We were all shocked to read about the deaths on Dunagiri Peak of Arkel Erb, Graham Stephenson, and John Baruch. Both Arky and Graham had climbed all of the DPS peaks and their prowess and strength in climbing is legendary in the Sierra Club. Jerry Keating has written an article about them and about their climb of Dunagiri, which appears elsewhere in this DESERT SAGE. We will miss these great climbers.
Phil Bruce resigned as Program Chairman last month because his family and his job are demanding more of his time. The Management Committee elected George Hubbard to succeed him. Among his many services to DPS, George is a former Chairman and a current member of the Mountaineering Committee. George will be a valuable addition to our Management Committee.
The Management Committee, thanks to the assistance of Bill T. Russell, has proposed a number of changes to the DPS By-Laws. The proposed changes are printed elsewhere in this DESERT SAGE. Some of the changes are merely technical or clarify the present By-Laws but others are important.
Item 3 of the proposed changes recognizes emblem status as well as emblem pins so that those who wish can achieve status with or without a pin. Item 4 provides for list completion status and also for a list completion pin. Items 5 and 6 make the procedures for changing the peak list and the By-Laws more democratic. They enable any member to petition for changes in the peak list or By-Laws and they provide that changes will be made by written ballots sent to all members rather than by votes of those present at a particular meeting. Item 7 would change the emblem requirement to 20 peaks, while item 8 adds South Guardian Angel as an emblem peak.
All of the changes are badly needed and the Management Committee urges you to vote in support of them. We welcome your comments about them. Please send your letters to Barbara Reber before January l5 and they will be published in the DESERT SAGE.
Joe McCosker