drop your pack at the spot you leave the trail. Only go as far as necessary from the trail and carry a whistle in case you get disoriented and aren’t sure of the way back.
• In hot weather you can set up a tent without the fly. However, have it ready to put on quickly in case of rain.
• Encourage people to share many items with a friend coming on a backpacking trip. There is no need for 12 Bibles, 12 jars of peanut butter, etc.

FIRST AID

• In a pinch a Band-Aid can be made from gauze, or even toilet paper, held on with duck tape.
• Ask at breaks if anyone has a hot spot or rubbed spot of the feet where a blister is starting to form. Immediately put some moleskin on the area to stop it from forming.
• Duck tape will work for moleskin, just not as well.
• Find out if anyone on the trip has experience or certifications that may be useful in an emergency.
• If someone is injured assign people to these roles:
  • 1 person to administer the first aid
  • 1 person to act as a recorder to write down info on the injury, treatment, etc.
  • 1 person to sit and talk with the injured
  • 1 person to take care of the rest of the group. Have this person take the group a little ways away, but still within earshot.
• Unless the injury prevents it, walk out to the road.
• If the injury is serious enough to warrant it, send two people ahead to call an ambulance and have it waiting at the end of the trail.

LEADERSHIP

• Get to know the people in the group and what their strengths and weaknesses are.
• Give everyone some responsibility.
• Listen to what group members have to say, and be open to change if it is a good suggestion. Never give in to a bad suggestion if it would put anyone in danger or damage the environment or equipment.
• Allow the group to make mistakes if you think they can safely learn from it.
• Take time to discuss consequences of actions and multiple options with the group.
• Always leave a plan of where you are going to go and what you are going to do with someone who is expecting you back at a certain time.
• Leave a message with the exact list of people that are going on a trip. This should probably be done right before you leave so it is accurate.
• Never expect anyone in the group to do anything you can’t or aren’t willing to do yourself.
• Assign a lead and sweep person while hiking, and ask everyone to stay between them.
• Ask everyone to always stay within sight of the person in front of them.
• Under no circumstances should you decide to leave the trail and bushwhack unless your route is clearly marked on a map left with your trip plan. If you get lost but stay on a trail you will be found. If you head off the trail it could take days to find you.
• Have several routes in mind should you need to abort the trip and head out to a road.
• If you need to deviate from your original plan let someone on campus know if at all possible.
• For larger trips with multiple leaders the leaders should meet ahead of time and all know the route and their responsibilities so that there is no confusion later.
• There should only be one Leader, but there can be several Co-Leaders.
• Spend some time in prayer before any trip you lead or help lead. Ask God to not only give everyone a safe, fun experience, but also that you can somehow help each of the members grow in their spiritual life.
• After the trip pray for the people that went with you, especially any needs they shared with you.
• Try to prepare a small devotional that could lead into a discussion, especially for overnight trips.
• A small pack with a pad, first aid kit, extra water, space blanket, food, etc. should be taken even on day hikes. Include a sleeping bag and maybe even the stove cold days.