The Latchstring Award
This award was introduced in 2000, as a way to acquaint current croo with The O.H.A. and with individual OH who would visit every hut each summer to gauge their service to the public, as well as less tangible qualities like esprit de corps. After reading visitor comment cards and conferring with Hut System management, the award team would nominate the hut that best exemplified Joe Dodge’s philosophy of “mountain hospitality for all.”
This was easier said than done, and although warmly received at first, the award was eventually discontinued in 2014 over concerns about the difficulty of picking “winners” from so many thoroughly qualified candidates, the breadth of the criteria employed, and the untoward consequences of a program originally intended to engender friendly competition and closer ties between current croos and The O.H.A.
The O.H.A. Ambassador Program is the natural successor to the Latchstring Award, encouraging closer connections between current and former croo through hut visits, while dropping the “performance review” aspects that proved counterproductive. To learn more about The O.H.A. Ambassador program, click here.
1999
Pinkham: Kristin Robson
2000
Greenleaf Croo: Amanda Riley HM, Kathleen Jones AHM, Susanne Fogt, Annick Champoux, Mike Brown, Melissa Fiebelkorn
2001
Galehead Croo: Caitlin Gray HM, Kristie Robson AHM, Abe Jaffe, Reuben Levy, Meg Meixner
2002 Madison Croo:
Emmy McQuaid HM, Carter Wilding-White AHM, John DeCoste, Mason Herring, Mac Cook, Lara DuMond
2003 Lakes Croo:
Mike Jones HM, Julia LaRouche AHM, Jon Cotton, Catherine Graciano, Dan St. Jean, Iona Woolmington, Alex Oopey Mason, Lynne Zummo, Anastasia Roy, Ben Cubbage
2004 Mizpah Croo:
Jon Cotton HM, Cricket Arrison AHM, Jeremy Taylor, Nina Barrett, Ben Rhatigan, Benny Taylor
2005 Greenleaf Croo:
Liza Knowles HM, Michelle Dodge AHM, Taylor Burt, Erica Marcus, Steve Frens, Andrew Downs
2006 Madison Croo:
Beth Weick HM, Taylor Burt AHM, Nathaniel Blauss, Catherine Klem, Dave Kaplan, Karen Thorpe
2007
Lakes Croo: Beth Weick HM, Ben Lewis AHM, Jake Lassow, Jenny Riegel, Thad Houston, Meredith Mitchell, Miles Howard, Johannes Griesshammer, Iona Woolmington, Drew Hill
2008
Greenleaf Croo:
Hillary Gerardi HM, Brian Quarrier AHM, Helon Hoffer, Matt Didischeim, Meredith Leoni, Stevie Lewis
2009 Lonesome Croo:
Eliza O’Neil HM, Peter Hyson AHM, Hilary Burt, Hannah Orcutt, Jeff Pedersen, Johannes Griesshammer
2010 Greenleaf Croo:
George Heinrichs HM, Hilary Burt AHM, Ashley Adam, Phil Crosby, Mary Weir, Brian Fitzgerald
2011 Greenleaf Croo:
Betsy Cook HM, Ben Kinne AHM, Phil Betheil, Katie Schide, Kelly Dennen, Anders Nordblum
2012 Lakes Croo:
George Heinrichs HM, Molly Muller AHM, Adam Cook, Steffi Klosterman, Jenna Maddock, Galen Muscat, Kayla Rutland, Kimball Stewart, Ace Emerson, Ben Kinne
2013 Lakes Croo:
Jeff Pedersen HM, Arran Dindorf AHM, Emily Balch, Phoebe Howe, Emily Leich, Kathry Barnes, Owain Heyden, Grace Pezzella, Sarah Sanford, Ace Emerson
