LET US KEEP YOU CONNECTED — MAZAMA ZOOM MEETINGS!
D
uring these viral times, has it been a challenge to stay connected with members of your Mazama community? Let us help!
Rex Breunsbach, Trail Trips Committee member, has stayed close to his fellow hikers using Zoom. We asked him specifics about his meetings that generally occur about every three weeks on a Wednesday morning.
Why did you decide to hold these Zoom meetings? I missed my Wednesday Mazama hikes and the people who attended. I knew people were hiking in small groups but did not know where or how.
What do you talk about? Where have you been backpacking/hiking? What trails are open? What are the trail conditions? How well are you and other hikers maintaining social distancing and using masks?
How many people are attending your meetings? We usually have about 10–15 people check in. Meetings last about 30 minutes. I’ve even had people check in from the coast using their mobile phones.
Any technical problems? It takes awhile to learn how to use Zoom, but it’s free.
How have the meetings been received? Response has been great! People ask when the next meeting is.
Do you have any advice for offering Zoom meetings for other Mazama communities? Make and maintain a mailing list. Send out your invitations a couple days before the meeting (Use BCC). Encourage all participants to talk about what they have been
doing. Get in touch and just start the conversation. Anything else you want to say? I have not maintained a fixed schedule as sometimes there are travel conflicts but we try to meet at least every three weeks. If you are interested in setting up a Mazama Zoom meeting that is longer than the 40 minutes ( free accounts are limited to 40 minutes), email us at help@mazamas.org and we can likely get the meeting setup for you!
OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2020 35
