READ THIS (CNS suggestion box), IMPORTANT

[ben smith]

So over the last year CNS has been slacking on the job pretty significantly. Mostly my own fault as president- when I signed up I had a dream (apologies to MLK)- of a day when climbers from both gyms and everybody else around the province who climbs worked together to build a strong community of commited climbers (this was mainly for personal reasons- with all those climbers around a ride to the boulders and climbing partners were sure to pop up- no more hitch hiking or biking with a pad). Unfortuanately to build that kind of community lots of energy has to be expended- (thermodynamics is a bas.tard eh?) and I was too lazy to put that energy in.

For this I apologize, I've let people down with the way I've handled things with CNS, inteead of being more transparent and getting more people climbing- it seems like the community is becoming more polarized all the time.

CNS's mandate has always been promoting climbing- thats what we are here for and thats why we recieve funding from the government- and over the last little while thats been lost to a certain extent.

I've gotten more emails over the last two days than I ever have before regarding CNS and after a hell of a lot of introspection (and some heinous bouldering sessions fueled mainly by self loathing and anger) I want to put the effort in and try to change this flowers up.

This post is the first step- If you are unhappy with CNS, if you think CNS needs to step up our flowers (and we do) reply to this post- the suggestions are going staight to the board- steve punshon, scott richardson and Chris eager and a few others have let me know their ideas and they seem to be similar- things that CNS needs to focus on.

That being said- CNS should be a part of the community, we need volunteers to run things like crag clean ups and outdoor trips- the board is only a few very busy people- we can't be responsible for every climbing event in NS- we'd go insane. If you can spare some time- help out. remember everything climbing gave you and help us give someone else that same joy.

CNS can be a huge source of community pride and involvement bringing climbers together and getting new climbers stoked,

Or it can be a useless piece of sh.it- something that doesn't represent climbers and climbing so much as a useless waste of tax dollars (which everybody pays to much of anyway).

make a choice. post your feedback and let anyone in the climbing community know that doesn't use the message board that this is here.


El presidante,
(hahaha) Ben Smith

[Scooter]

Ok lets try to get this sh>it started

I have gathered these ideas from a few climbers in the community.

Things I would see very beneficial (in no order) are as follows:

1)Crag clean-up days

2)Route development days - CNS sponsors a few weekend where ppl ge together and head to a crag and develop. Whethere it be replacing old bolts, cleaning a brand new climb, or as Peter had going earlier in the year.. clean and climb an old trad problem. I would also like to see development of new trad climbs. CNS should be all over this

3)Sponsor gym events- not too long ago SeanT wanted CNS to contribute to a lead climbing clinic he was putting on, and now the Massacre. Great idea, i support it 100%. Now I don't have all the answes for this. if CNS requires Sean be a 'qualified' person, and we all know he is, then I think that the gym owners should have to take the certifaication...nothing but benefits would come from this. You give a little to take a little.

4)Ice climbing days (if we ever get ice)

5)Beginner days

6)Monday night bouldering- this is a great event that SeanT has put on for as long as I've been climbing. Kudos to you Sean. Everyones always stoked to see a big crowd come out, so what if CNS advertised it in the Coast to attract people who have never even heard of climbing. I guarantee that this would attract new climbers and be beneficial to the gyms and the climbing community.

7)COntinue with Boulderfest, maybe CNS can work something out with Meltdown too, why not?

Invest in some gear to provide for people who do not have any, when we plan days to go to crags for whatever event.

9)Safety course? I agree that the only way to learn is to climb with someone experienced, but taking a course will prove it. Might as well have them arond? Touchy subject here I know

11)Access

10) More improtantly work to keep the climbing community close. Like Eagers idea, rent a spot eat some pizza, give a slideshow, tell some stories and talk some flowers!! CNS and more importantly we as climbers need to have support for eachother. I know there have been some controversies with CNS in the past but this is a chance to remodel it.

Peace to the climbing community. Word.

Peace out!

[ben smith]

word scott- thanks for your input- those are all things that I have seen floating around for a while and that I think we should be sponsoring, is there any interest by people in the community to act as organizers for any of these ideas specifically (crag cleanups, developement, beginners days etc)?

[Scooter]

frig man I will do what I can you know

[Nate]

I think an interesting idea would be to hold more events in the same sort of fashion as monday night bouldering(Post up the events of the coming months and car pool out from somewhere).

