New Leaders | Meet a Member | Love the Club?
OASC is pleased to announce that several new Leaders came on board in autumn 2006!  In addition, we have a few new Leaders-in-Training – the learning phase which comes first.  OASC members please feel free to use the member directory and send welcome emails!
	Tom Callahan, Leader:  Tom already has led several Frisbee golf adventures for the club, and he’s looking forward to offering snowboarding lessons and perhaps guitar lessons, too!
	Joshua Crane, Leader:  Josh loves wallyball, hikes, and more!
	Rachel Ghent, Leader:  Rachel teaches horseback riding professionally, and has a knack for leading horse-related adventures and other creative outings.
	Ginger Greene, Leader-in-Training:  Ginger is a avid indoor rock climber.
	Kevin Kersten, Leader:  Kevin completed a cave rescue course and enjoys exploring the insides of mountains and tunnels, among other adventures.
	Michelle Prysby, Leader-in-Training:  Michelle runs the Virginia Master Naturalists Program, and looks forward to leading hikes and more.
	Rob Ryder, Leader:  Rob backpacked with over 100 pounds on his back while serving in the U.S. Army; he enjoys getting involved in adventures wherever a Leader is needed.
	Trevor Sayler, Leader:  Trevor enjoys leading indoor rock climbing adventures, mountain biking and more.  See Trevor’s article on the wing eating competition adventure in this newsletter!
	Janice Suppa-Friedman, Leader:  Jan is a V.I.P. Volunteer at Shenandoah National Park, knows many SNP trails very well, and enjoys leading hikes and more.  See her Thanksgiving Dinner article in this newsletter!

Sheri Balko

by Joshua Crane, Leader

Welcome to the Meet a Member section! Part of the joy of being involved with the OASC is getting to know new and exciting people in Charlottesville. Each issue, we will introduce a club member to the OASC community by exploring their interests, background, and of course, what makes the club special to this person!

I have recently had the opportunity to catch up with Sheri Balko, who has been a member of OASC since March 2005. A graduate of Dickinson College, Sheri moved to Virginia during her two year service with Americorp, and has worked extensively with local building and conservation programs. Since joining the club, she has been on a great number of different adventures and is excited to share her experiences. Sheri says one of the best things about adventures is the club-provided organization of the activities! Having the planning and details taken care of by the leaders allows her to really enjoy herself during the adventure. She is also appreciative of the wide range of activities available at any given time, and especially enjoys the community service projects. River clean up, trail maintenance, and volunteer work are all very rewarding to her.

Sheri Balko

Sheri is thankful that the leaders take time to teach and safely instruct new participants on how to do different activities. She says canoeing can be a little intimidating for someone who has never tried it before, and it is great that the club leaders are patient and kind during training. She has a bit of advice for new members: try as many new adventures as possible! She points out that trying activities outside of one's comfort zone such as rock climbing or kayaking can open the door to exciting, new experiences. Who knew wallyball could be so much fun?

While going on adventures with the club is always enjoyable, members often make exciting explorations of their own. While an undergraduate, Sheri spent a year in England studying archeology and has traveled to the Netherlands, Greece, Russia and Guatemala. She recently took a trip to Italy, and is looking forward to doing some backpacking in Europe after graduate school. She enjoys the hands-on experience of digging for artifacts, and after careful consideration admits she would prefer an Indiana Jones-style treasure discovery to that of a Jurassic Park one. Sheri currently is studying for the GRE and is looking forward to continuing her education next year.

Away from work and school, Sheri keeps in touch with her loved ones both near and far. Over the holidays she is looking forward to traveling with her boyfriend and visiting her family in Pennsylvania. For some of us including Sheri, our spouses or significant others are not a part of the club. Sometimes interests differ, or schedules don't allow for both people to participate. OASC bring all of us together in a unique community, and builds friendships that otherwise would never be forged. I've had a wonderful time getting to know Sheri, and I can thank her first hand for introducing me to the Hackensaw Boys, a local bluegrass band that puts on an amazing live performance. I've also had the fun of testing my Seinfeld knowledge against hers which, for the record, blows mine out of the water. 

If you'd like to be considered for the Stream's next Meet a Member, please contact us!

The Leaders and Manager volunteer much of their time to bring you the experiences in the club you love.  Please let us know your testimonials as shows of gratitude, so we know what to keep on doing so well, and so we can share your enthusiasm with prospective club members.  Simply contact us.