KSC’s Outing Club, one of the college’s largest student organizations by membership, has hit the ground running, or rather snowshoeing, this spring semester as it began its slate of wintery events.
One of the club’s first events of the semester, on-campus snowshoeing, took place on Feb. 1, but it was only the start of the club’s spring programming, according to senior and Outing Club President Owen Warner.
“So far it’s been a pretty quiet semester, but mostly we’ve gone snowshoeing a couple of times, we’ve gone out and gone skiing, whether it be at Crotchet [Mountain] or Granite Gorge and looking ahead at this weekend, unfortunately, these trips are closed now for signups, but there’s still stuff that we’re putting on,” Warner said.
This upcoming weekend, the club is heading to Artist Bluff and Ice Castles in Laconia, NH, where those who signed up will be able to take an “easy winter hike and a walk through beautiful ice castles,” according to a Jan. 22 post on the club’s Instagram.
The club is also bringing back its annual spring events, such as the group’s trip to Waterville Valley, NH, to assist the Special Olympics’ Winter Games starting on Monday, March 2, a tradition started by former senior associate director of admissions and club advisor Bert Poirier.
“It is to help out with the Special Olympics, to volunteer with setting up the events, running them, timing them, whatever it may be, and to go out there for a couple of days and have an honestly great time,” Warner said of the tradition.
Warner said the cap for trip attendance varies based on the transportation methods planned and what interest the club expects to see. He added that if a student were interested in a trip, it is best to fill out the forms found on the club’s Instagram so roster approval can be secured from the Office of Student Involvement by the necessary deadlines.
“We’re trying to get better at communicating this, but most of the time we set our due dates or our deadlines for when people can set up to be right before when the deadlines are due for us,” Warner said.
With harsh road conditions resulting from winter weather, Warner said trip cancellations are never out of the question, but the club has experience with navigating them, and there is always communication with trip participants.
The club has also seen a decrease in involvement, according to Warner, though he noted the decrease was not unique to the Outing Club, and said the e-board is actively working on ways to recruit and retain members.
“We’re trying to win the trust of the people, because we do truly believe that if somebody goes on a trip, they’re going to want to continue to go on more, so we just need to put them in the door most of the time,” Warner said.
As part of the push for increased active membership, Warner said the club’s Feb. 10 meeting was more interactive, with the club offering arts and crafts for attendees rather than a traditional slideshow presentation that is usually done.
For more information about upcoming trips and club activities, refer to the club’s Instagram @kscoutingclub.
Nathan Hope can be contacted at
