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Earth's first Lesbian, Gay, and BiSexual climbing club. | |
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Welcome New Members!
SC has 5 new members this month. We have 39 new members this year.
To one and all: Welcome! We're delighted to have members like you who are active in our sport and eager to share your adventures with other members of our tribe. Some of our new members climb in the 5.11/5.12 range! If you're looking for other lesbian, gay and bisexual climbers to climb with, be sure to check out the clubhouse.
-mike.h
New Membership Procedure
A proposal to ease membership requirements was voted down. As of beginning of this year, prospective members have be required respond to a letter of agreement. Beginning this month, prospective members must supply a brief description of their climbing experience and interests. The purpose of the additional requirement is not to exclude the inexperienced, you can still join even if you've never put boot to rock. The procedure is intended to make it more difficult for those whose sole purpose is to harvest our list of email addresses.
New Leadership Initiative
Last month I proposed the Idea of new leadership for our club to the membership. Here's a copy of the letter that was sent to the listserv on March 22, 2003:
Fellow Stonewall Climbers:
Thank you all for your support. As many of you are aware, Stonewall Climbers was founded in 1989. I joined in 1990. It became inactive soon after the Gay Games in New York in 1994. In 1995, I revived Stonewall as an online organization. Today we have 84 members.
During the past 7 years, I have been the primary (usually sole) volunteer, and have given the club more or less time as my schedule permitted. I regret that I wasn't more consistant.
With summer approaching fast, I have reached the decision that it's time for some new leadership. Any members who are interested in taking a more active role in Stonewall Climbers should contact me.
Ideally, if many people are interested, we could craft and vote upon bylaws, and then hold an election for leadership positions. However, just a single volunteer with energy, enthusiasm, a bit of skill with basic HTML, a talent for online organization, and willing to commit time on a regular basis could have a real impact! Presently, the normal organizational duties take only about 1 hour/week. As always, any and all opinions are welcome.
Stonewall Climbers will be 14 years old this summer. It's time to stop guiding it on top rope, and let it lead. If members are willing to commit, I'm sure the club can survive a few falls, and emerge on top as a leader in the world of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual outdoor sports associations.
Climb safely, -mike
Club Expansion Cancelled. Club continues to grow. Spring climbing season.
Those in favor of keeping our climbing focus strong and NOT expanding the club to include other outdoor activities have won the day. In the 6 months since the idea was proposed, only 3 members expressed support of the expansion. A greater number thought that expansion would delute our mission to provide a way for LGBT climbers find others like themselves and share experiences. No other alternatives were proposed, so no further action will be taken.
In other news, in spite of new policies that terminate membership for folk who bounce email for more than 60 days, and the new membership agreement that makes it harder to join Stonewall Climbers, the club has continued to grow. We now count 82 members. Only 2 prospective members have failed to agree within the 60 day limit. There are still 7 pending members, 3 of which will be denied membership if they fail to respond this month. Two (2) memberships have expired this year due to bouncing email for more than 60 days. On the positive side, the new policies have resulted in a dramatic decrease in spam sent to the listserv.
The spring climbing season is almost here! I'd like to take this opportunity to urge all members to spread the word about Stonewall Climbers to their local LGBT outdoor groups, and to consider organizing climbing events in your area. A "learn the ropes day" is a great way to introduce others to the sport. Local LGBT outdoor groups are a great place to find others interested in outdoor sports that may not have had the opportunity to try our favorite sport.
Well, it's only a couple days and already we're finding things that need fixin'. If someone wishes to hide their email address from the group, then the policy below isn't implementable...too bad. The option to force folks to reveal their email address, isn't offered by yahoo...and I don't think we'd want it anyway...privacy should be protected when a member desires it for any reason.
This morning, I granted membership to our 76th member, putting the agreement into the approval response. I've also implemented some experimental changes. An automatic agreement letter will now be sent to all "pending" members. These "experimental" changes are intended to make the process of signing up as painless as possible, but are subject to change without notice until the kinks are worked out.
A second, and perhaps bigger change is that messages are no longer viewable by non-members. This should increase the privacy of members, and remove the hesitation some have expressed about posting in a public forum where your email address cannot be hidden. It results in a minor inconvenience for members who must now "sign in" to yahoo groups to view message archives. It is hoped that this will make our members less hesitant to post, and increase the participation of our people...who, after all, are our most valuable resource. Another benefit is that it gives folk who are reluctant to join an incentive to commit. This should benefit the membership in general because the larger our organization grows, the more useful membership will become.
As always, the views of the membership will be taken into consideration with any policy change, so if you're a member and have something to say,...just sent it.
-mike.h
Stonewall Climbers Admin
Happy New Year! As promised, a new membership procedure is being explored. As of today all persons who apply for membership will receive an email to which they must respond before membership is granted.
The email message asks for agreement to the following terms:
Please note: By joining Stonewall Climbers, you agree not to engage in Rude or illegal behavior. Rude behavior includes spamming the list, sending pornography to the list or posting it to the member area, "outing " anyone, or racist, misogynist or homophobic comments. Such behavior will result in the immediate termination of your membership privileges.
