The new Mentoring Program is a really great idea. I congratulate the Executive for conceiving the idea, and especially the volunteer mentors for making this program possible.

$$$ The cost for each Participant is $125 upon being selected. Participants will also pay for their Mentor’s transportation.

My question is what does the $125 pay for - or is it there simply to fill the coffers of the club? It is not new that the BCMC charges for some programs, courses, etc. but are we not getting ourselves on a slippery slope with this program, infringing on professional guiding services and their association? How about the insurance question, liability, for such outings when there is a fee charged? Has the executive considered these questions?

I am sure none of the volunteer mentors came forward to make a few $ on the weekend, so why attach any cost to the program beyond the stipulation that the mentor should be kept expense free. It's not like the BCMC needs the money. What is the rational for the $125?

Just a quick comparation ...

I apologize if anyone get offended. It's not my intention ...

In countries of former European Eastern Block and some of us "between" (like former Yugoslavia) club mentoring was absolutely free. We worked so hard to get into position to give back to club or be considered to be a mentor.

As soon as you are registered as Alpinist (completing 200 ascents and passing 2 entry and 1 final exam) and have your badge, you are asked to mentor younger generation. You were not supposed to ask for any money or even free food.  We all were so happy to do it. Reason? I can't explain ... You either love to do it or not.

Everybody climbed with everybody.

We knew eachother very well. It was very similar to what Werner, Paul and others doing right now on Wednesdays or Saturday or during the ice climbing season. Similar like camps organized by Dave Scanlon etc. I believe, mentors should be very happy they have an opportunity to teach and build a new climber/mountaineer. Fee should be symbolic. You are role model to someone who later could be your good friend and climbing partner.

Guiding should be for professional guides. They need income.

BCMC club is very special place and we all have to make it open to everybody who are interested.

I'll give you an example from the other side of the fence:

this past winter and the winters before we ran a bunch of introductory day trips on skis. They were meant to be a crash-course on backcountry skiing and they were free. The sign ups were a huge mess. There was no commitment from the side of the participants of signing up and sticking with it. Out of 12 people who signed up about 50% cancelled the week of the course.

I guess when yo attach a price tag to something it'll make it more valuable to people. The amount on the price tag is a fine balance between making the courses available and accessible to anyone and having a sign up gong show.

To me personally, the real mentorship comes in the form of having quality trip leaders who are willing to guide and 'handhold' someone throughout the trips and be accepting and tolerant that this might mean somewhat of a holdup.

This is a very good point Alena.

I remember letter Dave Scanlon posted for all of us, about members signing in to reserve place and then dropping off day before the trip. It's very frustrating to organizer. One of the Dave's trips was $10! If I remember correctly ... Or trip to Mountain Lake hut for a $1.

Looks like there is a common consumer feeling if something is $10 doesn't really worth much, but if I give Club $125 it's a different story. Worth 12.5 times more and if member cancels it's a significant money for their budget and therefore they will commit.

I believe, mentors are also in better position because they don't have a fixed dates. Every other school/camp is fixed. So, if mentored member cancels to his mentor on Friday afternoon, mentor will go climbing/hiking somewhere and have a good weekend anyway. Because they love what the do.

You are very smart girl and I am sure you are on your way to find solution. You are surrounded with good people (Paul, Alexis, Francis, Werner etc.) Something good will come out ...

Hi everyone,

yes, these questions were all looked at carefully, and I'm glad that you're asking. Are we getting into the guiding business? Hardly so... these are some of the points that were considered:

1) at $60 per day 1:1 ratio, I don't think anyone can make a living from that, so we're definitely not in the "guiding business".

2) In addition, the aim of the Mentorship Program isn't so much to just getting someone to the top of a climb or peak (as is most often the case with guide services), The goal is for that person to learn in the process and have an opportunity to actually lead some or all the pitches -- again not something that you will typically get to do with a guide.

3) As Alena already pointed out, anything free isn't valued by people the same way as if you need to put a few bucks towards it. The increased perceived value helps in the management of the program as well as for some of the volunteers. It's a good feeling for some to know that they are contributing in many ways to the club.

4) As for where does the money go? My vision has been to create a fund from the course revenue to allocate to instructor training. At the June 2013 executive meeting, we have passed a new policy that 50% of course revenues will be utilized to fund professional training for our instructors. This could be, for example, in the form of reimbursement of course fees or in hiring a guide to provide instruction to instructors. I'm not keen in using capital assets to fund ongoing operating expenses, that is why we are offsetting these operating expenses from ongoing revenue streams.

5) Good question about insurance. BCMC instructors are covered by our Liability Insurance regardless of whether there is a course fee or not.

So, in conclusion, it was decided to have a small course fee attached to the formal Rock Mentorship Program. Of course, there's nothing preventing members who want to provide a free informal mentorship to do so. I would highly encourage that practice as well. There's more than one way to providing mentorship and I see value in the multiplicity of services rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Members can choose what best suits their situation, learning style, and preferences.

I agree with what Alena said. The $125 ensures commitment. It's very concerning that people are cherry-picking trips, signing up for more than one then canceling at the last minute. Sad turn of events but the Internet makes it possible.

I do like the idea of subsidized, professional trrainning for instructors.  If some BCMC members did avalanche operations level 1 then the club could run it's own AST 1 courses.

However there may be other ways for course participants to contribute to the club, like volunteering a day of hut or trail maintenance.  I know that the wind lake trail to the mountain lake hut needs a lot of work as it's quite badly overgrown.  The club would probably get more use out of this hut if the trail was in better shape.

The VOC has a policy that all members must do a "workhike" each year to qualify for certain membership benefits.  Something similar could be applied to the BCMC.