Ideas might be: night bouldering, bouldering sessions, ice days, rope sessions. If a calender of these events was posted up that'd be amazing and these events usually don't take huge amounts of planning, just like monday night bouldering, show up and go at it! CNS could come into the picture with gas money, bouldering pads, some food, stuff like that.

I thought the main face clean and climb was a blast! CNS could throw some brushes or something at that sort of stuff.

It would be amazing to get one of those calenders stuffed with cool cns events. The amount of people that got psyched on outdoor climbing through monday night bouldering is huge. If you guys headed in the same direction with year round events you'd have done well to support climbing in nova scotia i think.

Nate

[Eager]

I'd be into organizing a slideshow - video presentation, only thing is I'm also on the go for work all the time. Just out of curiosity who'd be into presenting, looking for road trips, local stuff, maybe we could just show one of the Dosages or a couple of Old School bouldering flicks or climbing flicks a lot of people may not have seen.

[jnnfr]

You guys are making me even more sad to be leaving Halifax. If there is anything I can do from NB let me know. And as long as events and things are posted on here, Collin and I will make the trip!

I personally would like to see some events geared at getting new people into the sport. I moved here almost 3 years ago, knowing no one. I started climbing at BG and met a huge group of people. THose people have become some of the best friends I've ever had. I don't think I would have stayed in Halifax if I hadn't started climbing. I'd love to give others the same opportunity.

[Zamboni]

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Man. Ben I em at my whits end here. Sorry man I can't wait for you, I have to say something. I've been out of town all day, and this is the first I'm seeing this. I'm soo excited. Ok ok ok ok... ( deep breaths )...

Ok, All I'm going to say people is this. GET SET FOR A HISTORY MAKING MOMENT. 2007 / 2008 is going to be the best year for climbing in Nova Scotia. Ben and I have to make a presentation to the board, than we will change your lives!

Stay tuned for future details.. Man there is soo much I want to tell you guys, but I have to wait.

Saaaweeet.

Cb.

[Brayzer]

Hey,

I won't be back in Nova Scotia until May but I'd love to help out with whatever is needed! Haven't really done a whole lot with CNS over the years, but have been involved at BG and GZ....let me know! You guys are making it sound so exciting! Just e-mail me Ben.

Heather

[martha]

What about getting some gear donated from some sponsor companies (ropes, cams, helmets, pads etc) to make a couple of 'door prizes' for things like...

"whoever collects the most trash" at a crag clean up day .... or

"whoever gets the largest number of people to join CNS"...

stuff like that.

I've got 'ins' at a few gear companies. it is a little bit of motivation for people right?

[peter]

If an event is a CNS event, how does this come about? I am not on the Board, so nothing I am doing -- trad or ice -- can be self-proclaimed as a "CNS event", even if I am a CNS member (I think). Have a clear procedure for people to initiate events, and have it be or become a CNS event, with funding and support.

In terms of what such events should focus on, don't go to prop up exisiting, external organizations quite so much. Instead, put money, equipment and Board member time into:

1) gas, brush and pizza & beer costs for crag clean-up days, trad route development and route cleaning days, as well as for ice climbing once a weekend for 6-8 weeks each winter

2) beginner days, including equipment costs, and paying an "instructor" or two to attend, to provide an intro to non-bouldering, non-gym styles of climbing

3) summer evening bouldering, once a week, tying into existing events if possible, and Boulderfest once a year

4) Publicize somewhere, much more clearly, the gear we have and the procedures for borrowing it, as the current arrangements are only accessible to people "in the know"

5) Put some money up and hire Blair Doyle to pair up with an outdoor certified trainer, for a weekend course on roped self-rescue techniques and first aid for climbers. This would be a more high end, technical course, that we currently have to travel to Quebec, Western Canada or New Hampshire to receive.

P.

[martha]

I think the idea of 'events' is a great idea, and this is where we can bring in the gym communities.

Ground Zero already has a RAD Monday night bouldering series. We don't want to compete with that. I think helping with it would be key.

It could be, "Monday night Bouldering with Ground Zero and CNS" and CNS could help provide pizza or cool Monday night bouldering t-shirts or something like that.

There could be anohter event with the other gym. Ben is having a hard pull down session on Thursdays... it could be "Rock Star Thursdays with Rock Court and CNS"

There is no doubt in my mind that we need to involve the gyms, help them, sponsor their events etc. But we need a budget and plan of action to do so.