Although this extends the process of obtaining membership slightly, I feel that this is a very minor cost to bear to join in one of Earth's best clubs. (And it's still nothing compared to the anticipation I felt waiting for the snail mail back in SC's pre-internet days!)
As always, membership feedback is appreciated, so if you have questions, concerns, suggestions, or complaints, please send 'em.
mike.h
Stonewall Climbers Admin
Avalanche kills 2 on Mt. Washington
Boston Globe reported on December 1, 2002 that two men, Thomas Burke, 46, of Springfield, N.H. and Scott Sandburg, 32, of Arlington, MA, were killed in an avalanche in Tuckerman Ravine on Mt. Washington on Friday, 29 November 2002. Both were experienced climbers. Our condolences to their families.
Note to winter climbers: the posted avalanche danger that day was "moderate". Avalanche danger doesn't have to be considered "high" for the risks to be real!
In the past 30 days, 2 members have been expelled for spamming the mailing list. An additional 4 members have withdrawn, in at least one case, because they were offended by obscene spam sent to our mailing list by one of the subsequently expelled members. Therefore, new membership requirements are under consideration.
Recent spam messages sent to the mailing list came from folk who asked for and were granted membership in Stonewall Climbers. Back in September, in an effort to limit spam, we began requiring membership in order to post messages. In addition, membership was no longer open, it had to be requested. Until now, I have simply granted membership to anyone who asked for it. I thought that would be sufficient to keep the spammers out. I was mistaken. Spammers are evidently willing to sign up just so they can spew their obscene crap on our mailing list.
My feeling now, after some complaints, is that membership should no longer be granted so freely. In the virtual club world, where there is no cost to join, there is no cost to spammers who want to abuse our collective good will. I have neither the time, nor the inclination, to do background checks on prospective members. However, I think the time has come to create a formal agreement to which all new members must consent. I would like to have this implemented by year end 2002.
The input of the current membership is requested.
As there is likely to be some debate about the merits of this proposal, please use the clubhouse mailing list to voice your opinion. Thank you.
-mike.h
N.B.: Yes, I'm already aware that the list can be changed into a "moderated" list. This would result in all messages being individually approved before they are posted. I am not in favor of such a change for 2 reasons:
... 1. It places additional work on the only member who currently volunteers to maintain the website, etc.
... 2. Because I have to earn a living, and in my free time I'd rather be climbing, it could take some time before messages are checked and approved. This would destroy the ability of members to communicate freely and with the immediacy that we currently enjoy. From my point of view, the elimination of occasional spam is not worth destroying what I consider to be one of Stonewall Climbers' best features!
Members voice they're opinions about expanding Stonewall Climbers. See the messages in the clubhouse.
Congratulations to founding member John Yanson and friends on the summit of Grand Teton! Congratulations to Craig Pack on winning gold in the sport climbing event in Sydney!
Ice Climbing anyone? The 19th annual IGLOO Winter Rendezvous
is coming!
Wednesday, 5 February 2003 through Sunday, 9 February 2003 in Stowe, VT, USA.
To register visit the IGLOO Site.
Gay Games VI
in Sydney are over.
Gay Games VII
are coming to Montreal in 2006!
Note that climbing was not one of the 31 "official" sports of GG-VI. Perhaps, if there's enough interest, we can change that by 2006.
Member's voice their opinion of the expansion proposal:
Got an opinion? For fastest response, post it in the messages area of the clubhouse. If you want it posted here, send it to rockclimbers@yahoo.com, I'll usually get to it within a week (unless I'm on expedition!)
-mike (11/15/2002)
11/08/02
Mike,
I first wanted to thank you for all the hard work you’ve put into the Stonewall Climbers website. But I have to say that I am very concerned about your proposal to expand the focus of interest of Stonewall Climbers (SC). In addition I also have many concerns about your arguments in favor of such a change.
1. I don’t see the relevance of this “let’s work with, not against other LGBT outdoor groups” notion. As I see it SC has never worked against anything or anyone. Who’s threatened?
2. Your reference to your age…”mid-40’s, and no longer climb competitively”. When did you ever compete? If climbing was about competition for you, then I’m afraid you missed the beauty of climbing. Is this some self –imposed ageist bias on your part? I once had a 65 year old climber pass me on a climb, and by the time I dragged my tired butt into camp, I found him doing pull-ups in the parking lot. I climb with a 47 year old Lesbian who just led her 1st 5.8 after only 2 months of climbing. These things inspire me.
3. By becoming another Gay general outdoor group we are in fact competing with other groups such as Great Outdoors, Gay and Lesbian Sierrans, Chiltern etc… Having a specialized nitch actually eliminates competition to and from other queer outdoor groups.
4. Yes, more queers live in rural or non-urban areas. If their needs are diverse then maybe they should go with a group like the Sierrans or Great outdoors. These organizations already have interest groups and activities in place. Stealing members from them would only weaken their organizations.
5. You suggested that maybe some queers may find their local outdoor organization not “hard-core” enough. So should we become a “hard-core” hiking/”soft-core” climbing club?
