OHA Annual Meeting
Meeting Minutes, November 4, 2023
Called to Order: 7:15pm
Attendance
After a roll call across the decades, 1960s clearly represented in the great numbers! There were 53
voting members in attendance, and a quorum was established.
President (Stroker Rogovin)
Stroker went through a number of recognitions including:
Cabin Committee: Brian Post, Emily Benson, and Schroeder Steward
Website: Schroeder Steward and Brian Post
Steering Committee
4 huts managers at today’s event: Joel White, Ken Olson, Chris Thayer, Benny Taylor
Current AMC staff
Tonight’s speakers: Nicole Zussman, Brian Fowler
AMC President (Nicole Zussman)
Nicole expressed her connection to the AMC mission and personal history with the huts from visiting
Galehead in July 2014. She spoke some about peer competition and how the organization will be
focused on marketing, delivering on our promise, and turning around recent deficits through lodging.
Nicole also drew a personal link between the huts and her experience with camps being about dear
friends and shared values. She concluded by encouraging donations to legacy.outdoors.org.
Honorary Award (Ken Olson)
Ken spoke about the Honorary Award given to Betsy Bird, the former Head Secretary at Pinkham, and
shared some photos from that presentation in Randolph in September.
Huts Update (Bethany Taylor and Amanda Fisher-Katz-Keohane)
All eight huts ran really well this year, although it was a wet season, with 27” of rain in July alone.
Thanks to Amanda for all she did before departing for maternity leave and the staff who made it come
together. Bethany echoed the “joy” that Nicole spoke about in the mission with what happens in the
huts.
Current Croo Huts Update (Samana Young and Tom Oliver)
Much in the huts remain the same: pack high and tight using a diamond hitch, find entertainment
indoors during rainy season, raiding may still happen, hut systems fail sometimes and require ingenuity
as well as some options for things like cooking steam in the compost bin, huts are still kept clean and
tidy, it’s a summer of spending time with friends and hiking, there may be some cell service in places but
still none at Zealand, the huts offer many culinary delights but with more dietaries, sometimes cooking
efforts still fail, but we live for the magical sunsets and sunrises and work with incredible people.
Thanks to previous generations of OH for making this possible.
Treasurer Report (Alex Ziko)
We had another good year, with the current fund balance being $143,959, which is up 13.3% from last
year. Over the past year, we did a lot to increase efficiency, reduce costs, and find frictionless ways to
take in revenue. Thanks to all OHA members.
Presentation of the following Steering Committee Officers and Members-at-large for 2024
Lawrence “Stroker” Rogovin: President
Phoebe Howe: Vice-President
Anne-Laure “AL” Razat for Treasurer
Jared Liu: Secretary
Emma “EB” Brandt: Resuscitator Editor
Carter Bascom: Secretary Emeritus
Kim “Schroeder” Steward: Website
Bethany “Benny” Taylor: Huts ex officio
Jesse Carlson: Member at Large
Al Kamman: Member at Large
Doug Shaffer: Member at Large
Deirdre Vander Schaff: Member at Large
Gerry Whiting: Member at Large
Action: Alex made a motion to accept the whole slate, seconded by Phoebe Howe, unanimously approved
Cabin Update (Emily Benson)
Thanks to Mike Waddell who oversees special projects for cabin, the Cabin Committee (Schroeder,
Dawson, and Liz Seabury), Spring Reunion (Richard Stetson, Bridget Qualey, Saphora Stetson),
Landscaping (John Lammana), and Storm Window team (Dawson, Gloria). Projects completed in 2023
included: added a rear door from the 1st floor bunkroom, completed the fall firewood challenge, created
a Code of Conduct, upgraded electrical, and recharged fire extinguishers.
Trails (Bill Barrett)
OH worked on the Old Humtmen’s Trail during Spring Reunion, participated in an OH volunteer day
working on the Old Bridle Path as part of major work being done to the Franconia Loop.
Featured Speaker (Brian Fowler)
Brian is the Director of the Mount Washington Observatory and Director of the Old Man of the
Mountain Legacy Fund. After leading an afternoon tour of the Old Man of the Mountain, Brian Fowler
gave a talk about the site. The Old Man of the Mountain fell on May 3, 2003, and this year was the 20th
Anniversary of the collapse. It’s a special site for many reasons including that Cannon Cliff is the largest
cliff east of the Rocky Mountains. In the development of I-93, the state surveyed whether this rock
formation could survive the development, and Brian participated in that work. Unfortunately, Conway
Granite has poor tensile strength and has been eroding. 5000 of the 7500 tons of rock are still there and
still unstable. Looking at future plans for that site and the larger historic site. Please feel free to make a
donation to oldmannh.org (not .com).
Other Bidness
Use the cabin. It’s a great resource!
Land north of our cabin may be coming for sale in the near future. Stay tuned!
Next year: 5/11 Spring Reunion, 11/2 Fall Fest, Steering Committee meetings via Zoom quarterly, as well
as some additional social events.
Virtual: 1/9, 4/16, 6/11, 9/24, 11/19
In-person: 2/24 Bertucci’s Cambridge, 5/10 at Shannon Door, 5/11 Spring Reunion, 11/2 Fallfest
Thanks to Phoebe Howe for planning the Annual Meeting and to Gerry Whiting for toast.
Phoebe also ran a survey at the registration table for folks to weigh in about hosting this event at
Pinkham Notch next year. Pinkham would allow for deeper connections to that place, it’s 20% cheaper
for food and lodging, and it is BYOB. The downside is that the gathering spaces are smaller. So most of
the gatherings from dinner to business meeting would be in the dining room. Message the Steering
Committee if you didn’t register a vote.
Next Steering Committee Meetings will be on:
Nov. 14, 2023, 6:30 PM, via Zoom
URL: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/3105879688?pwd=bW1NQUxnNUZPaURCdi9EdXBtM3hkQT09
Or Phone: 929-205-6099, Meeting Number: 3105879688#, Passcode: 780291#
Adjourned: 9:10pm