One of the largest clubs on campus, the Maine Outing Club supports a variety of indoor and outdoor activities and events throughout the academic year. During the summer months, the Outing Club is able to offer summer rentals and programs. In March of 2020, the Outing Club activities and amenities were put on pause due to COVID-19 related precautions. Even so, spring and summer of 2020 turned into a successful transition period for the club.
Until this past week, participation in events has been limited, but with support from the University of Maine community, President of the Maine Outing Club John Clark has been able to maintain student involvement in physical activities. Renting equipment has been permitted throughout the COVID-19 timeline, and remains an option to this day. Last weekend, the club took part in Paddlefest on the Stillwater River. The Outing Club made canoes, lifejackets and paddles available for free use on the Stillwater River. While the Maine Bound Adventure Center provides rentals for public use, the Outing Club uses club funds to rent supplies for their activities.
The Outing Club has been working to provide opportunities for outdoor fun, and upcoming events can be found on their social media.
The Outing Club welcomes any and all skill levels to join in on the outdoor adventures and fun, so if one has never been canoeing or kayaking, the club is there to be a support system. If one has paddled all their life, they’re excited to share tips and tricks to keep adventurers going.
According to their Facebook page, the Outing Club welcomes a “variety of outdoor experience, ranging from novices who have never tied a pair of hiking boots to subtle badasses of legendary stature.” The Outing Club doesn’t want to limit the potential outdoor fun.
If interested in participating in the Maine Outing Club, check out their regular 7 p.m. Wednesday meetings on the Steward Quad. This week is a little different as the group is meeting at 5:15 p.m. at the Emera Astronomy Center, beginning on the Stewart Quad. Be sure to sign a club waiver form to participate in anything the Outing Club has to offer, and your equipment rental from the MaineBound Adventure Center will be provided at a discounted rate.
For any questions or concerns, email the Maine Outing Club at maineoutingclub@gmail.com or find them on Instagram at MaineOutingClub or on Facebook @TheMaineOutingClub. Additional contact information for a more specific or case-by-case basis can be found on umaine.edu under the Student Government tab. Or, simply search “Outing Club” in the search bar on the umaine.edu website.