I don't want anyone to think that CNS is 'anti' any one or 'anti' any gym... We are for the climbers.. and that means everyone. Lets just spread the love....

Oh... and I think that our climbing babies and kids and pets should get some shots in the next Calendar. Marie-France, Luc, Fynn, Eve and all the other climbers with kiddos.... makes CNS feel more like a family. we'll have to send in some shots.

[Danger]

Old school reason for CNS foundation: Access to outdoor climbing... think that should be a top priority, expanding, maintaining, keeping crags/boulders in good order/clean...

and Peters #5... learning more anti-death climbing techniques is key

[seanT]

I would like to see three things
1. a world class slideshow presentation by jason kehl or peter croft.
2. full rebolting of all sport routes 12 years old or older.
3. a cool outdoor climbing comp either at the commons(bouldering) or at alderney landing(lead climbing) with huge money and prizes attracting top climbers from around Northa America.
That is all for now

[betaburgler]

Well the climbing scene is growing, and I think this is the right time to try and add more structure to our community, so kudos to anyone who is able to add anything to our kick azz sport.

One thing I have been mulling over myself and hoping to get started on as a personal side project is a stronger presence on the internet. Right now our community seems to be very spread out between sites. There are some great resources out there, but it is not easily accessible to anyone outside of our community. It would be very nice to make a concerted effort to try and gather as many resources as possible into one source, and make links to external sources easy to find.

We aren't communicating well to those outside of our community. So many people I have met are interested in climbing, but they don't seem to know enough about the sport to feel that it is accessible. A really good web resource could be a place to send people for an education in what climbing is, how and where it occurs in Nova Scotia, what they need to get into the sport, even equipment reviews to help people understand what is important when looking at different equipment. This would be no small undertaking, rather something that would have to grow.

[The Mitt]

I would like to see three things
1. a world class slideshow presentation by jason kehl or peter croft.
2. full rebolting of all sport routes 12 years old or older.
3. a cool outdoor climbing comp either at the commons(bouldering) or at alderney landing(lead climbing) with huge money and prizes attracting top climbers from around Northa America.
That is all for now

Personally I really could careless about a world class slide shows, or even world class climbers. I really like #2. and would be willing to help out in the summer on that one. I think Peter and Scooter were banh on with their lists.

Mitt

[nsagar]

1. ACCESS and let the community do it's own thing.

Simple.

//Nick

[granite_grrl]

Access and cliff maintenance, I would give my money towards that even though I'm currently living in Ontario. I'm not interested in helping the gyms out (they are their own buisness after all) or paying for people to go to a pub to eat nachos after a bouldering session.

[Scooter]

I don't think the idea was to buy beer and nachos for use cheap and haggard climbers! i think it was just to get climbers together. i think, but really i dont know!

is anybody going to announce the CNS meeting? Is it even happening?

[granite_grrl]

I don't think the idea was to buy beer and nachos for use cheap and haggard climbers! i think it was just to get climbers together. i think, but really i dont know!

is anybody going to announce the CNS meeting? Is it even happening?

I'm exagerating but didn't you say earlier:

10) More improtantly work to keep the climbing community close. Like Eagers idea, rent a spot eat some pizza, give a slideshow, tell some stories and talk some flowers!! CNS and more importantly we as climbers need to have support for eachother. I know there have been some controversies with CNS in the past but this is a chance to remodel it.

I'm all for slide shows and fun stuff like that, but if you've got to rent a place to do it charge for tickets and the pizza.

Don't get me wrong, I love the NS climbing community, that's why I still hang out on this board, but I know what I would like CNS to have as its priorities.

[ben smith]

We do already put 500 dollars ayear into an access fund- the problem with access is that you need either a lot of money (buy a crag or hire a lawyer) all at one time- most of our funding comes from sport nova scotia and they want CNS to promote climbing (i.e turn fat and weak nova scotians into people who are psyched and less likely to have 36 heart attacks in a year and a half) so they aren't too psyched if we save up a huge wad of cash to buy a crag and meanwhile don't meet our mandate of promoting climbing (which might mean buying nachos and putting on a slide show to bring climbers together and get them psyched and planning sessions outside).

CNS meeting is thursday night at 5:30 at dalplex for interested members- should run until 7- If people are psyched we might go down to the henry house later and see if there are any Stoners still about- Sorry about the time conflict with the thursday night Stoners beer drinking and session planning hopefully most can make it to both meetings.