Going Afoot: A book on walking.

by Bayard Henderson Christy

With such activities in mind as normal to a pedestrian club, certain matters of policy may be presented for consideration.

Two tendencies are sure to manifest themselves in any flourishing club: the one toward a limited membership of those who qualify by accomplishing difficult feats; the other toward an indiscriminate membership, including those who are ready to join anything—providing the rest do. Both tendencies are bad. The club should on the one hand require of its members an especial interest in the object of its being, but it should on the other hand avoid exclusiveness. Emulation may be stimulated in other and better ways.

The aim of a club should be to bring home and make available to as many persons as possible the advantages in health and happiness to be derived from the pursuit of this recreation. This is a higher and better aim than to produce phenomenal walkers and mountain climbers—though such may incidentally be produced. It is a higher and better aim than a self-adulating company of those who have perched themselves on alps. Alpine climbing is splendid sport, but the aim mentioned is an ignoble one. Says one mountaineer,[8] who is incidentally a delightful writer, with humility:

“I utterly repudiate the doctrine that Alpine travellers are or ought to be the heroes of Alpine adventures. The true way at least to describe all my Alpine ascents is that Michel or Anderegg or Lauener succeeded in performing a feat requiring skill, strength, and courage, the difficulty of which was much increased by the difficulty of taking with him his knapsack and his employer. If any passages in the succeeding pages convey the impression that I claim any credit except that of following better men than myself with decent ability, I disavow them in advance and do penance for them in my heart.”

Avoid membership campaigns and such like advertising; a club to be enduring must rest on interest in the intrinsic thing for which the club stands. An artificially created interest must be artificially maintained; genuine natural interest is harmed by artificial interference.

Dues should not be burdensome, discouraging membership, but should be adequate to accomplish reasonable ends, and so tend to enlist and to widen interest.

Attention should center on the primary activities and upon them chiefly money should be spent.

Publications should be sold at cost.

Adequate charge should be made for the use of property. The Alpine clubs of Europe fix small membership fees, and give members preference over non-members in their lodging places. Members enjoy more favorable rates also for meals and lodging. The ideal of the club here should be a nice balance of simplicity, comfort, and adequacy; no waste, no extravagance, no surplus funds.

Club emblems are often adopted and worn. As in other sports, emulation may be awakened by the offer of trophies. These may be won in competition, or, as is usually preferred, by walking a certain number of miles in a day, or by covering a certain distance in a two-weeks’ hike, or the like.