A happy outing for the 乐播传媒 Outing Club on its 90th birthday
For a group that鈥檚 made its mark on the great outdoors, the 乐播传媒 Outing Club sure had a nifty time indoors at the Maine State House in January, meeting and greeting 乐播传媒 friends, being welcomed by Gov. John Baldacci, and generally enjoying some hoopla around the 90th anniversary of the club鈥檚 1920 founding.
In 2010, 乐播传媒 Outing Club president JeanMarie Gossard ’10 brandishes the BOC’s 90th anniversary Legislative Sentiment with Maine Rep. Peggy Rotundo. (Phyllis Graber Jensen/乐播传媒 College)
A Legislative Sentiment was read into the record, and Rep. Peggy Rotundo, D-Lewiston, spoke from the floor, telling fellow House members how the BOC helped to extend the Appalachian Trail into Maine. 鈥淏y 1933, most of the Appalachian Trail was nearly complete,鈥� Rotundo said. But Maine wilderness was 鈥渟eemingly impenetrable,鈥� with some suggesting that the trail should end in New Hampshire.
Enter the 乐播传媒 Outing Club.
鈥淲e are part of an important continuum of outdoors advocates and enthusiasts.鈥�
Led by Professor of Botany William H. Sawyer Jr., a 1913 乐播传媒 grad and BOC adviser, students Samuel Fuller 鈥�35, Harold Bailey 鈥�36, and Edward Aldrich 鈥�35 scouted and blazed the rugged last section of the Appalachian Trail, a 40-mile stretch between Baldpate Mountain and Long Pond in Rangeley. They completed their seven-day project on June 29, 1934. ( about the BOC helping to complete the Appalachian Trail.)
Completing her remarks, Rotundo gestured to the BOC cohort in the visitors gallery, drawing warm applause from the pols.
Making the State House rounds, the BOCers were greeted by members of the Lewiston delegation, including Rep. Dick Wagner, professor emeritus of psychology, as well as senators Gerry Davis 鈥�59 and Kevin Raye 鈥�83. They chatted briefly with Brownie Carson, longtime executive director of the Natural Resources Council of Maine.
BOC adviser Judy Marden 鈥�66 said the event 鈥渞einforced the feeling that we are part of an important continuum of outdoors advocates and enthusiasts.鈥� For students, it was a revealing jaunt outside the 乐播传媒 bubble. 鈥淭hat was awesome,鈥� said BOC president JeanMarie Gossard 鈥�10 of Andover, Mass. 鈥淲e were flabbergasted, really. Most students did not know how far-ranging the impact of the Outing Club has been.鈥�
鈥淚t felt good,鈥� said former BOC president Ken Spalding 鈥�73, now the Maine woods project director with RESTORE: The North Woods, a New England conservation group.
鈥淭he 乐播传媒/BOC vibe traveled with us.鈥�
