NATIONAL OUTINGS CERTIFICATION
by Lucienne de Naie
Hike leaders who are officially certified within the Hawai'i Chapter are not automatically eligible to lead Sierra Club National Outings in Hawaii (or elsewhere) without additional training. The first step in this process, an orientation course, will be offered in late March on Maui. The training will be conducted by Ray Simpson, Sierra Club National Outings coordinator for the Hawai'i region.
After completion of the orientation course, hike leaders will need to attend a Nationally sponsored, Hawaiibased outing as a trainee, then serve as an assistant leader on another outing. After completing this sequence, the leader will be certified to lead a National Outing on their own (if opportunities are available.) Simpson estimates that the entire process takes about a year and a half, due to the limited number of National Outings offered in Hawaii each year.
Hawai'i Chapter hike leaders who want to lead outings in other parts of the U.S or in foreign countries will require additional training to prepare them for those specific regions. A National Hike Leaders training course will be offered by the Sierra Club National Outings Committee, South Carolina Subcommittee on September 713 on South Carolina's Foothills Trail. More information and costs can be obtained by calling (415) 9775630; or email: national.outings@sierraclub.org.
Hike leaders from any Hawaii Chapter group who wish to participate in the March orientation training should contact Lucienne de Naie on Maui at 5728331. Those interested in becoming Na tional Outings leaders for mainland hikes can get specific information by calling Tony Rango at (415) 9775524; or e-mail: national.outings@sierraclub.org.