6. Again, there are enough outdoor queer groups. If the need is there they can expand. But, there is only one queer climbing group.
7. There is a camaraderie that only climbers share, and a passion others don’t understand. I see it in the two new climbers I’m now mentoring. I first climbed with them at a queer climbing gathering I arranged back in August (via Stonewall).
I wonder if there is a need for the organization to expand in numbers that I’m not aware of. Sure, I’d love there to be hundreds of queer climbers. Maybe there are, but if they’re not coming to a website specifically for climbing, I seriously doubt they’d come to a less specific site.
I’m not trying to be elitist or exclusionary, just practical and realistic. Please consider the opinions of other members (especially those outside of your group) before making such a drastic change. Please post this rebuttal as conspicuously as your original proposal.
Sincerely,
Calvin Kilcrease
15 November 2002
Calvin,
Thanks for your opinion. I think you make some valid points. As for the plan to expand, as always, the membership will eventually decide. So far the opinions that I've received are about equally split for and against. One correction if I may be allowed: we are not the only gay climbing club in existance.
I've posted your letter on the news page, and I noticed that you also posted it to the membership area, which is great, because some members get news primarily that way and it's faster than waiting for me to have time to update pages manually.
Thanks for your thoughts, I really appreciate your contribution and hope that you will continue to be involved in the future direction of Stonewall Climbers.
May your best climbs lie ahead,
-mike
In spite of recent expulsions for spamming and withdrawals by some who were offended by spam (or just have weak constitutions), Stonewall Climbers now boasts 70 members! That is, even after removing the inactive, the spammers, and the faint of heart, we've still added 10 to our number since October 2002. To see who we are, visit the clubhouse. Sign in and go to the members link.
Although we recently purged our member list of those whose email addresses bounce mail, we still have 60 active members in the virtual Stonewall Climbers! This is still far short of our "pre-virtual" member base of ~120 members. Still, we're continuing to grow as a virtual organization and word is spreading... More than half of our members have signed up since January 2002!
The Stonewall Outdoor Sports Network!
The Stonewall Climbers Website Redesign Project!
It's time for fresh ideas! On a recent hike in the White Cap range in central Maine, the idea came to me that perhaps Stonewall Climbers has been too limited in its aims and goals. This trip involved several of the founding members, who, like me, are now in their mid 40's. We no longer climb competitively. Some of us no longer climb at all, some limit their activities to less challenging climbs, some to rock gyms, while some still climb mountains. (One of the founders just climbed the Grand Teton!) What all of us have in common, however, is a love of the mountains and great joy from the comraderie of our like-minded fellows.
One of Stonewall Climbers original stated goals was support of, rather that competing against local Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual/Transgendered (LGBT) outdoor clubs. More than 12 years have passed and the world has changed. For one thing, almost everyone has access to email and the internet today. We embraced this change as an organization nearly 5 years ago when we went "pure virtual".
Another change for the LGBT community is that it has grown more diverse and wide-ranging. In the 21st century, a smaller percentage of LGBT folk live in the "gay ghettos" of the major cities. Many gay people today live in areas where there is no local LGBT outdoor group. Many more live in smaller cities and towns where, if there is a group at all, it functions only intermittently. Still others find that the outdoor activities favored by their local outdoor group are not sufficiently "hard-core" for their tastes.
One of Stonewall Climbers (SC) greatest strengths was that it brought together men and women from all corners of the Earth! Today, I have friends in many states and several foreign countries because of SC. Meeting and learning from people from far and wide is something that locality based LGBT outdoor clubs typically don't offer. The exception, of course, is if their members participate in IGLOO events.
So, all that said, I propose to expand Stonewall Climbers to include hiking, backpacking, non-technical climbing, mountain biking and other outdoor sports. (With emphasis on "sports", no antique shopping trips!) Because we want to continue the tradition of Stonewall Climbers as a resource for LGBT climbers, the name and basic function of Stonewall Climbers should remain unchanged. The new functions will be rolled out under the name "Stonewall Outdoor Sports Network" (SOSN).
As before, we want to work with, not against, established local LGBT outdoor groups. Members interested in helping to build SOSN, especially those willing to work as liasons to local LGBT outdoor groups, are encouraged to contact mike at rockclimbers@yahoo.com.
Feedback from those who consider themselves currently active in the organization is desired. So, be vocal, speak your mind, and send your opinion.
Thank you!
-mike (September 2002)
If you've been here before, you may notice some changes. Several years have passed since the Stonewall Climbers Website has had an upgrade. Boreal Fall/Winter 2002 seemed like a good time to revamp the website again, and I've begun making changes. So if you have an idea, opinion or contribution you've been meaning to send us, now is the time. Send 'em to rockclimbers@yahoo.com
Stonewall Climbers and Stonewall Outdoor Sports Network is free to join, but as with anything in life, you get out of it in proportion to what you put into it! So be daring, get involved. Participation of the membership is as vital to our club as friends are to first ascents.
Thanks and climb safely!
-mike (28 September 2002)