Updated Leadership Information is available here

The UMOC Trip Leaders are club members who have worked to fulfill a set of guidelines that UMOC has developed and maintains for people wishing to lead official club trips. The idea of a trip being ‘official’ is meant to convey that UMOC has taken the time and care to try and make sure the person(s) leading the trip have at least some basic skills in first aid and leadership as well as specific safety and practical skills for the activities their trips involve. Trips and leaders designated as official are UMOC’s way of taking some responsibility for promoting people learning how to have safe, fun times in the outdoors and caring for and conserving our outdoor resources.

The club also understands there are going to be situations that arise where people who have not become official trip leaders are going to want to lead trips and activities. The club doesn’t have a policy to discourage people from this. We approach it from two sides. The first is that we encourage people to look into becoming official UMOC trip leaders. We don’t try to make that hard. We just want to try our best to make sure people have safe trips and fun! On the other hand we ask people who are not official trip leaders to make people aware of that and describe their trips as unofficial in terms of being a ‘UMOC’ trip. This applies in particular to advertising such trips on our bulletin board in the Student Union and our online message board. Become a UMOC trip leader! Read on for the requirements we’ve established for doing this! 🙂

Leaders, please fill out this form to the best of your knowledge prior to leaving for your trip: Official Trip Info form

UMOC Trip Leader Training Requirements (from our club’s constitution)

To ensure the safety and quality of club trips, the following procedures shall be required of all trip leaders:

1.) The prospective trip leader must co-lead two club trips, acting as the primary trip leader on the second trip.

2.) Completing any additional training requirements as set by the business meeting.

3.) Participating in the next available Leadership Training Weekend.

Upon the completion of steps (1) and (2), the prospective trip leader will be presented to the business meeting by the activity chairperson of the particular activity. A 2/3rd’s majority vote of the officers and activity chairpersons is required to approve the trip leader. Upon completion of the vote, the prospective trip leader shall be given a summary of comments. Failing approval, the prospective trip leader will be expected to fulfill additional requirements as recommended by the activity chair prior to reconsideration.

Upon a 2/3rd’s majority vote of the business meeting, appropriate certifications and/or experience may be substituted for one required co-leading trip.

Once a trip leader is approved in a business meeting, s/he may begin leading trips in the particular activity. However, s/he may not train prospective trip leaders until the completion of step (3).

If there are no trip leaders for an activity, a current trip leader may be elected for the position upon completion of requirements set out by the business meeting.