These blog posts were transferred from our old blogging platform. We are working to categorize them over the next few months, but for now, they are in chronological order.
New to the Pacific Northwest and well-traveled, Chris Donato is an avid rock climber and musician. He’s played in bands since he was 16. As for mountaineering goals, he aims to climb the tallest peaks of the Cascades.
Name: Chris Donato
Pronouns: he/him/his
Year Joined Mazamas: 2022
Present-day outdoor activities: mountaineering, rock climbing, snowboarding, hiking
What’s your earliest outdoor memory: I remember my mom taking me to the hiking trails around Brewster, NY, about 30 minutes north of our home in Westchester County. We would walk the trails for hours on end, and she would give me practice following the different marked trails. It really cemented my love of the outdoors from an early age.
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? My partner and I moved to Portland, OR specifically to be closer to the natural beauty of the PNW, and wanted to get involved with an organization that both facilitates the enjoyment and conservation of these treasures. After a quick online search, I found the Mazamas and immediately joined.
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Try as many outdoor activities as you can. There are so many ways to have fun outdoors, whether it’s the adrenaline-seeking rock climbers or the more laid back nights around the campfire – there are ways for everyone to have fun and connect to the outdoors. If you are going to try some more high-energy activities, I highly recommend taking an intro class (like BCEP!), as it’s a great way not just to learn foundational skills, but also meet fellow adventurers that you can build lasting bonds with.
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Pick one. Through previous jobs, I had the opportunity to meet dozens of people who’ve worked tirelessly to build a better world, but the one that will always have a place in my heart was Vice President Walter Mondale, who not only led conservation efforts in Minnesota while in office, but continued to do so for the rest of his life.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? @savethebwca – it was the first conservation organization I worked for and it taught me the importance of speaking loudly for quiet places. The people I met continue to inspire me to this day.
What’s on your adventure bucket list? This year I want to climb the North side of Mt. Adams, after summiting the south side in 2022. It was my first 12K+ ft peak, so it has a special place in my heart. Outside of the PNW, I really want to get over to the Alps and climb Mt. Marmolada and within 5 years, Mt. Blanc.
When not hard at work at a desk job in Portland, Josh Lupkin can be found giving back to the local construction and mountaineering communities through volunteer efforts and escaping to the high country in pursuit of lunar landscapes.
What’s your earliest outdoor memory (can be anything—iceskating, hiking, sledding, biking, fishing, fort building): Hanging out in a tent pitched in the back 40 of our yard in New Jersey. “Back 40” to a four-year-old is really only a 100-foot deep yard surrounded by pine trees.
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? I heard about the Mazamas through a friend I met on the summit of Mt Adams. At the time, I had no idea what I was doing with regards to mountain climbing, nor did he. We felt taking the beginner climbing class (BCEP) with the Mazamas would be a good idea; so we did. I’ve been climbing, volunteering, learning, and teaching with the Mazamas ever since.
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Take a class or learn from an experienced friend before venturing out into the wilderness. Learn and live by leave no trace principals. Respect trail etiquette, especially with regard to preserving boot, ski, and snowshoe tracks in the alpine.
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Pick one. I am very inspired by those who volunteer a great deal of their time to teaching others how to be safe and respectful in the climbing environment. Specifically, Jay Satak and Matthew Sundling (Mazama climb leaders) have been very impactful mentors to a significant number of climbers.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? I’m currently reading Spitsbergen by Hugo Nünlist, the story of a 1962 Swiss Spitsbergen scientific expedition. I really enjoy reading about early alpine explorations in the 19th and 20th century.
What’s on your adventure bucket list? Torment-Forbidden traverse, Ingles-Stuart-Sherpa traverse, and life goal to continue backpacking into my 80’s.
If you are a member and wish to participate in our occasional Friday blog post “Meet the Mazamas,” the questions will remain the same, so drop your responses and a photo of yourself in an email to ginabinole@mazamas.org
We are launching an occasional Friday feature. We’re just getting started, but we hope y’all want to learn more about the Mazamas. If you are a member and wish to participate, the questions will remain the same, so drop your responses and a photo of yourself in an email to ginabinole@mazamas.org
We’re kicking things off with Ali Koch, co-founder & director of adventure for Peak Recovery , which through the Alano Club of Portland has partnered with the Mazamas and is sponsoring a nine-member Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP) team this year.
What’s your earliest outdoor memory (can be anything—iceskating, hiking, sledding, biking, fishing, fort building): My mom teaching me to ski on Mickey Mouse skis at the age of 3 in Lake Tahoe and playing in tide pools near our home in San Francisco.
How did you first hear about the Mazamas, and what prompted you to engage with the organization? My mom did BCEP in 2008 and joined the Mazamas. She then started climbing all kinds of mountains with Mazamas and eventually started volunteering as a hike leader. She’s the one who encouraged me to start hiking to suppport my mental and physical wellness. She took me up my first glaciated summit in 2015.
As more people seek to recreate outdoors, what advice would you offer them? Find an outdoor mentor (or a few) and ask them to show you the ropes. In addition to my mom, my dear friend and fellow Mazama, John Creager, has been an amazing mentor to me!
What activities/situations/people most inspire you? Pick one. I am inspired by people who remain humble as they accomplish amazing feats. I am also inspired by other people in mental health or substance use recovery who use nature and movement as medicine.
