STARTING A CLUB
By: Carolyn Eddy 06/15/00
Web Site:Eagle Creek Packgoats
About the Author
The use of packgoats has increased dramatically in the past 5 years.
Packgoats are everywhere, in every state, including New Jersey. With the
new interest, people are realizing that they can share their enjoyment of
packgoats with their friends and more effectively lobby for increased
packgoat awareness and use by forming a club. Plus, it's just a great way
to enjoy the company of others who love goats.
One thing about goat people, you can never find enough people who will
listen to you go on and on about the cute thing your goat did on the trail.
With a club, everyone can share each other's stories of success and
disaster, and learn from each other.
You can also support each other in time of need, like where to get milk for
that new cute kid you just bought without thinking how you were going to
feed it, or where to buy gear that works, or even what the best trails are
in your area.
Starting a club involves finding others who share your addiction, or
introducing your friends by taking them on a day hike. The Cascade Packgoat
Club in Oregon was started by myself and another guy named Rod Walker, and a
few of my goat clients, and has mushroomed into a 50 member club. We do
activities all year round, clinics in the winter and hikes, fairs and
parades in the summer.
We try to keep activities open to bringing your goats, if possible.
We also host the Goatstock, the Packgoat Rendezvous, coming up in July.
Our focus is primarily on activities although we do have a land use
committee, who lobbies with land managers for opening more trails to goats.
If you start your own club, keep it simple. Make it be fun and educational.
Do lots of parades and fairs, as this is where you will find more
prospective members. Our dues are only $5 per year, although some events do
have a charge appropriate to what it costs us to put on.
Currently, several clubs are getting together to form NAPgA, the North
American Packgoat Association, which now has interim directors working on
bylaws. NAPgA will be a wonderful presence for packgoats and help assure
that we get our piece of the pie on trail allocation, and bring together
the many clubs under one organization.
For information on either local clubs or NAPgA, please contact me at
goatpac@writeme.com
