On December 11, more than 50 Mountain Club members gathered at the Hawthorn Center in Columbia for our annual Holiday Party. After an hour enjoying snacks and socializing with our fellow hikers, we held a business meeting at which the MCM Awards Committee announced this year’s recognition award winners: Dennis LeCompte received the Robert Grossman Outstanding Service Award; Reuben Dagold was given the Eleanor Sewell Lifetime Achievement Award; Kathy Souder received the award for Outstanding Trip Leader, and John Barrett was the recipient of the Unsung Hero/Heroine Award.
The awards were followed by a presentation by MCM president Bill Saunders about this year’s club accomplishments and plans for 2023. Then Karen Ohlrich provided a fascinating slide show of a hiking trip through the slot canyons of Utah undertaken by Karen, Beth Cooper and Stephanie Carpentier. Then everyone dispersed with snacks in our stomachs and visions of future hikes in our heads.
Congratulations to this year’s winners and thanks to everyone who joined in our social gathering!