What is your favorite book/movie/TV show/social media account that you follow and why? IG @mountainsformentalhealth an account run by a therapist who climbs mountains to raise awareness around mental health and suicide prevention
What’s on your adventure bucket list? I climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2019, and I hope to climb Aconcagua, the tallest peak in South America soon. #1 on my bucket list is Vinson Massif, the tallest mountain in Antarctica.
After a three-year hiatus, the Mazamas will resume the annual Used Equipment Sale (UES). Mark your calendars for March 3, 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Mazama Mountaineering Center in SE Portland.
As with many activities making a comeback after COVID, this event will be a bit different. The 2023 UES will be run as a fundraiser for the Mazamas and a way to make the purchase of gear more affordable for our BCEP students, Mazama members, and the greater Portland community.
What that means is the Mazamas will not be accepting gear on consignment to sell on behalf of members as the organization has in the past. We understand people looked forward to the UES as a way to make money on their used equipment, and while we hope you will consider making tax-deductible donations to the Mazamas, we understand if you prefer to explore other avenues.
“We believe this change better reflects our mission to inspire everyone to protect and love mountains,” says Interim Executive Director Kaleen Deatherage. “Historically this event raised about $15,000, and the organization would make about $3,000 from it. Given our current fiscal situation and our desire to eliminate barriers to entry to the outdoors, like expensive gear, we felt that recentering the event as a fundraiser for the Mazamas makes sense for this year.”
Please be thinking of used gear and equipment you’d love to pass along.
Outdoor clothes
Boots
Books
Nordic/Cross Country (XC), telemark skis, randonee and related gear (e.g. boots, poles)
Climbing gear
Camping gear (e.g. stoves, water purifiers
Backpacks
Tents
Snowshoes
Bicycling accesories (e.g. helmets, clothes)
Car Rack systems
The Mazamas is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, and the fair market value of donated items may be tax deductible. We likely will have multiple dates in advance of March 3 for items to be dropped off at the Mazama Mountaineering Center. Stay tuned. The Mazamas will dispose/distribute any items not sold and provide donors with a tax donation receipt.
The Mazamas board of directors asked me to review and assess the bylaws and governance structure of Mazamas, an Oregon public benefit nonprofit corporation that is recognized by the IRS as a 501(c)(3) public charity. In this memo, I address the ways in which the current Mazamas bylaws and governance structure may be out of step with current practices with other 501(c)(3) organizations, run discordant with Oregon’s current nonprofit laws and IRS guidance, and pose potential governance and conflict of interest risks. To remedy these issues, I would advise Mazamas amend its bylaws as discussed in this memo.
Importance of Bylaws and Governance Maintenance
Mazamas last updated its bylaws in 2017, though the structure and basic principles appear to be much older. It is important for Mazamas to keep its bylaws in step with current law and best practices for many reasons, including the following:
Maintenance of Tax-Exempt Status. The IRS recognizes Mazamas as a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) public benefit nonprofit organization. In order to maintain this status, it is important that Mazamas continues to keep good governance practices and operate exclusively in furtherance of its nonprofit mission, as described to the IRS as to “promote mountaineering through education, climbing, hiking, fellowship, safety and the exploration and protection of mountain environments.” 501(c)(3) organizations must operate exclusively for a public benefit are prohibited from conferring significant benefits upon any private individuals or groups of individuals. It is important that the Mazamas governance documents accurately reflect Mazamas’ operation for the benefit of the public and not for the benefit of its members or any other private individuals.
Conformity with Current Oregon Law. Nonprofit organizations in Oregon are governed by the Oregon Nonprofit Corporation Act (the “Act”). The Act was revised by the Oregon legislature in 2020 and, while organizations are not required to update their bylaws when the statute is updated, we recommend that nonprofits do so to ensure that practices are conforming with the current Oregon law. There are a number of provisions in the amended Act that provide organizations with increased flexibility and assist in good governance practices.
Avoiding Confusion and Internal Disputes. It is important for nonprofit organizations to have clearly written and easily digestible bylaws. Nonprofit organizations should be able to refer to their bylaws for clear answers on a number of corporate governance questions, ranging from manner of notice that must be given prior to a meeting to quorum requirements for passing measures. A lack of clarity can lead to internal and external disputes over procedural or substantive matters. The current Mazamas bylaws are relatively unclear and difficult to interpret, particularly as compared to other organizations of similar size and sophistication. As discussed in more detail below, there is a lack of clarity in some major provisions such as quorum requirements and director roles. Some terminology in the bylaws is also confusing – for example, all Oregon nonprofit organizations are required to have a board of directors, but the current bylaws instead call this governing body the “executive council.” The level of authority of the board is also vague and unclear, which runs counter to Oregon law. This lack of clarity increases the chance that the organization will be out of compliance with its own bylaws, potentially invalidating actions. It also leads to an increased risk of internal disputes over governance procedures.
Maintaining Compliance with Bylaws. It is important for a nonprofit organization to be operating in compliance with its bylaws. However, the Mazamas bylaws include a number of outdated provisions, compliance with which may pose a challenge. One example is that the bylaws do not provide for electronic board or member meetings and contemplate only in-person meetings. The Mazamas bylaws should reflect the organization’s current and anticipated future governance practices and be a living document setting forth corporate procedures with which the organization complies.
