by Jim Foster, Secretary, KTA Board of Directors
Since our founding almost 60 years ago, Keystone Trails Association has sought innovative and effective ways to promote our key objectives of maintaining hiking trails and promoting hiking. KTA's leadership was recently approached by a group that wishes to do trail maintenance (and possibly also group hikes) within the Allegheny National Forest. They asked us if they could start a group or committee under KTA's sponsorship. Our staff and executive committee began brainstorming solutions.
We found that KTA's by-laws allow us to establish committees to carry out activities that further KTA's mission. The KTA Board may appoint both Board members and non-Board members to a "special committee," and can delegate to the committee such authority as the Board believes is necessary or desirable for the efficient management of the property, affairs, and activities of our organization.
At its July meeting, the Board passed a resolution indicating that we are willing to create a special committee in cases where a group wishes to perform activities normally performed by KTA, such as trail maintenance, hiking, etc. We will not create a special committee for these purposes in geographic regions where an existing member club is already operating. The Board is only willing to establish a special committee like this where there is a void in a geographic area, and never to compete with an existing club.
When a proposal comes to us to establish a new special committee, the Executive Director and other appropriate KTA representatives will begin discussions with the group. We will ask the group to put in writing what they propose to do, and what they request from KTA, and then we will then enter into a dialogue with the group. At the end of this dialogue, we will bring a specific proposal to the Board and ask it to create a special committee. The Board will make the final decision as to whether to create the special committee.
Here is an example of how this might work. The Board might create a special committee, perhaps named the Allegheny National Forest Trail Care Special Committee. Any KTA member in good standing can become a member of this committee by simply requesting to be a member, though presumably most of the members would be folks who want to participate in trail care or hiking within the ANF. Only current KTA members can be members of this committee. The members would elect a Chair and Vice Chair of this special committee. The committee officers will deliver periodic reports on their work to the KTA Board and Council. Although the committee may raise funds to support their work, all contributions must be made directly to Keystone Trails Association, and will be under the general supervision of the KTA Treasurer and finance staff. The special committee will, of course, not be a separate legal organization. They must be careful to make it clear to third parties including contributors that they are acting as a committee of KTA and not a separate organization.
We have asked the Executive Director to begin a dialogue with the group that has approached us and report back to us on their progress. We will keep our membership informed of our progress. We encourage members to give us their comments and suggestions. Please contact Curt Ashenfelter, Executive Director, if you have any questions or feedback about this intiative, at ktahike@verizon.net.