July- September 2002 Issue

There is one drawback to writing a column about outstanding volunteers. They are never home-- so it is very difficult to contact them! Add the season known as trail work weather, and my propensity for procrastination, and what you have is our faithful editor Werner chewing his nails down to the quick hoping that I will get him some copy on time for the magazine! Some of the blame for the short column this issue must fall squarely on you though.... more nominations for persons of Great Heart and Working Soles are needed. Remember that the persons featured here always come from local suggestions. The people who work alongside these folks find them made of special trail stuff, and deserving of a pat on the back. Also, this month I've had another nominee turn down my request for an interview. After all the jokes about being in the witness protection program, and "so many other worthy people" were over, the fact is that I am disappointed. Yes, we do want to thank people who work countless hours (although we actually DO want you to count them and turn them in!). But we want this feature to serve as a source of encouragement and inspiration to all the volunteers along this trail. The North Country Trail is too long to be built by just a handful of people. It is too varied to solve problems with one cookie cutter. It is too vast to generate an automatic sense of family. Yet how is it that someone from Michigan gives a hearty slap of greeting to the shoulder of a buddy from Pennsylvania? How, that a New York trail fanatic holds a North Dakota supporter's attention in a conversation because the fanatic's reputation has spread across seven states? How, that Wisconsin and Minnesota's north woods defenders share goals and techniques with trail advocates from populated and farmed Ohio, our southern reaches? How? Because somewhere these people have gotten to know and respect each other. Perhaps they first met at a conference or a meeting. But I've observed that it is equally likely that they first "met" each other through the written word. One primary vehicle for these kinds of introductions is this magazine, North Star. Just like any family, we have our disputes. We probably have more than an average share of eccentrics. We are a family of over 2500 members. But if we don't strive to know, and understand and appreciate each other, our common vision for the trail will never become a reality.

TITTABAWASSEE CHAPTER

That all said, meet STELLA THELEN. Stella works in a bank maintaining computer security. Her computer and problem-solving skills are the Working Sole of her trail boots. Her Great Heart is revealed in her confession that it wouldn't bother her even if she never personally was able to see the trail. Just knowing it is there is of value to her. We all value the Grand Canyon whether or not we have visited it, and she feels the same way about the North Country Trail. Her passion for preserving these wild and free places motivates her to work for the trail. "There is something healing in nature, something of God in there; when you touch these things they lift you up," she affirms. She first read about the NCT in the Detroit Free Press over ten years ago, and she joined the Association right away. However it wasn't until four years ago when she attended the Annual Conference near Traverse City that something a speaker said really struck a chord. "To get on a trail, start walking, and be able to go somewhere else," motivated her to want to do more than simply send in her dues each year. She also met some people who shared these values (there's that sense of community again). Soon, Jerry Allen approached her with a project— to start a new chapter. The resulting Tittabawasee Chapter is centered in eastern Michigan, hours from the NCT. But Jerry had a vision of a group which could travel cross-state to maintain a section of trail. He thought he knew some people who would help. Stella realized that she could set up the database of information and help get the plan into people's hands. Somehow having two people who wanted to see a chapter form was a critical mass. Now they have a core group of 20 or more who also "value the trail and are willing to put in their time and energy." She followed through in her role of Secretary-Treasurer for three years, and is now the chapter Vice-President. She also has adopted about four miles of trail. Since the trail is so far from their homes the members often cover for each other on trail maintenance. Stella, like most of our volunteers, in this spirit of working together, doesn't want to be a single star. She'll probably be embarrassed to find that she is the only featured person this issue. But a fellow chapter member describes her thus, "She's the person behind the scenes that makes sure the rest of us remember what we're supposed to do. And she does it all with a smile!"

Who would you like to introduce to the rest of us? Contact me and I'll tell you how to nominate a volunteer for Heart & Sole. Joan Young, 231-757-2205 or jhy@t-one.net."

Download a nomination form (a Word document)