Proposed Amended and Restated Bylaws
We propose that Mazamas adopt the attached restated bylaws to bring its governance structure up to date and into compliance with current nonprofit law and best practices. The proposed restated bylaws are based on the current Mazamas bylaws and are tailored to the Mazamas needs and structure, but they track the current Oregon nonprofit law. Restating the bylaws in their entirety allows Mazamas to go forward with a clear and concise document.
The chart below is a summary of the significant changes to the Mazamas bylaws presented by the proposed restatement:
Issue
Current Bylaws
Proposed Restated Bylaws
Section
Confusion of roles and responsibilities between directors/executive council and members
Under Oregon law and IRS rules, all nonprofit organizations must be governed by a board of directors. However, the Mazamas bylaws do not clearly define the board and its role and responsibilities. Instead, the current bylaws provide for an “executive council” and include confusing statements, implying that not all “directors” serve on the “executive council.” A board of directors is vital to the governance of a nonprofit organization and essential to its legal validity, so these confusing provisions should be cleaned up and clarified
“Executive council” has been replaced with a “board of directors.” Language regarding director roles and responsibilities has been clarified throughout the document. In particular, Section 4.1 provides that the board shall “exercise, or delegate… all corporate powers and shall direct the management of the Mazamas’ affairs…”
Section 4
Limited board authority is contrary to Oregon law
The role of a board of directors of a nonprofit corporation is to serve as fiduciaries and steer the organization towards a sustainable future by adopting sound policies and ensuring adequate resources to further the nonprofit’s mission. Under Oregon law, the board of directors must “exercise, or delegate … all corporate powers and shall direct the management of the corporation’s affairs” (ORS 65.301). The IRS requires that a 501(c)(3) organization have a board of directors and encourages “active and engaged” boards. The Mazamas bylaws do not appear to acknowledge the level of authority that the board of directors holds over the organization under Oregon law and IRS rules. The description of the board’s authority in the current bylaws (to “conduct the general business of Mazamas”) is more akin to a role that one would typically see for an executive director or officer. The current bylaws further limit the board’s authority by stating that the board may “make policies and procedures that deal only with administrative matters.” It is unclear what this means, and it likely runs contrary to Oregon law.
Language has been updated throughout to clarify that the board of directors holds authority to govern the organization.
Section 4
Member authority impractical
The governance rights of members in the current bylaws appear are impractical for an organization with over 2,000 members. Given the size of the membership base, Mazamas members should be more limited as they will not be actively running the organization. The current bylaws include multiple provisions regarding the specifics of member dues and payment. We do not recommend including this information in the bylaws, as it is unnecessary and may change from time to time.
The proposed restated bylaws provide that members shall have the right to vote on the election and removal of directors and significant transactions. Members do not exercise general governance over the organization – rather, members elect directors who then govern the organization. Specifics regarding membership dues and payment have been removed from the bylaws, and the membership classes have been consolidated into a single class (the distinction between classes in the current bylaws are based on dues payments rather than governance rights, and that distinction is not necessary in the bylaws).
Section 2.2
Committee structure
Under Oregon law and IRS rules, the board may establish committees to which it delegates responsibility or that can make recommendations to the board. Oregon’s nonprofit law does not provide for committees of members, and member committees are not able to exercise governance authority (e.g. make budgets, hire staff) without delegation by the board. The committee structure in the current bylaws is problematic because committees are not overseen by the board — they are instead self-perpetuating in that they select their own members. Although member committees may be vital for running the activities and operations of the Mazamas – however, they do not have governance authority over the organization and thus should be organized outside of the bylaws.
Description of membership committees has been removed from proposed bylaws – this should be included in a separate policies and procedures document that can change over time as. Committee structure has been changed so that board has oversight in selection of members to committees. A few standing board committees have been added (executive committee, nominating committee, finance committee).
Section 4.10 – 4.15
Member quorum requirement
The current bylaws require five percent of the voting members for a quorum. Given the large number of members, this is a significant number of people who need to attend a meeting in order to validly take action, including on electing directors.
To avoid a potential roadblock at a member meeting, the proposed bylaws provide that the member votes represented at a meeting constitute a quorum.
Section 3.6
Clarity needed for board and member meeting procedures
The current bylaws have a single Article titled “Meetings” that covers both board and member meetings, and it is not clear what notice and other requirements apply to board versus member meetings. The current bylaws do not explicitly permit the board or members to hold remote meetings or authorize the board to take action by unanimous written consent or email (both of which are allowed under Oregon law). The current bylaws state that “electronic voting [is] permitted,” but do not elaborate on permitted procedures. The current bylaws also contain confusing language seeming to require notice only to directors who are within a 300-mile radius of Portland, Oregon. Under Oregon law, all directors must receive notice of a meeting no matter where they reside.
The proposed restated bylaws separate the sections regarding board and member meetings and clearly state notice periods that apply. The proposed restated bylaws permit meetings to happen remotely and allow the board to act without a meeting (by unanimous written consent or email). They also remove confusing provisions, including provision re giving notice to directors within a 300-mile radius of Portland.
The Mazamas board is currently set at nine directors. We suggest that Mazamas increase the size of the board to ensure that the board represents a sufficiently broad public interest and includes people with the required skills and resources to effectively govern the organization, which the IRS considers important for 501(c)(3) organizations.
