Check out the hikes scheduled for June 26 (Rose River Falls); July 10 (Cedar Run); August 7 (Hughes River); and August 14 (Overall Run Trail) to combine a hike with a swim. Other options include the Memorial Day and Labor Day weekend hikes on a Sunday to Chincoteague Island and the Assateague National Seashore. These outings combine a hike with optional sun, sand, and surf activities.

CHC is blessed to have a great cadre of volunteers. Vickie Soderberg, our long-term treasurer, stepped down at the April Board meeting. Vickie served the Club for 10 years as our treasurer, managed our finances and most recently helped CHC navigate the recent recession with minimal financial loss. She was the point of contact for the hike leaders sending in their trip reports, made sure our bills were paid on time, and was instrumental in securing and maintaining our current bus contract with Crown. Vickie assures us that she will remain a hike leader and join us on future hikes. The CHC Board honored Vickie at our April meeting with a plaque and a framed picture taken by Bill Seelig. Thank you, Vickie, for your service to CHC!

The Moonlight and Urban Trailers hikes began in March and will continue through October. This is a great way to have new members check us out. Please invite your friends and neighbors.

We love new hikers and CHC gets several on each hike. We have also noticed that some new hikers may not know/expect the rigor of the hike or have appropriate equipment or footwear. The Board discussed this issue and recommended that hike leaders screen the hikers with the recommendation that new hikers opt for the short hike their first time with the Club, so they can gauge their abilities and complete the hike safely.

The quarterly CHC Board Meeting occurred January 24 at Roz Rubin’s house in Ballston. Briefly,

- We recognized Vickie’s 10 years of service to the Club.

- Board elections were held. All current Board members were re-elected, except Alla Doroshko has replaced Vickie Soderberg as treasurer.

- Financial procedures were reviewed along with changes in procedures due to the new treasurer. Hike leaders begin sending reports to Alla in May.

- Hike leader training is tentatively scheduled for July in conjunction with our quarterly meeting. We are looking for a suitable location.

The next Board meeting will be Sunday, July 25. We are looking at an outdoor location to combine our quarterly meeting with hike leader training. Please check out the website for the location and time.

Al Havinga, CHC President