All
about the WeMOG! - West Michigan Outdoor Group
So, we hope this helps you know more about us. To join us, send a message to WeMOG.Central@Gmail.com with your name and contact information, and come join in our fun!"
"During the winter of 2004-05, several folks
of the Muskegon area (many from the old Muskegon Hiking Club) often talked
about the need for a meeting place for people interested in participating in
outdoor activities. They needed a place to "meet-up" with
like-minded people and to share their love of enjoying the many outdoor
activities that are available to us here in our wonderful state. They
wanted to have available a support system and safety in numbers for their
outings.
In March of 2005, their dream came true. The
YMCA of Muskegon graciously donated the use of one of their rooms to
meet. Between 15 - 20 people showed up to discuss how to
continually connect up with each other... how to keep the word going, how to
share information about area events, and how to support each other.
As we are not an official club, having no
officers or newsletter, we devised a plan using the wonderful world of
"communicating with computers." We communicate about
gatherings, ideas and plans in a "round-robin" system, sending and sharing
information to each other through our e-mails. (We do have some
members who do not have computers; they make arrangements to get their
information from another member who does.)
Interested people can join us by sending a
message to our shared e-mail ID (wemog.central@gmail.com) with their name and contact
information.
They are added to the WeMOG Central e-mail list maintained for members'
use. They watch their computer mailings for all the
"scoop." Then it is up to them to become as involved as they
want to be.
Meetings are held every 4th Tuesday of the
month,
with a notification about the time, place, and other details sent to members by
e-mail within a week of the meeting. During the summer we have been meeting
at parks so we can have a potluck supper followed by a short meeting. Summer
meeting times commonly start at 6:30pm and, often, some come earlier to
participate in their activity before the meeting. (around 3:00 or
3:30pm). Kayaking and hiking are now the most popular meeting activities.
During the winter we meet at 6:00 pm at area restaurants for dinner and
a meeting to schedule events for the coming month.
The group is a very loose knit group. No by-laws, no
commitments, no fees, and no elected officers. We are a gathering place
to share outdoor interests and activities. (To be considerate of others
participating, we ask that children and pets be left at home.) Special
organized events to include families and their 4-legged friends can be planned.
:)
We have opted to call ourselves the West
Michigan Outdoor Group (WeMOG), with smaller-interest groups within
it.
The Bike Group currently meets on
Monday mornings. Each week, they bike between 15 to 35 miles, depending
on their selected route. They bike at about 10 mph, often stop to enjoy the
sights, and bring lunch/drinks to have along the way.
The purpose is to "support ride" in
case of a break down, etc. If you want to participate and not go the
entire ride, bring a friend who can turn back with you. It's a buddy
system for safety....(the whole purpose of participating in the group)...
always two people biking together. Each week someone sends the details of
the next ride around to the e-mail list of friends.
The Kayaking Group currently meets
Wednesday mornings. Each week is different, depending on the location -
lake or river and time available. Each week, someone sends the details around
about where to meet, time, etc.
Each year we have also organized and held a
few two-day to week-long events held at more distant locations in Michigan or
other states. Attending members each take the responsibility for researching,
planning, and making reservations for the event. The shared planning has made
for pleasant and fruitful enjoyment of national parks and other interesting
areas of the country.
There are responsibilities to making this a
success.
When there is a need, someone "volunteers" to fill that need.
Volunteers are: making arrangements for our monthly meeting
places, taking notes at meetings, and recapping the monthly meetings and
happenings. Volunteers keep everyone informed on these events.
Volunteers put together information sheets, resource lists, and member
lists. Several have helped with organization contacts, meeting
arrangements and programs. If you see a need, please volunteer.
We maintain activity interest lists for bicycling,
hiking, kayaking, downhill skiing, cultural events, snowshoeing, and cross-country
skiing. We encourage anyone and everyone to organize or suggest
events and outings at a time and place they choose. We can only benefit
from the knowledge and experience of folks that might enjoy the outdoors in
little-known locations. One can lead the group or just suggest a new place to
gather and explore together. It can be as informal or formal as one wants
it to be.
Just organize an event, place, date, time,
directions, equipment list if needed, etc., and list a contact person and
number to call. Type up a short message and send it to the appropriate
activity group(s). And let the fun begin!
When attending an activity, we request that
you call ahead to the contact person. This will give the person heads-up on
who to count on and also so they can let you know if the event needs to be
canceled. It will also give you the opportunity to recheck all the
important information.
We also encourage folks to suggest and
organize monthly meeting programs. One can invite a business to come and
demonstrate, share tales and pictures of one of their own adventures, or bring
in a knowledgeable person on a specific topic. This will be especially helpful
for those winter months when we're not so busy. However, winter brings
time to ski and snowshoe!
Several in our group are members of Michigan
outdoor organizations. They often will list and share information with
others so they can attend their events. Most notable are:
1) Sierra Club; 2) North
Country Trail Association; 3) Ottawa County Parks and Recreation;
4) WMCKA West Michigan Coastal Kayaking Association; 5)
Adopt a Beach Program - Lake Michigan Federation
These are great organizations for you to join
also. We make available a resource list with web sites, etc. for these
organizations and other places of interests.
So, we hope this helps you know more about
us. To join us, send a message to WeMOG.Central@Gmail.com
with your name and contact information, and come join in our fun!"
(Sorry,
we don't have a web site.)
Hope To See You On The Trail!!
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