Proposed restated bylaws increase the size of the board to between nine and thirteen directors. Nine directors would be elected by the members and those people must have been Mazamas members for three years. Up to four directors may be elected by the board and those persons do not need to be members. This allows the board to recruit outside talent and ensure that the board represents a sufficiently broad public interest and holds the skills and resources necessary to effectively govern the organization.
Section 4.4 (Number of Directors) Section 4.6 (Election of Directors)
Director nomination and election process
The bylaws provide that the Nominating Committee must nominate sufficient potential directors such that there is a contested election with six recommended candidates for three slots. This is a bit of an outdated provision and might make it more difficult to recruit interested directors who could add value to the organization if they know they will necessarily be in competition with other nominees. As mentioned above, the IRS considers it important for a 501(c)(3) board to represent a sufficiently broad public interest and the required skills and resources to effectively govern the organization – the Nominating Committee should be nominating the potential directors that it sees as best fit for the director role, as opposed to excess nominees for a contested election.
The proposed bylaws do not require director elections to be contested. As mentioned above, nine directors would be elected by the members and must have been Mazamas members for the past three years, and the board can appoint up to four directors who need not be members.
Section 4.6 (Election of Directors)
Check Signing
The current bylaws require that all checks be signed by two officers – which can be cumbersome for smaller expenditures.
The proposed restated bylaws remove the two-officer approval and provide that the board will adopt a policy regarding signing authority (e.g. approvals needed for expenditures at various dollar thresholds). The board should adopt such a policy in a separate policies and procedures document.
Section 9.3
Update Outdated Terms and Simplify Document
The bylaws contain some outdated and confusing language. For example, the concept of appointing and using “tellers” for elections and the reference to Roberts Rules of Order.
The proposed bylaws present a modernized form without outdated language or references.
For the past few years, the Mazamas have been working with other U.S. climbing organizations to establish a set of volunteer climbing educator certifications called the Mountain Leadership Education and Development Program. Mountain LEAD is a set of national climbing and mountaineering standards designed to improve the quality and consistency of volunteer-based climbing education.
Developed by The Mountain Education Alliance (MEA), which is composed of volunteers and staff from The Mazamas, The Mountaineers, the Colorado Mountain Club and the American Alpine Club, the certifications are due to be recognized by the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA). An international audit by UIAA is expected to take place this spring as the Mazamas progresses beyond its pilot program.
Each MEA member organization has developed its own training and certification assessment process to meet the varied needs of their respective organizations.
The Mazamas generated the first Certified Educator in the country
The Mazamas have actively trained the most people to the MEA national standards compared with all the other partner organizations combined.
The Mazamas have implemented training programs for the largest number of the Certified Educator climbing standards that the MEA has created.
“The Mazamas program was designed to be accessible to everyone, rather than just our volunteers,” explains Matt Sundling, who spearheaded the Mazamas’ LEAD efforts. “We’re posed to help climbers from any organization and background to get trained and certified as Certified Educators. This is unique to our program.”
MEA standards ensure students have access to a consistent, safe experience, no matter where they are in the world, no matter what their local affiliation. Mountain LEAD instruction follows the most rigorous safety standards and establish best practices for leadership development and inclusion.
Students can achieve certification in the following categories: Traditional Climbing Educator, Sport Climbing Educator, Top Rope Climbing Educator, Winter Mountain Educator and Summer Mountain Educator.
“We want Mazama volunteers to be their best and also provide the best instruction to others,” Sundling says. “Our participation in the MEA and the development of Mountain LEAD is yet another way the Mazamas seeks to inspire people to love and protect mountains, and in this case everyone recreating on those mountains too.”
The Mazamas is a mountaineering institution. But like most organizations that experience “institution” status, the Mazamas has not kept up with the times and is on a trajectory to becoming a dying organization. At best, it is becoming irrelevant to the growing community of climbers and outdoor enthusiasts. We have the historic opportunity to renew the Mazamas and make changes that both better meet the needs of a broader community, and help the organization become more solvent. In addition to its values, the things that made the Mazamas an institution are its community, its history, and its leadership opportunities. While summiting a glaciated peak may have brought commonality, it did not define how we became a community, how we left our mark on mountaineering, and how our leaders guided this institution to this moment in our long history.
To paraphrase the original charter, the Mazamas set for themselves four goals:
The exploration of snow-capped peaks and other mountains;
To collect scientific knowledge about the mountain environment;
To preserve the natural beauty of the forests and mountains;
And to share all that knowledge around the Pacific Northwest.
The Mazamas mission is the same today. “To inspire everyone to love and protect the mountains.” In addition to recognizing the need to serve and support a broad and diverse community, the world around us has also changed and the Mazamas need to renew itself to survive. Many of the National Forests we operate in did not exist in 1894. Nor did Oregon Revised Statutes. Just in the last twenty years, a dozen qualifying glaciated peaks have dropped from the Mazamas rolls.
