Latest News

08/18/2010 Board Nomination Time COP Board Nomination Time Now is the time to put your name in the hat for October’s Board Member Election. The COP Board is composed of 10 elected members and not more than 10 ex-officio members (Activity & Project Leaders) who are nominated by the president and approved by the Board. The elected members serve two-year terms, five elected each year. Only elected members may be officers. The Board meets on the 1st Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM for a minimum of 9 meetings per year, including the election board meeting in October (3rd tuesday) and the Board Retreat (first Saturday in November, all day). The COP Board is a Governing Board, meaning that work is done by committees, motions come to the board in advance, in writing, with accompanying documentation to reduce the amount of discussion needed during the board meeting. Board members are expected to review the motions and background information, and ask questions before the board meeting. Board members are expected to serve on 2 or more committees. Rights Of Executive Board Members •    To be fully informed about the responsibilities and time commitments before accepting the position of Executive Board member. •    To be kept fully informed through accurate financial reports, minutes, and committee reports about the operation of the Organization. •    To expect that volunteer time will not be wasted by lack of planning, coordination, and cooperation within the organization or Executive Board. •    To be assigned jobs that are worthwhile and challenging with freedom to use existing skills or develop new ones. •    To be able to decline a job if it is felt that the skills and interests necessary for the job are not appropriate. •    To have successful job experiences that provide opportunities for personal growth. •    To be trusted with confidential information that will help the board member carry out assignments and responsibilities. •    To be recognized at appropriate times for the work done and the involvement as a Board member. Legal Obligations Of Executive Board Members The reasonably prudent person avoids: •    Mismanagement - Failure to follow fundamental management principles, e.g. failure to ensure that planning occurs; failure to review reports for problems. •    Non-Management - Failure to use existing opportunities for good management. •    Self Dealing - Voting on decisions in which the Board member may face personal gain. Attending meetings is important because one is held accountable for decisions made whether one is there or not. Reading minutes and other documents about which decisions are to be made is critical. Board Members are expected to ask questions when they do not understand or are in need of more information, and also to dissent when they need to do so. For information, or to nominate yourself or a friend, contact the Nominating Committee: Pat Smith hiking AT outdoor-pursuits.com614/443-5226 Jennifer Thurmond wwaterjen AT yahoo.com 614/890-6269 Keith Finn orcafinn AT gmail.com  614/890-6269 07/24/2010 Knox County Bicycle Challenge The Knox Coutny Bicycle Challenge aka KCBC is now accepting regsitrations.  For information and form, see cycling/tours. 07/24/2010 Columbus Fall Challenge Columbus Fall Challenge (CFC) is now accepting registrations.  See Cycling/tours for information and to download a registration form. 11/19/2009 COP Leaders, Need releases? COP Release Forms Go to About COP, then Leadership Training and scroll down to find the link to the release.  The 8.5x14 size if preferred, but if you do not happen to have legal size paper, download the  8.5x11 form. The Incident Report form is also here. 11/19/2009 Psst! Wanna buy a map? Login to the Member area, then click on Merchandise. 07/30/2009 New Hiking Program - Trail Running COP will be starting up a new program under the Hiking Activity, Trail Running.  In its most basic form, trail running is simply running on hiking trails.  See the Hiking article for more information. Our inaugural trip is scheduled for Saturday, August 15th on the day loop trail at Zaleski State Forest.  Contact trip leaders Sharon Seslar (sharon.seslar@gmail.com) or Lisa Fine (lisafine@flexotech.net) for more information. If you can't make this trip or just want to learn more about this sport, we will also be presenting at the September Hiking Program Meeting.   See the Activity Schedule for more information. See you on the trails! 06/10/2009 Website Update - Message Board Hey members!  We are continuing to make updates to our website.  Most of the improvements lately have been behind-the-scenes updates, like admin modules to make maintenance and adding new info easier.  But, one of the big things to roll out lately is the Message Board.  There is a separate forum for each of our activities.  This is a great place to post messages about upcoming trips, meet up with like-minded outdoor COP enthusiasts, report on trail/river/trip conditions, or just post your thoughts about a particular activity.  Check it out:  on our website, click on the "Message Board" link on the left menu.  Please note that messages are moderated and anything deemed as inappropriate will be removed.  We'll keep you posted on other upcoming website updates, to be rolled out soon, including:  Member's Area:  where you can update your membership information  Online Registration:  register for classes and events, including membership & renewals, online!  Online Purchasing:  purchase your favorite COP merchandise online 12/24/2008 Check out our NEW website!! If you're looking for the website for Columbus Outdoor Pursuits, the non-profit outdoor-oriented activities organization based in Columbus, OH, don't worry . . . you're here!  We just have a new look.  As mentioned in the November newsletter, we've finally updated our website!! Earlier this year, the COP Executive Board decided that our existing website needed a facelift.  We hired Flighthost to design and build this new site.  Yesterday, 12/23/08, we hit the switch and turned off our old site, and Release 1 of the new site is what you are seeing here.  It contains the same information as our previous site, but in an updated, easier-to-use-and-find (and maintain) format.  One of the biggest improvements is the Activity Calendar, which now allows you to view ALL activities for a given month, or filter it down to your favorite.  It's a great planning tool for those of you who enjoy the outdoors in more than one way!  We've also added photo galleries for all our activities, "Latest News" and "Upcoming Events" sections on the homepage for fast reads on important events and upcoming activities, and standardized our pages for easier navigation and a more consistent look.  But, this is just the beginning.  With Release 2, we will offer a Members Login Area (where members can update their contact information), Chat Room, activity calendar downloads, and online event registration, merchandise purchase and membership renewal.  So, stay a while and look around . . . and keep coming back!  We want this website to be your source for information on the latest trips, upcoming events, and news on COP.  If you have any comments, feel free to send them our way . . .  contact the COP office at office@outdoor-pursuits.org or Sharon Seslar at sharon.seslar@gmail.com.

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1525 Bethel Rd Ste 100 · Columbus OH 43220-2054
614-442-7901