FROM THE VAULT carry out her work. Ditt had prepared his own manual that outlined 37 separate duties and the procedures to accomplish them. That document provided the bulk of the information necessary for someone to take over his responsibilities, but Grace’s organizational structure was known only to her. With a sense of deep reluctance and anxiety, members of the executive committee slowly began to discuss not only ways to ease Grace’s workload but also the need to document the duties of her position. Out of respect for all that she had done for the club, members of the executive committee were hesitant to suggest the notion of “retirement” to Grace or the need to plan for an eventual transition. Maintaining the records of those climbing the Forty-six had been as vital to her life as eating and breathing. Many felt that it was, in fact, her focus on the mountains that was responsible for her longevity and mental acuity. Grace approached the inevitability of change with quiet ambivalence. On the one hand, she was loath to admit that quite apart from her advancing years, she was no longer able to handle the workload by herself. On the other hand, she recognized that she would not be the club historian forever. To ensure that the long tradition of registering those who had climbed the 46 continued, she knew that it was in the best interest of the club for her to document her duties to provide a compass for her eventual successors. In his President’s Message in the Fall/ Winter 1992-93 issue of Peeks, Tim Teft solicited help for Grace. He first asked for volunteers who would be willing to meet with her “to see and experience firsthand what it is she does and then to recommend to the officers and directors what can be done to relieve or assuage her burdens ... without the disrupting or upsetting of her routines.” In response to that request, five volunteers – Michael Becker, Suzanne Lance, Tom Lee, George Sloan, and Devon Taylor – came forward to form the “Grace Committee.” Committee members met with Grace on several occasions to document her responsibilities and assess her need. The Grace Committee’s report came as no surprise when the group presented its findings and recommendations at the 1993 spring executive committee meeting. The committee concluded that because of the growth of the club over the years and the increase in the numbers of people climbing the 46, the duties of the Historian could no longer be managed by one person – regardless of age. The committee suggested that the club adopt a team approach to the Office of the Historian, regarding it as a department with the position of Historian at its head and a staff of volunteers, each of whom would take over a small portion of the job. Several 46ers were already assisting Grace with various tasks. Edward Bunk (#3052W) maintained and replaced the summit canisters and Marilyn Corson (#2686) coordinated the replacement of the log books. For years Helen Menz (#42) had helped Grace assign climbing numbers for those who had finished the 46 each year. Michael Becker prepared the “Peeks Sketches” report for Peeks, which provided a statistical summary along with some interesting tidbits from each year’s finishers. Grace often called upon Fred Johnson, Edythe Robbins (#2197) and Charles “Chuck” Bennett (#1934) for help on individual projects such as researching answers to hikers’ questions and compiling trailless peak usage numbers. Beyond those jobs, the Grace Committee identified several additional tasks that could be managed by one or more volunteers. Those included preparing the agendas and Vesper services for the annual meetings, printing the Certificates of Accomplishment, providing general office assistance, and answering correspondence during the peak hiking/reporting seasons. They also recommended that the executive committee appoint an Assistant Historian to work closely with Grace to learn the duties and procedures of the office. With specific tasks identified, the club solicited volunteers to assist with the duties. As volunteers came forward to fill the “staff” positions for the Office of the Historian, George Sloan coordinated their work schedules and matched skills and time commitments with various tasks so Grace wouldn’t be bogged down with yet another responsibility. As part of their work the Grace Committee had created an 11-page office procedure reference manual which proved to be a very valuable resource for the volunteers. A number of 46ers answered the call to ease Grace’s workload. Marilee Urbanczyk (#3530) and George Sloan prepared the Certificates of Accomplishment for new 46ers. Marilee, along with her husband Joe Urbanczyk, also prepared the Vesper services for the annual meetings. Mindaugus “Mindy” Jatulis (#2383) and his wife Linnea N. Clark and Mildred “Millie” Gittinger (#3331), Anton “Tony” Solomon (#3626W), and Jane Nye (#4142) provided general office assistance. Joseph Busch (#3814) prepared a database to manage the assigning of climbing numbers, and Michael Gebhard (#3633) and Mindy Jatulis began answering the bulk of hiker correspondence. Mindy also accepted the responsibility of heading the Office of the Historian. Grace continued to write to young climbers and to send the congratulatory letters to hikers when they reported finishing the 46. The most time consuming and labor intensive aspect of the job of historian was answering climber correspondence. It was also universally recognized by the Grace Committee and the executive committee to be the most important. When looking for ways to reduce Grace’s workload, the club discussed minimizing the personal contact Grace Hudowalski on the porch of her beloved camp for which the Boulder Report is named f 18 | ADIRONDACK PEEKS
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