The problem we immediately face is we are not positioned to attract new leadership and we lack a common vision, both of which are vital to a sustainable financial future. In December 2021, Page Two Partners (“P2P”) conducted a focused organizational assessment for the Mazamas. The purpose of the assessment was “to identify broad organizational strengths and challenges and provide recommendations to help position the organization for an effective and sustainable leadership model going forward.” P2P made eleven recommendations to guide the Executive Council. Following this assessment, the Executive Council (“EC”) prioritized five of these recommendations and held town hall meetings to discuss the Mazamas future. Based on feedback from the membership, the EC determined it was necessary to reflect on the current bylaws. Based on the results of the last election, the EC was wary of reopening old wounds. However, the board knew it was nearly impossible to discuss any of P2P’s recommendations without recognizing our bylaws are the foundation for addressing any of them. EC sought legal advice and recommendations from Stoel Rives. In consultation with P2P, our interim director, Kaleen Deatherage, and our legal counsel, the EC decided to request from counsel a complete rewrite of the existing bylaws resulting in proposed Amended and Revised Bylaws (“Proposed Bylaws”). In addition to beginning to address the recommendations, the Proposed Bylaws will help the Mazamas:
Attract Capable Experienced Leadership
Stabilize and Strengthen Our Finances
Adapt to the Changing World Around Us
All three of these goals are intertwined and are necessary first steps to follow through with positioning the Mazamas for an effective and sustainable leadership model going forward.
Attract Capable Experienced Leadership
The problem:
The Mazamas have not had a permanent executive director for over two years.
Before we can even begin the search for a new Executive Director we need to be an organization that attracts capable and experienced candidates.
The current bylaws do not give an Executive Director any authority or guidance to manage the organization. Because of this, it is doubtful the type of candidate we need will be attracted to our organization.
Path Created by Proposed Bylaws:
The Proposed Bylaws allow the board to hire an Executive Director with CEO level duties.
The Proposed Bylaws send a signal that the Mazamas is working towards a sustainable future and are a worthy investment.
An experienced candidate will design and implement a staff structure that will protect our investments and reduce costs, while at the same time identifying new revenue streams.
Stabilize and Strengthen Our Finances
The problem:
The Mazamas are operating in a deficit and at the current pace of spending it’s a matter of 3-4 years before we need to make the difficult decision to close our doors. Costs have been cut to a point that threatens the quality of our programs and memberships’ experience.
The current bylaws are a barrier to growth because they require the entire membership to vote on bylaws changes, including those that affect financial decisions such as adjusting our fee structure.
The glaciated peak membership requirement cuts the Mazamas off from millions of grant dollars and threatens our 501(c)(3) status.
Path Created by Proposed Bylaws:
The Proposed Bylaws expands the board and allows for recruitment of a broader set of skills that will enhance development, investment, and fiscal conservatism.
The Proposed Bylaws eliminate the requirement that all members vote on changes to the bylaws, which will give flexibility to a new board and an Executive Director to respond to emerging issues, preserve our investments, and explore alternative revenue sources such as external grants.
The Proposed Bylaws shifts the Mazamas fiscal year from Oct. – Sept., to a calendar year allowing for easier budgeting and planning.
Adapt to the Changing World Around Us
The problem:
The current bylaws do not conform to Oregon Revised Statutes and Federal IRS standards.
Both private and public foundations have changed their requirements for funding grant proposals and require organizations to not only remove barriers to membership (such as the glaciated peak requirement), but to address Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in their organization by demonstrating among other things, that the organization has a diverse board of directors.
The US Forest Service is increasing its scrutiny of non-profit outdoor organizations, such as the Mazamas, requiring the board to consider exploring and implementing alternative fee structures. The current bylaws prevents the board from exploring and implementing alternative fee structures, because it requires a vote of the membership to change membership fees, and the glaciated peak membership requirement eliminates flexibility in how the Mazamas conducts business in National Forests.
The Mazamas is a partner organization in multiple national efforts including the Mountaineering Education Alliance (“MEA”). The Mazamas are one of the original partners in the MEA which is working on a first of its kind national UIAA certification for volunteer training in the United States. The Mazamas have been a key player bringing credibility to this process. Other alliances that the Mazamas are considering joining are an important voice in public land and conservation policy, which directly impacts when and how we can operate in the outdoors. The Mazamas will lose a seat at the table because the current bylaws threaten the 501(c)(3) status of partner organizations currently allied with the Mazamas.
Path Created by Proposed Bylaws:
The Proposed Bylaws will bring the organization into legal compliance by removing provisions not typical of bylaws that can be made into policies, such as membership levels and who is covered by insurance indemnification. This gives the board more flexibility in making changes to these policies if needed in the future.
The Proposed Bylaws will eliminate future concerns from partner organizations about their 501(c)(3) status and allow the Mazamas to continue collaborating to influence national standards for volunteer training and public land and conservation policy.
The proposed bylaws will open the Mazamas up to revenue streams that can address immediate capital projects (e.g. replacement of the lodge roof) and allow the membership to continue to enjoy affordable benefits.
The Proposed Bylaws will provide a pathway to cost reduction through property tax exemptions not being realized under our current structure.
What is it time for us to let go?
The Glaciated Peak Requirement
The Mazamas became an institution despite its membership requirement, not because of it. This is evidenced by the variety of programming the Mazamas have offered over the last century that goes well beyond summiting a glaciated peak. Look no further than the thousands of street ramblers who would support the Mazamas mission, or the graduates of the FM101 program that despite having equivalent skills to BCEP, do not have an equal path to membership.
Membership Controlled Organization
The bylaws were codified at a time when the founders did not contemplate having potentially thousands of members. Nor could they have conceived of the internet. In a world of constant change it has become impractical, if not impossible to nimbly conduct business that requires a 2/3 vote from the membership for bylaws amendments. Virtually no 501(C)(3) exists today with as many members as the Mazamas that have an equivalent requirement.
