CPA is a volunteer-run organization. If members don’t step up to lead trips, run the Piracies, organize events or run for an office, nothing happens. Here are some ways you can make CPA run:
Lead a Trip
Trip in St. Mary’s County
The heart of CPA is kayak trips so people can get out on the water and paddle. Trips range from simple day trips for beginner paddlers to challenging multi-day kayak touring expeditions, or the Kent Island Paddle. See the CPA MeetUp Calendar for currently scheduled trips.
What does it take to organize and lead a CPA trip? It’s all covered here.
You can start out as an organizer by recruiting a more experienced member to be the on-water leader, and get valuable mentoring experience in trip leading along the way.
Don’t feel that you meet the trip leader qualifications? CPA offers Trip Leader Training (SK203) almost every year, and other skills classes geared to trip leaders (navigation, wilderness first aid, rescue classes, etc.) that can get you up to speed. Check here.
Manage A Piracy
Pirates of Georgetown
Piracies are the mid-week evening paddles held at numerous locations throughout the Bay region. Piracies are your paddling “home”. All the current CPA Piracies and their leaders are listed here. It takes work to organize and manage each of the Piracies. You can start by volunteering to be on the Pirate committee for your Piracy, or step up to be a Pirate King, Queen (or Emperor!)
The same basic skills as Trip Leaders are needed, and you can learn them the same ways as for Trip Leaders. In addition, some organization and communication skills working with your Pirates are needed.
If there is no Piracy in your area, and enough paddlers want to paddle, you can start your own Piracy. Contact the Steering Committee to find out how.
Organize an Event
Assisting beginners at Gear Day
CPA has a number of classes and workshops throughout the years. CPA events are training, hands-on, or just fun events like SK101, SK102, SK203, the Boat and Paddle Workshop, Greenland Paddle Workshop, Gear Day/ Fall Out of Your Boat Day or various skills events. You can start by volunteering to help teach at SK101 or 102, or run another event. Event organizers are always looking for help and many hands make light work. Current event organizers will eventually want to step down, and CPA is always looking for volunteers to step up and carry on the “traditional” events.
You can also dream up an entirely NEW event. All the events we currently list were once somebody’s crazy idea. Just get some friends to help, outline your idea to the Coordinator, get Steering Committee approval and dig in!
Run for CPA Office
CPA Officers and Steering Committee
All the CPA officers are volunteers who were nominated by members and elected at the Annual Meeting in November. Officers are listed here, and their duties are outlined here.
Whatever you decide to do, if CPA has proven to be a valuable activity for you, step up and pass it on to other paddlers by volunteering.
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