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About Us
The Maryland Outdoor Club, Inc. (MOC) is a not-for-profit organization for adults, featuring adventure sports
(mostly non-competitive), as well as social events and travel excursions, in and around the state of
Maryland. The MOC's mission is to provide our members with fun experiences, the opportunity to network, and the
ability to learn about and participate in local adventure sports.
The MOC hosts about 100 events every year, including:
- Adventure Sports - hiking, camping, backpacking, mountain biking, paddling, climbing, skiing, etc.
- Travel - trips to the beach, mountains, or various parts of the U.S., and possibly beyond
- Social - social hour, parties, movies, spectator sporting events, golf outings, nature preservation, clinics, etc.
Founded in March 2002, the MOC currently has 5241 members, primarily Maryland residents. Members
range in age from 20 to 60, with 72% of members in the 20-39 age range. Membership is open to any adult
interested in outdoor adventures, regardless of his or her experience level. Members pay only for those events
they attend and membership is free, although member support, in the form of both time and monetary donations, is
solicited to keep the club running. There is no paid staff, and funds remaining at the end of the year are
recycled back into the club (for purchases of equipment, maintaining the web site, or supporting an event).
The MOC relies heavily on its interactive events and networking web site to allow people to sign up for membership,
communicate with one another, register and pay for events, submit event feedback, and make suggestions for
club improvements.
A Virtual Clubhouse
The web site is the backbone - the "virtual clubhouse" - of the MOC. Individuals can sign up for membership online
in a matter of minutes. They can network with other members, interact with the officers, and register for upcoming
events. The site offers a variety of other useful features, including adventure sport tips, online shopping,
recommended links, and upcoming area events of interest. The lack of overhead for a physical office permits the
club to continue to offer free memberships.
In addition to the web site, the MOC features a twice-monthly e-mail to its e-mail list group with
breaking news and upcoming events, and an online/print monthly newsletter, the "Monthly Explorer." A monthly
social/networking event is held to give members an opportunity to meet and socialize in person.
History
The MOC was modeled after the Atlanta Outdoor Club (AOC) located in Atlanta, GA. The AOC was founded in October
of 2000 and is now serving more than 900 members in the state of Georgia. Amy (Pickwick) Kunkoski founded both the MOC
and the AOC. After moving to the Atlanta area straight out of college from Salisbury, MD, Amy found it
difficult to meet people because Atlanta was such a fast-paced city and people were so transitional. She
began the AOC as a way to meet people with interests similar to her and, within six months, found that the idea
had caught on. When Amy relocated to Maryland in late 2001, she brought her concept with her. This time,
she contracted the web services of Tivilon, Inc. in College Park, MD to build a bigger and better web site
for the organization.
Looking For More Info?
Our FAQ or Membership Info
pages contain the answers to the questions we hear the most about signing up for
membership.
If you are interested in featuring an article about the Maryland Outdoor Club in your newspaper
or magazine, you can request a media kit through our online form.
Any questions for which you cannot easily find the answers online should be sent in via our
online form.
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Maryland Outdoor Club, Inc. survives off the support of volunteers and donations.
Please note that the MOC waiver
MUST be signed by each individual to allow participation in an event.
Please send all comments/questions regarding this web site to our Webmaster.
Copyright ©
- Maryland Outdoor Club, Inc. - Legal Notices
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