How do we let those things go?
The Glaciated Peak Society
With these Proposed Bylaws the Mazamas will introduce the Glaciated Peak Society (“GPS”). The only requirement for membership will be you must be a Mazamas member in good standing, and you must have climbed a glaciated peak. This will acknowledge and preserve the long tradition of recognizing those who have experienced the top of a glaciated peak.
Members still get a say
Although it is not a typical feature of modern non-profit bylaws, Mazamas members will still be able to vote for prospective board members, making the majority of the board elected representatives. Members will also be able to vote to remove board members, and vote on any bylaws amendments that impact member rights, and major organizational decisions such as a merger, dissolution, or sale, lease, conveyance, exchange or other disposition of substantially all of the Mazamas’ property.
In addition, advisory committees will encourage the membership to engage with the board creating a more horizontal organizational structure. This has the potential to increase representation and broaden the diversity of opinions and experience available to the board to support initiatives and programming that advance our commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging, support our 501(c)(3) status, and increase our financial security.
A vote to approve the Proposed Bylaws shows a commitment to renewing the Mazamas, maintaining the organization, and preserving its history. Please visit The Route Ahead page for more information.
By Jesse Applegate, Outgoing Mazama Board President
In April 2022, the Mazamas learned of the new proposal by the Mount Hood National Forest to implement a fee-based climbing permit system for Mount Hood. We are grateful the Forest Service has included the Mazamas along with other local stakeholder groups from guide companies and Search & Rescue organizations to share the Forest’s perspectives, intentions, and to solicit feedback on the proposal.
The Mazamas is in agreement with the Forest in promoting better stewardship throughout Mount Hood National Forest, increasing safety and climbing education, and understands the Forest’s need to collect usage data; however, the Mazamas is opposed to the implementation of permit fees, and would prefer funding through other means at the federal level.
User fees create a barrier to under-represented groups that is counter to the mission of the Mazamas to inspire everyone to love and protect mountains. Imposing user fees shoulders the burden on individuals for supporting a federal agency that has seen its federal budget and number of personnel steadily reduced over the last 30 years while visitation and outdoor recreation has increased exponentially in the same period —especially in the COVID-19 pandemic. A well-funded Forest Service would benefit local economies beyond the interests of only outdoor recreationists, and the Mazamas would be interested in working with the Forest and other stakeholders to lobby for the restoration of proper funding to accommodate increased visitation and accomplish the goals of increased safety, education, and stewardship.
The incline was rapidly increasing below our crampons as the eight of us all looked up, oohing and aahing as the light emerged from behind Mt. Hood. Though we had talked about the climb for weeks, nothing could prepare me for this. I was unprepared for how breathtaking it would all be. How humbling. And how much I would love every minute. Everyone else had been up a mountain before, but this was my first time, ever.
After eight weeks of intensive mountaineering training with my Basic Climbing Education Program (BCEP) team, now I understood: how difficult it was, what discipline it took, how much of a commitment it was, why it was such an accomplishment. Not just standing on the top, but every step to get there. And safely home, as my dad always repeated.
When I was a little girl and our family friends came over for dinner, we often ended up in the basement watching slideshows of my parents’ peak-bagging heydays. In 1972, my parents transplanted from the east coast and immediately fell in love with the outdoors and joined the Mazamas. They eventually summited Mt. Hood 15 times—give or take a few attempts—along with the other 15 major peaks in the Pacific Northwest, before retiring after a third kid—yours truly—came along. All the slides of endless hiking and climbing up were a bit boring when I was five years old. I liked the pictures with the view from the top the best.
While circumnavigating the Timberline Trail in 2017, I started dreaming about seeing the view from atop Mt. Hood myself. I had hiked and backpacked a ton, but could I climb mountains? I couldn’t know until I tried.
Back when my parents taught BCEP in the 1970s there were only a couple thousand or so climbers in the entire U.S. In 2020, there were about 250 applicants to BCEP. I was elated to get accepted to a team, then bummed. The first and last class was on March 9, 2020. The world was officially in a global pandemic.
My calendar was already reserved for weekly conditioning hikes in April and May, so I found as much elevation as I could while everything was closed that spring, then socially distant ways to adventure all summer, culminating in another Timberline Trail completion. Instead of taking the fall and winter off per usual, I kept hiking on trails with fewer people and more solitude. I was even more excited to get accepted in 2021 and finally be on a team.
Above: BCEP 2021 Team #2 celebrates successfully graduating in May, 2021. Pictured (back to front, left to right): Jonathan Pape, assistant Laura Guderyahn, assistant Bridget Martin, leader Larry Beck, Rocio Herrera, Olivia Girod, Jules Williams, Andy Robbins, Randy Uhde. Not pictured: assistant Rebecca Lewis. Photo by Rebecca Lewis.
Our first conditioning hike was on a typical grey and breezy early spring morning in the Columbia River Gorge. I was nervous about my sore ankle and felt shy around so many strangers, so I lagged behind the rest of the ten-person BCEP team with one of the assistants. It didn’t take long for my body and heart to start warming up.
Within five minutes, the assistant started answering my inquisitive questions with “real talk”—I liked her immediately. Divorce, losing parents, family dynamics, career changes, dating, having a family. We had covered all the big stuff in our past, present, and future by the time our team stopped for lunch on Cook Hill overlooking Mt. Hood.
