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By Lauren Coniff
AUGUSTA — The Outing Club is one of the many extracurricular activities offered at Cony High School. It gives many students with a passion for the outdoors a place to experience the wilderness together.
“I have made a lot of friends because when you are in the woods with people you become close, and I am thankful for it,” said the club’s president, Marlys Riedyk.
This year, seniors who have been in Outing Club are expressing sadness at the prospect of having to leave the club at the end of the year. “I have been in the club since I was a freshman and I am very sad that this is my last year because I really seemed to connect with the people,” said Riedyk. She has been fully involved in the activity since freshman year and spends a majority of her time outdoors.
For many years, the club has stayed small, but 2016-17 will be different. “We usually have anywhere between 12 and 15 per year, but this year seem to really bust out,” said Brenda Weis, the club supervisor.
There are many new members who joined the club who seem relatively excited to be joining. “I decided to join because I figured it would be a lot more fun than sitting at home on the weekends,” stated new member Liz Young.
Not only is this activity fun for the members, but it is also filled with memorable adventures. Kaite Meehan explained her favorite trip with pure joy and excitement. “We hiked one or two miles and stayed in a yurt and played on a lake,” she said.
Outing Club adventures range from canoeing, white-water rafting, to planning a new overnight camping trip to Katahdin Woods and Waters. “We are all very excited because we have never been there before and it was recently designated as a national monument,” said Weis. The club has already reserved their date and continue rigorous planning to make sure the trip runs smoothly.
Katahdin Woods and Waters isn’t the only new trip they are planning this year. Weis sent in for a grant to go paddle boarding in the spring but given the amount of students makes it difficult. The trip is limited as to the amount of students that can participate, and Weis knows it will be a very popular trip. “I’m really excited to go paddle-boarding in the spring. I think it will be another fun trip that adds to my experience,” Young added.
The club is very fortunate to have a teacher like Weis in charge because she too loves the outdoors. “I realized my love for the outdoors when I was a child growing up on a farm. We had woods and fields and a creek.” Even though she did not start the club, she is full of unique and exciting ideas.
“I hope that I can continue the tradition, but also add to the students’ opportunities. The outdoors is the place to be, especially in Maine,” Weis reflected.
PHOTO CAPTION: Submitted photo
Cony’s Outing Club members paddle hard down the Kennebec River while on one of their many adventures in the Maine woods.
