A Statement on Affinity Groups

Over a 24 hour period between August 5–6, 2021 there was activity on Mazama social media that led to the temporary suspension of two individuals from our Facebook forum due to violations of the written forum guidelines.

The Executive Council, Climbing Committee, and Acting Executive Director feel it is important to state, in no uncertain terms, that we actively encourage, fully support, and endorse the creation of affinity groups and safe spaces for historically underrepresented and marginalized groups at the Mazamas. There have been women's only groups in BCEP and for climbs on and off for the last 50 years, and in recent years there have been LGBTQ, BIPOC, and Substance Free groups as well as climbs and activities for those groups. These spaces are absolutely critical to working towards building a welcoming and inclusive environment at the Mazamas for everyone who loves the mountains, but who may have felt unsafe and/or unwelcome without those groups. We know that we have a long way to go towards building that environment, and these affinity groups are the first step.

We wholeheartedly reject the concept of reverse discrimination, and do not support accusations that affinity groups are akin to discrimination. Rather, affinity groups are working to undo the structural racism and exclusion that has existed within the outdoor industry since its inception.

The Mazamas has work to do towards being a welcoming and inclusive space for all. We acknowledge that fact and will continue to work to create spaces for people of diverse backgrounds to participate in our organization. This includes working to support the affinity groups we have and the creation of additional affinity groups as desired, reviewing our policies & procedures for problematic language and practices, and doing our best to listen and hear the concerns of our membership and the community.

We thank all of you for being Mazama members and for taking the time to read and process this statement.

Executive Council Climbing Committee Acting Executive Director

MAZAMA AFFINITY GROUPS

The Mazamas strives to provide safe spaces for specific groups of people to meet and support each other as well as to foster a greater sense of community within the Mazamas. We know that while the mountain community is a safe and welcoming space for many people, it isn't always so for people who are underrepresented in our industry, organization, and leadership. Having affinity space is a crucial part of moving towards a truly inclusive community. Here is a list of the current affinity groups at the Mazamas.

■ Mazama Classics is for individuals who have been members for 25 years or more. Classics Events are designed for Mazama

Members with 25 years or more of membership. Classics offer a variety of year-round activities including hikes, picnics, and cultural excursions. You'll have the opportunity to share years of happy Mazama memories with the Classics Group. All ages are welcome to join the fun! ■ Adventurous Young Mazamas (AYM) offers activities targeted to those in their 20s and 30s and anyone young at heart. All activities are open to everyone, regardless of age. If you join an

AYM event you can expect great leaders, awesome locations, and overall, a ton of FUN! ■ Melanated Mazamas is the new Mazama group for Black,

Indigenous, Brown, People of Color, and/or folks who are from the global majority. The Melanated Mazamas is a community for folks to gather, support, and adventure together. This is a

BIPOC-only space. We appreciate white allies, but ask that white folks respect this space created specifically for the Mazamas

BIPOC community. Interested in joining? Contact melanated@ mazamas.org.

YOUR VOTE IS YOUR VOICE!

VOTING ENDS OCTOBER 4 AT 5 P.M.

The end of the annual election for the Mazama Executive Council is coming up fast. The deadline to cast a vote is October 4, at 5 p.m.

During these tumultuous times, with so much change affecting all aspects of our lives, a strong Executive Council is quite possibly more important now than ever before. Our path forward is challenging: we are again in a leadership transition, and COVID-19 is continuing to have a tremendous impact on the organization and our budget.

YOUR VOTE MATTERS

Please take some time to review EC candidate biographies and statements. When you vote and make your voice heard you are sending a message about your passion for the Mazamas and helping to ensure another 127 years of climbing, hiking, and inspiring everyone to love and protect the mountains.

NOMINATING COMMITTEE CANDIDATES

You will also be selecting your Nominating Committee members. These are the folks who carefully seek and vet candidates who can offer the unique blend of experience and skills to meet the current needs of the organization.

Even though there is only one candidate listed and she will automatically move into the position on the Nominating Committee, please do take the time to show your support for her candidacy and appreciation by selecting her.

MAZAMA ANNUAL MEETING

OCTOBER 4 | 6–7:30 P.M. ON ZOOM (ONLINE)

The Mazama Annual Meeting will look a little different this year as we continue to navigate through COVID. Due to the current rising cases of COVID and the Delta variant, the Annual Meeting will once again be fully online.

The meeting will include reports from Executive Council, staff, committees, a few program updates, and the announcement of the election results.

To sign up, go to tinyurl.com/MazAnnualMeeting2021

Reminder: If you are a Mazama Executive Council Candidate, please plan to attend the meeting as the October Executive Council meeting will begin at the conclusion of the Annual Meeting.

COVID-19 UPDATE

Cases of COVID-19 in our area continue to climb and our medical services are being significantly stressed. As we restart indoor programming at the Mazamas, we want to ensure we act as good community members and in line with Mazama values to limit the spread of COVID-19. To this end, and in conjunction with the FDA approval of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, we are instituting a policy that anyone age 12 or older must be vaccinated for COVID-19 to participate in INDOOR programming at the Mazamas or Mazama Lodge. You can read the full policy at mazamas.org/covid.

Oregon Governor Kate Brown has issued new requirements for masks starting August 27. Masks are now required outdoors when individuals from different households cannot maintain physical distance. This does not apply to brief encounters such as passing people on a trail.

You can review our full COVID policies at mazamas.org/covid.