During the lunch break, we practiced rappelling down the hill from anchors attached to the trees. I easily replicated the completely-new-to-me sequence of steps with knots and gear because I could look and understand. But, the climbing commands repeated verbally just went in one ear and out the other.
The next morning we had our first indoor rock climbing session at the Mazama Mountaineering Center to learn how to climb, belay, and rappel for real. After a week of online modules, textbook reading, breakout group meetings, working out, hiking, and then climbing, I was pretty pooped by the end of the session.
“Jules. Hold up! Before I forget,” the assistant said as she walked over. She handed me flashcards that she generously made the evening after our hike so that I could practice the verbal commands on my own.
Six weeks later at our final indoor practice session, I knew the knots and commands by heart. Now, I was ready to practice the harder stuff, like falling. And the hardest stuff, like trust and dependence.
I had one more wall to try. Looking up, I saw the assistant nonchalantly leaning back into her harness and ropes on the one-inch thick and four-foot-long plywood ledge of the ice-climbing wall. Just like she was sitting in a hammock—made only of air.
Once I got up there, I immediately nudged my butt and back into the corner. We secured personal protection to the wall for me so I could set up my own rappel. Throughout the program, I specifically asked the instructors not to give me a hand unlocking a tricky carabiner or fixing the rope because I wanted to be capable of doing it all by myself. My mom used to joke that I tried to change my own diaper.
“Wait, before I rappel, can you show me how to do that?” I asked.
“Do what?” she replied.
“Lean into nothing.”
Even though I had three points of safety, the tears dripped down my face as soon as I leaned back from the wall. Defying all logic, the attachment felt insecure. The assistant, a trauma nurse and a mom, gently reassured me over and over about how each anchor point, knot, and carabiner was attached until I breathed more steadily and sniffled “thank you!” through my face mask. We both giggled.
It was not about the fear of falling. It was about trust. Depending on the anchors—set by others—and the personal protection—set by myself—for safety and support. Asking for and getting help. Being vulnerable to unknown weakness and strength.
According to Victoria Erickson, “When you’re a mountain person you understand the brilliance and beauty of contradiction. The way land can be your greatest teacher. How something can be both grounding and elevating, intoxicating and soothing, wild yet serene, intensely primal yet patient, and cycling yet predictable within the shifts and rhythms. Mountains keep us on the edge yet wrap us in the sensation of safety all at once. I don’t know of anything sweeter, or more magic-inducing than that.”
Just so, teamwork keeps us on the edge yet wrapped in the sensation of safety all at once.
Over the next seven weeks, we became a team: Catching mistakes as we safety checked each other’s gear, deciding not to complete a hike when folks didn’t feel well, navigating unclear trails, walking in each other’s snowy footsteps, and learning others’ fears and needs.
We were in it together. We all applied and were accepted for a Mt. Hood climb, though an unpredictable weather front of high winds and low temperatures moved in on our climb date. We had to be patient. Keep training and preparing. We wouldn’t set foot on the mountain for another two weeks, but the climb had begun.
The wait was well worth it. It was a perfectly clear night. The sweet, surprisingly warm breezes wafted by like someone just opened the oven door to check on some cookies. And carried the “silent but deadly” sour stink of rotten eggs rising from the dormant volcano’s sulfuric fumaroles.
Around 5:30 a.m. we stopped and watched in awe as the mountain’s shadow spread west across the forest below like a giant awakening, as magical as the crescent of blood orange moon that had risen from the darkness in the east. Or the Milky Way that arched up over us toward the south. Or the twinkling lights of Portland we’d seen toward the west.
My dad said he always enjoyed the journey of a climb, whereas my mom was driven by the goal of getting to the top. I did both—savored the beauty and worried about the slow progress of our large group. More stops, cautious steps, mild altitude sickness, varying speed. I wondered: How were we going to summit in time?
By 7 a.m. we only had 1,000 more feet to climb—we had covered 80% of the ascent mileage, but still had 80% of the difficulty to go. It was getting riskier by the minute as the sun continued to rise.
We paused in the Devil’s Kitchen to assess. It was only early June and the creek below the snow was shockingly visible with only an ice bridge across the fumaroles. We consulted briefly with another seasoned mountaineer, a father leading his 15-year-old son’s first ascent as they roped up together as a precaution and then promptly set off. There wasn’t much time for deliberation—instead, we needed decisions. Do we keep trying or turn around?
After crossing the Hogsback, we paused at the top of Hot Rocks, looking down the scree field of exposed rock. This was the exact spot where a 64-year-old man died the previous weekend while descending. The circumstances of the 500-foot fall had not yet been publicly released when we climbed. Of the 15,000-20,000 who attempt to climb it, one or two people die on Mt. Hood each year, on average. This was the first death since 2018.
This mixed extra fear into the excitement as we took the first steps up the crux of the Old Chute. We slowly progressed up the very steep incline following in others’ hardened bootsteps. Several small groups passed us and also returned from the summit to descend. Three skiers started descending above us and knocked small bits of snow debris down the face. We paused so we could communicate with them and assess safety.
Looking up, I estimated 40 steps to the next traverse that led over the edge and toward the summit, just out of eyesight some 200 feet further up. I turned around and finally really looked down, surprised to see familiar-looking terrain, just like the double black diamond ski runs that scared me while alone, but which I willing followed my older siblings down when I was a kid.
