[at-l] Camping for the Gathering and the Use of Alcohol

[spiriteagle99 at hotmail.com (Jim and/or Ginny Owen)]

I don't have time to play with this much these days but I'm gonna answer a 
couple questions that were asked privately - and the answers may be of 
interest to some others here - or not.

First order of business is to thank Saunterer and Skylander.  Thank you.

Second - the issue was brought up at the last Board meeting at Hanover last 
year.  It was tabled until the Spring meeting so we could all think about it 
and gather more information.  It would have been nice to have had some input 
during the Hanover meeting - but those who are so concerned about what's 
happening now didn't bother to show up at that meeting.

Then someone asked -
>Is Billville the real problem? Or is it other groups of drinkers?

Billville got mentioned for only one reason - because they took offense at 
the last Gathering, called some people (who, incidentally, aren't even Board 
members), and promised to come to the Spring Board meeting to discuss the 
matter.  They didn't show.

Now - to answer the question.  The problem is not just Billville or any 
other particular group.  It's ANYONE who gives an 18 year old thruhiker 
unlimited access to beer (or other alcohol) after they've been on the Trail 
for 4 or 5 or 6 months.  Or to a 50 year old thruhiker - it isn't always the 
age that makes the difference.  Sometimes it's the fact that ones body can't 
handle the alcohol.  Anyone who doesn't understand the word "tolerance" in 
this respect really needs to learn about it.  "Tolerance" in this context 
means - how much alcohol can I handle and still be functional.  NOT 
minimally functional (as in - yeah, I can still count my toes - all 12 of 
them) - but rationally functional (as in - yeah, I can still walk, talk and 
possibly even drive a car without killing myself or someone else).  After a 
couple months on the Trail, most thruhikers have very little tolerance for 
alcohol - UNLESS they've been drinking their way up the Trail.  And some do, 
don't they?  It was Cindy Ross who said nearly 30 years ago that "Alcohol 
and thruhikers don't mix".   She was right then, and she's still right.

I'll repeat what I said before - I believe it's generally those who show up 
once at a Gathering, get totally sloshed (usually on someone else's beer) 
and then never show up again who cause the problems.  But then, maybe 
someone out there has a better handle on this than I do. If so, why don't 
you show up at the Board meetings and educate us? We've been looking for you 
for the last couple years.

In the case of the Folklife Center - it STILL comes down to - it's their 
house, they don't want alcohol there, and as guests in their house it's 
rude, crude and disrespectful to ignore their rules.

Walk softly,
Jim