Join the KBC/BI Volunteer Committee

The Knubble Bay Camp Volunteer Committee was established in 1970 by the Appalachian Mountain Club. Its purpose is to follow the AMC mission: “The Appalachian Mountain Club is dedicated to the protection, enjoyment, and understanding of the outdoors.” For the KBC Volunteer Committee, the “outdoors” is Beal Island (BI) and Knubble Bay Camp (KBC), both located on the water in Georgetown, Maine. If you haven’t done so already, look at our web pages about KBC and BI.

The KBC/BI Volunteer Committee is solely responsible for the operation and maintenance of Knubble Bay Camp and Beal Island. There are no paid staff associated with KBC & Beal Island, the entire operation is volunteer managed and run. All of the associated expenses (e.g. maintenance, real estate taxes, insurance, propane, etc.) are funded entirely from cabin & BI rental revenue and the revenue from weekend programs. The KBC/BI Volunteer Committee receives no funding from AMC, rather the AMC receives a percentage of the the KBC/BI yearly revenue. At the end of the year, if there any funds remaining after paying all the bills and AMC, those funds go into the capital reserve account.  That is used for long term high expense items (e.g. replace the roof, replace a deck, etc.)

When you think of the AMC, you usually think of hiking. The KBC Committee is unique, we are paddlers operating in a coastal environment. The first committee members in the 1970s were tidal canoeists and today we are sea kayakers.

We have 3 formal meetings a year (sometimes by Zoom), operate under a set of by-laws, some of us take on the role of Committee chair, vice-chair, treasurer, registrar , or secretary. We are not paid, but we have a lot of fun and enjoy introducing people to paddling on the coast of Maine.

To accommodate members’ abilities and time constraints, we have several levels of Committee membership, don’t worry about Committee membership being a big time commitment.

All of the Committee members live in New England and most live more than an hour from KBC. Today there are about a dozen members with a huge diversity of backgrounds, education, and careers. However, the members share a few important things in common:

• A love of the outdoors, especially tidal environments
• A commitment to sharing the outdoors with the public
• A real enjoyment of our bonds with one another

The current committee (although this is not required) are all sea kayakers—some at the level of Maine guide and others who are skilled at enjoying coastal waters. We even have one member who solo paddled the entire Maine Island Trail. Many of us began as beginning kayakers and were mentored by the group to hone our skills.

For over 50 years, the volunteer Committee has maintained and improved Knubble Bay camp as well as Beal Island. Both are rented to the public through the AMC, the proceeds pay the bills and support AMC’s mission. Each April and October, we gather to do things like maintenance, cleaning the cabin for the rental season, repairs, carpentry, yard work, etc. You name it, we do it. On work weekends we cook some great meals and enjoy socializing.

Besides maintaining BI and KBC for public rental, we provide weekend programs during the warmer season. For many of us, this is what we enjoy most. If you haven’t already done so, take a look at our programs for 2024.

Some of our members lead the weekend programs, others provide support for the programs and a few develop the weekend programs. We are always looking for new ideas for weekend programs. Maybe you have an idea or maybe you want to develop one? Programs we have provided in the past include:

• Intro to Sea Kayaking (formally “Transitions”)
• Intro to Coastal Navigation
• “Beat the Bugs” paddling in spring
• Lobster weekend that includes paddling and a traditional clam/lobster bake on the beach
• Exploring the Maine Island Trail
• Fall foliage paddles
• Women’s weekends

Since 1970, hundreds of people have been Committee members, new recruits taking over as others move to fresh adventures. Many new members came from the ranks of those that participated in one or more of our weekend programs. Others came to one of our fall or spring work weekends and got to know who we are and what we do.

To keep the group going, we’re always looking for new members. Think about signing up for one of our weekend programs or join us for a spring or fall work weekend. It’s a great way to get to know us. Come for the weekend, the day, or just have a dinner with us Saturday night. To come to a work weekend or to get more information on the Committee, email us at information@amckbc.org Or, if you want to chat with one of the committee members to learn more, just say so in your email to us.

We hope to see you soon!