A couple things as we close out this edition of Meridian. First off, thank you for your continued reading and sharing of the publication. This marks two full years of Meridian under my editorial responsibilities, and the task has been quite fulfilling. I get to talk to MRA volunteers from across the U.S. and learn about their teams and heroic exploits as rescuers. It is a very fun deal to take on, and I hope to continue for the foreseeable future.
My signature at the end of these letters will also change as I am moving from Oregon back to my home state of Minnesota for a career change. I will continue SAR but with more focus on K9 work since there are, unfortunately, few mountains in Minnesota. The elevation changes of local ski hills are measured in the dozens or hundreds of feet, a major change from my main stomping ground of Oregon’s Mt. Bachelor. Perhaps I will take up ice climbing. I would like to thank MRA President Allison Sheets for allowing me to continue editing Meridian despite being an “expat” for the time being as well as the MRA officers for their continued support.
That being said, Meridian is always looking for additional help. This publication, like our rescues, relies heavily on volunteer elbow grease. Meridian staff work on editorial and advertiser sponsorships that help garner revenue for the MRA and boost our support of teams across the country. If you’d like to contribute, don’t hesitate to reach out by replying to an MRA lister email. We’re looking for tales of great missions, team innovations and profiles of volunteers.
Looking ahead to the next issue of Meridian – we will have our normal plate of noteworthy missions, people and medical knowledge along with a writeup from a previous zoom conference on leadership. Part of the strategic plan for the Mountain Rescue Association involves improving leadership at all levels of our organization so we can continue to be the authority on alpine rescue and wilderness safety. The more we strive to improve our organization, the more effective we can be in our operations, training and educational campaigns. Look for all of this when December rolls around.
Cheers,
Rick Lindfors Meridian Editor in Chief Eugene Mountain Rescue Pacific Northwest Search Dogs