I heard one of the leaders make the call from below. We were turning around. The debris was the last straw. It was likely safe to proceed, but folks were done. I realized I could safely sit down, say a prayer of gratitude and take a few minutes to take it all in—not just the stunning blue sky view but everything that led up to that moment. Instead of disappointment, I felt fulfilled and capable. The dream came true. The goal was achieved. We gave it our all. So we weren’t at the tip-top, but we did climb a mountain together!
Sitting around the Timberline Lodge parking lot afterward our team shared salty snacks while celebrating and debriefing. Not only the climb, but everything we’d learned together—that climb, in the program, and during the pandemic. Could we do it? Heck yeah. And we would. Another day. This was just the beginning.
This article originally appeared in the January/February issue of the Mazama Bulletin. You can read other articles in that issue, and past issues, here.
Written by Kenneth Beebe in the 1926 Mazama Annual.
Editors note: The following is an exact reproduction of Beebe’s article with the original wording and grammar intact. The images are drawn from his 1920s era outfitting catalog.
“A few suggestions regarding equipment gleaned from ‘cold,’ ‘hard’ and ‘wet’ experience may be of interest to our members, particularly our· new ones. Merle Moore speaks the truth when he says, ‘Your pleasure will depend largely on your equipment,’ as you can easily spoil a wonderful trip by too much, too little, or not the right kind of an outfit.
One of the few legally licensed Mazama brand-named products.
In outfitting for any kind of a trip outdoors one must keep the weight and bulk down to comfortable essentials consistent with the means of transportation. A sleeping bag that will keep you warm is essential. A four-pound wool bat, covered with a wool-proof light sheeting, folded over and sewed across the foot and three-fourths up one side and inserted into a light outer bag, makes a very satisfactory bed. The four-pound bat is a much better weight for this climate than the three or three and a half pound. Such a bag should not weigh more than eight pounds complete. The eiderdown bag possesses more warmth for its weight than the wool bat with the advantage, in addition, of its compressibility for packing, They are also a number of patented bags on the market combining real warmth with light weight. Do not have the outer bag waterproof (except possibly on the bottom) as the body moisture, which has to be eliminated from the covering of the sleeper before he can be warm, will condense on the inside of the cover, drawing the heat away from your body instead of retaining it.
As a protection against rain at night, use either a light tent with waterproof ground cloth sewed in, weighing 3 1/2 to 4 pounds, or a waterproof silk fly about 9 ft. by 10 ft., which can be rigged up as an overhead tent only or, by putting one end on the ground with the sleeping bag on it and then bringing it up, around and over the hag, you can get the combination of tent and ground cloth. A light air mattress and pillow adds greatly to your sleeping comfort.
Good footwear is all important in walking over rocks and ice fields. Take one pair of stout, high topped boots, with low, broad heels, large enough to allow the wearing of two pairs of socks-one pair heavy wool and one light cotton or silk next to the skin, for this ensures comfort and prevents blisters. The souls should be heavy and nailed with cone-head Hungarian hob nails. The boots must be well greased and broken in. On the ice and hard snow, either Crampons (ice creepers) or a number of No. 3 or 4 winged screw calks, screwed into the soles and heels, will prevent slipping. Include a light pair of shoes like high tennis shoes or ankle high moccasins for comfort about camp-also sufficient additional hose according to the duration of the outing. A small quantity of one-inch zinc adhesive plaster is advisable for prevention against blisters.
An outing suit, preferable of wool or forestry cloth, a mosquito head net and mosquito dope in a small can, soft hat, heavy woolen shirt and a light one for camp, coat sweater or mackinaw coat, a suit of light all wool underwear for mountain climbing and your regular underwear for tramping and camp, three bandana handkerchiefs, gloves or mittens (one pair leather and one pair heavy wool), extra shoe laces, tin cup and plate, knife, fork and spoon, canteen, shoe grease or oil, pack hoard or rucksack, toilet roll with towels, soap, cold cream in tube, grease paint and lip stick, all of smallest size and weight, make up the outfit. A rain cape is a needed addition and better than a rain coat as it completely covers your pack and you do not perspire under it. For protection from the wind on the mountain top a windproof parka is a Godsend.
Goggles or amber colored glasses should be worn on the snow fields to prevent snow blindness. An alpenstock is generally used in this country in preference to an ice axe except by the experienced mountaineer. For light at night the carbide, electric flashlight or folding candle lantern will give real satisfaction on the trail and in camp. If you take a flashlight, don’t forget to take along an extra battery and bulb. A two-pound axe in sheath is a handy camp tool and a note book, pencil, writing paper, stamped envelopes, waterproof match box (a screw top shaving soap can, lined with blotting paper, makes a good one), pocket compass, pocket knife, map, and a few extra rawhide thongs or strong string are useful accessories. Don’t forget your song books, camera and extra films.
A good emergency first aid kit consists of 1 roll 2″ gauze bandage, absorbent cotton cloth in waterproof containers), listerine, mercerex, Unguentine, iodine and resinol. Take just a Iittle of each using very small containers.
Above all, be careful in getting together your outfit. Don’t buy anything until you need it and then buy only what you know you want. A good outfit, carefully selected, will give you constant satisfaction, while on the other hand you can sink a lot of money in stuff that is of no value to you nor anyone else.
