The Ozark Trail Association
As the Ozark Trail approached its 25th
anniversary, several trail enthusiasts began discussing ways to push
the original 1977 trail concept to completion. As they looked
at other successful trail systems around the country, they realized
the Ozark Trail was missing something the others shared-- a strong
volunteer organization. In March of 2002, they made a pitch to
the trail's coordinating group, the Ozark Trail Council-- why don't
we look into creating our own volunteer non-profit organization?
The council agreed. That summer, John
Donjoian & John Roth researched the issue. They surveyed other
trail systems, solicited volunteer groups for advice, posted to
message groups and emailed interested parties. On October
26th, they made their pitch to the Council-- volunteer groups are a
key to a trail's success, and we want to start one for the Ozark
Trail. The Ozark Trail Council unanimously backed the idea.
On November 13th, 2002 the Ozark Trail
Association took its first baby steps. 27 people met to lay
the groundwork of a new volunteer non-profit, and agreed that:
The Mission of the Ozark Trail Association is to
develop, maintain, preserve, promote and
protect the rugged, natural beauty of the Ozark Trail.
We're a small group today, and we've got a lot
of work ahead to make this a successful organization. We'll
undoubtedly experience some growing pains. The OTA needs your
input, your help and your patience. You are invited to join
the Ozark Trail Association-- simply fill out a membership application
and send it to the address on the form. You'll
receive a new member's packet, an Association patch, and a quarterly
newsletter. Most of all, you'll receive the satisfaction of
helping the Trail become one of the gems of the Ozarks.
Get Involved!
You don't have to be a member to contribute.
Join us at one of our outings or events. Adopt a section for maintenance. Post
a trail report. Send us comments. The success of the
Ozark Trail Association relies on trail users like you! Board
Members
Short bios of our board members can be
found here.
Meetings
The Advisory Board meets quarterly to set goals
and establish policy. The Advisory Board meeting dates are listed
on our Work Schedule Page. The Executive Board meets monthly to carry out
the day-to-day activities of the Association, and currently meets on the 2nd Monday of
each month. Meeting locations are posted on the front page of
this website and published membership emails and newsletters.
Everyone is invited to attend. Thanks
Thanks for visiting. See you on the trail!
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